Caravanning 101

My family and I have camped for several years, we looked at all types of recreational vehicles, pop-up caravans, travel trailers and motor homes.

With our budget we decided it had to be a pop-up camper with air conditioning and room to sleep four. We searched the paper and found a great used pop-up. With that part of our preparation behind us, we then began trying to figure out what else we would need. Neither my husband nor I had camped when we were younger so this was all new to us.



We were lucky enough to have some close friends that had been camping for years and they helped us out by telling us some things that would make our experience better.

If you do intend to camp in a pop-up caravan here are a few suggestions of things that you will probably want to have, because I promise there will come a time when you wish you had them:

1. Flashlights are a must they are great for walking to the restrooms at night in the camp ground. Also, we have been caught out in storms and the power went out in our camper so they really are a great help then.
2. Lanterns are great for using in the camping area, when you sit outside at night and visit with your family or friends, it is a great source of light and fairly cheap to use we always purchased about four at a time that way we always had a backup if one of the bottles didn't work.
3. Lawn Chairs are great for sitting around the campfire at night or taking to the lake to sit on while you enjoy your favourite swimming hole. The plastic ones are great for taking out into the shallow water, so that you can be in the water while watching your children swim.
4. Bug Spray or insect repellent candles are also a must have for camping. The candles where great for putting on the picnic table to help deter bugs while you are eating. I am sure you all know why the Bug Spray.
5. A Camping First Aid Kit, these have all the things you could possibly think of needing if someone in your camp got hurt, stung by wasp, bees and even have emergency flares in their if you needed to draw attention to your camp for some reason.
6. A Clothes Line and Clothes Pins are also something I always carried with me. You can buy some nylon rope that works great you can tie it around 2 trees and you have a ready made clothes line for your wet towels, swimsuits, etc.
7. A cheap table cloth is also great for putting over those picnic tables at the campground. You really never know what kind of shape the tables are in and a nice cover always makes you feel as if it is a little bit cleaner.
8. Extra fuses for your caravan lights and air conditioner. We have been caught without these and have had them burn up and had to search all over the next day to find one to fit our caravan.
9. Sunscreen for your family for those who will be out in the sun. This is a must have on a camping trip. We also always carried some kind of sunburn treatment with us, just in case we forgot to use the sunscreen as we should.
10. A radio is great to have along, so that you can keep up with the weather and other warnings, a cellphone if in a coverage area is also a good idea.
11. Batteries for your flashlight, radio and anything else that may be battery operated. That way you are always prepared if you need some extras.
12. You also will always need towels, washcloths, soap, dishes, cooking utensils and plenty of rubbish bags.

These are just a few of the things you really need to start out your camping experience on a good note. We always found something else we needed and kept a list, so that the next time we would be sure and know what we needed and didn't have. It is also great for adding thing that you have run out of on your camping trip, so that you can restock for the next trip.

Decide what kind of camper or tent you want, pack up your things and go out and enjoy our beautiful country.

Be Safe and Have Fun!