Camping for beginners

Whenever I write about my love of camping, I get comments asking how to do it. Lots of you want to give it a go but don't know where to start - and I can see why. Walking into a camping shop is overwhelming and if you don't know exactly what you're looking for I can understand why you would walk out thinking it's all too hard.

So at the suggestion of some commenters, I decided to write a how-to for beginner campers.

This post covers the basics of camping, the absolute minimums of what you'll need. You'll notice in the shops that there are thousands of other accessories available; you can go as 'luxury' or as basic as you like, but this guide should see you through a few trials to see if you like the experience before spending all that money! It will also give you a chance to think about which additional things are important to you.

I'll go through each category to consider, with a list at the bottom of things you'll need.

Where to go?



There are three types of camping: caravan parks, camping with some amenities (often found in national parks, for example), or bush camping without amenities.

The first two types are easy to locate: a book or a Google search will tell you where these spots are. The third - roughing it - can take a little more ground work: bush campers like to keep their spots quiet and hidden, so the best way to find them is to search a little harder online or talk to other campers.

My best tip for deciding where to go is to ask yourself a few questions:

What am I comfortable with? You might want full amenities, or you might want to try going into the bush and finding a quieter place.

Where can I get to? The type of vehicle you have will dictate where you can go, to a certain degree. Some bush camping spots are accessible only by four-wheel-drive, so you'll need to research this first.

What interests you? You might want to go for walks, you might like to go for drives, or any number of other activities - which will help you rule out certain areas.

Wherever you end up, I recommend leaving your campsite and doing some exploring - see the area you've come to visit.

Shelter



The most important thing you need is a tent (note that there are other shelter options such as caravans and camper trailers, but tents are the cheapest and easiest option). There are so many tents on the market that you may find this step confusing, but luckily many of those include some really reasonably priced options that are also good quality.

We have slowly upgraded over the years - from a tiny lightweight hiking tent, to a small dome tent (a great starting point - easy to put up and cheap to buy), to our current three-roomed tent.

This is not something to purchase on impulse - before you buy a tent you should do some research to check its quality. Read reviews online and check out the manufacturer's reliability, because no matter how much you love camping, if your tent leaks or blows away it will ruin your trip.

You may also like to consider other shelters too, such as a shade tent or even a tarp (a cheap option that we still use, with ropes to tie the corners around trees). It's great to have some shade or shelter from the rain without having to hide away in your tent... but not a necessity.

Bedding

You'll need something to sleep on and it's up to you how comfortable you are with the options available. Basically, you can use a blow-up mattress or a sleeping mat (which can be quite thin and will certainly straighten out your back! This is what we use and prefer, though).

You can purchase sleeping bags or, if you want to keep costs down you can just take your own bedding from home.

Cooking



When it comes to how you'll cook, you have two options:

Gas - you can pick up a basic single-burner gas cooker for $20, which you can use to heat food or cook just like a stovetop.

Fire - you'll need to check if fires are allowed at your camping spot. If so, and if you want to try cooking on the fire (I'll post some camping recipes here at some point, too), you'll need some good cooking gear. We have this set from Hillbilly Camping (the stand, hot-plate, frying pan, jaffle maker and camp oven), who are local to us - it's great quality gear that will last forever.

Please note that even if you're going to cook on the fire, you should also take a gas cooker in case of bad weather conditions.

Food



So what can you eat? We started off quite basic when we began camping - sausages, chops, pasta mixes - but we've progressed as we've realised you can actually eat really well while camping. If you're unsure you can pre-cook a couple of meals at home and just reheat them on your gas cooker, or you can give things a go from scratch.

The first thing we do when planning a trip is work out a meal plan. Eating well while camping is just like eating well at home: it all comes down to planning.

A good esky/icebox with a couple of bags of ice will keep your food and drinks cold for at least a few days.

Water



The water situation comes down to where you're planning to camp. It's usually safest to take your own in water containers, unless you know the area has clean water.

If the spot you're headed to has a river, you can use that water but should boil it before drinking.

Toilets

The big question I'm asked when I talk about camping is about toilets. Camping can mean no amenities and you need to think about how you feel about that. After a few trips, though, it becomes a non-issue.

When it comes to toilets, there are three possibilities (but always, always pack your own toilet paper!):

Full facilities - Usually found at caravan parks.

Drop toilets (sometimes called a 'long drop') - This is a toilet seat over a hole in the ground, and used communally  just like a normal public toilet (but without the flush!). Many popular bush camping spots will have these, and they're okay in some situations - without going into too much detail, let's just say that they aren't the most pleasant smelling things on a busy weekend.

No toilets - In this case you'll have to dig a hole. Sounds terrible? You'll get used to it. It's worth going behind a tree a few times over a weekend in order to see and do the amazing things you will while camping. (And one visit to a drop toilet on an aforementioned busy weekend will have you wanting to dig your own hole!)

BYO toilet - you can buy chemical toilets and a toilet tent. But be warned, someone has to empty it afterwards!

Showers

Again you'll find a few possibilities:

Full facilities - Usually found at caravan parks.

No showers - Sounds bad? Again, you just need to get over it. There are a few tricks to staying as clean as possible, though. One is to stock up on baby wipes, bring a facewasher, and just do your best. Or, if the weather is warm and you're camping near a river - go for a swim (don't use soap or shampoo in the river, though) and you'll instantly feel better.

BYO shower - You can buy a battery-operated shower and a shower tent - it won't be your greatest showering experience, but it's enough to have a quick wash.

A summary of the equipment you'll need

• Tent


• Shade tent or tarp (optional)


• Sleeping bags (or bedding from home)


• Gas cooker


• Fire cooking equipment (optional)


• Billy for boiling water


• Lighting (torches and/or lanterns)


• Esky


• Water containers


• Cooking equipment (pots, pans, plates, cups, cutlery, serving spoon, tongs - you can bring these from home)


• Chairs

Remember - these are the basics, an absolute minimum. Anything above and beyond this is really a personal preference, but this is a good start.

Good luck, and wishing you all lots of happy camping trips.

(Go on, give it a go - you might just enjoy it!)

(Oh, and let me know how you go - I'd love to hear your camping stories!)