Whether you’re somebody who loves to sleep under the stars or you only
drag yourself along on a camping holiday reluctantly, there are some things
that only real campers know. Check out some of these things that those who stay inhotels and bed and breakfasts will never
understand.
Camping Is Cold, No
Matter What
The inexperienced camper might think that a summer camp is always warm.
But if you’re camping in the Northern hemisphere, it never is. Temperatures
might be high in the daytime, but on rural campsites near farms and forests,
those daytime highs rarely survive the night. By the time the evening comes,
you’ll be looking around for firewood to build a fire so that you can stay warm
in the hours before bed,
Tent Sizes Are Fiction
You might think that you’ve bought a three-man tent that’ll sleep you
and your two best buddies, but it’s all a lie. Technically you can all fit
inside, just like technically speaking five people can fit into a Mini, but as
for actual practicality, you can forget it. It’s worth checking out the best tents for camping in 2017 to find out which ones will actually fit both you and your
buddies.
Your Perfect Pitch Is
Never Perfect
Experienced campers will spend a little time surveying the lie of the
land before pitching their tents. They do this for two reasons: the first is to
make sure that there isn’t a slope so that they don’t end up rolling down the
hill during the night and have their face pressed up against the side of the
tent. The other is to make sure that there aren’t any giant lumps and bumps on
the ground that could give them a bad back.
Unfortunately, this prospecting fails every time without fail.
There’s Always
Somebody Making Noise
Campsites are rarely quiet places: there’s always someone making noise,
laughing, getting drunk or playing on the guitar.
If you go camping with kids, there will be screaming on top of this too. Most
of the time you’ll be so tired from all the activity of the day that you’ll
fall to sleep, despite the noise. But experienced campers take earbuds to block
out the noise, just in case.
Queuing Outside A
Portable Toilet In The Rain Is Normal
Life on the campsite can be grim at times. Often you’ll have to queue
outside the toilet at 7 am in your pajamas and a rain coat. Indoor living
spoils us, and we don’t realize just how often it actually rains in the
morning, but it does, especially when chemical toilets are in use, it seems.
Everything Takes Much
Longer
Boiling water at home takes just a couple of minutes in the kettle if
that. But on camp, you don’t have the luxury of a 3000W electric boiler.
Instead, you’ve usually got to use a gas burner and an old-fashioned stove-top
kettle. Your cup of tea or cocoa will take about ten minutes to make if you’re
lucky. Food also take
longer to make.
