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Camping checklist: Useful organising tips for first-timers

Kate Rafferty

November 30, 2021 - 6.23am

Are you a first-time camper that doesn't know where to start? Or maybe you're a seasoned expert, out of practice due to the recent lockdowns.

Either or, expert organiser Anita Birges has you sorted with her top tips for what to pack on your next camping trip.

Speaking on Today Extra, Birges ran through every necessary checklist item and also gave some advice on what kind of items to seek out if you haven't got them already.

Camping Checklist: Handy tips for first-time campers. — Birged recommended campers look for a tent with plenty of room, especially if travelling with kids. Today Extra

The tent

Birges recommended a tent with "plenty of room", especially for those travelling with kids or large groups.

Pitching the Wanderer Magnitutude tent, Birges said a tent with two entrances is ideal, so people aren't "walking on top of each other" when they're trying to get in and out.

Anita Birges' tips for first-time campers. — Birges advised campers to pitch their tent in the shade, so they wouldn't be blinded by morning sun when waking up. Today Extra

In terms of choosing where to pitch your tent, Birges had a few handy tips.

Choose a shady spot
Avoid hanging branches
Practice pitching your tent in the backyard

She also emphasised that if it is your first time, definitely choose a powered campsite, with access to amenities like toilets, kitchens and barbecue spaces.

Mattresses

A camping holiday is no fun if you don't have any energy to enjoy it, so Birges advised campers to invest in some good quality air mattresses.

She also featured a fun double sleeping bag, so partners can snuggle up together, especially on cooler nights.

Comforts and extras

Because a holiday isn't a holiday without a bit of comfort, Birges also gave her recommendations for the must-pack items that will make your camping experience all the more enjoyable.

Some of these items included: