Camping Essentials

As the weather cools down and leaves prepare to change colors, the perfect time to go camping in North Carolina is quickly approaching. In less than two weeks, the Smoky Mountains will be covered in beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow.

Many people enjoy the idea of sitting under the stars in the mountains and roasting marshmallows over a campfire but are intimidated by actually building a fire and sleeping on the ground. But camping doesn’t have to be hard if you prepare correctly and bring the right supplies. We at The Edge have rounded up some of the best ways to make camping easy, fun and enjoyable.

Pop-Up Tent

Assembling a tent can be a real pain, especially if you’re a beginner. Rather than dealing with poles misbehaving or worrying that you won’t get your tent up before dark, buy a pop-up tent instead. You can find some cheap ones on Amazon for less than $50, which will save you both time and energy.

Air Mattress

If sleeping on the cold, hard ground with nothing but a thin sleeping bag sounds awful to you, then an air mattress will be your best friend while camping. Thick sleeping pads are a great way to give you a little extra cushion, but bringing a twin-sized air mattress takes comfort to the next level. You can blow it up by plugging it into an outlet in your car. Amazon even has air mattresses with built-in pumps. But just make sure it can fit through the opening of your tent. Don’t forget to bring lots of pillows and blankets as well!

Comfortable Seating

Because the whole point of camping is relaxing outdoors, you probably don’t want to be cooped up in your tent during the day. The wooden picnic tables at most campsites provide very minimal comfort. Bringing a camping chair or an Eno to sit in for reading, looking at the stars or chilling near the campfire is essential to an enjoyable camping experience.

Pre-Made Meals

If you are not an experienced camper, chances are you do not have a tiny stove. Packing a cooler full of pre-made meals like cooked pasta, chicken, sandwiches, soup and burritos will make eating at a campsite much simpler, and you’ll have fewer dishes to clean. If you really need to heat something up, you can always put it in a pan or a pot over the fire for a few minutes.

Fire Starter

Starting a fire from scratch can be extremely difficult, especially if you have never tried it before. Make it easier on yourself by bringing a lighter, scrap paper and this fire starter. Use the lighter to catch the scrap paper on fire and surround it with smaller sticks. Then add the fire starter, which is extremely flammable and will act as a great segway for larger pieces of wood to catch fire.

Ask For Help

If you are at a campsite with other people around and need help with something, simply just ask. Campers are generally very friendly people who will gladly help you set up a tent or get a fire going.

If you go on a camping trip this fall and use any of these tips, be sure to tag us on Instagram @theedgemag and let us know how it went!