SheCampsSolo

How-To

This is a page with the basic information you need to have a successful camping trip– choosing the right camp gear for your trip, starting a campfire, tying guy lines, etc.

1. Buying Quality Camping Gear
2. Finding a Good Campsite
3. Setting Up Your Campsite
4. Starting a Fire
5. Keep Firewood Dry
6. Tying Guy Lines
7. Pitch a Tarp and Poles by Yourself
8. Heating Your Tent During Winter
9. Keeping Critters Away
10. Saving $$$
11. Personal Hygiene While Camping

Buying Quality Camping Gear

In a world where advertising is everywhere and there are so many options on what brands to buy, this is frankly one of the most difficult things to do. One of the best recommendations I can give if buying things online is to check reviews. If there are a lot of reviews mentioning splitting seams or easy dents, the item you’re looking at probably isn’t high quality. That being said, the most expensive gear isn’t always the best– some of the smallest companies have the greatest gear at a fraction of the price for well-known brands.

SLEEPING BAG: The first thing you need to consider when buying a camping mattress pad or sleeping bag is its R-Value. The R-Value is the rating an item is given for warmth and ability to maintain heat. The R-Value rating is on a scale from 1-7 with “one” being the item is meant for warm weather use only whereas a “seven” rating is meant for extreme cold and frozen ground. Not all R-Values are expertly assigned though, and not every product on the market has an assigned R-Value. Furthermore, the R-value or marketed temperature rating is based on survival capability rather than comfort. From here, you’ll want to take any rating with a grain of salt. For me, as a petite woman who tends to sleep hot in the summer and cold in the winter, I like to have a sleeping pad and sleeping bag that have R-values or temperature ratings at least 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit below the minimum temperature I plan to use it—I find myself a little cold if I’m using a 30°F sleeping bag in 50°F weather. So, I’ll have a sleeping bag rated for 0°F even if the low temperature is only supposed to be 30°F. I find it easier to throw back my quilt/sleeping bag or take off clothing layers if I get too hot, and it’s much better than carrying an extra sleeping bag or lots of blankets around— and it’s certainly better than a sleepless night because you’re freezing.

The other thing you want to consider is the size and shape of your sleeping bag. Larger sleeping bags take longer to warm up at night and more body heat to keep them warm. If a bag is too big, you will likely spend the night cold no matter what the R-value rating or temperature rating is. For maximum heat retention, consider a mummy sleeping bag. For more space, a rectangular bag is your best bet. And if you find yourself cold at night, you can stuff your extra clothes in the empty spaces of your bag—it’s extra insulation that traps your body heat. Hot water bottles are also useful at keeping warm.

SLEEPING PAD: Like a sleeping bag, you’ll want to consider the R-rating or temperature rating on a sleeping pad. A sleeping pad not only provides a more comfortable bed, but a proper one also keeps you warm at night. If your inflatable pad gets a hole in it, you will likely wake up to find yourself cold and on the ground. There are multiple types of sleeping pads available on the market—foam, air inflatables, a combination of both. The thickness of the material and its casing will make a difference in the comfort and packing size & weight of your pad. If you are front country camping, you might find the additional weight and size of a memory foam pad to be well worth the investment. However, if you’re backcountry camping where carrying weight is everything, you are limited to inflatable air pads or ultra-thin Styrofoam pads. I personally use a sleeping pad made out of a combination of both air and memory foam whenever I go camping since I tend to stick to campgrounds; packed away, the pad is still 2.5ft long and a foot wide, weighs roughly 7lbs. However, I can adjust the firmness to my liking, and the memory foam stays warmer than a pad made only of air. Keep in mind, however, that memory foam will absorb water unless it is wrapped in a waterproof casing. If you purchase one, make sure it is at minimum water-resistant. If you purchase an inflatable air pad, make sure the outer casing is resistant to punctures and always have a patch repair kit ready on standby. And no matter what it’s made out of, make sure the pad is designed to handle your height & bodyweight.

TENT: As for a tent, you will want to purchase one meant for the seasons you plan to use it in. A four-season tent can be used during the warmer months but is the only type of tent you can use in the winter and be comfortable—a three-season tent will not work for winter unless you are in a southern location with warmer temperature averages. Four-season tents are also designed for withstanding the weight of some snow. Unfortunately, four-season tents are often pricier than three-season tents. If you are someone who doesn’t plan to camp during the winter, or only do so in the Deep South, you won’t need to invest the extra money. However, the size of the tent actually matters when it’s cool outside. The larger a tent is, the more time and energy is needed to warm the tent interior. A person solo camping will want to be in a tent meant for one or two people if they’re camping during cooler months—their body heat will not warm up a large tent. Some tents also include a fitted rainfly and footprint. If they do, these are ideal; the footprint is meant to act like a floor tarp and keep water out of your tent. If the footprint is even a couple of inches larger than your tent, water can pool underneath your tent floor and soak your tent if there’s a hole in the floor. If the tent doesn’t come with a footprint, you will need to purchase a waterproof tarp to place under your tent to keep water from entering your tent. Also make sure that the seams of the tent are taped and sealed with professional outdoor-grade sealant. If they are not, water can still leak inside, and you will want to do it yourself before your camping trip.

RAINFLY/TARP: The rainfly also plays a large role in your tent. A rainfly, if designed well, is supposed to keep water from coming into your tent if it rains. If it fully covers your tent, it also helps trap heat inside the tent. Some tents advertise a rainfly that is more accurately a sunshade; if you see a tent for sale with a covering that really only covers the roof and top third of the tent, it’s a sunshade that provides a little water resistance and will need additional coverings to keep the inside protected from a storm. A good rainfly will cover the entirety of the tent and will be staked into the ground, like the tent itself—the fly will have a zippered entrance to pass through. If you camp in a location where it rains or storms often, you are best prepared with a rainfly and even an additional rain tarp with tarp poles.

WATERPROOF/WATER RESISTANT ITEMS: Lastly, for any product advertising “waterproof” or “water resistant”, look at the materials it’s made out of and the “PU_mm” thickness rating; “water resistant” is not the same as “waterproof” and a simple misunderstanding can lead to a bad camping experience if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Polyester and plastic products are more water resistant than items made out of cotton or wool. If a tarp or jacket has an PU_mm rating between PU1500mm and PU3000mm, it is considered “water resistant”—it helps greatly, but water can get through. Items advertised as “waterproof” should have a thickness rating of PU3000mm or higher—the higher the PU_mm rating, the more waterproof it will be. Keep in mind that if you expect moderate to heavy rain, a minimum value of PU5000mm will be necessary to keep everything dry.

Finding a Good Campsite

A good campsite can make the difference between a great trip or a bad experience, so there are a few things you need to check before booking a site. Make sure you are not very close to bodies of water—flash floods are possible and can occur without warning. A good rule of thumb is that the water is at least 200ft away from your site. If you’re tent camping, find a spot with a level tent pad; make sure it isn’t in a low-lying area that will attract pooling water or has a steep incline—the last thing you want is to wake up in the night to a wet tent or to struggle falling asleep because the blood is rushing to any one part of your body. Regardless of campground or backcountry camping, also make sure there are no large or dying trees nearby that could easily fall over or lose limbs; pine trees are especially notorious for dropping large branches on a windy day and getting hit by one could cause serious injury or worse.

Setting Up Your Campsite

The order in which you set up your campsite matters! The first thing I do when I get to a campground is park my car at my site and take a short walk around the area, so that I know where the bathrooms, showers, dumpsters, and potable water spigots are in proximity to my site. I also get an idea of who and where my neighbors are. After that, I return to my campsite to set up camp.

If you plan to use an additional sunshade or rain tarp over your tent pad, that is what you want to put up first; it is much easier to put it up without it laying on top of anything. It will also keep you dry should you expect rain while setting up camp. More information on how to set up a tarp can be found under the how-to “pitch a tarp and poles by yourself”.

Next, you will want to lay out your tent footprint or ground tarp, so that you have your tent ready to pitch on top of it without getting the tent damp or dirty. Make sure the footprint or ground tarp is perfectly matched to your tent– you don’t want any extra tarp sticking out from underneath the edges of your tent!! If it rains, water will pool underneath your tent if any additional footprint is sticking out. If your tarp is too large, you can fold it so that each side is at least 2 inches underneath the edge of your tent. 

After setting up the footprint/tarp, pitch your tent according to the tent instructions on its bag, along with its included rain cover or sunshade. Stake it down, and add guylines if you’re camping in a windy or rainy area. Lastly, set up any additional items you may have such as a mattress pad & sleeping bag, your hanging lanterns, additional furniture, etc. Just keep in mind that anything you need to keep dry should be kept in your vehicle or tent until you need it and that it’ll be easier to set up the large items before the sun goes down.

Starting a Fire

Before you light a fire, there are two things to check beforehand; first, make sure the weather is appropriate for the fire. If the surrounding area is under an elevated fire danger or a high wind warning, do NOT light a fire—everyone enjoys a campfire but it’s not worth risking a wildfire. As Smokey the Bear says, “only YOU can prevent wildfires”.

The second thing to be aware of is the firewood itself. Get your firewood from a location close to your campsite. Invasive pests including the emerald ash borer & spotted lanternfly have decimated local tree species, such as the American Chestnut, throughout the United States because wood infected with eggs & larvae was transported to areas where the trees have no natural resistance. To aid in slowing the rate of destruction, campgrounds have requirements that you bring only FDA certified kiln-fired, heat-treated wood to your campsite. If you purchase wood outside of camp, the packaging must bear an FDA seal that certifies the wood as such. If caught sneaking in untreated wood, you are subject to hefty fines and/or campground expulsion. To avoid buying firewood, you are able to collect any wood near your site. However, it must be dead and fallen; most campgrounds prohibit campers from chopping down trees and live vegetation for fires, and the green stuff is much harder to burn anyways—it mostly smokes versus creating warm flames. And while you can’t rely on it, many campers will leave leftover firewood at their sites for the next camp reservation.

If you don’t collect fire materials from the area around your campsite, purchase some right before you arrive at your destination—camp stores almost always overprice their goods, including firewood. Gas stations or grocery stores are usually cheaper. No matter what though, be sure to have plenty of matches or a lighter (my preference), and fire-starters. Yes, the storebought fire-starters work great and many are sold in a cheap multipack. However, you can actually make your own at home; simply fill empty toilet paper tubes with dryer lint leftover from laundry day. These are highly flammable and safe for the environment.

Make sure the fire is prepared in a designated firepit or other safe area that is not surrounded by a lot of dry vegetation. Also make sure it is not too close to your tent or trailer; a stray gust of wind can easily make embers travel and get caught on your tent walls.

Once you have your wood, make sure it is dry—it’s very hard to get wet wood to burn. Great kindling includes small sticks and branches with lots of dried leaves. Dried grass is also great although it takes longer to collect. There are multiple ways to prepare your wood pile to ensure the wood burns for a while. My favorite methods are the “teepee” style and the “log cabin” style.

As the name suggests, a teepee fire involves you creating a teepee shape of logs standing upright in a circle with a center log, smaller kindling, and fire starters in the circle center. The shape makes it rather easy for kindling to catch since it’s protected from wind. Light the fire starters at the base of the kindling—I like to use a couple of fire starters per campfire because it generates heat quickly, making the fire more likely to spread among the logs. This campfire is better suited to those who only want their fire to last an hour or two since you’re continuously feeding new logs to keep the fire going.

The other method is the “log cabin” style. Do you remember playing with Lincoln Logs as a kid? It’s the same idea. You make a square out of logs and leave a small center opening for kindling. You also stuff the small spaces in between logs & exterior corners with dry leaves or fire starters. This takes a little more effort than the teepee style but it’s great for cooking fires and lasts much longer than the teepee style.

Lastly, no matter what, always have a quick way to put out the fire. A pile of dirt or a large bucket of water is always good, but a fire blanket is even better. When you put out your fire, stay with it until it stops smoking; red-hot embers can sometimes reignite any partially burned wood after you put it out. Never leave a fire unattended. And never throw trash or leftover food into a fire; burned leftovers will attract unwanted wildlife, and plastics will melt rather than burn and pollute the surrounding air.

Keep Firewood Dry

Damp & moldy firewood is extremely difficult to light and uses much more fire tinder; moldy firewood is also a health hazard if it burns and you inhale it. Avoid the hassle by keeping your fire materials dry! The best way to keep your firewood dry is to keep it inside your vehicle. If you don’t want to do that– perhaps you picked it up near your campsite and are worried about bugs, for example– put it either underneath the side of your vehicle or cover it with a tarp. Putting the firewood underneath the side of your vehicle provides better protection from the rain than putting it underneath the rear or front of your vehicle. If you cover it with a waterproof tarp, stick it in the center of the tarp and then fold the tarp in on all sides– like wrapping a Christmas present. This will keep it from getting damp via the ground and will help keep bugs out. If you cover your firewood with a tarp for an extended period of time and don’t wrap it, ALWAYS use a long stick check for bugs or snakes that might be hiding underneath!

Tying Guy Lines

Guy lines are essential for pitching your tent and any rain tarps; they keep your stuff from flying away in windy or bad weather. When you unravel a guy line, you’ll notice a plastic or metal tensioner on one end– use that end near the ground stake, it’s how you tighten or loosen the line once you pitch it and, unless you’re really tall, you’ll struggle to reach a guy line tensioner that’s on the wrong end on a telescoping pole.

Tying guylines require extremely strong knots– a standard shoelace bowtie won’t cut it if the weather gets bad. The essential knot you should know for tying guylines is the “bowline” knot. This knot is rather simple and can be used for a wide variety of activities.

To tie a bowline knot, begin with your guy line straight but with a small loop in it made near the end of the guy line. Pass the bottom end of the guy line through the loop and then underneath the straight part of the guy line above the loop, leaving a bit of extra space within the loop. After you’ve sent the loop underneath the straight part of the guy line, send the end back through the loop. Then, hold the loop and the end of the guy line and pull to tighten the loop. Done!

You can use the bowline knot at both ends of your guy lines– the one that ties to your tarp rivets and the one that connects to your stake. Keep in mind, however, that this knot does not adjust the guy line length like some other knots. If the line is too long to be taut, you’ll want to change the length of the guy line you’re using or reposition the stake your line is tied to– I prefer the latter option, it’s quicker and easier to pull out the stake from its original location and move it as needed.

Pitch a Tarp and Poles by Yourself

While it seems impossible to put up freestanding tarp poles and a rain tarp by yourself, it can be done! The first thing you want to do is to lay your tarp out flat wherever you want to raise it. Then tie your guy lines to the tarp on all rivets where you plan to use one– if you plan to use four poles, tie four guy lines to the rivet where you plan to put a pole. If you intend to only use two poles, tie the guy lines and stake the ends of the tarp you plan to keep near the ground first. Make sure the end with the guy line tensioner is close to the ground where you’ll stake it down! 

Walk the guy line out straight at a 90 degree angle for side rivets or at a 45 degree angle (diagonal) for the corner end rivets. Once you reach the desired length (if you plan to stand upright underneath the tarp when it’s raised, aim for 9 feet long), set up your ground stakes that you’ll tie the guylines to at the ends of the guylines, putting them into the ground at a 45 degree angle away from the direction your tarp will be raised. Put them in the ground as deep as they’ll go as long as you can still tie the lines– a ground stake that is barely in the ground will be useless. Tie the tensioner end of the guyline around the ground stake. Repeat these steps on each side with a pole.

With the guy lines all tied to the tarp rivet and anchored to the ground stakes, you’ll be able to put your poles in. Telescoping poles with rubber bottoms work the best since they’ll grip the ground better than poles with plastic or metal feet. Put the first pole’s top through the tied tarp rivet and then raise the pole as high as you want it. Leave it upright– it should stay up since it’s balanced with the staked down guy lines. Then repeat with the other poles. Once all poles are raised to the height you want them, tighten or loosen the guy lines by moving the tensioners further up or down as needed; the guy lines will tighten if you move the tensioner further up the line and vice versa. If you need to, you can remove the ground stake with the guy line still attached and move, re-stake it to make the guy line as taut as possible.

The goal is to keep your guy lines taut and your tarp taut. This tautness is what keeps the wind from blowing anything away and is what keeps your poles upright. Pointing your ground stakes in the opposite direction of the tarp so that they’re angled away, along with using the tensioners, is what keeps the guy lines taught, which is needed to keep the poles upright. 

A tarp is only good if it keeps water from pooling and protects your things from getting wet. Make sure the tarp doesn’t sag or the water can pool and weigh down the tarp– if it gets too heavy, the water weight can cause your poles to fall out of balance and bring a splashdown of water on top of your stuff should they give out. Also make sure that your tarp is always at a slight angle, at minimum, so that the water runoff goes to the same side and does not pool in the center of your tarp. When you first try setting the poles up by yourself, there will likely be some trial and error. That’s okay! You’ll get better at it each time you do it. If you are struggling to set up all four poles back-to-back, stake two corner rivets straight into the ground and set up the poles at the opposite end. Once those two are up, you’ll be able to remove the stakes individually and replace them with poles and longer guy lines.

If your campsite has trees that you plan to use for setting up a rain tarp, great! Weave a guy line through the middle rivets of a tarp so that it’s split into two even sides, then tie the lines to the trees or poles and stake down the opposite sides. This makes the simple “A-Frame” tarp. 

You can also do a basic “lean-to” by weaving the guy line through the rivets along the one side you want to use as the tallest opening. Tie the guy line around two trees or telescoping poles, then stake down the tarp at the lower corner rivets.

Heating Your Tent During Winter

Winter camping can be a blast, but in most locations, it requires some extra work to stay safe. Chiefly, staying warm– hypothermia can begin quickly if you don’t have the right gear. This means bringing warm clothes & thick socks, plus extra, as well as a sleeping bag and pad with proper R-ratings. It also means knowing how to keep your tent warm whenever you’re in it. Luckily, there is a bunch of gear available today that can assist!

First, four-season tents are critical for most winter camping destinations; the snow flaps and extra thick material trap heat inside better than three season tents that lack these. Waterproofed canvas tents are especially good for trapping heat. The size of your tent is also critical; smaller tents have less space to heat than larger tents. Next comes the heating method. There are two main ways to heat your tent: a tent stove and a propane-powered space heater.

In order to use a tent stove, you’ll need a tent with a stove jack– it’s a small hole in the roof or tent side that allows you to put the camp stove’s chimney through it for carbon monoxide and smoke release outside the tent while the heat from the fire stays inside. If you use this method, make sure that there is a fireproof tarp underneath the stove so that any embers that may jump out of the stove front can’t start a fire. Also note that this requires constantly feeding a fire with small kindling; once the fire goes out, the tent will stay warm for a few hours depending on tent size, but you’ll need to relight it in order to get the tent warm again. This is a live fire; if you choose this method, have a way to quickly extinguish it!

If you choose a propane-powered space heater, note that a small canister of propane will keep most space heaters running on a “high” setting for 2-3 hours. Once the propane runs out, you have no way to keep warm inside your tent once it gets cold. Therefore, if you choose this method, make sure you have plenty of propane bottles. Keep the heater at least a few inches away from everything else in your tent, as well as the tent walls, so that nothing melts or catches fire. Also make sure the space heater you have has a tip-over safety sensor and a low-oxygen safety sensor; these turn the heater off automatically to avoid starting fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.

No matter what type of heating method you use, always keep a small tent window or a part of your door open so that oxygen can flow into your tent; it’s necessary to keep the heating methods working and keeps you from suffocating from carbon monoxide poisoning. A carbon monoxide detector is a great asset to have, as is a way to extinguish any fires. When it’s time to sleep, turn off the heater or extinguish the camp stove fire; the warmth will remain through most of the night, but you never want to risk something bad happening while you’re asleep. You can reheat your tent once you wake up.

Keeping Critters Away

You’re camping in the woods and of course you’ll find animals there, too; it’s their home more than yours. And although it sounds lovely to be like Snow White and sing songs with a bunch of friendly animals, real life doesn’t work like that. No one likes trying to sleep at night to have an unknown rustling noise startle them awake. And no one likes waking up the next morning to find their trash bag torn into and garbage strewn around their site. Luckily, animals are fairly easy to keep away with three simple rules: don’t feed the animals, securely store your food, and keep your site clean.

Animals don’t like people but are usually drawn to campsites in search of an easy meal, and they’re led there by a strong sense of smell. Human noses aren’t as sensitive to smell as the nose of a possum or a bear, and while we can’t smell the food lying around, they can. If an animal finds an easy meal out in the open in one location, they’re likely to return looking for more. When you aren’t eating, keep your food in your car or in a wildlife proof storage canister— and make sure the car windows are completely shut. Some animals have the ability to break the glass if the windows are cracked open. The same goes with water and with toiletries such as shampoo and toothpaste; we know it isn’t food, but the animals don’t. Never cook or eat inside your tent, the odors linger. And lastly, throw the garbage away in a designated trash bin; burning leftover food in a campfire leaves behind odors, and a trash bag left lying around is asking for trouble.

On a last note, yes– a bunch of animals look cute and sometimes you want to pet them. But at the end of the day, they’re wild animals—you don’t know what diseases they may be carrying, and an animal that loses its fear of people is likely to be captured and euthanized. Don’t try to lure them; I promise you that raccoon does not want to cuddle.

Saving $$$

While camping can be much cheaper than other types of trips, I’m still always looking for a way to save money. Luckily, there are many ways to stretch your dollar further!

When getting a campsite, book a tent site that doesn’t come with electricity or water hookups, they’re cheaper than sites with hookups or trailer/RV sites. Also stay at government campgrounds versus privately-owned campgrounds—and if you’re backcountry camping, even better! There won’t be any reservation fees where you’re going, just make sure that you’re staying on land that is open to backcountry camping and that you have any permits that may be required.

You can also save money by sticking to bringing only camping gear essentials and buying gear that can be used in a wide variety of weather or temperature ranges—more information on this is available on the “Buying Quality Camping Gear” page. You can even manufacture some of your own camp gear—portable toilets, for example; it’s nice to have a retractable camp loo, but you can make your own out of a home improvement store five-gallon plastic bucket, a foam pool noodle cut to top the bucket edge, and small trash bags to hang around the inside of the bucket underneath the noodle cushion, for use with or without kitty litter…not as nice as a portable toilet but it works just as well and is much cheaper—just make sure you dispose of the waste properly! Buying gear secondhand or during an “off season” will also save a bunch of money; Facebook Marketplace and eBay are great for this. If you aren’t sure whether or not you’re set on the tent you’ve been eyeing, check local rental shops to see if they have one you can test out before purchasing.

No matter what gear you buy, the best way to save money is to keep it in working condition! This means drying out your tent before packing it away to prevent mold growth and that any metal items are cleaned & dried to discourage rusting. It’s not fun to unpack at your next camping trip and discover that your gear is unusable. You can dry your gear out in the sun, but if you don’t have the space for that, you can hang it over a balcony or use a hair dryer set on “low”.

When it comes to food, eating those freeze-dried camp meals or canned foods tend to be cheaper than buying groceries to cook at your site if you’re solo camping. You don’t have to worry about needing ice to keep groceries or leftovers fresh, and it’s cheaper than eating out. Try to bring some fresh staples such as nuts or fruit, though; these don’t require a fridge or microwave to stay good or cook, and are simple sources of healthy fats, proteins, and good sugars. Canned beans, fish, and meat are also cheap and can make nutritious meals. More information on camp meals can be found on the “food” page.

When getting campfire materials, make your own fire starters! These can be made with toilet paper tubes stuffed with dryer lint leftover from laundry day– free of charge and lightweight. Also get your firewood right before you enter the campground—it’s cheaper than the wood available at camp stores. Or pick up your own dead wood near your campsite.

In general, get what you need before you arrive at camp; the campground stores are usually overpriced since they’re the only business close to camp.

Lastly, try to plan ahead! Some destinations are in high demand that require booking campgrounds months ahead of your actual visit. If you plan well ahead of your trip, you can save money here and there to put towards your visit, or reserve various ticketed experiences rather than spend a bunch of money at one time.

Personal Hygiene While Camping

Keeping yourself clean is always important; it makes you feel good and keeps you healthy! First off, showers: If you’re staying in a campground, it’s likely they’ll have showers. Check campground reviews to see if they’re clean enough for your comfort level and always wear shower shoes– you never know who was there before you. It’s also to make sure the showers are open; if you’re visiting during the winter or off-season, it’s possible that the bathrooms are closed during your stay. If the showers are unusable, or if you’re backcountry camping, bring shower wipes or a solar heated shower bag and something to hang it from. Popup shower/privacy tents are great for front-country camping, since you can keep them at your campsite and most have hooks that will hold your shower bag. Note that it usually takes at least two hours in the sunlight for the water to heat inside the bag, so plan ahead! Make sure that you have tent stakes & guy lines for your privacy tent to keep it from blowing away though. The privacy tents that use metal poles also tend to be sturdier than the ones that pop upright out of their bag and are easier to pack away after use.

Second, try to use travel-sized toiletries. They’re much lighter and easier to pack than their full-sized versions. If you’re committed to using a certain brand of toiletry, you can buy empty plastic travel bottles to fill and use for such items. Mini toothbrushes and hairbrushes are also for sale and take up much less room. Toiletry storage bags sometimes have hooks built-in for use– if you have one, this is great to bring since it’ll hang from doors or hangers in the bathrooms. Try to keep the number of toiletries you need to a minimum though, it’ll save a bunch of room and time when packing.

Next, the thing we all know but usually don’t want to discuss: our periods. I personally try to avoid camping during these, but occasionally I’ll get stuck with it. Nonetheless, don’t let it ruin your trip! Camping with them isn’t ideal but is far from a trip-ending problem. It doesn’t usually affect front-country camping, it just involves some slight adjustments if you’re backcountry camping. Mainly, that you must pack out what you carry in. You can do this by packing individual tampons or pads into small plastic bags; after using them, put them back in the plastic bags and they’re easy to store without making a mess. The scent won’t attract dangerous, wild animals– that’s a myth. Lastly, be prepared with whatever pain medication you use for cramps and some baby wipes. Simple!