Camping for beginners: choosing a campsite, booking and a first-night kit list

Choosing a campsite

• Start close to home: one or two hours away means you can go home if the weather turns or something goes wrong.
• Facilities: toilets, showers, drinking water and a washing-up area make a first trip much easier. Some sites also have electric hook-ups and a small shop.
• Pitch type: grass pitches are softer to sleep on; hardstanding pitches drain better in wet weather. Some sites let you choose a pitch, others allocate them.
• Atmosphere: family sites, quiet adults-only sites and lively festival-style sites are very different. Read the site rules and recent reviews.
• Shade and shelter: a little shade helps in summer; a hedge or trees break the wind.

Booking

• Popular sites fill up early for summer weekends and public holidays, so book ahead where you can.
• Check the arrival and departure times, the quiet hours, whether fires or barbecues are allowed and whether dogs are welcome.
• Off-season and midweek stays are quieter and easier for a first try.
• Check the cancellation terms in case the forecast is poor.

The essential kit list

• Tent, with pegs, poles and guy lines. Practise pitching it at home first.
• Sleeping bag suitable for the night-time temperature, not the daytime one.
• Sleeping mat or airbed. This matters as much as the bag; the cold ground draws heat from you.
• Pillow, or a stuff sack filled with clothes.
• Mallet for pegs, and a few spare pegs.

• Stove and enough fuel, plus a lighter or matches.
• Pan, kettle, plates, mugs, cutlery and a sharp knife.
• Cool box, water container, washing-up bowl, sponge and a tea towel.
• Rubbish bags.

• A head torch for each person, and a lantern for the tent.
• Camping chairs. They make a surprisingly big difference.
• Warm layers, a hat for the evening and waterproofs.

• First-aid kit, sunscreen and insect repellent.
• Toilet roll, a small towel and toiletries.
• Power bank for phones.
• Earplugs and an eye mask.

Your first night

• Arrive in daylight: pitching a tent you have used once, in the dark, is nobody's idea of fun.
• Pitch with the door away from the wind and on the flattest ground you can find. Check for stones and roots before laying the groundsheet.
• Sleep with your head uphill if there is any slope at all.
• Peg out every guy line: it keeps the tent stable and the fabric taut so rain runs off.
• Get warm before you get into bed: eat something, visit the toilet and wear dry clothes and a hat. A cold body does not warm a sleeping bag.
• Keep a head torch where you can find it in the dark.
• Expect to sleep lightly: unfamiliar noises, a slope you did not notice and the dawn chorus wake most people the first time. It gets better.

Keeping it simple