Alexandro Faria
AH enthusiast
So I wrote a (meant to be) short article on tips for the weekend camper and I thought I would share it with you guys. I'm really enjoying this process and I would obviously appreciate any comments or criticism you guys may have- I don't take stuff personally.
Weekend Warrior- what you’re gonna need
We’ve all been there- it’s the end of a tough day at the end of a rough week and the end of a rubbish month. You’ve managed to leave work without the boss getting the chance to do the “before you leave…” and you’re off to the campsite for a well-earned few days away from traffic and the office. You know it’ll be a rough drive- Friday afternoon madness is no joke- but you’re itching to pitch the tent, crack open a cold one and chill (not necessarily in that order).
However, what is meant to be a weekend escape from the usual insanity can quickly turn miserable if you 1) Forget a piece of essential equipment (a kettle in the middle of winter), or 2) Take so much stuff that you can’t make sense of anything. Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve been in both boats and having too much with you can detract from a trip just as much as not having what you need.
(Sometimes it's okay to overdo it, but not always...)
So what’s too much and what’s not enough? Well, the only person that can answer that question is your- it’s very subjective. However, what we’re going to try and do (and hopefully not completely suck at) is share our ideas and experiences with you in the hope that it makes your next (or first?) weekend trip that much more comfortable.
First, and most importantly, we need to strike that balance: A weekend trip doesn’t lend itself to hours for setup- you don’t want to spend half of day 1 getting it all prepped when you only have 2 nights. It’s also unlikely that you want to spend most of your time cooking and cleaning- we already spend too much time doing that at home. In contrast, you also won’t want to spend the weekend wishing you had brought that extra blanket or an electric kettle- it’s likely that you’ll end up going home grumpy and unreasted, which kinda defeats the point.
All that considered, here are our top 10 suggestions for that life-saving weekend trip. This coming from the guy who forgot his tent poles at home on a 2 week trip to Kruger, so know I’ve suffered for my art.
1) Be prepared
Tent poles aside (fool), my first suggestion is this: have a camping box or bag and keep it packed. This bag should have all your essentials (matches, firelighters, paper plates and towels, cutlery etc) and a few extras you would usually pack the night before (jocks, socks, a blanket and a shirt).
Speaking from experience, having a dedicated “camping” bag or box is awesome as it saves a lot of time and frustration, so too does having a list of what’s in it pasted on the top of the lid.
Pick it up, toss it in the car and that’s half the job done- just don’t forget to top it up as you use up the items within.
2) Have a camping checklist
You’re stressed, you’re tired and you’re overworked. All you can think about is is how awesome this weekend is going to be and it’s so easy to forget something really important, even if it’s something obvious (like tent poles, perhaps?).
I’ve had it happen more than once: I’m on my way to my venue and all of a sudden my heart falls into my stomach, followed by my gracing the immediate vicinity with wonderfully colourful language. Why? Because I forgot a pillow or my shoes (yes, my shoes) or the gas canister (which sits next to all the other cooking stuff I remembered to pack?).
Trust me, it’s just better to have the list. You can go off experience, or you can print one off the interwebs, there’s a lot of good lists online- make use of them.
(no pillow= painful neck)
3) Keep up to date with services
Please, for the love of all that is beautiful and mysterious, make sure your car is serviced. This applies to life in general, not just camping. I’ve had 2 major issues occur while driving back from a trip, both of which were close to petrol stations (one of which was the first we had seen in almost 200km) but both of which could have been seriously problematic. As it was, one of them ended up costing me an extra 10k and 3 days. Thankfully, we were able to “repair” the other enough with cable ties and duct tape- both of which NEED to be in your “essentials” bag- to get us home.
It’ll save you time, frustration and wallet-ache… Just do it.
(My Sabi dilemma)
4) Cook beforehand and embrace one-pot meals
It’s hard to enjoy your limited time off if you’re constantly doing the “prep, cook, clean cycle” and nothing ruins a chilled evening (for me) like dishes do. Whether it’s a bean salad, sausages or malva pudding, just do it at home. Invest in some good tupperware and thank me later.
Having cooked food that just needs to be heated through makes the world of difference- you finish a 90 minute task in 15, tops, and you have far less cleaning up to do. It’s near heaven when you get back from a day of hiking or fishing and all you have to do is warm up the soup you made at home.
Finally, if you do need to cook, keep it simple. There are some awesome camp cook books around and it’s amazing what you can achieve with minimal items and effort- leave the 3 course meals for when you can actually load the dishwasher.
5) Kitchen simplicity is your friend
Wine glasses are great, but you don’t need them. Nor do you need those silver spoons. I admit I’m biased here- I hide it well, but I really despise washing dishes at a campsite. I know, you weren’t aware.
The word of the day is “simplicity”, so make it work for you. 2 prep knives (one cerated) are all you need, mugs work for all drinks (tea to vodka) and paper plates are your best friend. You’re not trying to impress the in-laws, you're trying to have a good time, don’t let your ego get in the way of that- only take what you need.
6) When not to be cheap
Bargains are awesome, but there are things you simply shouldn’t skimp on as they make things so much easier.
Firstly, get yourself a really decent thermos. Whether you use it to keep your coffee hot on that early morning game-drive or for hot water once the fire dies down (a good trick), a good thermos goes a long way to making things comfortable and enjoyable.
Secondly, a folding camp table. I drive a defender (que oil leak jokes) and we have a small folding table that fits perfectly into the bottom of my boot. It takes next to no space and it definitely makes a difference when I don’t forget it (see point 2).
Third, BUY A DECENT GAS COOKER. On the odd occasion that you do want to cook something from scratch, it’s handy to have instant fire available to you. It also means you have a way of heating up the kettle in the morning when the coals are cold and the side of your tent is frozen.
7) Power is king
I have a second battery in my car and I can’t explain how useful it’s been over the years. If you can’t spring for a second battery, fret not, there are other options, each of which are awesome in their own right, but put them all together and you have another beast entirely- it makes things much easier.
8) Play it safe
Don’t kid yourself, you need a good first aid kit- buy once, cry once. Stick it under your car seat and keep it there. Ours gets a fair bit of use- burns, splinters and cuts happen fairly often and it can get nasty quickly if you don’t have a way of dealing with the wound.
I once had a (tipsy) friend slice through his leg with a skinning knife while opening a bag of wors. We had all been partying a little too hard to get him to an emergency room safely, but the disinfectant, wound closing strips and bandages ment we could treat it effectively enough to allow us to wait till morning.
Lastly, make sure it has a tourniquet and make sure you know how to use it. Be responsible when you have fun- you don’t always know how close the nearest hospital might be.
9) Let there be light
You’ve stumbled out of your tent, navigated the chairs and bottles left outside your tent (it happens, but it shouldn’t) and you’re approaching that sweet spot where it’s okay to empty your bladder. All of a sudden your little toe feels like it’s going to explode and you’re on the floor cursing like a sailor- you forgot the table.
This can be avoided by having a headlamp on hand and you really should have a good one. It’s tempting to think you can just use your phone’s light- it’s not enough and you don’t always have your phone to hand, please don’t kid yourself.
Another good option is to invest in some decent hanging lamps. We have 4 (1 for the tent, one for the table and 2 to hang in trees or place on the ground outside). They’re cheap, light and rechargeable, they’re awesome and they can be used at home when Eskom does their thing.
(Fire!.. and light)
10) Keep cool
Your cooler box holds your beer and your beer needs a good home. You care about your beer, it’s been there for you through thick and thin, so don’t stick it in an el cheapo cooler. Jokes aside, a good quality cooler will save you from many a headache- I’ve had too many leaky coolers (think about your car) or coolers that just don’t keep things cool (think about your beer).
I usually use frozen water bottles- pick your favourite size and go with it. They hold a lot of water (and cold) and you can drink them when they’re thawed out- you really don’t need a car fridge for a long weekend trip.
So that’s our lengthy list and we hope it helps, even if it just shows you what not to do. Spending time outdoors is always worthwhile and while it may take some time to find what works best for you, it’s all part of the experience. Get out there and enjoy our beautiful country- you owe it to yourself.
As always, we would love to hear what you have you have to say on the matter and please feel free to let us know what makes it onto YOUR essential camping gear if we haven’t covered it here!
Weekend Warrior- what you’re gonna need
We’ve all been there- it’s the end of a tough day at the end of a rough week and the end of a rubbish month. You’ve managed to leave work without the boss getting the chance to do the “before you leave…” and you’re off to the campsite for a well-earned few days away from traffic and the office. You know it’ll be a rough drive- Friday afternoon madness is no joke- but you’re itching to pitch the tent, crack open a cold one and chill (not necessarily in that order).
However, what is meant to be a weekend escape from the usual insanity can quickly turn miserable if you 1) Forget a piece of essential equipment (a kettle in the middle of winter), or 2) Take so much stuff that you can’t make sense of anything. Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve been in both boats and having too much with you can detract from a trip just as much as not having what you need.
(Sometimes it's okay to overdo it, but not always...)
So what’s too much and what’s not enough? Well, the only person that can answer that question is your- it’s very subjective. However, what we’re going to try and do (and hopefully not completely suck at) is share our ideas and experiences with you in the hope that it makes your next (or first?) weekend trip that much more comfortable.
First, and most importantly, we need to strike that balance: A weekend trip doesn’t lend itself to hours for setup- you don’t want to spend half of day 1 getting it all prepped when you only have 2 nights. It’s also unlikely that you want to spend most of your time cooking and cleaning- we already spend too much time doing that at home. In contrast, you also won’t want to spend the weekend wishing you had brought that extra blanket or an electric kettle- it’s likely that you’ll end up going home grumpy and unreasted, which kinda defeats the point.
All that considered, here are our top 10 suggestions for that life-saving weekend trip. This coming from the guy who forgot his tent poles at home on a 2 week trip to Kruger, so know I’ve suffered for my art.
1) Be prepared
Tent poles aside (fool), my first suggestion is this: have a camping box or bag and keep it packed. This bag should have all your essentials (matches, firelighters, paper plates and towels, cutlery etc) and a few extras you would usually pack the night before (jocks, socks, a blanket and a shirt).
Speaking from experience, having a dedicated “camping” bag or box is awesome as it saves a lot of time and frustration, so too does having a list of what’s in it pasted on the top of the lid.
Pick it up, toss it in the car and that’s half the job done- just don’t forget to top it up as you use up the items within.
2) Have a camping checklist
You’re stressed, you’re tired and you’re overworked. All you can think about is is how awesome this weekend is going to be and it’s so easy to forget something really important, even if it’s something obvious (like tent poles, perhaps?).
I’ve had it happen more than once: I’m on my way to my venue and all of a sudden my heart falls into my stomach, followed by my gracing the immediate vicinity with wonderfully colourful language. Why? Because I forgot a pillow or my shoes (yes, my shoes) or the gas canister (which sits next to all the other cooking stuff I remembered to pack?).
Trust me, it’s just better to have the list. You can go off experience, or you can print one off the interwebs, there’s a lot of good lists online- make use of them.
(no pillow= painful neck)
3) Keep up to date with services
Please, for the love of all that is beautiful and mysterious, make sure your car is serviced. This applies to life in general, not just camping. I’ve had 2 major issues occur while driving back from a trip, both of which were close to petrol stations (one of which was the first we had seen in almost 200km) but both of which could have been seriously problematic. As it was, one of them ended up costing me an extra 10k and 3 days. Thankfully, we were able to “repair” the other enough with cable ties and duct tape- both of which NEED to be in your “essentials” bag- to get us home.
It’ll save you time, frustration and wallet-ache… Just do it.
(My Sabi dilemma)
4) Cook beforehand and embrace one-pot meals
It’s hard to enjoy your limited time off if you’re constantly doing the “prep, cook, clean cycle” and nothing ruins a chilled evening (for me) like dishes do. Whether it’s a bean salad, sausages or malva pudding, just do it at home. Invest in some good tupperware and thank me later.
Having cooked food that just needs to be heated through makes the world of difference- you finish a 90 minute task in 15, tops, and you have far less cleaning up to do. It’s near heaven when you get back from a day of hiking or fishing and all you have to do is warm up the soup you made at home.
Finally, if you do need to cook, keep it simple. There are some awesome camp cook books around and it’s amazing what you can achieve with minimal items and effort- leave the 3 course meals for when you can actually load the dishwasher.
5) Kitchen simplicity is your friend
Wine glasses are great, but you don’t need them. Nor do you need those silver spoons. I admit I’m biased here- I hide it well, but I really despise washing dishes at a campsite. I know, you weren’t aware.
The word of the day is “simplicity”, so make it work for you. 2 prep knives (one cerated) are all you need, mugs work for all drinks (tea to vodka) and paper plates are your best friend. You’re not trying to impress the in-laws, you're trying to have a good time, don’t let your ego get in the way of that- only take what you need.
6) When not to be cheap
Bargains are awesome, but there are things you simply shouldn’t skimp on as they make things so much easier.
Firstly, get yourself a really decent thermos. Whether you use it to keep your coffee hot on that early morning game-drive or for hot water once the fire dies down (a good trick), a good thermos goes a long way to making things comfortable and enjoyable.
Secondly, a folding camp table. I drive a defender (que oil leak jokes) and we have a small folding table that fits perfectly into the bottom of my boot. It takes next to no space and it definitely makes a difference when I don’t forget it (see point 2).
Third, BUY A DECENT GAS COOKER. On the odd occasion that you do want to cook something from scratch, it’s handy to have instant fire available to you. It also means you have a way of heating up the kettle in the morning when the coals are cold and the side of your tent is frozen.
7) Power is king
I have a second battery in my car and I can’t explain how useful it’s been over the years. If you can’t spring for a second battery, fret not, there are other options, each of which are awesome in their own right, but put them all together and you have another beast entirely- it makes things much easier.
- Powerbanks- We have 2, neither of which were cheap, but we get 4 full charges out of each and that’s more than enough for a weekend. We use our phones for everything from emails to music, so they’re used a lot, but the 2 banks (20000mAh) are more than enough.
- A jumpstart kit- Cool little gadgets which aren’t actually too expensive. The one I currently use seconds as a battery for my computer on weekends where it’s impossible to escape my studies. It’s also nice knowing that you have a way of jump-starting your car if the situation arises, and it has.
8) Play it safe
Don’t kid yourself, you need a good first aid kit- buy once, cry once. Stick it under your car seat and keep it there. Ours gets a fair bit of use- burns, splinters and cuts happen fairly often and it can get nasty quickly if you don’t have a way of dealing with the wound.
I once had a (tipsy) friend slice through his leg with a skinning knife while opening a bag of wors. We had all been partying a little too hard to get him to an emergency room safely, but the disinfectant, wound closing strips and bandages ment we could treat it effectively enough to allow us to wait till morning.
Lastly, make sure it has a tourniquet and make sure you know how to use it. Be responsible when you have fun- you don’t always know how close the nearest hospital might be.
9) Let there be light
You’ve stumbled out of your tent, navigated the chairs and bottles left outside your tent (it happens, but it shouldn’t) and you’re approaching that sweet spot where it’s okay to empty your bladder. All of a sudden your little toe feels like it’s going to explode and you’re on the floor cursing like a sailor- you forgot the table.
This can be avoided by having a headlamp on hand and you really should have a good one. It’s tempting to think you can just use your phone’s light- it’s not enough and you don’t always have your phone to hand, please don’t kid yourself.
Another good option is to invest in some decent hanging lamps. We have 4 (1 for the tent, one for the table and 2 to hang in trees or place on the ground outside). They’re cheap, light and rechargeable, they’re awesome and they can be used at home when Eskom does their thing.
(Fire!.. and light)
10) Keep cool
Your cooler box holds your beer and your beer needs a good home. You care about your beer, it’s been there for you through thick and thin, so don’t stick it in an el cheapo cooler. Jokes aside, a good quality cooler will save you from many a headache- I’ve had too many leaky coolers (think about your car) or coolers that just don’t keep things cool (think about your beer).
I usually use frozen water bottles- pick your favourite size and go with it. They hold a lot of water (and cold) and you can drink them when they’re thawed out- you really don’t need a car fridge for a long weekend trip.
So that’s our lengthy list and we hope it helps, even if it just shows you what not to do. Spending time outdoors is always worthwhile and while it may take some time to find what works best for you, it’s all part of the experience. Get out there and enjoy our beautiful country- you owe it to yourself.
As always, we would love to hear what you have you have to say on the matter and please feel free to let us know what makes it onto YOUR essential camping gear if we haven’t covered it here!
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