Going Camping With your Girlfriend - Tips and Advice

Camping with a loved one is one of the most romantic experiences – you are close to your partner, in the midst of peaceful solitude and beautiful nature. However it can also turn out to be the worst experience of your life if you are not well-prepared. This is because during camping even the basic necessities that you take for granted in normal life have to be assembled by you and when you fail to do that, there is bound to a huge amount of stress. So go through these tips before you set off for camping with your girlfriend and get ready to have an amazing time together.

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Decide the duration

If you and your girlfriend are still getting to know each other, it is best to stick to one or at the most two nights of camping. A longer trip is advisable only when you know each other very well and are used to living together. This is because camping brings up personal habits and preferences in a rather obvious sort of way and this happening too early in a relationship can put a couple off each other. Also camping requires a good deal of knowledgeable teamwork under difficult conditions and if you both are new to it, try to stick to an overnight trip.

Pack the right things

The right camping gear is crucial to a pleasant camping experience especially when you are going with your girlfriend and don’t want to mess up. You can get a camping check-list from a reliable website, public library or a hobby club which is geared to such outdoor activities. The most necessary things to pack are of course a tent, stove, first-aid kit, flashlights, fuel but there are a whole lot of equally important things which are best gathered from a trusted camping resource. At the same time you may not need everything that comes up on such lists and you can choose to do without the frills; but you should never skimp on items which are absolutely necessary for safety. However don’t get paranoid about the check-list since camping experts point out that for very short trips if you forget something, you can usually get by although it may cause you some inconvenience.

Decide where you want to go

If you are relatively new to camping, it makes better sense to keep to well-established camping routes since most of these will have camping sites with basic facilities like flushing toilets, shower blocks and first-aid clinics. At the same time though such places are also likely to be more crowded and used by families. So you want greater privacy for yourselves, set up camp slightly removed from popular routes. Also go over logistics like how you will reach the camping site with all your gear – are you going to hike to it or use public transport to get there? If it is not well-frequented, you may have to ask a friend or family member to drop you there. On the other hand if you are going to use your own car, make sure the place has safe parking facilities.

Practice beforehand

If you have never gone camping on your own before or it has been a long while since you did it, it is best you get a little practice before you set out. Putting up the tent is perhaps where you should get started since women go all crazy about guys who can get it right the first time round.  So practice putting up the tent whether in your backyard or perhaps even the living room if it is large enough. Better still, ask your girlfriend to come along and lend you a hand; it will be fun doing something for the first time and she may even end up being a useful aid in the outdoors.

Next is learning how to use the stove. There are several different types of camping stoves available, and each one behaves in a different way. It is best to practice a little beforehand so as to get used to how quickly they cook food. That way you are less likely to burn things. Above all remember to use your stove away from the tent. Tents burn down in seconds, so ensure that you cook away from the tent.

Make sure that you know how to cook the basic things such as beans and how to make a hot drink. Don’t assume that just because your partner is a girl, she will ‘naturally’ take charge of the cooking. Also, remember to take the food with you that both you and your girlfriend like. In fact it is a good idea to carry non-perishable items like crackers and chips which you can dig into if either of you burns the food while cooking. If you are going camping in summer, take a cool box along dairy products and meat need to be kept in controlled temperatures. Other food too can go off if left in the heat of the day. Chocolate will usually melt, so be careful while packing in large slabs with other camping food.

Don’t forget to have fun

Whether you are going camping for only a couple of days or a whole week, make sure that you are not merely bogged down by the chores. Go exploring through the woody hills or walk hand in hand on the beach. If you have brought your swimwear, you might even decide to take a dip in the nearby stream or lake. You can also visit a place of interest if any happen to be near your camping site. There may be times when the weather is bad and you cannot go out – so for those times, be sure to pack playing cards, a board game or even a couple of your favorite books from which you can read out to each other.
However in all that you do, keep safety a priority - don’t take unnecessary risks while going swimming or hiking and take enough measures to keep wild animals at bay. This will you will have the best of a close, romantic experience and be safe at the same time.