Tent? Check. Planning Your First Camping Trip
If flights and hotels look too expensive, but you still want to get away this summer, here's an idea: camping.
If you're interested in getting a bit closer to nature — and don't mind muddy shoes and wet tents — it might be the holiday for you. However, you'll need to be prepared.
Luckily, there's lots of advice online for anyone going camping for the first time.
Do some planning first, says Joanne Simon from the Set to Camp website.
If it's your first time, you don't need to buy every piece of camping equipment — you may never go again!
But do get the important stuff. Most experts say it's worth spending money on a good tent. Outdoor equipment company Mountain Warehouse suggests getting one that's "a size or two bigger than the number of people using it."
For example, if there are two of you going camping, get a three- or four-person tent to have space for your bags.
It's also a good idea to put the tent up in your garden — or even inside — before you travel, to check what it's like and how it works.
There are lots of websites that give you lists of the other things you'll need. But don't forget a first aid kit and some "just in case" items — including extra clothes, food and coats in case things go wrong.
And if you can't make your camp stove work or get a fire lit, make sure you have something else to eat!
Think about the campsite you're going to, adds Simon. Check the facilities it has, and perhaps choose one close to home in case you forget something — or find out that you hate the whole experience!
But finally, says outdoor equipment website REI, be safe — and be positive!
