Don’t wait until the day before your camping trip to sort your gear out. Get to it now, and make sure you add these items to your checklist for next time.
Sometimes the excitement of going camping can be almost as intense as the trip itself. And part of that is getting all your gear packed into the car in preparation for a safe and enjoyable trip.
Before you do anything, camping checklist. It’s comprehensive and will ensure you don’t leave anything behind.
And don’t forget to:
1. Fill Your Gas Bottle
I’ve lost count how many times I’ve filled gas bottles for people that are literally on their way to their camping destination. The car is packed, and their family is sitting in the car full of camping gear while the gas bottle is being filled.
Imagine setting up camp, dreaming of BBQ snags, and then realising you’re out of gas!
Don’t wait until you arrive at the campsite before realising you have run out of gas!
Check your bottle is in date – it must be tested and restamped every ten years.
Get it filled/topped up (even if you think it’s already filled!)
Work out if you have enough gas for your trip, and if there is anywhere else you can fill up along the way.
If you’re going on an extended trip or are feeding an army that likes to eat bacon and eggs three times a day, consider carrying a spare gas bottle.
2. Cool Your Car Fridge Down
The weekend before you are due to head away, turn on your fridge to cool it down.
I like to turn the temperature on mine right down and freeze all my meat in preparation.
Cooling your fridge first using 240V in the shed will ensure all your food stays cold on the first day.
The fridge won’t have to work so hard from the car battery if it is already cool.
Turning your fridge on early will give you a chance to test it to make sure it’s working properly (don’t forget to test it in the car too!)
Frozen meat will last longer and it will help keep the fridge cold for the first few days making it use less power!
Read more tips on getting the most out of your camping fridge.
3. Check Your Tent
Okay, this one requires a bit more effort, but your tent or camper trailer is probably the most important thing to check!
The last thing you want is to arrive at camp only to find you have no pegs or poles, or that it’s gone mouldy! Drag it out of the shed and set it up in the backyard and give it a good once over.
Make sure all tent parts are there.
Make sure the tent hasn’t gone mouldy or brittle.
Check for holes and unravelled stitching.
Check for broken poles and bent pegs.
Remind yourself how to pitch the tent so you don’t look like a turkey at the campground!
4. Test Your Air Mattress or Sleeping Mat
If you use an air mattress or self-inflating mat, it’s a good idea to check it out for a few days before your trip.
If you discovered this after you set up camp, well, you’re not going to have a very enjoyable trip that’s for sure.
Pump it up and let it sit out overnight with some weight on it. You don’t want to find out the hard way if it has a leak!
Check for leaks early so you have the chance to fix or replace the mattress. If there is one, this is how you repair it. Or buy a new one.
Let the foam in your self-inflating mattress expand properly (this may take a few days if it has been rolled up for a while!)
5. Charge And/Or Purchase Batteries
I think everyone has gone away at least once without charging up the electric lantern or getting new batteries for the kid’s torches.
Batteries do go flat whilst sitting around in the shed, so check all your battery powered gear.
Rechargeable batteries may need a whole week of charge to bring them back to life if they have been sitting around for a while! (Overnight is not a very long charge for a battery lantern or bed pump…)
Make sure all your battery-operated devices work.
Check if old batteries have leaked inside the product.
Always take a spare set of batteries!
Now, these might seem like simple things, but often it’s the simple things that are forgotten.
Camping isn’t much fun when you’ve left the pump for your mattress behind… trust me, I know from experience! If you need any advice or to replace some gear, hop on the Snowys website, give us a call, or drop into the store!
Got a ‘to do’ to add to this checklist? Or a story about something crucial you’ve left behind – perhaps the tent? Leave a comment below.
The post 5 ‘To Dos’ That Should Be on Every Camping Checklist appeared first on Snowys Blog.