Our tips for camping beginners

Our tips for camping beginners so that you are well prepared for your van trip

Hey!
My name is Johanna and I was infected with camping fever more than seven years ago by my husband.

The first camping trips were still quite "simple" - little program, only campsites. But from trip to trip, we have moved out of our comfort zone and now have the feeling that one trip tops the next. This is certainly not because the destinations are becoming more and more exciting. The biggest factor here is definitely experience. The packing list has been perfected through the various trips. You get a feel for what you really need and unnecessary things that just get in the way are left at home. General travel planning is also becoming easier and easier and we can quickly and easily find the activities and spots that give us exactly what we need.

In this article, I would like to give you a few tips for „camping beginners“. Hopefully your camping trip will be both relaxing and exciting at the same time.

1st tip: Plan your trip

I often hear from travelers „we'll just go for a drive and then see what appeals to us“. I have to be honest and say that I can't really imagine that working. With good planning, you can manage your time well and avoid stress.

For example, you can find out about opening times in advance and book tickets for something „special“ in advance. For example, we had to buy our tickets for Disneyland two days in advance as there is no way of getting tickets at the ticket office on the same day.

Most people have a limited period of time in which they can travel. A rough route gives you an overview of how many kilometers you have to drive each day or how you can divide up your journey sensibly so as not to get stressed.

You should also think about how and where you want to spend your nights so that you can pack the things you will need on site (for example, a toilet on board if you want to stand alone).

What else I find important is that I familiarize myself a little with the country or region we want to travel to. That way you sometimes understand the cultures better and also learn something about the people who live there.

2nd tip: Equip the vehicle accordingly

Once you have made a rough plan, it is particularly important that you equip your car with what you need for your camping trip. Above all, you should think about electricity, water, waste water and the toilet. If you're planning to stay at a campsite for a longer period of time, a pop-up tent might make sense for you. Here I can recommend the Drive Van tent from Vaude.

If you want to be "free" a lot, you should definitely have a camping toilet with you. You can find criteria for choosing the right camping toilet here.

Also think about mosquito protection for the vehicle and appropriate bedding. Good sleeping bags can often be spread out into comforters and regulate the heat. We are very satisfied with the sleeping bags from VAUDE.

In general, storage space in the vehicle is crucial. Most people start with a box system to create order and an overview. We know from experience that drawers are always easier to organize and you can always get to your utensils etc.. That's why we love our interior modules so much.

Here you will find specific information on various power options to suit your VW. If you purchase VanEssa equipment from us at the factory, we are happy to offer these services. Otherwise, we recommend contacting a vehicle electrician, if necessary. is there a BOSCH service center near you?.

3rd tip: find out about parking spaces

As already mentioned in my Travel planning blog As described above, we look for a few pitches from home that fit in well with our route. So far, we've only booked when we haven't seen any alternatives where we could have stayed otherwise (for example, a campsite in the middle of Paris). With the van, we've always been able to find a spot.

It relaxes me when we have a plan of where we could spend the night. Sometimes something else turns up spontaneously, but sometimes not. I always write down all the important information about the campsite (address, telephone number and opening times).

If a trip is delayed and you might not make it to the campsite during opening hours, you can also call ahead and discuss your arrival by phone. In this case, for example, we were given a code for the barrier or were able to park in the campsite parking lot for the first night and still use the sanitary facilities. If you have a four-legged friend on board, you should also find out whether and which pets are allowed.

We always look for free parking spaces for the night using the "park4night" app. Here I rely on the comments of other users regarding the pitches, as these generally correspond to our impression.

4th tip: Create a packing list and adjust it again and again

I usually start several days before my vacation by putting things for the trip in a laundry basket so that I don't have to scramble everything together just before I go. That way, you can start early enough to make sure that certain clothes for your vacation go into the washing machine or that important errands can be done in good time.

Are you interested in a general packing list? Then let us know in the comments here or under the social media post.

5th tip: Plan food and kitchen utensils

One important thing in advance: don't buy too much fresh food before you travel that you then have to throw away or give away to your neighbors so that it doesn't go bad. So start thinking about what you can use up before your vacation days before you leave. And yet, at the start of your vacation, the cool box is full of fresh things that you want to use on vacation. But surprise - the first few days you often want to relax and just "let yourself be cooked for" (i.e. go out to eat) and then more goes to waste than you would like.

Also plan well what food you want to take with you from home - less is more. And always think about "quick and easy meals". Sometimes things just have to be quick and you don't want much effort. A ready-made tomato sauce with pasta is always a good idea.

Also think about which kitchen utensils you need to prepare the meals you are planning and write them down on the packing list. And here too, less is more. Do you really need bulky pasta tongs or will two forks suffice on vacation? Do you need a pasta strainer or can you use a saucepan lid to drain the pasta water? We also replace salad servers with normal soup spoons and forks when camping, which we use for eating afterwards anyway.

6th tip: plan possible activities

If you want to experience something on vacation, you should think about possible activities. Whether it's a mountain hike or sightseeing. If you know in advance: What do I need? When do I have to be where? How much time do I need to plan? What equipment do I need? How do I get there/parking situation? - will have much less stress.

As briefly mentioned above, there are activities that definitely need to be planned a few days in advance - such as a visit to Disneyland Paris. You should also decide on a guided mountain hike early enough and book it in good time.

And what a shame it would be to miss out on experiences as a result. These are my tips for you on how to start a camping trip well prepared.

Do you have any other tips? I would be very happy to hear about your experiences in the comments under the social media post.

Have a good trip and a relaxing vacation!
Your Johanna

Do you have a little passenger on board? Then take a look at the blog post Activity tips during the car journey over.

And if you're still not sure whether camping is right for you, why not rent an equipped van from the lovely Anja from EcoCamper. You can also test our systems here.