I started camping when I was just a little guy – about four or five years old. Back then, we “roughed it” in a big canvas wall tent. Today, I don’t so much camp as “glamp.” But, hey, I’m still getting out there in the beautiful outdoors!
Anyway, though the type of camping I do has changed a lot over the years, a few things have remained the same. It’s essential to invest in quality gear. Prioritizing easy camp meals saves a lot of time. Having a good, solid table is a game-changer, too.
In this post, I’ll share details about these and other tips for camping that are sure to make your trips this year and years in the future more functional, comfortable, and enjoyable. So, with that, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- Tips for Camping: Don’t Skimp on Gear
- Tips for Camping: Easy Meal Prep is a God-Send
- Tips for Camping: Get a Good Table
- Tips for Camping: Bring Along Multiple Power Sources
- Tips for Camping: More Shelter is Better
Tips for Camping: Don’t Skimp on Gear
Photo by mr_bom via Shutterstock
First and foremost, when you buy camping gear, opt for well-made items that will last a long time. Sure, doing so usually means a larger output of money upfront, but you’ll get the best bang for your buck doing so.
Here’s an example…
I bought an enclosed canopy – you know, the ones that go over the picnic table – from a discount chain. I did so knowing that the quality wouldn’t be that great, but I figured it would be fine because it’s not something I use a lot on my camping trips.
Well, I definitely didn’t use it a lot because the seams began tearing on the first trip. I “saved” money initially by buying a bargain-basement canopy. However, considering I had to buy another one (this time, a much more expensive and better-made one), the first canopy was just a big waste of money.
This is just one example, though. There are all sorts of camping and overlanding items that are tantalizingly affordable. But not all affordable things are worth your money! At the same time, not all expensive gear is worth your money, either. So, the moral of the story is this – do your due diligence when buying gear. Ensure it’s something that is well-made, well-reviewed, and that you’ll actually use it (unlike the camping hammock I bought a decade ago that’s never seen the light of day).
PREVIEW | PRODUCT | RATING | |
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Tips for Camping: Easy Meal Prep is a God-Send
I’m a big proponent of crock pots and air fryers. They just make the process of cooking good food so much faster and simpler. This is true whether I’m at home or camping somewhere!
Even if you don’t have a crock pot or air fryer handy when you’re camping, there are other ways to expedite the dinner-making process. For example, you can get all the ingredients for a camp dinner ready at home, that way it’s all ready to throw in a skillet or Dutch oven or on the grill when you’re ready to eat at your campsite.
Here’s an example…
Let’s say you want to make a nice beef stew for dinner while you’re camping. So, at home, you portion out the beef, cut up the onions, potatoes, and carrots, portion out the beef broth and other ingredients to make the stew liquid, and create a nice spice blend by adding the necessary spices to a plastic baggie.
Then, when you get to camp, you can throw it all in a Dutch oven over the fire and have a killer dinner!
A Great Stove for Great Campsite Meals
An interesting product you might consider when cooking campfire meals that aren’t technically on the campfire is the Summit Stove. You might have seen it in other articles on 4WDTalk in the past, because it’s one of our favorite products!
The concept is simple – Summit Stove is made of stainless steel, so it’s incredible during and easy to clean. The durability factor is important because camping, overlanding, and off-roading can get a little wild sometimes and bang up your gear. But, that’s no worry with this stove!
On the cleanliness front, no one likes to clean up after dinner, so having a stove that’s as simple as wiping it down (once it’s cooled off) makes clean-up a breeze.
Something else worth noting about Summit Stove is that it’s compact and lightweight. It takes up very little space in your trunk, truck bed, or camper, and it’s easy and simple to carry to the cooking area and set up. Then, once it’s set up, you can add wood or charcoal, fire it up, and get cooking. Talk about simple!
One more thing about this stove – if you ask me, food that’s cooked over wood or charcoal just tastes better than food cooked with propane. Plus, you don’t have to lug around propane tanks on your trips, so that’s a bonus! Summit Stove really is the best of all worlds!
Tips for Camping: Get a Good Table
I have a buddy with one of those roll-up tables. You know, the ones with the aluminum top with slats and the legs that fold out and expand…
Well, in the time it takes him to get that table set up, I can deploy my favorite camping table – the Tailgater Tire Table – 10 times over. Unlike his table, which requires assembly each and every time, the Tire Table takes about 10 seconds to “put together” and another few seconds to hook over the tire of my truck or trailer. Another couple of seconds for adjustments to the tire size and deploying the leg, and boom, table!
Like any good camping table, the Tire Table is made from either steel or aluminum. Either way, you get something that’s incredibly durable – it can withstand heat from hot dishes, cold temperatures when I’m winter camping, rain, mud…you name it.
Plus, it’s easy to transport. It folds flat, and fits perfectly in the underbelly storage of my camper. And it doesn’t weigh all that much, so it’s easy for me to grab it and put it in place on the tire by myself. What’s not to like?!
Want to learn more? Read our Tailgater Tire Table review for full details.
Tips for Camping: Bring Along Multiple Power Sources
When I go camping, I have several power sources available, just to be sure I will have power when I need it. On the one hand, my trailer has multiple batteries and a solar power system. On the other hand, I have a gas-powered generator in case shore power isn’t available.
I’ve also added the Inergy FLEX 1500 portable power station to the mix…
This solar-powered portable power station blends the best of the power of my generator with the quiet operation of my trailer’s solar power system. When I’m camping in an area that doesn’t have shore power, and I don’t want to disturb my neighbors with the drone of my gas generator, the FLEX 1500 is ideal.
This unit comes with a 1,000-watt-hour battery, a 1,500-watt pure sine wave inverter (with 3,000-watt surge), and is expandable. In fact, you can add up to 96 FLEX batteries to the system if you need a lot of power. Not only that, but the unit can be charged in various ways, including AC power, DC power, or solar power. Better still, you can use all three power sources at once to reduce charging time to just 1.5 hours for a single 1,000-watt-hour battery. Nice!
There are many more details about this power station, too. Check out our Inergy FLEX 1500 power station review for more details!
Tips for Camping: More Shelter is Better
Going back to my earlier story about the bargain-basement canopy I bought, the whole point of that purchase was to add more outdoor shelter space to camp. After all, the more places you have to get out of the sun, rain, snow, and so forth, the more you can enjoy the great outdoors.
My trailer has a couple of awnings on the passenger side, so I have quite a lot of protected outdoor space. But if you camp with your truck or SUV and a rooftop tent, what’s the solution?
That’s easy – get a 270-degree awning like the OVS Nomadic 270LT shown above and below!
Why a 270-Degree Awning is Worth It
What’s so great about a 270-degree awning is that you and your travel buddies have some room to spread out. Unlike a one-side-only awning, you can gather on the side or back of your vehicle with a little more elbow room to enjoy.
Awnings like the Nomadic 270LT are also easy to set up and take down, so if you need quick shelter (or need to pack up quickly), this bad boy won’t take you all day to figure out.
And like all good awnings, Nomadic has made the 270LT with a durable polycotton ripstop cover that will stand up to rain, wind, and other elements. It also has boxed aluminum rafters and aluminum poles to give it the structure and stability it needs to stay put, even in a good breeze.
This awning (and many other options) are easily available from BTR Outfitters, our good friends out in Texas. This family-owned business is run by folks who spend as much time outdoors as possible. With their expertise, they can help you get the right awning or other gear you need to have a fun, comfortable time enjoying the outdoors.
At the end of the day, camping isn’t just about the gear; it’s about the experience. Having quality gear, ample shelter, good food to eat, a solid table, and other necessities helps you focus less on surviving and more on thriving. So, take these tips to heart, get ready for your next adventure, and get out there and have fun!