You’ve decided to get out of the city, return to nature, and spend a healthy holiday in the fresh air. Good on you. Here are five great ideas to make your next camping trip memorable fun.

1. Hunt for a geocache – This is for all you Magellans out there.  Geocaching is basically a high tech scavenger hunt.  Check online for geocaches hidden near you, plug the coordinates into your GPS, and off you go!  Following the coordinates correctly will get you close to the hidden geocache, but after you’re in range, it’s all up to your sharp eyes.  This is a serious endeavor, so you have to go prepared with the right gear.   You’ll need a comfortable hiking back pack to carry water, snacks, and maybe a traditional map or two just in case.  Take a look at something with a built in H20 hydration pack like these Woodworm Rucksacks, and check for water repellant PU coating.

2. Develop your night vision – A really practical skill to help you navigate back to your tent after dark.  Cover one eye (or bring eye patches for a pirate themed trip) and stare into the campfire.  Give your eye a few minutes to adjust, then turn away and find a tree or tent to focus on.  First look with the eye that was staring into the fire, and then cover that one and switch to the eye you shielded from the light.  The second eye is already dilated, so you will have much better vision.  Try it and see!

3. Hold a s’mores contest – The perfect activity for foodies by a fireside.  Everything tastes better when roasted over an open fire, and that goes double for marshmallows.  Even if you’ve never made s’mores before, it’s so simple that you can’t go wrong.  Roast marshmallows, add chocolate, and smush between graham crackers.  The best part is that if you suggest the contest to your mates, you can be the one to judge.  One thing to note – it’s vital that the graham crackers don’t get too crumbled beforehand, so pack the ingredients separately in something small and durable like these Billabong backpacks.  If it can protect a laptop, it’ll keep your graham crackers safe.

4.  Flashlight firefly game – Burn off any excess energy before you call it a night.   This one is great for kids, and all you need is a flashlight and some wide open space.   Appoint one person to be the firefly and give them the flashlight.  They head away from the group while counting, and once they hit 60 they flash the light once.  Everyone else waits for another count of 60, and then sets out in search of the firefly.  The catch is that the firefly must keep counting and flash the light every 60 seconds. The first person to tag the firefly becomes the next firefly.  Just be sure to set the boundaries for the game before you start.

5.  Stargazing – A classic camping tradition and a great way to unwind.  Bring your lightweight sleeping bags out under the stars and search the skies for constellations.  If you don’t know any, have some fun and make up your own.  See that cluster over there?  It looks like a sneezing panda bear!  Vote on who comes up with the most original constellation.

Try these ideas on your next camping trip, and let us know which ones you liked best!

Did you know?

The first recorded version of the s’mores recipe is in a 1927 Girl Scouts publication.

-Audrey

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