(Newswire.net — July 15, 2019) — It’s hip to be a minimalist in 2019. Becoming a minimalist simplifies daily life, reduces stress, and makes life more enjoyable. The same applies to your camping trips. Minimalist camping (taking only what you need) increases enjoyment by simplifying your camping duties. When your responsibilities are few, you’ll enjoy the environment and your company more than ever.
While minimalist camping means leaving behind many comforts and conveniences, there are 6 items not even a minimalist can camp without:
1. A game to play
Whether you’re camping alone, with your partner, or the whole family, a game will bring everyone together for some cozy, campfire fun. Simple games are the best. A deck of cards or a pair of dice, for example, are compact and offer hundreds of game options.
Other fun games to bring camping are trivia cards, Yahtzee, and bananagrams. If you’ve never heard of bananagrams, it’s like Scrabble without a board, and all the letter tiles fit into a zippered banana pouch. All you need is a semi-flat surface to play!
2. A hitch cargo box
You probably have a cargo box on the roof of your vehicle. You probably struggle a bit each time you need to get into it. There’s nothing wrong with carrying items in a rooftop box, but a hitch cargo box will make your life easier.
A cargo box mounted to your hitch will give you unrestricted, easy access to items you use regularly. Instead of struggling to grab items from up high, these lockable boxes are accessed at a lower level and swing out for easy access.
Stowaway2 Cargo Carriers has boxes that can hold up to 200 pounds of gear. When you don’t need to use the box, you can remove the box and mount something else on the frame like a bike rack, a grill station, or even a generator.
3. A good book
Camping is a time to enjoy nature, but sometimes you need to escape into a good book. There’s something magical about reading a book far away from home with the night’s breeze blowing. If you’re used to reading before bed, you won’t want to skip your nightly book even on your camping trip.
If you’re backpacking and have to choose between bringing a pocket shower or a book, you should definitely choose the book.
4. A spray bottle to rinse food off of your dishes
When you’re camping, you don’t have access to pressurized water, but a spray bottle can suffice. Grab a spray bottle for a buck at your local dollar store and use the heavy stream to rinse food off of your dishes. If you have kids, bring a spray bottle for everyone and have a water fight – you don’t need fancy Super Soakers that take up space in the car.
5. Homemade chemical-free bug repellant
Skip the chemical bug spray and make your own! All you need is a spray bottle, peppermint essential oil, and a little bit of dish soap. Spiders and other insects don’t like peppermint.
To make your own bug spray, fill a spray bottle with water and add a couple drops of dish soap and 15 drops of peppermint oil for every 8 ounces of water. Shake it up and spray it on a tree outside to see if it smells strong enough. You want the mixture to be strong enough to smell, but not so potent you can’t breathe.
Before going to bed, spray the mixture around the outside of your tent, all along the seams, and along the inside of your tent perimeter. If you don’t mind the smell of peppermint, spray a border around your sleeping bag and pillow.
6. Extra clothes
Never underestimate the amount of clothes you might need while camping. If your clothes stay dry, you could easily wear the same pants and shirt for a week. However, if your only clothes get wet or sweaty, you’re out of luck.
While survivalists and minimalists agree that shelter, food, and water are non-negotiable items, clothes are equally important. Walking around in your boots with wet socks can create blisters on the bottoms of your feet. It’s uncomfortable walking around in wet jeans, and unless it’s extremely hot, a wet shirt is only comfortable for so long.
Pack extra clothes no matter what!
Enjoy your summer camping trip
Minimalist camping is for those who want to enjoy the great outdoors. Pack your bags, leave your electronic devices behind, and go enjoy the wilderness in all of its glory.