Make your wild camping experience a success
Wild camping , a source of happiness for some and disgust for others, can turn out to be an experience where luxury is indeed present. Finding yourself alone in the world for a few days, with people you love in a heavenly setting, is priceless. We feel completely free! However, many have the impression that wild camping is synonymous with discomfort or meals eaten from the cane. Results? A certain disdain accompanies the idea of pitching a tent for the holidays. To guide you in this practice, I want to share with you my tips and tricks for successful luxury wild camping . Hoping that you will be tempted to take the leap too.
The key to successful luxury wilderness camping: organization
As in many cases, the success behind a successful wilderness camping experience comes through pre-trip organization and preparation. That said, it is possible to draw good anecdotes from spontaneous shots, but when you want to make the most of the experience without breaking your head, the work upstream is essential. The golden rule to respect is to prepare your meals in advance and to bring only what you need, so as not to be overloaded, both in terms of equipment and food. The resulting result? More time to enjoy the place and relax, what a real vacation!
Bringing only what is necessary is a guarantee of success in wild camping
A little in the same principle as when traveling in a backpack, eliminating the superfluous is essential in order to reduce the workload in wild camping . Indeed, everything we bring will have to be prepared, loaded, assembled, placed, cleaned, etc. We must therefore, first and foremost, determine our needs to draw up a realistic list of what we need to bring. Here are some questions to ask yourself to get there:
What time of year am I planning to go and in which region? This will determine the necessary clothing, the heating needs as well as the protection to be provided against the weather.
How many days will we spend there? The duration will indicate the number of meals and the quantity of water to provide, but also the fuel for the stove and the number of clothes to bring.
How many are we? Again, the number of people will influence the need for food and equipment. For my part, I have always gone wild camping with my family and with another family of friends. We could then share meals and equipment (no need for 2 stoves, 2 coffee makers, 2 shelters and other… one copy is enough). This is the best condition to lighten the workforce.
What will the menu be and what choices can I make to allow myself to prepare as many meals as possible in advance? Anything that is cooked in advance will reduce your water and fuel needs, in addition to saving you a lot of time during mealtimes. This menu is also likely to be tastier and more elaborate, which will make this wild camping experience more luxurious.
What activities will be carried out on site? On my side, doing luxury wild camping rhymes with water sports and requires a little more equipment. Our activities on the water keep us busy for a good part of the day, so we appreciate the efficiency when preparing meals all the more.
The period and the region selected for wild camping define what you need to bring
Indeed, if we are only talking about Quebec, the camping experience in terms of temperature can be very different from north to south. I usually go wild camping in the Lanaudière region in August, which generally gives us warm to temperate days and cool to cold nights. So I always plan clothes accordingly. We also have a good “warmer” for the tent as well as sleeping bags that keep us warm.
On the other hand, my parents who practiced wild camping for years in the region of the Manic V reservoir, had different needs from mine. In this corner of the country, temperatures can go down to -2 and go up to 29 degrees Celsius…this last value being rare however. I have often heard them say that they had to wear their winter coats during the day, and this, in the middle of August. Their equipment therefore differed a little from mine.
General list of items to provide for luxury wild camping, to be completed according to your needs
A waterproof, easy to pitch, solid and quality tent
Sleeping bags that resist humidity and respect the heat needs of the region visited. I would add for families, sleeping bags that dry quickly in case of bedwetting (experienced).
COMFORTABLE floor mattresses (it is wise to choose the right mattresses, it is essential to recover well during the night)
One or more fleece blankets for colder nights, to bring on a boat in our case, or for evenings around the fire. This material repels moisture, is lightweight and dries quickly.