Camping can be an exciting way of spending spare time, weekends, and holidays.
It provides an interesting way of enjoying the peace and quiet of the great outdoors while taking a break from the stresses of everyday life.
When planning any kind of camping trip it’s important to consider how long you’re actually going to be away for.
For practical reasons, you don’t want to be taking far more than you’re ever likely to need, but on the other hand you don’t want to have to abandon your trip and head home because you’ve run out of essentials and you’re nowhere near any shops.
As a newcomer to the world of camping, planning your camping trip can be a really daunting task.
Not only do you have to get all your equipment ready, (and be able to pack it easily), but you’ll also have to factor in things like considering who you’re going with, the location, the time of year, and the type and amount of activities you can do whilst away.
Bearing in mind you’ll probably have to do some outdoor cooking, trying to work out the best foods to take, their shelf life, as well as the amounts needed, will be another factor when determining how many days you can actually spend camping.
So, if you’re wondering how long your camping trip ought to be, we’ve put together some useful guidelines which we hope will help.
HOW LONG SHOULD A CAMPING TRIP BE?
We’d advise erring on the side of caution, starting off by either weekend camping trips or two to three days maximum.
This is enough time to get a feel as to whether camping really is suited to everyone in your group, and whether you can actually cope with the facilities and equipment you have.
Great camping experiences are a result of a combination of trial and error and a whole lot of on the spot learning!
Let’s face it, camping when the sun’s out, the ground is dry and firm is one thing but quite another when it’s raining, the grass is saturated and you’re cold and hungry.
Two or three days is ideal – enough time to enjoy a hands-on camping experience without feeling burdened by the thought of having to spend another week or fortnight if there’s not much to do, or others in your group are itching to get back home.
It also makes sense to plan a weekend or short break camping trip fairly close to home – perhaps no more than about an hour and a half away.
You won’t feel as if you have to see it out if you’re unhappy, just pack up and head back home.
We’d advise shorter camping trips for large parties of people or mixed age groups.
The greater the number of campers in your party, the more equipment and supplies you’ll need, and consequently the greater likelihood of tempers becoming frayed and arguments occurring, simply because everyone’s different.
Everyone has a different boredom threshold and everyone has unique likes and dislikes. Be aware that disagreements and fall outs are probably inevitable.
LONGER CAMPING TRIPS
Longer camping trips – those of a week to a fortnight – are for the most experienced campers and those who really enjoy the great outdoors and love being a part of nature.
These trips can be highly educational.
You’ll learn a lot of new skills and gain valuable experience for future camping expeditions.
We’d advise carrying out thorough research if you are planning a longer camping trip.
You might want to look for sites offering flushing toilets, showers or laundry facilities.
After all, there’s nothing worse than sudden downpours leading to you running out of clean, dry clothes when you’ve still got more than a week’s camping left.
SHORT VS LONGER CAMPING TRIPS
The length of your camping trip is an individual choice but should be geared towards the weather, the amount of equipment you’ll need, and a suitable budget for purchasing it, the number of people in your camping group and their age range (for assessing their suitability and types of activity).
While an average camping trip might only be a couple of days, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t plan a lengthier holiday type camping trip.
The key is to research and plan well in advance, make sure it suits everyone’s needs and that everyone’s happy with your plans before you set off.
