7 ways to make your next camping holiday the best one yet!

Spring is here and summer is on its way, so it’s time to air out the camping gear and get ready for outdoor adventures. Here are seven new style camping tips to ensure that everyone really enjoys your next camping trip.

Plan it on your phone

Use your smartphone or tablet to create a packing list for your camping trip. It may feel anti-camping, but having a plan that you can’t lose can actually help you have a better time. There WILL be a time when someone has a headache, sore knee or a sweet craving. Having anticipated and packed for these times before you leave home makes a huge difference. It will also make the return journey easier as you will know just which bits and pieces you are still looking for under the coolabah tree.

Pack light – and tight

You are camping so you definitely won’t need a clean shirt every day. Whatever clothes you do pack, make sure you ROLL them rather than fold them. You will be amazed how much space you will save. Choose universal gear where you can, such as a smartphone with a camera to capture holiday pics (and protect it with a tough or waterproof case) and a portable or solar charger that uses changeable tips to recharge all your devices, instead of bulky individual chargers.

Up and down time

Camping is exhausting. Everything is new, every noise has to be explored, and none of the usual markers of the day are there to divide up your activities. Plan for downtime so everyone can recharge - play music to soothe the cranky beasts; give kids some alone time with a smartphone game and an ereader loaded with a selection of titles to suit the whole family is a lot lighter to carry than books. Protect your ereader, mobile phones, iPods and tablets with a tough case, so they survive the trip away.

Feed the hordes

The higher level of activity while camping means everyone will be hungry more often. Pack lots of small packs of food, including treats that you can hide until needed. Snack time can be a great opportunity to break an impasse between cranky kids, and you will be Number One Best Person if you have their favourite snack available, when they thought there was none! Use a thermos to keep water hot for baby bottles or for a soul-satisfying tea or milo through the day, without the need to fire up the billy again.

Clean, green fun

Living in the wild (even if it is just a caravan park) is a great time to emphasise the natural world and the importance of protecting it. Have a family policy of “leaving only footprints, taking only memories” by NOT taking away souvenirs such as rocks and plants, and not leaving any rubbish. Take photos instead. Take the opportunity to experiment with solar energy. Pack a solar charger to show the kids how much power can be collected from the sunshine in the day, and used to recharge the light, digital camera or mobile phone at night.

Learning is part of the fun

Feed their curiosity about what they discover in the big outdoors by packing an ereader with a natural world encyclopaedia or, if you are within mobile range, use your smartphone or tablet to look up more details online about the bug, bird or plant they have found.

Keep the memories

Take loads of photos, movies and audio recordings while away and once you are back and the mud is washed off your boots, create a slideshow of the most memorable moments from your trip. You don’t need special skills or expensive software to do it; try free online software such as www.tripwow.tripadvisor.com, www.visualslideshow.com, www.photosnack.com, www.smilebox.com or www.kizoa.com.

About the author

Pia Argiratos is the marketing manager and owner of Powered Life www.poweredlife.com.au, an Australian company that helps people enjoy their mobile technology wherever they are. Powered Life is an online store with the best brands for solar chargers, portable power packs and protective, tough cases for mobile devices all in one place.