Things to Consider BEFORE Leaving Home to Go Camping
Going camping is one of my favorite things to do. When it comes to road trips, my husband and I usually pick the dates we want to be gone and don’t decide on a destination until we are already miles away from home. It usually goes something like this. We get on the freeway and start heading out of town with 3 or 4 places in mind. As we approach each Y in the road, we make an on the spot decision, left or right, eliminating some of our choices until eventually, we have no more decisions to make and we are headed right where we want to go. For me, this adds to the excitement. No real itinerary or plans.
Now I imagine for many of you this sounds down right awful and you are probably thinking we put zero thought into planning, but you would be very wrong. Even though we don’t decide on a final location before we leave, we have definitely done our homework. Here is a list of some of the major things we consider.
WEATHER
Nothing is more important than checking the weather before you leave home. Even though we rarely pick a final destination before leaving our house, we always have a few places in mind, granted some of them may be in completely different states or on opposite sides of California. Regardless, we always take time to research the weather for every destination we’re considering for the duration of the time we plan on being gone which often helps rule out a few spots. Things to consider include:
Temperature
It is incredibly important to consider the highs and lows of the destinations you are considering. This will help you rule out places that are just too hot during the day or way too cold at night. Will you be sleeping in tents, an RV, a hotel? Just how will the temperatures affect that decision? Many places sound like a great idea but get immediately ruled out once you start checking forecasts. Checking temperatures also helps to ensure you bring the right gear and proper clothing. Nothing is worse than getting to a destination realizing you needed to have brought better gear to cope with the temps.
Precipitation
Is it going to rain while you’re gone? If so, for how long? How many inches are expected? Will it be a light romantic rain or a downpouring that will make you look like a wet dog and even worse, prevent you from seeing the sites you want to see that brought you there in the first place? Will it be enough to cause mudslides or closure of roads and places you want to see? Another thing to consider is flash floods especially in areas with slot canyons.
Snow/Storms
We love camping in Winter snow. However, with snow comes many challenges including road closures and limited access to some of the best higher elevation spots which will affect decisions on where to go. If snow is predicted in the forecast, be sure to research at what elevation the snow line will be, and always check on road closures and chain requirements. Nothing is worse than reaching a destination only to learn you have to turn around and go back the way you came.
Just like snow, be aware of storms in the forecast. Recently coming out of Arches National Park, we hit one of the worst storms I’ve ever been caught in while driving home. It only lasted for about 15 minutes but those 15 minutes were harrowing. We couldn’t even see the cars ahead of us or the lines on the highway. You didn’t dare stop for fear of being rear-ended. People were literally driving on the wrong side of the road not realizing it. This has rarely happened to us given how vigilantly we monitor the weather including using a crank weather radio when out of cell range. It can happen to anyone.
Another problem is flash floods. You want to avoid places with flash flood warnings especially slot canyons. Never enter a slot canyon when it's raining. It does not take much water to create an extremely dangerous, life-threatening situation.
Be sure to do your best to know conditions before you go. There is no shame changing your mind if weather is bad. Be smart.
MAPS
It is very surprising to me how many people don’t use real paper maps anymore. If you are one of those people, I urge you to change your ways. Maps are extremely important especially if you are camping. You just never know when you might lose cell service in the wilderness or even on the road.
You do not have to be primitive camping in some remote area of a forest to lose bars. Even designated campgrounds often have no service. Therefore, be sure to pick up maps of all of the areas you are planning to see ahead of time and take them with you. You can also find maps locally at most spots. Look for Ranger stations and Visitor’s Centers. I know some of you are thinking you will just download them to your phone. But again, this can be problematic. What if you break your phone, lose it, or your battery dies and you can’t figure out a way to charge it. Keep in mind that extremely cold temps will completely drain a battery much quicker than normal, or your phone may not function at all. This has happened to me more times than I can count.
You just never know what might happen so take the time to pull out your old maps or get yourself some new ones. If you’re a member of Auto Club, it’s a great resource for free maps, or you can even print maps off the internet before your departure.
WHAT TO PACK
I will save my packing lists for other articles and blogs, but here are a few things to consider when packing for any camping trip and deciding where to go.
Clothes
How long will you be gone and how many clothes do you actually need to bring? Try not to overpack. I almost always need less than I think I do and often regret taking up space with unnecessary baggage. Consider whether there are options to wash clothes were you’re going and pack accordingly.
If there‘s a chance of rain or snow, pack for it. Make sure to bring extra clothes in case yours get wet when camping in those conditions. There is nothing worse than being wet while spending the night outdoors especially if it’s cold. I would also be sure to pack extra socks and shoes so your feet always stay dry.
Feet don’t just get wet from rain or puddles. Feet often sweat, making socks damp which leads to incredibly cold feet at night around the campfire. It is shocking how frozen toes get if your socks are even just a little bit wet. I always make room for extra socks, especially if we aren’t backpacking.
If there is a chance there will be snow, pack crampons. You never know when you will encounter icy walkways and you do not want to slip and fall, and ruin your trip. These are so important.
Consider the lows. Temperatures can drop dramatically at night when camping. Make sure to take this into consideration. Pack so that you can dress in layers and always bring a warm hat, gloves and extra socks for cold nights even if day temps will be warm. I also always bring a blanket for around the campfire. If you have a tendency to get cold, you can thank me later.
Although I feel like they are bad for the environment, you can also buy hand and toe warmers at most sporting goods stores where you crack the packet open and it generates its own heat through a chemical reaction. I admit, they work great and I always keep some on me while camping for an emergency.
Other things to consider bringing
Always bring a hat for the sun and sunscreen while camping, you never know when you might be susceptible to sunburn. It is actually quite easy to get burned on a cloudy, gloomy day if conditions are right.
Consider bringing an umbrella even if there’s no chance of rain. Weather can change quickly and when it is really hot or sunny, an umbrella can provide you with much appreciated shade especially in places like the scorching hot deserts in the summer. Just last weekend we camped with 3 other families who were delighted that we had so many extra umbrellas for them to borrow while hiking sand dunes under the scorching hot desert sun.
Always carry a first aid kit, a headlamp with extra batteries and a water bottle (a full water bottle).
Even if you want to unplug while camping (which I highly recommend), be sure to bring an extra phone charger. You will undoubtedly need your phone at some point on the trip and I cannot tell you how often a cord gets lost, suddenly stops working right or you run into someone who desperately needs to borrow one.
Consider bringing a deck of cards, a good book or some other games to play around the campsite. Even a frisbee can be fun and is easy to pack.
COOKING & MEALS
Before you leave home, be sure to give some thought to meals. There are rarely stores nearby when camping unless you stay close to a big town at an RV park. Even if there is a camp store or a shop nearby, prices are often much higher and supplies limited. Try to find time to buy all your essentials before you leave. I like to write a list of meals out on paper and jot down what I will need to make them so I don’t forget anything. Lists are your friend - shopping lists, packing lists, places to see lists. I heart lists.
Personally, I love to pre-cook my meals before I ever leave home and freeze them. We tend to camp in cold climates and I am not a fan of cooking big meals in the cold. Fingers get quite frozen while doing so. So, I throw the meals in Ziplocks or reusable containers, freeze them and throw them in my ice chest where they double as ice packs to keep the other food cold. They naturally start to thaw as the trip progresses and stay cold much longer if they’ve been frozen in advance.
