Stories from around the Campfire | Outdoor Adventure Store Blog

Top Camping Etiquette Tips

A person standing in a field near a tent watching the sunset

If you are preparing for a camping trip, you are probably excitedly going through your gear and reserving sites at campgrounds. Camping can be great fun. It involves late nights around campfires, falling asleep to the sounds of nature, and being woken up by the birds chirping.

However, many things can just as well ruin this idyllic trip for you. It may not be surprising who is at the top of that list—rude and disrespectful camping neighbours. Forget the peaceful nights and nature appreciation. You might experience quite the opposite with sleepless nights due to late-night partying or trash being thrown everywhere. This leads us to the rules of camping etiquette. Camping can be a fun adventure for families, but only if everyone plays by the same rules. These rules are easy to follow, and everyone appreciates a good camping neighbour.

Following the etiquette makes you someone who people are happy to have as their neighbour while on holiday. Whether you are getting ready to go on your first camping holiday or you are super experienced, it is a good idea to remember to be polite. Our list of camping etiquette tips will help you learn or serve as a reminder on how to be a tremendous and well-mannered camper.

How to Pack for Camping

Before you set off, consider a few tips for packing. When packing your camping gear, the right way to do it comes in a few steps. You want to first make sure to put all the camping-related items together. Make a list of what they are exactly before you start packing, and then go down the list to ensure you do not forget anything. All of that gear is vital to a successful camping trip, and you do not want to travel all the way only to realize you are missing a key component. After you are done with that, continue to pack your clothes, food, and other items you cannot live without.

Keep Your Campsite Clean

Do not leave food or rubbish unattended at your campsite. Aside from it looking bad, you will undoubtedly attract unwanted guests—rodents, birds, and bigger animals can vandalize your site and steal your food. If they sense an opportunity once, they will keep coming back. Birds can be irritating, but dangerous animals like bears and raccoons will lose their natural fear of humans and then you are in big trouble.

It is very easy to accidentally leave food out before going to bed. This is why it is vital to keep camping etiquette tips in mind at all times. Consider assigning someone to put everything away before bedtime.

In addition to this, wind and rain can ruin things that have been left out through the night. It is no fun to wake up to a complete mess of trash and soaked food leftovers.

Do Not Move Firewood or Chop Trees

Loads of insects and other parasites can remain on your firewood and create infestations. These begin in campgrounds and parks way too often. This is why campers must respect these regulations.
On the other hand, many campsites have seen young trees being chopped down for firewood or careless campers reversing their trailers into young trees in the camp area. Don’t thoughtlessly destroy wildlife. Firewood is typically sold at shops near campgrounds or even within the campgrounds. It is essential to follow these rules in order to preserve our natural world properly.

A large bonfire at night — Everyone likes a nice campfire, but do not chop random trees on your own accord

One of the Best Camping Etiquette Tips is to Keep Your Distance

Personal space is important to most people in everyday interactions. You know how annoying it is when someone puts a towel right next to yours at the beach? The same goes for camping! No one likes it when a camper sets up right on top of the campers around you. Find a spot in the middle of the campsite, and give space to those around you. Besides, isn’t one of the reasons for going camping to get away from too many people and enjoy the great outdoors?

What About Children?

Camping can be a fantastic experience for children, and they should have wonderful memories of these trips. But you also need to make sure that they follow the camping etiquette while still having fun. Keep in mind that not everyone wants to be woken up early in the morning by kids running around the campsite and making loud noises.

A dad with two kids in a tent laughing — Your kids should have fun camping but also be considerate to other campers

In addition to that, ensure that you are always aware of your children’s location. This is relevant for safety reasons as well as to make sure they are not disturbing other campers. Explain some rules to them and make them aware of being courteous to others nearby. Help them follow the noise level rules and ensure they are not playing or throwing balls within someone else’s campsite.

Let’s Talk About Pets

Keep an essential thing in mind—your dog is your best friend, which doesn’t mean that everyone else will be thrilled or comfortable with it. Some folks may be terrified of dogs. Try to be aware of this and considerate of others’ needs and preferences. Do your best to keep the dog on a leash and not have it wander off all the time.

A dog looking into a campfire next to a lake — Make sure your pet follows the camping etiquette as well

Also, follow some basic camping etiquette while camping with your dog, and you will make your neighbours happy and your dog safe. For instance, your neighbours will not appreciate smelling or stepping in dog poop lying around the campground. Just like in the city, cleaning up after your dog is essential to being a good camping buddy.

Be Friendly

Drop a quick hello when you see someone, but avoid inviting yourself to their campfire or dropping in at mealtime. Basically, the same rules apply as in your everyday life. Being friendly but giving people around you space will label you a desirable neighbour. If you wish to make friends, you will likely find like-minded people while camping. The same goes for taking advantage to do the opposite—get away from unwanted chatter.

Enjoy Your Camping Trip!

We hope our camping etiquette tips will help you prepare for your trip properly and more importantly—enjoy it. The few rules will be easy to remember and will help you avoid any awkward and stressful situations during camping. Now you can pack, head out, and have the best camping trip with your loved ones.

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Family camping in the garden

Are you and the kids bored of lockdown life? Have a mini-Outdoor Adventure camping trip, just a wee hop, skip and jump from your own back door.

Camping in the back garden (or front garden, or balcony or under the stairs) can be a lot of fun and a great way to break up the monotony of home life at the moment. We might not be able to go far, but we can still have a camping experience to rival the best of them! When the weather is good and the skies are clear and bright, a night camping at home will give the whole family a taste of the things to come when movement restrictions end and we gain back the freedom we once enjoyed. You can think of it’s the ultimate staycation and a perfect way to check all your camping equipment for the wonderful outdoor adventures that lie ahead.

What you will need:

Tents
Sleeping Bags (or duvets)
Fire Pit
Goodies to roast, toast and munch on
Torches or head sets for the ghost stories and the stumblings in the dark
Buckets of enthusiasm and a determination to have the craic together!

The classic pop up tents are perfect for nights in the garden campsite and we have special offers on a whole range of tents in a variety of prices to suit all needs on our website. But this may well be the time to splurge our on a deluxe tent like the Vango Tent range. These tents are super easy to erect, durable and comfortable and they could provide an extra outdoor room for the family, even when you are not all sleeping al fresco. An investment tent such as these is a joy to behold. They almost put themselves up and are so classy that you may never go back in the house again!

Sleeping bags are never wasted in a house full of kids. Even when not snuggled up in the great wilderness of your urban garden, the comfy sleeping bag has been a mainstay of every Saturday morning chilling on the couch watching cartoons and eating cereal. Buy a good brand that does both this luxury past time and then comes into its own when you and yours can finally get out to the big wide world, to camp once again. If you haven’t camped in a while (since your days of crazy music festivals and mad long hikes), then you should consider air mattresses or sleeping mats for your older and more fragile bones!

Fire Pits are fantastic for making the evening glow with the warmth of outdoor fun and the best place to toast marshmallows, squash them between biscuits and declare Smores to be the greatest outdoor food ever! Again, the investment in a good fire pit is a great addition to outdoor living both for home and away that will pay back in the days and night ahead

There isn’t a child in the world that doesn’t love a good torch or head torch. Rechargeable torches make good sense when little folk forget to turn them off or use them constantly for hiding under beds and finding insects in the hedges. We stock a fantastic extensive range of torches for all uses. Even when not camping at home, a young child can spend daylight hours exploring the world with a torch, and who knows you might even get a quick cup of undisturbed tea while they are distracted.

There are lots of reasons for taking the tent to the garden at the moment. We all agree that it might break the potential tedium of lockdown life. It’s also a good way to check your equipment in advance of all those camping holidays that we will eventually enjoy again. For the little people who have never camped before, the positives about introducing them to the ‘wilderness’ so close to home are multi-fold. The magic of waking up in a tent, with the sun light filtering through and the sound of birdsong is the same whether you are a million miles away or just a few feet from your own shower, TV or fridge. If you need something, the house is just a shout away!

The special experience of gathering around the lit fire pit to chat and watch the shooting stars is no less wonderful when you don’t have to drive miles to enjoy it.

The Covid-19 pandemic might have put a stop to our gallop, but we have learnt to enjoy the small things. Make some wonderful memories in your own home camp site and enjoy your outdoor adventures no matter how the world is turning!

We are Glamping- Not Camping!

Transform your camping adventures into more glamorous events with the addition of a few boutique ideas and options

Camping doesn’t have to be a grim or spartan experience. Change your opinion of camping from awful to opulent with just a little preparation and a sprinkle of ingenious arty hacks and ideas. Glamour camping, or Glamping, has become an increasingly popular foray for Ireland’s hesitant campers. Luxury with just a hint of the rigours of the more usual outdoor adventure. Mainly, glamping means spending the night in a more upmarket tent, a yurt, a cabin or a Nissen hut that has been up-scaled with clever use of chintzy fabrics, good lighting and some country style décor. Plump cushions and a fire-pit are also a major feature of the glamping experience. But, there is no reason why you cannot mimic the wonders of glamour camping for your own usual weekend under canvas.

A few steps to instant luxury

There isn’t a tent in the world that won’t look instantly more captivating with the addition of solar or battery powered fairy lights and a wee bit of hippy style bunting. Overstuffed cushions and a few chintzy curtains will complete the boutique camping image. The fairy lights will add visual warmth, while the fabrics will soften the look of the camping environment. A few Director’s chairs and warm travel rugs will be a welcome addition in the cool evening air and if you are feeling truly opulent, the Thermarest trekker chair is the most comfortable and convenient fold up chair imaginable. Pop a throw rug on it, sit by the fire and its quite likely that you will not want to go to bed.

And so… to sleep

Without a doubt, a good night sleep epitomises the difference between a brutal and a bijou camping trip. All the scatter cushions in the forest will not ensure a peaceful night’s slumber if the hard ground is keeping you awake. That one rock that is missed when pitching the tent, has ruined many a night’s repose. A good sleeping mat under a great sleeping bag is the simple answer to enjoying a cosy and restful night in that glamorous revamped tent. Many seasoned campers suggest using a double high inflatable mattress, but a reputable sleeping mat will do the same job, take up less space in the packing and is not likely to deflate during the night. A camp bed that takes you off the floor might just be the thing to elevate your sleeping experience. At Outdoor Adventures Store, we have the Dormir traditional camp bed that is particularly beloved of taller campers, and will enhance any glamping experience. Bring a wee side table for your lamp and sure you are home from home. See Dormir Campbed XL

Fire Pit Dining

Portable fire pits are essential for the glamping experience. Campfire cooking may need to be aided by the use of a good quality butane stove and popped on the fire for a charring before being served. Check out our blog on campfire recipes for delicious and inviting campfire cooking.
At the risk of being accused of bringing everything including the kitchen sink, you can bring the oven. The Dynasty oven is portable, large and could be a great asset for long glamour camping trips with the family. Pizza on the trail? Sunday roast by the river anyone?

Introduce The Vango brand also produce some really good bamboo plate sets and glasses to add a touch of class to your dining event. Just sit back and enjoy al-fresco feasting under the stars.

Luxury with intent

Of course, it is a little bit more difficult to ‘pimp’ that pop up tent for a more fancy camping trip. A good tent definitely helps. We cannot all have a full size palatial Yurt complete with roll cushions, palm trees and long brocade curtains. The best inflatable tent of 2019, the Tahiti 800Xl is a pretty good alternative for some ritzy posh camping.

Camping Magazine rightly gave the accolade to this brightly coloured family tent. Spacious Bedrooms, a conservatory that lends itself to getting a glamping make-over. To add to the ease of your grand glamping camping trip, these inflatable tents have no physical poles. Hook them up to the pump and they inflate in a few minutes. Nothing says glamping like avoiding the fight over tent poles and pegs, and the arguments as you attempt to put your canvas/ neoprene home together. If you are thinking of investing in a tent this year, the award winning Tahiti should be top of the wish list.

Added Luxury

No matter which tent you have, roughing it in style will be chic, elegant and swanky with just a few little bits of added luxury. Scented candles. Choose citronella, as it has the added bonus of bonus of being an effective insect repellent. Twinkly Lights. We just cannot stress it enough. The immediate and inexpensive effect of adding those twinkly lights is a no-brainer for glampy campy types. Rug. A floor rug for warmth on your bare feet in the morning and cosying up the appearance in general. A Mirror. Hang a mirror in your tent. This gives the illusion of space and lets you check just how fabulous you look in the glow of the fire and the twinkly lights.

Boutique camping will alter your outdoor adventures and change your whole perspective of roughing it in the wild. Once you get the real hang of this ‘do it yourself glamping’, you may never want to go home again. Happy Camping Folks.

Family Camping

Your quick guide to getting your family camping adventures started.

Now, more than ever, we want to encourage our children to spend time outdoors appreciating nature and enjoying life in the wild. To feel the dewy morning grass beneath bare toes, to hear the dawn chorus in the wilderness and to lie under a starlit sky and wonder at the beauty of this wide world.

A family camping trip is the perfect place to make great memories and enjoy happy times together. But before you pack the car with the marshmallows, the sleeping bags and the spare socks, take some time to prepare your camping expedition and be sure that they will be epic adventures and not miserable disasters!

Here is our quick guide to camping en-famile. Whether you have babies, toddlers, wobblers, petulant teenagers or reluctant spouses… or all of the above… follow our easy steps to making time in the wilderness a wonderful family experience.

Planning

Perhaps in your youth you grabbed a two-man tent, a bag of cans and a few tins of beans and headed to festivals. Fun weekend family camping is the anti-thesis of this scenario. But don’t worry, it is still fun. Family fun. Especially if you have remembered the essential toilet rolls, battery power packs, milk etc.

Take time to research where you might like to camp. Decide first if you are going completely off-road, or if you would like to have amenities, a toilet/ showers and a chip shop nearby. There are plenty of family- friendly campsites to cater to all requirements. From beach to mountain, from lakes to rivers, Ireland offers a wonderful selection of picturesque places to set up tent for the night. It is up to yourselves to decide if you want to go it alone, or have civilisation on hand.

The Best Campsites in Ireland All Recommended by Parents

Food and Essentials

Lists are your friend here. Make a list of meals and snacks for while you are camping and shop accordingly. Include all the needful items such as toilet rolls and water. Over time, you will get smarter at knowing what works and what doesn’t for your own clan. Appetites are usually better in the great outdoors so make sure you bring plenty of food to bulk up on. At Outdoor Adventure Store we stock a range of exciting instant meals. The gourmet, Wayfarer range are long dated and easily prepared so work as a great standby for hungry mouths. Some stalwart campers learn all kinds of hacks for camping. They bring pre-cooked frozen stews to thaw in time for dinner. They break all their eggs into a plastic bottle at home for easy carrying and easy scrambling. See some Camping hacks here

Equipment

Stoves and Fires: You may have romantic ideas about a roaring campfire but reality often brings nasty weather, damp wood or a camping site that does not permit such luxuries as open flame (If you really want this experience, then include it at your planning stage.) The likelihood is that you won’t cook for the whole tribe on an open fire and there are many other options available. Trangia’s are lightweight fast and reliable storm-proof stove systems used by outdoor people all over the world. A Trangia burner is an ingenious original product that is well worth investing in. You can purchase a storm-proof stove system that comprises of a kettle, two windshields that fit together, a burner, a couple of non- stick pans, a non-stick combined lid/fry pan, and a pan grip-handle to make most meal times easy for you. Most importantly, it’s a safe way to heat food for your family.

Tents: A family size tent with a canopy is the ideal solution for all families heading into the wilds. The canopy is a godsend when the sun in blasting down on wee bare arms, or when the rain showers halt outdoor play for a while. It is also a welcome space for chatting parents to escape in the evening, as the tired-out tots snore away the days adventures. An investment in a state of the art family tent is exactly that! An investment, which compares favourably in monetary value to every other type of accommodation out there and will allow you to enjoy the outdoors together for many years to come. Do not be tempted to squash two or four children into one man or two-man tents. It may seem like a good idea, but those shoulders sticking out may cause the tent to touch the fly sheets and this can cause damp, not to mention the claustrophobe inside can lead to arguments. Tents come in all shapes and sizes and even if you need to borrow an extra one for the teens, it is worth it for all to be comfortable. You are making happy memories here after all! Check out the air beam tents with fibreglass poles and ample room for everyone from Granny to the dog. Orava 600xl Tent.Don’t forget to pack extra tent pegs. Like socks in a washing machine, tent pegs have a tendency to disappear.

Sleeping Bags: Choose a sleeping bag for the weather, the season and the type of camping you plan to do. Like duvets, sleeping bags have tog ratings, making it easy to pick the most suitable bag. A simple child’s sleeping bag is relatively inexpensive and they pay for themselves quickly. Not only will they be used in your family camping excursions, but they will be hauled out for sleep overs and dragged in front of the telly on those lazy Saturday mornings. Double sleeping bags are readily available, so there is no need to go back to the days of zipping two singles together. Unless you think that is romantic, in which case, off you go and no complaining when there is a zip like indentation on your back in the morning!

Torches and Headtorches: A good hand torch or headtorch is indispensable for camping with the brood. The torch is absolutely essential when searching for bugs under hedges at dusk, or when finding the loo in the middle of the night and seeking out that one favourite teddy in a dark tent. See our guide to head torches here: Brighten up your world with a head torch! Make sure you have plenty of batteries or a trusty power pack for recharging. Galaxy rechargeable Lantern

Extras. Folding chairs are comfortable after a day of hiking in the hills. Hammocks are fun. Footballs and Frisbees find a new lease of life in the outdoors.

But camping is about getting away from it all. It is about letting the world drift away for a while and enjoying a simpler time in nature, as a family. If you can manage to get your teenager off sending snapchat’s long enough to Instagram the happiness being outdoors brings you, you will be instilling in them a love of the wild and a respect for nature.

Happy Camping!

Eating well on the trail – Gourmet Campfire food

A tin of baked beans heated over the portable stove at the end of a day’s hiking could be the best meal of your life. The silence. Surrounded by nature. That well deserved dinner will taste better than anything a fine restaurant has to offer. No ambiance can top it. No piped music and linen napkin can compare with the hot enamel plate and humble offerings in the wild.

But, you don’t have to eat boring campfire food. With just a little forethought and a bit of preparation, you can have hearty healthy meals on the trail.

Try something fresh and tasty like BBQ chicken in foil packs. Pack frozen chicken strips with diced veg of your choice and marinate in barbeque sauce in a zip lock bag. Secure it carefully in your pack to avoid spillages. When the fire or the stove is heated nicely toss the ingredients together in tin foil cupped to make a nice vessel or in your mess tin and place on the heat. Twenty minutes later and you should be licking your fingers. Add to this rice or noodles but if you feel like being that extra bit healthy add some couscous with the bonus that it cooks faster too.

Fresh Bread… Yes. It is very doable… dough able even (sorry!). Check out these simple instructions from some outback wilderness heads who really seem to like their food. It’s quiet a satisfying process at the end of the trail, as it involves fire, stones and an old pot. There is the wonderful smell of the baking and the indulgence of warm bread around a blazing campfire. Could outdoor life get any better?

It’s not all about savoury foods after a hike. Your energy levels are low and you’re craving something sweet for a little pick me up. Try this healthy banana sweet treat.

Bake your banana: Slit your banana lengthwise, but do not peel. Stuff in some goodies like dark chocolate and nuts. Turn the foil from the BBQ chicken over and use the other side to grill these bad boys and simply dig in and eat with a spoon.

To truly transform the way you eat in the wilderness it is wise to invest in a food dehydrator. If you simply double the amounts when making chilli, stews and bolognaise, you can freeze dry half for your future campfire suppers. Readymade backpacking meals are often light on the veggies and heavy on the starch. When making your own meals, you can get that balance right. There is also the advantage of eating food without preservatives. For some great advice on food dehydration and really decent backpacking recipes check out: backpackingchef.com or aforkinthetrail.com

Of course, if you fancy a good meal but don’t want to spend half your trip cooking because, let’s be honest, we do enough of that at home, then opt for the Wayfayrer pre-cooked ready to eat meals. These are the perfect camping companion. Perhaps you would rather concentrate on the experience of the trail itself and not be bothered with too much fussy cooking. You can choose from a vast menu that will sustain you throughout the whole day, from breakfast right through to dessert; All Day Breakfast Meals, Chicken Tikka with Rice or Sticky Toffee Pudding Dessert, among others. The temptation to take the easy way out is perfectly understandable and delicious. These high-quality trail meals give you all the energy you need, are dang tasty and come in sealed individual pouches. Heat and eat or even eat them cold. Wayfayrer meals have been tried and tested at the ends of the earth and are the top choice for the military, adventurers and expedition teams. In case you are asking, there are no artificial flavourings, colours or preservatives just tasty flavours. Shop on OAS.ie to get your favourites.

Food on the camping and hiking trail is not just about keeping up the energy levels. Its not just about filling yourself up. For even as the great outdoors feeds the soul, so too, a variety of delicious, gourmet camp food feeds the body. Mix it up and ditch the trail mix for something more delicious. Our experienced staff at Outdoor Adventure Stores will be only too happy to assist you in finding the best food in store for your next adventure.

Bon Appetit and Happy Trails .

Camping Disasters – Cautionary Tales for Happy Campers

Camping is tremendous fun. It is one of the best ways to commune completely and whole heartedly with nature. Immersing yourself in nature to watch small rabbits nibbling grass in the dewy morning or lambs skipping in a spring meadow. Camping, when it is well organised and approached with calmness and sensibility, is a real joy. There is nothing more memorable than a sky full of stars in the silence of a remote campsite. It’s a unique way to enjoy the wonderful natural world that surrounds us.

However, there are those campers who have had a totally different experience. The secret to good camping is good organisation. Sorry to be nerdy, but that’s just the way it is! Almost every adult has had at least one camping disaster.

Tent Calamities: Forgotten tent poles and tent pegs will contribute to making your camping expedition totally intents… get it??… intents!! Seriously though, a badly packed tent with the ensuing mildew and lost tent pegs is a real disaster. Modern tents pop up easily and there should be no need to jostle about trying to access an internet signal to watch urgent YouTube videos on tent erection. But it still happens. Savvy campers have a practice run with the tent at home but those courting drama leave it to the universe and the universe laughs. The wrong tent is the start of most camping calamities. Choose from a wide range here https://outdooradventurestore.ie/category/adventure/1

“Hours were spent erecting our tent, so large and complicated it required a degree in engineering”

“We bought a tent. Didn’t know how small it would be. We’re both tall, 5’10 and 6’0 we were in a tent for midgets.” Reddit.com

Weather to Travel or Not: Flash floods! Sideways rain! Howling winds! Sleeping outside brings the weather just a tad closer than we are used to. Camping in a snow storm is only fun if you have sub-zero gear and the experience and drive of the veteran camper. For the rest of us, it’s no fun at all. Check the weather before you leave home.

“Woke up after a night of puking up my guts to find myself submerged in an icy river winding its way through my tent. It had snowed, in August. I was 8.” Reddit.com

Beasties and Creatures of the Night: The tiny midgey can destroy a camping trip (bring midge nets). If you are afraid of creepy crawly things, flying things, climbing things and clawing things, don’t go into the woods. It’s where they live. You are the visitor and it’s their home. Thankfully in Ireland a nosy sheep is probably as wild as it’s going to get and grizzlies are only in your child’s imagination.

“Look mommy! Look at the big butterfly! “Yeah. Not a big butterfly. A bat had gotten into the tent and was flying around in a panic because it couldn’t get out. I think I’m still partially deaf from my mom’s screams. Buzzfeed

Fire Fire!: A shocking amount of novice campers set fire to their tents. Not deliberately, we are not talking about lazy music festival campers who cannot be bothered to pack up properly. No, just the regular camper trying to get the sausages cooked will frequently set the tent alight. In all honesty, most fires will not cook your food. (See our range of well-priced camping equipment to successfully heat the alphabetti spaghetti). Check out the local rules for setting fires, before you pour petrol on the campfire…

“We kicked a flaming gas canister (the whole canister had caught fire) into the centre of the campsite field before it could set fire to our tent, car and children. Finally, we managed to put the fire out, but that didn’t impress our angry fellow camper” Wanderlust

Camping disasters make good stories. So, if the great outdoors becomes to be too much to bear, simply, throw the tent on the fire, horse the rest of your gear in the boot of the car and head for the nearest high stool. On the upside, you have a great story to tell the entire pub.