A Newbie Gives Camping Tips

Camping Map. Camper viewing a map. Camping Tips.

A newbie gives camping tips.

In a previous post, I discussed tips more focused on your RV. This is about some actual camping tips, both in Campsites and Boondocking.

  1. Camping Apps 

    Go to the App Store and you will find a plethora of apps geared to exactly the kind of camping you want to do. Boondock to your heart’s content, or glamp in 5-star resorts. From the Dyrt, iOverlander, Wikicamps, Free Roam, and AllTrails to government forestry camps, BLM and actual commercial campsites they are all there waiting for you to have the best experience. I bought an incredible back roads map, lol, yes a real map, plasticized, easy to follow just in case I have no access to Google on the road.

  2. Campground Reviews
    If you are a planner, check out any reviews you can get on your destination. The reviews will give you the skinny on what is good and bad about a campsite without the hype a campsite will give you.

  3. An Early Start

    I get wound up when I get up in the morning and am reminded of the 11 am checkout. I can’t enjoy my morning continuously thinking of what I need to do before I leave. Leaving early lets you take your time to not only get to your next destination, but gets you there in plenty of time to set up in the light.

  4. Comfortable Driving

    I drove to Banff recently, a trip of 650 miles each way. I wound up the ambo for fast highway driving and passed everything on the road that had wheels. In hindsight, it wasn’t pleasant for me or my wife. I think the trip there should have been split up into 2 or 3 days, to be honest. My new rule of thumb is to drive no more than 200 miles per day. Our ambulance drives like a Rolls-Royce, so the driving is comfortable, as is the seating. I’ve driven Class C’s that you were exhausted after 40 miles. The 200-mile max gets me there in plenty of time to set up and have a cold beer. Often referred to by the 2/2/2 rule, experienced RVers will tell you to drive no more than 200 miles, stop every 2 hours and stay at your destination 2 days.

  5. Day Driving 

    I used to love driving my Mustang fast and at night. The twistier the roads, the better. Ahh, the pleasure of youth. Now I get fearful when lights come at me at night, especially in the rain. I don’t feel safe and if I must drive at night it is slow and for a short distance. I prefer to see where I set up. Don’t get me wrong, if you love driving at night, and are not as old as I am, go for it. The good thing about night driving is there is less traffic on the roads.

  6. Back Roads versus Highways

    After our Banff trip, we came to the conclusion that if we are not in a hurry, why drive the express highway? When we left the stressful traffic of the highway on our return from Banff we actually found some incredible camping spots that were free. Those free campsites were not way off on a logging road either, just off the main roads. I was in a better mood too, which made my wife happy – a happy wife better life!

  7. Vehicle Safety

    While on your journey, it is good practice to do a walk around your vehicle when you stop for gas or a rest. I did an inspection after driving a particularly rough logging road and found a 10 lb rock wedged between my rear dualies. If I had hit the highway with that there, it would have blown both tires on the passenger side. That reminds me to mention a safety stop when you feel you need a rest. A safety tip I read about was ensuring that your spare tire and the tools to change a flat are on the passenger side storage. That helps you stay out of driver-side traffic.

  8. The Right Spot

    Ok, so this tip is for people like us who need our internet – glampers. We signed up for Starlink a few months ago and as long as we have a window to the north we can use it anywhere. We watched YouTube videos while in the middle of a forest. We bought the home/travel plan so when we are at home the Starlink dish sits on our satellite mast on our ambo at about 14’ with the router in the house.

  9. Respect for Others

    This seems to me to be the most common sense tip that people constantly forget – giving people their space! I saw a video on the Campulance Man (yes another ambulance conversion) where he set up on BLM land, a seemingly desolate spot, only to find someone parked 20 feet from him when he woke in the morning. I think I would have lost it, but he was cool. Loud partying is always annoying, but you gotta give people the right to have some fun, just so long as they know when to stop. The worst thing, I have yet to see in person, is the guy with the 45’ monster trailer with a 7500-watt gas generator turned on all day and night. Geez!

  10. Comfort

    This tip is so simple, and obvious, laugh at me if you will. When you head to bed, put the clothes you will wear in the morning in bed with you – ahh, yes, toasty warm.

Hope you find these useful. It’s a funny thing about common sense, it’s not always common to everyone!

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