Camping For Beginners: 18 Basic Steps For Your First Outdoor Adventure

If you go back far enough in history you’ll find that every human on the planet used to be some form of camper in one way or another. Prehistoric “cavemen” made their beds out of sticks, stems, leaves, and other plant materials for a comfy night’s sleep. Talk about roughing it!

Since then, camping now is kind of looked at as a luxury. Unless you’re homeless, sleeping out under the stars with a camp stove, tent, and sleeping bag is a form of entertainment. We do it with friends and family, for days or weeks at a time, in some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. How far we’ve come.

If you’ve never done it before, the idea of packing everything into a car or backpack and living out of it for a weekend getaway can seem overwhelming. You might ask yourself, “Where do I start?”, or “What do I need?” and many other questions that’ll come up.

I say, don’t let those worrisome thoughts get to you. Instead, think about the many benefits of ditching city life for a while and what you can gain by exploring this big beautiful world we all share!

One, camping is a fantastic way to reconnect with nature. Sometimes we lose focus of how majestic our world truly is. Secondly, it’s an ideal way to unwind from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It’s like hitting the reset button if you will. Lastly, you’ll form unforgettable memories that’ll stay with you for the rest of your life. There are many more reasons, but I think these are enough to get started!

So, if you have the urge to escape your day-to-day for a fun and safe adventure into the woods, you’ve found a great resource! In this camping for beginners article, I’ll go over how to plan, what to bring along with you, and things to keep in mind when going for your first “campout”. I’m happy to say, I’m here for ya!

Planning

Before setting out, you’ll need to do a few things first. Half of the battle to a successful camping trip is preparation. Forgetting to do or bring something halfway down the road can nag at you, so much so that it might distract you from the fun all weekend. It kind of defeats the point of getting away in the first place right?

When I first started out, I skipped a bunch of essentials and barely made it through my first night, so believe me when I say, that organization is everything!

1. Types Of Camping

The first question you should be asking yourself is, “How do you want to go about sleeping outdoors for the first time?”. Since there are many camping options to choose from, take a second and think about it. It might save you some valuable time or money later down the road. Let’s go over the different choices.