I did not grow up camping. My family took our adventures in cars and motels across the south. My first experience camping was as an adult a couple of years ago. Transitioning from vacationing with A/C, fluffy pillows, and room service to sleeping in the Texas heat on the floor, covered in bug spray, and eating beef jerky took a couple of trips. Read about some of the things that I have gathered over the course of a few trips to help make camping feel more like a faboulous experience.
The real surprise of all this is that pretty much all of these things can be found for $5 or less at either Dollar Tree or Five Below. #NotSponsored
Collect some essentials to make camping more bearable:
Citronella Candles repels mosquitoes naturally. If you’re not accustomed to being outdoors, citronella candles are a lifesaver. Add them to your bug protection kit for your next camping trip! I found some citronella candles at the Dollar Tree this year and they worked excellently! Although citronella candles do not smell stellar, the candle brightens up the outdoor scenery with some dancing light, which is a bonus.
Solar Lights light up the campsite, adding ambiance and protecting against potential tripping hazards at night. Set these up after putting up your tent around your campsite and they will be charged by nightfall. Be sure to pack something to help stick the lights into the ground though, just in case the campsite has hard ground. Last camping trip, I used scissors to poke a hole just big enough for the solar lights. Remember that solar lights turn off automatically though. If you are sensitive to outdoor lights while sleeping, this may not be the hack for you.
Storage is key to keep a campsite free of clutter. Inside the tent, a three-drawer storage drawer tower doubles as a nightstand and a great place to keep toiletries. I used one drawer for my facial care items, makeup, deodorant, perfume, and other beauty products. The second drawer was for soap (body and dish), sprays (sunscreen, bug spray, etc.), and other miscellaneous self-care items. Finally, the last drawer held the medicines and first-aid kit. The nice part about getting a small three tiered drawer set is that it lined right up with the air mattress to use as a nightstand. Other storage ideas include: a spot for wallets/keys, a mini clothes dresser, food organization, and so much more! What will you put in yours?
An outdoor mat and a basket for dirty shoes helps keep the campsite neat and clean once you’re ready to go back inside to change clothes, rest for a while, or call it a night. I found a cute mat at Five Below that matched the tropical decorations.
If you want to really commit to glamping, keep reading!
Non-Necessities that make camping more beautiful:
Matching tableware is both useful and can be as extra as you want. My theme while camping was tropical (even though we didn’t go to a tropical destination). I bought a floral table cloth, pink placemats, and disposable green silverware, which cut out the need for washing so many dishes. The campsite we stayed at did not allow glass so we went with some cute floral plates that matched the tablecloth. Add a small caddy to hold your dinnerware and that keeps them from flying away!
Soft mats for inside the tent were a necessity for me this camping trip. I dislike the sound of plastic being squashed by feet and the feel of hard ground when I am barefoot. Having some mats inside the tent made the space feel more glamorous and less noisy. Going off of the tropical decorations, I found some banana leaf mats use.
Electric lamps with fake candles were such a treat to find for this trip. The ones from Five Below have a little flickr to make them feel like a real flame. I chose the white ones and they are so light to carry around and add a relaxing ambiance.
What can’t you live without while glamping? Comment below!
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