It’s finally summertime, which means families and friends are planning to adventure into the wild on camping trips. Whether you go annually or this is your first summer spending a few days off the grid, don’t leave your manners behind. Here are five camping tips to make the most of your time with others in nature.
Practice Patience and Adaptability
If there is one guarantee on a camping trip, it’s that not everything will go as planned. Patience and adaptability are necessary, whether you like to rough it out in the woods with no phone signal or “glamp” in a cabin or renovated RV. From not finding your camp spot to realizing nobody remembered to bring a flashlight, countless mishaps may occur. However, when you practice tolerance and adaptability, you can have an enjoyable camping experience regardless, which makes this one of the best camping tips there is.
Be a Good Team Player
When you’re home, the dishwasher takes care of cleaning your dishes, and you can always order food or go out to eat if you don’t feel up to cooking. However, that is no longer the case once you’re on a camping trip. When camping, there are many vital responsibilities, from cooking over a fire to cleaning cookware with non-scented soap to packing everything away tightly for the night. When you’re out in the woods, you are sleeping in animal territory, so it’s important to be safe and wise when it comes to cooking and cleaning your food. Simple things like making dinner become a team exercise, and the entire experience is better when everyone pitches in to help.
Detox from Social Media
Camping may require you to detox from social media because there isn’t any cell service in the woods. However, even if you do have a couple of bars and can scroll through Instagram or Facebook around the campfire, a camping trip is a great place to practice, putting the phone down for a bit. Even if you do have cell service, keep your phone in the tent while you’re sitting around the campfire. Spend time enjoying the people there with you and entertain yourself by singing campfire songs or stargazing. Enjoy the more simple things in life by following this camping tip and doing a social media detox.
Pack Only What You Need
Overpacking for a camping trip is tempting, but do your best to pack light. You will quickly realize that what you need is quite simple: fresh air, peace and quiet, a warm blanket, a change of clothes, and a good book. One of the best things about going on a camping trip is leaving the hustle and bustle of everyday life behind, so try your best to leave your chaos at home. Practice proper travel etiquette, pack smart, and enjoy all nature has to offer.
Make Memorable Experiences with Family and Friends
Camping trips provide unique opportunities to bond with your friends or family in ways traditional living environments do not. You have to rely on each other and trust each other for even basic things. Additionally, if cell service is limited, you also have to talk to each other. Camping trips require communication to both effectively put up the tent and keep yourselves entertained out in the woods. Make it a point to be in the moment with the people next to you and utilize your communication and listening skills. Practice all of these camping tips on your next adventure to make the most of the memorable experience.
For more information, check out The Protocol School of Texas. You may also like 8 Ways to Take Advantage of Summer Before It’s Gone. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips, read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on The Huffington Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.
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