My Tips for First Time Campers

A few things I learned after my first night out camping.

Before I started dating Bryce, the most time I spent outside was for softball tournaments. Since our relationship started to grow and quarantine hit, we have spent more and more time out in nature, obviously haha. Before summer ended and my classes started back up, I wanted to go on one more grand adventure. And to me that meant camping! I was scouring the Austin area parks for any available campsite about a month before we wanted to go out. Luckily, I was able to find a primitive campsite open at Inks Lake State Park, which was also lucky because we have wanted to hit up Inks Lake all summer!

This was my very first time camping, but Bryce had been a few times before so he was able to show me the ropes. My first experience camping was one I will never forget! I was so excited for this adventure, and it definitely lived up. Here are some of the top things I learned from this trip.

My Tips for First Time Campers

1. Do not overpack!

You don’t want to bring more than you have to. This is especially important if you are going to a primitive campsite and have to hike out to where you will be staying. You don’t want to have to carry more than you can handle or take multiple trips out. It is best if you can fit everything you need into a backpack. I wore my hiking shorts with a tank top and my tennis shoes, and I fit my water sandals, swimsuit, extra tank top, and extra underwear in my backpack. In my backpack, I was also able to fit in my little pillow along with my camera equipment. It was really tough for me to narrow down what out of my camera stuff I was going to bring, but I knew I could only bring so much stuff.

2. Rewear shorts and shirts.

It is helpful if you can rewear clothes. I did this with my dry-wicking, hiking shorts because they are made of a good material for this type of thing. Since it was the middle of the hot months in Texas, I didn’t have to bring too many bulky clothes. I knew I was going to sweat, so I wanted to bring one extra tank top just in case. I imagine during the cold months there won’t be as much sweating, so I would just think to bring extra underwear.

3. Bring extra water and a small towel to wash your hands and feet.

Due to the fact that we were walking around in the dirt all day, we used some of our water and a quick dry towel that we brought to clean off our feet before getting into the tent. We did this because we didn’t want to track dirt into the area where we would be sleeping. This was very helpful in making me feel clean despite being covered in sweat.

4. Pack a book or a deck of cards.

If you’re like us, you want to get your site set up before eating dinner. However, that leaves lots of time after dinner for different activities. You could go hiking on a nearby trail, or you could just relax and have a chill night. We opted for the later and brought a deck of uno cards with us and our books. Yes, these do take up space in your backpack, but they are small. You can choose to just bring one and even throw the small deck of cards in a side pouch.

5. Be prepared for whatever weather you will face.

One thing I wish we had brought was a portable fan. It was over 100 degrees outside and stayed in the 90’s throughout most of the night. A little portable fan would’ve been a nice thing to have to keep us a little cool in that heat haha. And when it gets colder outside, you want to make sure you have plenty of layers to keep you warm.

Everyone’s experience camping is going to be different. These are just some of the things I learned from my first time out under the night sky. I definitely still have more to learn and am very much looking forward to those adventures!