Ten Things I Learned From My First Camping

I never really had a chance to join any camping nor scout activities when I was a kid. So you can imagine my thrill when my sister invited me to join their 3-day camping in Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park.

The place was located at central Vancouver island. Raccoons, squirrels, deers, mink, otters, eagles, osprey, hawks and other migratory birds could be seen in the park. It was a walk away from the pebble beach where you could witness an enchanting sunrise and watch a charming sunset. Opposite the shore were snow-capped mountains.

There were ten things I learned from my first camp:

If it’s a cold weather, it’s best to bring a tent with shorter height. It will be warmer. A dome-shaped tent is more stable, has superior strength and wind-shedding abilities.
An air bed is indeed comfortable but make sure you buy the one with a built-in foot pump. Make sure it’s fully inflated, otherwise you’ll wake up with a sore back. I slept on an Outbound Airbed with foot pump that is available in Canadian Tire or you can check out Intex Downy Airbed with Built-in Foot Pump, Queen that can be bought in Amazon.
If there are bears around the area, make sure you hang your food high up on a tree branch. If you keep it inside your tent, you’re inviting the bears to sleep together with you.
In addition to item 3, it’s recommended not to bathe or smell too nice. Otherwise, you’ll be attracting the bears.
Before buying a sleeping bag, check its temperature rating. Bringing an extra blanket won’t hurt.
For ultralight backpacking, better bring a canister stove. Coleman sells a $17 (Coleman Butane Instastart Stove). Make sure you bring extra canisters just in case.
Put a tarp under the tent. This will prevent any moisture from the ground to accumulate in the tent.
Reusable plastic cups and utensils are better than disposables. Somebody just need to volunteer as the dishwasher.
Choosing between undies or outerwear, I’d bring more of the former.
Bring not just tissues but wet wipes as well.

Watch a timelapse of us putting up 6 tents in the site. I’m becoming a pro!

This weekend, we’re going to another camp site in Quadra island. I heard there’s a lot of oysters in the beach! Can’t wait to dip in the freezing water (maybe not!).

Here are some of the photos I took in the site. If you want to see more, check out the album in my Facebook page, Rathtrevor Camp.