BRANDON MARCELLO, PhD

If you tried to go camping at least once, you surely know it is a wonderful experience. Like, there is no city noise and everyday routine. Both your mind and body can have a calm but active rest with fresh air, magnificent landscapes, and silent nature. And if there are friends or beloved family members nearby, the impressions certainly become even better! However, leaving for a camping trip has some nuances that don’t like neglecting them. If you are not an experienced tourist who has the best roof top tent and all other gear already packed and waiting for the next hike, you may not be aware of many lesser details. Here are seven tips that will certainly help you make your camping experience better by increasing the level of comfort you get. Check the Tent It is the first procedure you should apply before you even start thinking about what to put in your backpack. The point is, all the items required for a tent to function properly should be at your disposal. One missing peg or rope can spoil the entire trip because even the top-class hard shell roof top tent is unusable when you can’t set it properly. Additionally, you might want to check all the zippers of your tent attentively. They should be fully functional to prevent heat or cold issues. Moreover, a properly locked zipper means your environment remains isolated from the wildlife reality at night. You don’t want some nasty bugs to crawl into your sleeping bag while you’re enjoying your fresh air sleep, do you? RTFM or Can You Set that Tent? Seriously, did you read that manual? You should read it at least once. It won’t hurt. A tent set wrongly will not only upset your inner perfectionist. An incorrect positioning and assembly mean the tent will be the reason to spoil your camping experience. Such a tent will probably leak even during a small rain or lose stability when the wind starts blowing. Additionally, pick a plain surface to place your tent if it’s not a roof top one. Make sure there are no pits or bumps underneath its bottom. Otherwise, you won’t sleep well. Therefore, your camping trip is almost guaranteed to be entirely spoiled. Mattress or Mat: The Hidden Savior Yes, you need a mat or air mattress, even if your tent is insanely waterproof. Why? It is because a waterproof bottom is not a heat-insulated one. So, a tent mat is your solution to prevent getting cold at night. A quality mat can save you from humidity and cold perfectly. An air mattress is a solution for those who prefer sleeping on softer surfaces (no camping mat can be as soft as an air mattress). Though, do not forget that a reliable mattress requires more investments, adds weight to your backpack, and occupies more space inside. Sleeping Bag: Revise It No, a regular blanket is not enough, even for summer camping trips. It becomes especially critical when you plan to rest somewhere near the lake or river: their surroundings become cruelly cold early in the morning. A blanket won’t save you there, even inside the most expensive roof top tent on the market. So, it is a good idea to invest some decent money in your sleeping bag and to avoid picking it randomly. Manufacturers give the info about the comfortable air temperature for every bag they offer. Think over the conditions and ways to use your sleeping bag attentively before making your final choice. Additionally, you might not want to be too lazy to check the functioning of your bag’s zipper and the state of its tissue layers overall. That’s how you will be sure your bag is ready for some new trials. Insects: Protect Yourself You surely don’t want to share the space inside your tent with bugs, spiders, mosquitoes, or mice. So, you might want to control all the zippers of a tent before going to sleep obligately. Sprays can save the situation if the invasion already happened, of course. But a smell those chemicals leave after applying them is weird, and it will influence the comfort of your sleep badly. Take a Seat: a Foldable Chair or Seat Pad A foldable tourist chair is not expensive nowadays. Additionally, good seats are light and pretty portable either by car or by hand. These are nice solutions to avoid wasting time finding some stone or log to sit on if you’re camping on foot. And of course, no tourist should sit directly on the cold ground. Seat pads hanging directly to your clothes or backpack can also come in handy. It’s less comfortable than a chair, but it weighs less and is easier to carry. Moreover, a carpet used correctly will let you sit comfortably almost on any plain surface. Light in the Black: Portable Flashlight Humans got used to living in cities with their streets remaining light during night hours. Woods and camping grounds are rare to have artificial light sources nearby, so you might want to take a portable camping flashlight with you. Both online and offline markets offer a wide choice of touring flashlights one can hang at the top of their tent. All you need to do is to pick the most suitable gadget and make sure it is in your backpack before you leave for your camping trip. By the way, this adventure kings roof top tent review is worth checking, as a tent shown there is the first item in every tourist’s inventory that defines their camping comfort. Saving money on your gear is not always wise! Buy quality gadgets and enjoy your trips!