Imagine waking up in nature, in the warm morning sunshine, drinking a hot cup of coffee while listening to the chirping birds and rustling leaves. Sounds amazing right?
However, that beautiful image is not always the reality of camping. Here are some realities of camping you may come across on your next trip.
Bugs
You know when you leave bananas on the counter overnight, then you wake up to some new flying friends? Imagine having thousands of new flying friends and no bananas.
Bugs are absolutely everywhere when camping. Mosquitos, flies, bees, and everything in between.
We brought lots of bug spray and citronella candles with us, but thankfully didn't end up needing to use them since we weren't bothered by many bugs during the day.
For some reason, they took a liking to our tarps and just swarmed on top of them. We also tried to set up a mesh bug net around the picnic table, but turned out to be too small for the dining canopy.
I did, however, set up my tent on top of an underground wasp nest and only found out when I heard this buzzing sound as I was heading to bed.
On your next camping trip, make sure to bring anything that will help keep the bugs away from you, your food, and anything else you'd like bug-free.
Over packing
We definitely over packed a few things on our most recent camping trip.
We brought too many tarps with us, we never ended up using the kayaks, and brought too much food for a 3 day trip.
I packed too many clothes, and we brought a table with us without knowing the campsite had picnic tables at each site.
When packing, double check what your campsite's amenities are and what everyone else is packing so you aren't bringing double or triple of shareable items.
Forget things
Even with over packing, it's likely that you will forget things.
We forgot batteries for the lanterns, the axe for the firewood, did not pack enough blankets, and I only brought one pair of shoes that ended up soaking wet from morning dew, so I had to wear my mom's sandals the rest of the trip.
To help with both over packing and forgetting things, check out my camping checklist.
It Gets Cold, Even in the Summer
This was not something I was expecting. I did plan for in case it got cold, but I assumed the summer nights would be warm.
However, it got very chilly during the night. It was a low of 10C degrees (50F), which is a lot colder than you might think.
I wore socks, a sweater, and coat to bed, and stayed bundled in my sleeping bag. I also had hot hands in my sleeping bag to keep warm.
Definitely invest in a good sleeping bag and bring plenty of sweaters, hot hands, and anything else to keep you warm at night.
Where to do Your Business?
This is another reason to double check your campsite's amenities. Our site didn't have electricity or water, but there were communal showers and toilets.
They were about a 5 minute walk away from our tents, which doesn't seem long, but it definitely is when you have to pee at 3am when it's pitch black, and the grass is wet from morning dew.
Both my mom, my sister and I all thought our shadows were another person walking past us.
Not all campsites will have such amenities. Some may require you to bring a portable toilet and outdoor shower with you, or do as some hikers do and dig a cat hole.
Pollen!
My allergies hit me like a wall.
If you have bad allergies like me, make sure to bring things that help you with your symptoms. Allergy medications, tissues, masks, and so.
Unfortunately for me, allergy medications never really works well for me, and ibuprofen doesn't really take down the swelling for me either. I tried wearing a mask with a filter, but it also didn't seem to do much. I just ended up suffering through the runny nose and watery eyes.
I tried to stick it out, but at one point, my right eye was so swollen that I couldn't see out of it and my nose was going to bleed if I blew it anymore. So, we had to cut the trip short.
When this happens, I always joke that I'm definitely a city girl and that nature hates me. My sneezing and watery eyes always go away the instant I'm back in my smog filled city air.
Are there any more realities of camping that you've faced on your trips? What are they? Let me know in the comments below.
Also, for more camping related content, check out the posts below.
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