Camping
Camping while traveling can be a fun and convenient way to save money and experience new places off the beaten track. It can also be such an uncomfortable and frustrating hassle that you run screaming for the nearest hotel. In this section we share some of our experiences from years of traveling and camping. We’ll help you decide whether or not to camp, how to stay comfortable and sane when you do camp, and what to bring with to make life on the dirt a bit more enjoyable.
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Written by Kobus
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February 09, 2012 |
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Over the last six years we have done a lot of camping. From the scorched salt flats of Botswana to the snow caped Olympics in Washington State. Usually, we make camping look easy. RVer's often crack jokes about how we pitch our tents faster than they can park and level their big rigs... Look at us go!
During this time our style has been refined and our methods for finding and selecting a campground and a campsite has become a simple list of criteria. Below is a summary of what we’ve learned.
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Written by Jared
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May 12, 2011 |
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 Cooking while you travel is a great way to experience the culture and exotic food ingredients of other countries. Nothing beats shopping at an open-air market, mingling with locals and returning to camp to cook an awesome meal with fresh ingredients that cost pennies. To me, this is the essence of travel. Good people, good food and the feeling that you’re connecting with your surroundings in ways most other visitors will never get to experience.
On the other hand, camp cooking can be a real pain in the ass. You have limited resources, you’re dealing with strange ingredients, exhausted from a long day -- and then it starts pouring down rain. As the resident chef of Team Life Remotely, I’m here to offer my advice for dealing with the bad situations and to help you get the most out of cooking while you travel.
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Written by Jessica
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April 27, 2011 |
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 When you’re traveling long ways and camping for months at a time, the grind of canned food and grilled meat can get old. A good way to shake it up is to learn how to bake. Yes, it is time consuming, but it can be very tasty and fun.
Ingredients you need
Flour. Water. Yeast. Sugar. Butter or oil.
Not kidding. That’s all you need to bake. Now, if you want to make something good, you’ll need a few more things. But that depends on what you feel like and/or what is available.
Gear you Need
- A charcoal fire or camp stove.
- Bricks or rocks to lift the pan off the heat.
- A sturdy frying pan with a tight fitting lid. A pot can work, but takes more practice. It can’t have any plastic parts that can melt. The best I know of is made by NOLS.
- A pair of pliers or decent hot pads. A thick towel will do, just make sure it isn’t synthetic. Polyester will melt.
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Written by Jared
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March 19, 2011 |
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Decide whether to camp based on where you’re going and how you’ll get there. If you’re planning a trip to out of the way places, camping may be the best (or only) way to spend the night. On the other hand, if you’re staying close to civilization, odds are you won’t need to camp and may have trouble finding camping facilities.
Camping gear is the biggest problem. It’s heavy, bulky and expensive. Consider the size, weight and cost of the gear you’d need when deciding if camping is the best option for you. It adds up quickly, especially if you’re limited to a backpack for space. Remember that traveling is always more enjoyable if you have less stuff to worry about.
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Written by Jessica
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March 19, 2011 |
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We went camping everywhere when I was a kid. Every family vacation I can remember involved a Volvo station wagon and a big patch of dirt to pitch a tent on. Optimists would say my parents did this to build character, in reality, they did it because it was cheap. Ten years later, I’m happy to say I’m gleefully following in their footsteps.
The good times I’ve had under the stars, in the great wide open, are among the best in my life. There is something magical about the wild... you keep wanting to come back.
Then, there are the not-so-good times. The it-won’t-stop-raining, I-can’t-feel-my-toes, a-starving-dog-wouldn’t-eat-this-food, there’s-nothing-to-do-here-but-sleep and, I-swear-there’s-a-giant-mouse-in-this-tent type of trips. You know the ones. They make you want to never, ever, ever agree to another night in a tent, for the rest of your life. Period.
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