5 Tips to Make Camping More Comfortable

“The most common worry we get is about having to sleep in a tent for the first time.”

So, you’re one click away from finally saying yes to Kilimanjaro, but that camping bit is still keeping your finger from hitting the bright yellow “Book Online” button. Trust me, you aren’t alone. In fact, the most common worry we get is about having to sleep in a tent for the first time. Although most of us walk away from the experience with camping as one of the absolute highlights, here are 5 tips that’ll make the experience much more comfortable.

THE RIGHT SLEEPING BAG
As a first timer, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that all sleeping bags are the same. They aren’t. The two main considerations are size and temperature. The size is pretty obvious. Make sure you fit into it before buying and if you’re unsure, bigger is better. For temperature, be sure to check the tag. For an experience like Kilimanjaro, your sleeping bag should be comfortable at negative 15 Celsius. Anything less than that won’t keep the cold out in the middle of the night.

GET A SLEEPING BAG LINER
The sleeping bag is usually cased in polyester and far from the feel of our bed linens. A sleeping bag liner is a small extra bit you can buy that goes inside the sleeping bag and covers it in the same way that a duvet is covered by bed sheets.

“Sleeping in something you’re comfortable and familiar with is so much more relaxing than sleeping in your shorts or some sort of purpose made fabric that you were upsold at your gear store.”

In some cases, the liner can add additional warmth so it’s a double whammy.

PYJAMAS & PILLOWS
Sleeping in something you’re comfortable and familiar with is so much more relaxing than sleeping in your shorts or some sort of purpose made fabric that you were upsold at your gear store. It can be the exact same outfit you use at home. Don’t overthink this one. A pillow is also super important and although you can’t bring your bed pillow because of its size, you can bring a half pillow. It certainly beats using that inflatable plastic one.

SLEEPING SOCKS
Most campers complain from cold feet at night. That’s because either their feet are touching the wall of the tent and absorbing the cold from outside or because they’re keeping their moist trekking socks on at night. I personally stuff a pair of sleeping socks into my sleeping bag so that they’re always there when I need them. For additional comfort and to avoid your feet touching the wall of the tent, just put your backpack between your feet and the tent.

CAMPING BOOTIES
These are warm cushioned shoes that keep your feet both super comfy and super toasty when at the campsites. Nothing beats taking your feet out of your trekking boots and into one of these after a long day in the hills.