Anyone who has ever been tent camping knows that while there is much to be gained from spending time in the great outdoors, setting up a campsite can be a bit of a hassle. We all know the relief of turning off a windy mountain road onto a narrow gravel loop, looking for an ideal site, and then getting out of the car for the first time in several hours and taking the first breath of fresh mountain air. But, the journey isn’t over yet. You’ve got no place to sleep, no way to cook, and no place to relax. Now, the tent needs to be assembled, sleeping pads and sleeping bags need to be unrolled, inflated, and arranged, and duffel bags need to be situated at the appropriate heads and feet.
However, road trips and other similar long-distance drives may require driving to a new campsite every, or near every night, which means the set up and take down process has to become a part of the everyday routine. One solution to this is simply to own an R.V., camper van, or even a car that can be converted into a comfortable sleeping arrangement which can eliminate some or all of your daily set up requirements. However, if you don’t have access to a vehicle of this kind, there are still some things you can do to ease the daily burden.
1. Keep Things Together– put cooking supplies together, cleaning supplies together, and sleeping supplies together. This way you know where everything is, and can minimize the time spent ruffling through the car looking for things. If you are able to, consolidate these supplies for easy carrying. For tents and sleeping bags, I recommend a large Ikea bag that can fit everything you need to sleep, and can be taken directly out of the car to the campsite, and then back again the next day. This also helps with organization. A smaller bag or box is also helpful to keep your kitchen supplies together.
2. Use the car as part of the camp. Only take what you need to sleep and eat that night out of the car. Don’t bring out all the food, or even all of your clothes, especially if you are able to park near enough to the campsite that going to and from the car is easy. If you have space that isn’t used for passengers while driving, use part of your back seat as a pantry of sorts, where you can keep all cooking supplies in some sort of easily accessible order (orderly chaos counts).
3. Don’t bring too much, and rely on your environment. On more stationary camping trips, things like camp chairs, hammocks (not used for sleeping), and any other assorted campsite accessory may be a nice addition. But, I find that if you don’t need it, it isn’t worth setting up, taking down, and packing away every day. Most camp sites have picnic tables, and if not, you should already have a tarp or some sort of sleeping pad/ mat for sleeping, and honestly, sometimes the ground is better than a chair.
4. Get into a routine– Once you set up enough campsites in a short enough time frame, you fall into a very ‘just get it done’ mind set. If one person is better at setting up the tent, it is probably more efficient that they start with that while the person who is best at cooking sets up the stove, and another pays for the site, or does anything else that needs to be done. If one person needs help, everyone helps. Eventually kinks get worked out, and you find yourself setting up in record time.
5. Pack Efficiently, and with set up in mind. It is often tempting to crumple everything up and throw it in the car, but messy packing will only make set up that evening all the more difficult. So, pack with your future self in mind. Put the tent away so that the things you need first when setting up are on top of the bag. Put everything back where you had put it before, try not to just throw things in the car. And for the love of god, do your dishes. You will have to do them eventually, I promise.
