Camping hacks

& lessons learned.

Late in april we decided to go camping in Norway. For those of you who know about the weather in scandinavia during this month – you know it can offer anything, from literally ice cold to summer heat, within the same day.

To start with, our matrass broke down on several occasions. We discovered just how bad it got when we were rolling around trying to sleep on the cold hard ground and roots at 2.30 am. One of us got up and started aggressively pumping the matrass up for the millionth time.. Before it sunk down again at around 4. Haha. Yeah, we gave in around 5.45 and got up.

Even with a millon layers of wool on us we were not prepared for that cold. We did bring a thick duvet to share and figured “eh, who needs pillows anyway”. But all in all, the setup for sleeping was not so good. Lessons learned and next time we will definetely bring…..

• A good matrass (yes, it is worth investing in a proper one if you choose to sleep in a tent). Or we might pick our hammocks next time.

• Proper sleeping bags alt. one or two big fluffy duvets (easy to fold and store) + an extra blanket or two (which can also be used in the evening before and morning after)

• Something comfortable to lean your head on (doesn’t have to be a big fat pillow, but a nice big sweater (that you’re not wearing) for example, or a dry towel)

• Appropiate clothing and especially thick socks

If you do go camping in april – prioritize the warm stuff. It will get cold. And I mean very cold.

All in all, we did have a nice trip. But here are some lessons and tricks for the rookie….

1. Do your research – where you’re going, when, how and so on.

2. Equipment – for where, when and how. If it’s a cold place and time, it will probably mean even colder nights.

Same thing goes for warm places, you know when you wake up drenched in sweat? Which brings me to..

3. Location – choose wisely. Take your time scanning the place. From head to toe. For example, if you’re going to sleep in a tent, you don’t want to wake up to the scorching sun feeling like you can’t breathe – so pick a spot with shade and/or trees around (which also protects you from wind).

4. Write a list (a given, from a list-lover).. on what to pack, what you need to shop or already have laying around probably packed away somewhere “to use for that camping trip” when the time comes and so on.

My list (things to do/use/bring):

– Toothbrush/hygiene (toilet paper!! + plastic bag)

– Tea Tree oil (for spraying on face), sunscreen, antiseptic & band aids

– Storage (for food, cold & hot, jars, foil, plastic bags, bag for junk).

PS. If you’re in a place where there are bears > think again re how you store things.

– Towels (1 small, 1 big)

– Money & chargers

– Lamp! (going for a pee, seeing at all in the dark, for inside the tent when playing cards etc.)

– Food, cutlery, plates/bowls, cups, thermos…

But most importantly, a way to make fire/cook food/boil water (we used a mini camping/cooking set, which was just perfect!)

To this, any “ready made” food is really the best for a trip out in nature. Ready made soup, noodles, a silver bag of cabbage, food in a can, mix of vegetables etc. There’s lots of alternatives in the stores.. Or chop it up yourself and prep/make it the day before at home (chia pudding and vegetable sticks for example, mmm!).

Food to cook in foil is also a good idea. Or just pouring from cans/bags etc. into a pot with boiling water. Think about how to store things and when/how they go off.

You’ll want to keep it simple out there and save the advanced dinner for when you get home.

– Water! And lots of it – to clean, drink, wash, cook etc.

– Sleeping gear (see list “for next time” above) & proper clothing (maybe a hat, gloves and a scarf for later in the night.. and if you’re planning on going in the water for example – bring a bag for your swimwear) and make sure to bring extra.

5. Choose what type of camping you’re going to do before you head out – how long, fancy/less fancy etc. This pretty much shapes all of the above.

6. RESPECT NATURE – think about where and how you set up camp, do not set up a fire where it’s not allowed for safety reasons, use nature-friendly products (especially if you want to wash your body/hair with soap.. There are a lot of nice brands with this focus out there!) and look at how you leave the place (NOT LEAVING RUBBISH BEHIND should be a given!), even to a point where you think about how and where you had your poo – out of respect for nature and the place you’re visiting – otherwise you wouldn’t be able to do nr. 7 on this list. Remember, we’re the visitors.

7. ENJOY. Looking at the stars, breathing in the fresh air, feeling the water, watching time pass and what happens to the sky, listening to nature… It’s an amazing show that can replace netflix for a night or two. Downsize the need of all of the stuff. Because in the end, we get out there to meet nature – and that’s what it should be all about. Which is also why you need to protect it

Ps. That morning (at 5.45) we got up to lots of light and a mix of bright pink colors filling the sky. The smell was fresh of morning (you know that fresh “healthy” smell of nature you just want to keep inhaling in scandinavia?). The birds had already been up for quite a while, but they continued singing as we had our breakfast in the sun by the sea. The waves were also a part of the song. I had the best “fast porrige” (included in pics for specific examples below) and we both had a cup of yummy hot chocolate. Later, we had coffee and homemade cookies. That, and watching the stars with some hot wine the night before, must have been the highlights of our camping trip. And cuddling in the tent, keeping ourselves warm in that cold! Haha.