A great Camping trip can recharge your soul and give you new strength to face all the life’s challenges.

While out camping, you are always on alert: Setting a camp within 20 minutes, lighting the fire, cooking in your restricted utensils, all while avoid blisters and nettles!

However, numerous things tend to go wrong when you are out camping. Various things can get out of hand, while at other times, a small mistake can ruin the trip. Certain things evade even most of the skilled backpackers.

Read on to get an idea of the nine ways you are camping wrong without even realizing the same. The following check-list will help you gauge the things you have been doing wrong, while out camping in the woods!

• Carrying an Ordinary Igniter/Matchbox

Being a smart camper, you should be aware of prevailing weather conditions. You should religiously carry water-proof lights/matches, as they burn up to 15 – 20 seconds in strong winds, even if they get water-soaked. They do not get out of fuel like any ordinary lighter. Hence, never be too dependent on these lighters or igniters, as they fail quite often. Any storm-proof matches will cater to your essential camping requirement, like lighting a stove or alerting with an emergency.

• Not carrying a sleeping bag and air-mattress

You tend to lose heat from your body while you are camping. And you mostly do not realize the same. For instance, if  you are camping in 15-degree temperature, any cheap air-mattress will be a hindrance. You will then shiver all night long, even though inside a sleeping bag. Your body will lose most of its heat owing to the uninsulated mattress under you. Carry with yourself a weather-checked and good quality sleeping bag, along with an insulated air-mattress, or a sleeping pad, which will assist in keeping your body heat stable.

• Not Bringing along rechargeable batteries/Power Banks

What will happen when your headlamp or the mobile phone, acting as a navigator, drains out? Bring rechargeable batteries as a valuable back-up. If you happen to be car-camping, you might get a chance to charge the items mentioned above. But it will also drain out fast. So for an emergency, rely upon a rechargeable headlamp. You can, at any time, replace the drained-out batteries with a new set of AAA batteries. Various retail outlets selling camping gears stock these battery chargers also. Spend on one enabled with the extra power to last long.

• Not Carrying extra water bladders

While camping or going for a hike, we forget to drink enough water to keep our body hydrated. Thus, it results in a splitting headache, once we get up from sleep. These dehydration headaches are never appreciated! Buy extra water bladders with enough to store, so that you do not have to filter or run out of the same often. Once packing your camping gears, be sure of carrying enough water storage items, as it is very much required to keep yourself hydrated and keep moving.

• Be well-stocked with your essential sleeping-aids

It can be a little weird, and you can be anxious also while sleeping outside. Most of us struggle to fall asleep even if we’re dog tired. Every small noise alerts us, until we sit upright till dawn! There is nothing worse than being exhausted and not able to sleep, owing to your overactive imagination. Carry your choicest sleeping aids or melatonin in the first—aid kit to keep your energy high the next day.

• Not Packing according to the camping check-list

We’re not all good planners. But then, we have to be, especially when planning to go out camping in the wild. There are ample camping check-lists available online to guide you better. Pack according to the weather conditions or outdoor activities involved while camping. Check-off the packing list, when done packing your backpack. Do not forget the essential items!

• Being a tent pitching novice

You should practice pitching tents, as they are never straight-forward. Once you enter a dark camping site, it becomes a tedious task of putting up the tent. If you are car-camping, setting up a roof tent also takes much time and skill. It is a complicated process, but if you do the same many times, you will turn out to be deft in tent-pitching.

Being a pro tent pitcher gets helpful if the weather turns bad. The quicker you are in setting up the tent, the better you’ll be at beating the weather.

• Not carrying a camp-stove and adequate warm clothing

You being a backpacking camper, it will be difficult for you to count on lighting a fire to cook your feed and stay warm all night. You should be aware of the fire regulations levied on those places you are out camping. Cater for yourself with a camp-stove and Adequate Warm Clothing, in locations where it it is prohibited to light fires.

• Boredom

Once it gets dark, you might find yourself with many hours to kill. A pack of cards, books to read, or music will provide for great entertainment.

The above mentioned nine ways might turn a disastrous camping trip into a great, memorable one.

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