Things To Consider When Planning Your First Romantic Camping Trip
If you’re anything like me, you have the urge to get out of the city once in a while to camp out in the wilderness. No matter how used you are living in the city, the desire to get away from it all can take hold of your mind at any moment.
Story about our first camping trip together
My husband is a hiker and he loves spending time in the wilderness. Before we got marries, he took me to Truchas Peak in New Mexico for my first big hike. We made to the summit as planned, but it was a very challenging hike especially for a beginner.
Since then I’ve done a great job of dodging his invitations to hiking trips, until he decided he really wanted to take me to a small mountain he discovered in Phoenix while living there for a few years. And he wanted to create a wonderful camping experience that I could enjoy.
He suggested we could drive up close to the campground and walk a little distance to set up our camping site. I said yes, and he took care of the rest of the planning. It wasn’t too long until I realized that his idea of car camping was a bit different from mine.
My idea of car camping was to drive all the way up to a campground or someplace nearby, and then walk less than a mile to put up a tent and cooking station. For a serious hiker, though, car camping is about driving up a bit farther than normal, hiking up to the campsite, and packing a nicer variety of dehydrated foods.
We both were overly excited about doing another camping trip together, and failed to discuss the details. He felt he knew exactly what I wanted and was excited to plan the perfect weekend getaway in nature, while I was fantasizing about a whole other weekend.
Oh, believe me, we still talk about that weekend all the time, and it makes us laugh every time. I couldn’t even be mad at him for all the hiking we did that day and all the dehydrated camping meals we ate, since his expression was priceless when we finally sat by the campfire in the evening and told him about what I had imagined for the weekend.
If you’re planning a romantic getaway in the wilderness, we suggest that you talk about a few things ahead of time so that everyone is on the same page. And make sure to pack all the travel essential you need for any type of traveling. If you’re new to spending nights in the wilderness, whether it’s car camping or hiking, these 6 essential items may help you feel a little more comfortable during your trip.
In case you’re wondering, this is how things went sideways on what was supposedly our first car camping trip.
Packing for camping essentials
His packing: He packed the usual hiking gears.
Her packing: The usual glamping essentials and a pair of hiking boots.
Traveling to the campsite
His plan, and how it went: We drove up to a certain point and hiked for many hours to get to the camp ground.
Her imagination: Drive up near to the campground and walk less than a ½ mile to get there.
Daytime activity
His plan, and how it went: We tackled a pretty challenging trail to reach the top of the mountain.
Her imagination: Relaxing around the campsite and some light hiking.
Cooking meals
His plan, and how it went: Using a portable camp stove, we cooked different dehydrated backpacking food for each meal.
Her imagination: Simple multi-course campfire meals paired with wine wouldn’t hurt, right?
Where to Sleep at Night
His plan, and how it went: In a 2-person tent that we had built, we slept on sleeping bags placed on top of sleeping mats.
Her imagination: All the camping essentials, plus extra warm and cozy blankets and pillows, as well as a few flameless candles.
How to Start the Morning
His plan, and how it went: Because the mountain top is generally always frigid in the morning, we awoke with a morning chill. To warm our bodies, we quickly boiled some water and made instant noodle soup.
Her imagination: Wake up in a pile of warm blankets, early sunshine streaming through the tent. Make a little fire and prepare a simple breakfast to enjoy with a cup of coffee.
