Camping

Camping covers a broad range, from drive-up campsites with facilities to backcountry sites you carry everything into. Car camping lets you bring comfort; the tradeoff is you go where roads go.

It is one of the cheapest ways to travel, and gear lasts for years, so the up-front cost amortizes well.

Start with car camping at an established campground. Learn your gear somewhere with running water.

Set up your tent in the yard before the trip. Reading instructions in the dark and rain is miserable.

Buy a sleeping pad with a decent R-value. Cold comes from the ground, and this is what beginners skimp on.

Rent or borrow gear for the first few trips before committing to purchases.

The sleep system matters more than the tent. Cold, bad nights are what put people off camping.

• A tent ($100–250). Buy one rated for more people than you are — a "2-person" tent fits two people and nothing else.
• A sleeping bag rated below your expected temperature ($80–200). Ratings are survival limits, not comfort limits. Assume you will feel cold about 10°F above the number.
• A sleeping pad with a decent R-value ($50–150). The most commonly skimped item and the most important. Cold comes up from the ground, and no sleeping bag compensates for a thin pad.
• A headlamp ($20). Hands-free light is far more useful than a torch.
• A camp stove ($40–70) and a way to keep food cold.

Skip at first: elaborate cooking kits, camp furniture, and anything sold as "ultralight" — that is backpacking gear at backpacking prices.

Your first trips

1. Start at an established campground with running water and toilets. Learn your gear somewhere forgiving.
2. Pitch the tent in the garden first. Reading instructions in the dark and rain is genuinely miserable.
3. Borrow or rent for the first couple of trips before spending real money.
4. Arrive with enough daylight left to set up. Everything is harder in the dark.
5. Make a checklist after each trip of what you missed. It becomes your packing list within three trips.

Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced

• Beginner: Car camping at a campground. The milestone is a comfortable, warm night's sleep.
• Intermediate: Off-season and wet-weather camping, better food, and more remote sites.
• Advanced: Backcountry and winter camping, where self-sufficiency and weather judgment become the whole skill.

• Skimping on the sleeping pad. The classic error. You will be cold no matter how good your bag is.
• Trusting the sleeping bag temperature rating. It is a survival rating, not a comfort one.
• Arriving after dark. Everything takes three times as long and the first trip sets your opinion of camping.
• Overpacking food and gear. Almost everyone brings twice what they use on the first few trips.
• No rain plan. Weather turns. A tarp and a book make a wet afternoon pleasant instead of grim.
• Cotton clothing. It holds water and chills you badly once damp.
• Storing food in the tent. Attracts animals ranging from mice to bears depending on where you are.

Never run a stove, grill, or lantern inside a tent or enclosed space. Carbon monoxide is odourless and kills campers every year — this is the single most important camping safety rule.

Store food and anything scented (toothpaste, deodorant) away from your tent, in a vehicle or a bear canister where required. Check local rules; in bear country they are not optional.

Check the weather and know your site's flood risk before pitching. Never camp in a dry creek bed. Learn the signs of hypothermia — shivering, clumsiness, confusion — and treat confusion as an emergency.

Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back, especially for anywhere remote.

How much does it cost to start?

Around $250–450 for decent basics, or nothing if you borrow. Gear lasts years, so it amortises well.

Do I need a 4-season tent?

No. Three-season tents cover spring through autumn, which is when the vast majority of camping happens.

How do I stay warm at night?

A good sleeping pad first, then a warm bag, then a hat. Eat something before bed and do not go to bed cold — do some star jumps first.

Is camping safe alone?

At established campgrounds, generally yes. Remote solo camping raises the stakes considerably — share your plan and consider a satellite messenger.

What about bathrooms in the backcountry?

Dig a hole 6–8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water and trails, and pack out the paper. Some areas require packing out everything.