Camping is one of the best ways to connect with nature. It also happens to be an effective stress reliever, away from all the hustle and bustle of civilization. Even if you’re not a particularly outdoorsy person, the little things about camping can be a lot of fun, from roasting marshmallows over a roaring campfire to taking a nap in the warm summer breeze.
However, camping can also lead to a lot of inconveniences. Some small, some big, but each more annoying than the last one. In this article, let’s talk about some of the most common and most annoying camping inconveniences, as well as how to avoid them.
1. Bugs
Your campsite doesn’t have the mosquito control solution that you have back home, nor the screens that you use to keep all insects out of your house. As a result, you may find yourself sharing your space with what seems to be every single bug within a five-mile radius. Inconvenient? Definitely. But more than that, it can also be dangerous to your health since insects can carry all sorts of diseases.
The best way to keep the bugs at bay is to use a skin-friendly insect repellent throughout your entire camping trip. You can also bring bug-repelling diffusers and coils, essential oil repellent, and bug-repelling bracelets to keep your camping experience as bug-free as possible.
2. Unexpected inclement weather
One of the most important things that you should do before going camping is to check the weather. While weather forecasts are not a hundred percent accurate, they can give you a good idea of what to expect while you’re out camping. However, just because the forecast says it’s going to be sunny doesn’t mean there is no chance of showers, hail, or even lightning storms.
To minimize the inconvenience that bad weather brings, have a backup plan in place. Bring a warm jacket even if you expect the weather to be hot throughout your trip. And in case of a storm that is too strong to sit through, know where you can find immediate shelter from the winds and rain.
3. Inconsiderate campers
Unless you are camping out in the open, be prepared to deal with inconsiderate campers on the campsite. Unfortunately, this is often a price that you have to pay for having access to bathrooms on regular campsites, but it doesn’t get less annoying every time.
These campers are the ones who blast loud music, leave trash everywhere, let their kids run around like animals, and basically ruin the peace and quiet that camping should provide. However, keep in mind that they are not doing these things to inconvenience you, approaching the situation with diplomacy in mind is a great way to keep the peace.
If they don’t cooperate after a polite conversation, raising hell may not be worth it. Instead, find a quieter camping spot. Better yet, look into campsites where campers are a good distance away from each other, or just camp out in the wilderness far away from the regular campsites
4. Forgetting something important
We’ve all been there, you spend days going over our packing list, double-check everything before leaving, and then find out that you’ve forgotten something important when it’s too late to turn back. Whether it’s a charger or a skincare product that you will break out without, this situation is always extremely inconvenient.
But when you find yourself in this scenario, the best course of action is to improvise. For example, if you forgot your can opener, find a way to open your cans with whatever sharp tool that you have.
Nevertheless, always create your packing list at least a week before you go camping. In this way, you have lesser chances of forgetting something important, especially those items that are very easy to forget.
5. Too heavy gear
When packing for a camping trip, always be mindful of how heavy your pack is. Hauling your bag from the front door to the trunk of your car may not be so bad, but it’s a different story when you have to hike to your campsite with all that load on your back. Not only is this extremely inconvenient and tiring, but carrying a too-heavy bag for too long can lead to all sorts of body pain, and you definitely don’t want to spend your camping trip aching.
Being out in nature with no access to all the comforts in life is bound to be inconvenient, but most of these inconveniences can be avoided entirely. So, to keep your camping trip as hassle-free as possible, be prepared for these inconveniences and learn how to avoid them.
