As spring is almost here, the avid campers among you will be spending your next couple of weekends gearing up and preparing for the camping season ahead. This perfect time of year when it is not-too-hot nor not-too-cold, is when a lot of you will pack up and set out for a weekend adventure or two.

After your camping supplies have been lying dormant over the winter months, it’s important to go through the below checklist to make sure your supplies are in order. It could easily be too little too late if you receive a nasty shock when you roll out your tent at the campsite.

Here is a list of 15 things to check before going on your first camping trip of the season:

1. Air out your tent before your first trip away. Set it up in your backyard (or lounge room if you have to), to ensure there are no tears or mould lingering that you weren’t aware of. Both of these problems are fixable if you are aware of them before your trip.
2. Double check the seams on the tent. If you find any gaps and want to keep dry patch them up with seam glue or tape.
   

   Photo Credit Laura iShot – Flickr

3. Wash your sleeping bag. It may not always be dirty but it may smell a little musty if it’s been rolled up for a lengthy period of time. Make your first night sleep comfortable with a clean sleeping bag.
4. Test the fly of the tent and any other supplies that are required to be waterproof. Simply spray them with water and see if the water slides off. If the waterproofing seems to have worn off, simply purchase an affordable spray waterproofing agent.
5. Make sure all of your tent zippers are attached and move freely. Some WD40 may come in handy if they do get a little stuck moving on the tracks.
6. While your tent is out, count up all of your pegs. If you think you’ve lost some or think they are in disrepair, stock up on new pegs in advance.
7. Check all of your ropes. If any are frayed, deteriorated or too knotted it’s a good idea to get some new ones. Wipe over any springs on your ropes to ensure they don’t get rusty.
8. Ensure your gas bottle hoses don’t have leaks.
9. Speaking of gas bottles, make sure you refill your large gas bottles and replace all of the small cooking ones (and stock up on spares).
10. If you use gas lanterns, check the mantle. They often displace and/or break easily while on the road so ensure you have plenty of back-ups.
11. Give your camping stove a test run. Boil some water to make sure there are no blockages (from food and grease). It’s important to thoroughly clean and dry your camping stove to ensure it lasts you as many trips as possible.
12. Roll out your tarps and give them a good wipe over (use a broom and warm soapy solution) to remove any mould or mildew. Ensure the eyelets are secure and haven’t incurred and tears from your last trip.
13. Check all of your battery powered supplies. Make sure your torch is ready to go and you have spares on hand.
14. Check your first aid kit. Replenish anything that seems to have dwindled and make sure you have all the essentials in order.
15. Air out your eskies/cooler box. Wipe down with a household cleaning agent to ensure they are free of odours and ready to use.

Running through this extensive pre-camping trip checklist will ensure your trip will go as smooth as possible when you arrive to your first campsite. Preparation is key to a successful trip so if you haven’t been in a while it’s a good idea to be pre-prepared. If nothing else, you’ll have peace of mind and a whole lot less stress when you’re packing!

This article was written by Tahlia Maynard from Caravan RV Camping. 

This is a sponsored post that contains links to Caravan RV Camping.