How to Camp Lightly
We all know camping can be stressful when it comes to packing and we often pack more than is necessary. Yes it’s important to pack for safety and things that are “just in case,” but there is a difference between that and over packing. Start practicing these tips and packing lightly will be much easier.
Prioritize Your List
Start making your packing list and jot down the things that you absolutely need first such as emergency items, necessary clothes, sleep items, food, cooking items, other necessary items, etc. Then list everything that is important to you and you want to bring but aren’t “necessary.” Finally list any of those last choice items that you aren’t really sure you’re even going to use. After you have laid out or packed all the items that are on your list look at how much stuff you have to take on your trip. If it is too much for a light trip then start knocking off things from the bottom of your list until you have reached the desired amount.
Plan Your Meals
An easy way to over pack is to pack a ton of ingredients for your meals. A must for light camping is to prepare/cook at least some of your meals. It’s understandable that you may want to have some fresh cooked meals over the fire while you’re camping, and not everything can be prepared ahead of time. But for everything else you should prepare before camping, it will save you room and time!
Do You Need It?
Go through your list of items and for each item ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” This may seem tedious and simple but doing this gives you a different perspective and can help eliminate unnecessary items.
Pack Smarter, Not Harder
If you pack smarter, then you will have more room and have less bags and bins to bring along. One thing you can do is to tightly roll your clothes instead of folding, this allows a lot more room than you would expect. Another smart tip is to bring collapsible items. Chairs and tables are so bulky, be sure to bring some that fold and don’t take up much space. You can also use a collapsible bin to wash your dishes, get a nesting cooking set, vacuum seal your meals, bring an air pump to fill your water floaties at the campsite, etc.