Are you planning to go camping this summer? Maybe you are even planning an entire camping summer. It can be done and even if you are blessed to live in a tourist destination, it’s always a relief to change your daily routine and plan a camping road trip to get out of dodge. This is why we’ve summarised our best tips for an entire camping summer if you’re planning a long-term trip this year.
Some families go as soon as school gets out, while some aim for midsummer, and others go for a big end-of-summer blow-out trip and get back right before the start of the school year. What if you could do all three? What if you could make your summer trip last the whole summer? It’s possible!
Taking the family on a super long camping summer trip probably sounds crazy but with some planning, you can do it with a bit of careful planning. But don’t worry, it’s not all work, work, work. The whole experience of planning your trip is exciting too so the sooner you start the better.
Start With Your Home
You and your family are going to be gone for an extended period so you can decide if you want to rent out your home or lock it up. If you decide the latter it can make your home vulnerable to, for lack of a better term, predators. A good way to get around this is to rent out your house for the summer to anyone who needs a short-term rental. This helps to pay for your trip and cover your mortgage. Talk to a rental agency about renting out your home for just a few months and get advice about the right insurance to have in place.
NOTE: Make sure you get your valuable items out of the house before you allow a renter to take them over keep one lockable area of your home secured with the items or put your valuables in a safe deposit box at the bank. With so many University interns and students flooding into certain areas for summer internships, finding someone to rent your house for a few months should be relatively easy but it needs careful planning. Alternatively, you can put your property on Airbnb or something similar if you are happy to manage this yourself.
See to Your Income
There are lots of ways to fund a nomadic lifestyle and a summer-long camping trip (or longer if you want to go full nomad). If you are really lucky, you’ll have an employer who will let you take this extended vacation and still be paid (or even mostly paid).
If not, hopefully, you’ll have an employer who will allow you to telecommute while you are away. If your employer baulks at the idea of your taking off and telecommuting for three months, don’t count yourself out just yet. Talk about perhaps taking a leave of absence and then doing freelance work while you travel.
How To Fund A Nomadic Lifestyle Of Camping And Traveling In 2024
Plan Your Route Ahead of Time
Choose a variety of locations to keep your summer camping experience exciting and different at every turn. Visit a variety of campsites throughout the summer that offer varying landscapes, facilities, and recreational activities depending on your interests also helps to keep things fresh.
Consider exploring national parks, state forests, coastal campgrounds, and mountain retreats. By diversifying your camping destinations, you’ll discover new landscapes and ecosystems you weren’t expecting and have different adventures at each stop along the way. So often when diverting from our moral route we discovered a new hike or waterfall we didn’t know existed, which led to a unique memory of our summer long camping trip.
You might want to see the whole country on your trip. It’s certainly possible to cover a lot of ground in a three-month summer camping road trip. Even in the US, you can drive through all of the lower forty-eight states in three months. However, this type of goal requires your family to spend most of their time on the road and that’s not our idea of a summer camping trip. Instead it’s better to pick a few places around the country to spend quality time exploring all there is to see and do before you set out to visit your next campsite destination.
From our experience, it’s worth trying to plan for one day of driving for every 2-3 days of camping and exploring in one destination, and longer if you have young children. That way you can take your time to visit everything that’s a short distance from the campsite.
Camping destinations for a summer-long camping experience
Try to plan your route in a loop so that, even if you lose track of the number of days that have passed, you won’t get caught across a country with just a few days to make it back. Planning your route before you leave is also a very enjoyable experience to help you look forward to your exciting camping summer.
There are plenty of really great camping spots throughout the world:
In the USA there are huge landscapes and mountain ranges throughout, including, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Yosemite, The Grand Canyon, Acadia, Everglades (right in your backyard, Orlando readers!) and Shenandoah, which are all worth seeing and exploring!
In the UK there is a diverse range of camping destinations, from rugged coastlines and picturesque national parks to tranquil countryside and historic landmarks. Popular destinations are the Lake District National Park, Snowdonia National Park, Scottish Highlands, Cornwall and Devon Peak District National Park, New Forest National Park, Yorkshire Dales National Park and more.
In Europe you have such a wide array of camping destinations, it’s impossible to list them all. Each has its unique charm, natural beauty, and cultural attractions. Some of the more popular destinations are Provence in France, Tuscany in Italy, the Swiss Alps in Switzerland, Costa Brava in Spain, Dalmatian Coast in Croatia, Black Forest in Germany and Norwegian Fjords in Norway. In fact, there are so many popular camping destinations in Europe it is wise to narrow them down depending on your preference for coastal views, mountain adventures, or cultural experiences.
Invest in Quality Camping Gear
Preparing for an extended summer-long camping trip requires quality gear that can withstand months of use in the great outdoors. Depending on how you like to go, your campsite gear has to be reliable. We’ve put together a camping checklist to help you on your way.
Take your time to do the research and Invest in high-quality camping equipment that will last, including a sturdy tent, comfortable sleeping bags or hammocks, durable cooking utensils, cook out gear, and outdoor furniture. Opt for lightweight, compact, and easy-to-transport items to accommodate multiple camping locations throughout the summer. Investing in quality gear ensures comfort, safety, and longevity throughout your camping journey.
The Ultimate Camping Checklist With A Glamping Packing Tick List Add-On
Pack Multi-Use Clothing Layers
There’s no doubt that summer weather can be very unpredictable, especially in an El Nino year, with temperatures fluctuating throughout the day and varying wet and dry conditions from one camping location to another. To overcome this it is wise to pack a variety of clothing layers to stay comfortable and prepared. Include lightweight and breathable clothing for hot days, insulating layers for cool evenings, and waterproof outerwear for rain or inclement weather. Also, remember to pack essential items such as hats, sunglasses, sun protectors, robust hiking shoes and comfortable sandals.
Prioritise Safety
This should always be a top priority when camping, especially for a summer-long adventure. Take the right steps to keep you and your companions safe by minimising risks. This includes practising food hygiene and proper storage and being mindful of waste disposal to avoid attracting wildlife to your campsite. Often forgotten by inexperienced campers is the need to stay hydrated as you will lose a lot of water by being active outside and many campers forget to carry and drink extra fluids and electrolytes to make up for this.
Just in case of emergencies it is always wise to familiarise yourself with emergency procedures for the area you are visiting, to have a well-stocked first-aid kit on hand for minor injuries and a list of numbers to call for unexpected medical emergencies. This will give you peace of mind on your trip and a worry-free camping experience all summer long.
Has your family enjoyed an extended camping trip? How did you make it work?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
