10 Tips For Arriving At Your Campsite In The Dark

You have no idea how much I and thousands of other campers have arrived at our campsite in the dark with nothing ready and it makes for a complete disaster.

Everything is unorganized, nobody knows where anything is (and yes that means flashlights too!) and the kids are running around while you try find the right equipment, etc.

It’s a recipe for disaster when nothing has been planned out.

With a few simple tips and techniques you can be super ready for your arrival in the dark and know how you’re going to tackle it.

These 10 tips will help you on your future camping trips, I assure you 😀

 

1. Prioritize your packing if possible

Although this should be thought about beforehand, it is going to make it a lot more difficult if the gear you need is at the BOTTOM of your car boot.

You know, the things you need to get setup should be sitting at the top of all your gear so it’s easily accessible when you arrive at your campsite in the dark.

 

2. Flashlights should be in your pocket and ready to go

It’s one thing to have torches in the boot of your car, and probably fallen to the floor or down the side of all your equipment, but to be extra ready, you want to have flashlights on you and ready to go (with new batteries is even better).

It’s the absolute worst when they’re at the bottom of your car boot, under all equipment and in the bottom of a backpack.

 

3. Tents should be easily accessible

The tents are one of the very first things you need to get out and pitched asap, and that’s why it is essential to have them ready to go when you arrive at your campsite.

I usually have a plastic container with all the tents, that way everyone can grab their tent and start getting it pitched asap.

If everyone followed step 2, this should be a walk in the park.

 

4. Store equipment inside tents

Now that all the tents are pitched, everyone can store their equipment inside their own tent; it helps keep everything organized.

And when organization is on point, so is your thinking and ability to take the next steps quickly and efficiently.

Your stress levels are at an all-time low is what I’m saying 🙂

 

5. Get the campfire roaring

Getting the campfire going brings the mood of relaxation and peacefulness.

It is your reward after a long day getting to your campsite and successfully pulling everything off whilst being in complete darkness.

However, this step is up to you. If you are super tired and it is really late, that brings me to my next point, going to bed early…

 

6. Go to bed early

You, your family and the kids might’ve arrived at the campsite a little too late and everyone is just too tired to do anything else.

Instead of relaxing by the fire, skip that entire step and go to bed after the tents are pitched, everything’s packed and the beds are made.

Of course this all comes down to what the time is, how everyone feels and how tired everyone is.

So ask others what they want because they may all want to just hit the hay.

 

7. Eat something easy

If you decide to stay up and relax, you’ll want to eat something for dinner.

However, you’re already tired from a long drive, the yelling of the kids in the back of the car and getting everything unpacked.

Don’t make it even more hard on yourself by cooking something that takes a long time or requires a lot of energy.

Instead create something easy and scrumptious. Hot dogs and pancakes are my favorite!

More meal ideas here.

 

8. Sit around the fire and relax (take it easy)

Talk about the drive, how happy you are to be sitting in nature and what you’ll be doing the next day.

It is not a time to consume even more energy, it is a time to wind down, to be familiar with your surroundings and talk about things before going to bed.

This also does not mean playing guitars, singing songs or being extremely loud.

Taking it easy is the name of the game here. It helps the kids wind down so they go to sleep as soon as they put head to pillow.

 

9. Plan out the next day

Sitting around the campfire is a GREAT time to talk about the next days activities.

However, this all comes down to the person or people you’re camping with.

If you’re anything like me, you just like to live in the moment and take things as they go.

I enjoy doing things on my own terms and not having a set plan, but if that’s not you and you like following a plan, definitely set out activities for the upcoming days.

It also helps the kids look forward to all the cool stuff you’ve set for them.

 

10. Don’t go wandering

This is more of a safety precaution more than anything.

You do NOT know your surroundings, you do NOT know whose camping nearby and you do NOT know what animals are out there.

It’s one thing to trip over something and break your ankle but even worse when you go exploring the woods and can’t find your way back to your campsite.

You’re probably really excited to be at your campsite (and especially the kids), but it is dark, late and definitely not the time to go roaming.

Save it for the next day, where you learn the rules and surrounding areas, and you’ll actually be able to see the beautiful landscapes.

 

Conclusion

You know what to do now.

Now you won’t arrive at your campsite and run around like a headless chicken whilst trying to keep the kids safe, quiet and in one area.

Everyone knows what’s expected of them and you have all tools and equipment ready to go, preventing accidents and anymore unnecessary time wastage as you pull everything out of the boot of your car trying to find flashlights and tents.

Now get out there and put into practice the tips you’ve learned from CampingMastery.com 😀

Otherwise share them with your friends and family.

Want to chat? Leave all your questions and comments below!