Camping – the ultimate guide

In our opinion, the experience you have when camping depends on the planning you do before hand. In an ideal world, you should plan for every eventuality… but in reality, our modern-day lives make this impossible. What you can do, however, is make sure you’ve got certain items with you, and make sure you are prepared for ‘the worst’ (which is often torrential rain given our climate!).

Whether you’ve been camping before, or you’ve never stepped foot in a tent, preparation is the key. So take a look at this guide we’ve put together to find out what you should have with you and what you should plan for.

What should you take?

Of course, you’ll need the very basics – a tent (suitable for how many people you are going with), camping mats, sleeping bag, torches and a first aid kit… but you’ll also need quite a lot more.

Depending on how you like to do things, you might want to take a camping stove with you, although some campsites in the Lake District do offer electricity if you’ve only got an electric stove. Alternatively, if you aren’t cooking, you should make sure you pack enough food for meals – as going hungry on a camp site isn’t the best thing to do!

Depending on the season you are going camping in the Lakes, you will need to pack suitable clothing. Walking shoes is a must have if you are planning on going anywhere by foot. And we would advise bringing some form of waterproof clothing (even if you are in the Lake District during the summer months… after all, our weather system is a little unpredictable!).

If you are off walking anywhere, you’ll need a compass and a map. Even if you don’t use them, it’s safer to have them than to go without.

There are plenty of other items you could take with you (such as duvets – in case the temperature drops), but it’s really up to you… After all, it is your camping holiday! Here’s a brief checklist, though, of what we would recommend you take with you:

For the tent:

• Pegs
• Guy ropes
• Ground sheet
• Fly sheet
• Mallet

In your rucksack:

• Torch
• Camera
• Batteries
• Map
• Guidebook
• Phone

For ‘the kitchen’:

• Stove, BBQ or cooker
• Bottled gas
• Matches/lighter
• Pots and pans
• Cool box
• Plates
• Cups/mugs
• Cutlery
• Can opener
• Bottle opener/corkscrew
• Waste/rubbish bags
• Cloths
• And of course, food.

For ‘the bathroom’:

• Soap
• Shampoo
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Toilet roll
• Towel

For the first aid box:

• Antiseptic wipes, spray or cream
• Insect spray/repellent
• Plasters
• Pain killers
• Antihistamines
• Bandages

Preparation

As mentioned, preparation is the key. Whenever we go camping, we always – without fail – put the tent up in the back garden and hose it down just to check if it is still waterproof. The last thing you want is to pitch your tent, and for it to rain and leak all over the contents of the tent. So, make sure you check your tent before you go camping in the Lakes!

You should also make sure all of your clothes are suitable for any activities you’ll be doing. So, if you’re off walking, make sure you’ve got some walking socks and walking boots – and make sure they fit!

If you fail to prepare properly for your camping holiday in the Lakes, the chances are, something will go wrong.

Pitching your tent

This is a short point, but it’s a valuable one to make – make sure you pitch your tent on firm ground, away from any trees!

Enjoying yourself and respecting others

Everyone at your campsite is there to enjoy their holiday, so make sure you pay attention to site rules and respect all other campers. The Lake District is a beautiful National Park, so let’s keep it that way by making sure all rubbish is disposed of.

If something goes wrong…

If something goes wrong while you are camping in the Lakes– don’t panic. Contact the site owner and they should be able to help. If they can’t, they’ll be able to put you in contact with someone who can.

Finally…

Enjoy yourself!