Camping

Camping is do-it-yourself accommodation: you carry your roof and your bedding in your backpack or your vehicle. It's often the only choice of accommodation you have when you're travelling off the beaten track, but there are also very popular sites for camping holidays.

The most popular way to camp is to drive up to a purpose-built campground and set up a tent to sleep in.

Commercial campgrounds can often be found outside cities and at vacation destinations. Often the campground caters to car campers as well as those coming only with a tent. There may also be cabins for rent, or even pre-built tents and permanently installed caravans. Facilities can be very basic (water that has to be boiled to be potable and outhouses for toilets), but most have showers, playgrounds, small markets and other amenities for a busy weekend.

Camping is common in national parks and other protected sites and nature areas. The facilities tend to be more basic than at commercial campgrounds. Permits can typically be obtained in advance or on arrival, but may be hard to get or sell out during very popular holiday periods. For very popular holiday periods the permits may sell out months in advance – don't blithely plan a Christmas camping holiday without being sure you can get a permit if you need one.

Unlike more traditional tent camping, sleeping in your vehicle allows you to bring more equipment, and focus on enjoying the site, cook-outs, day hikes, and other outdoor activities. This can take a lot of different forms depending on the size of your vehicle, from the back of a passenger car up to a Class A motorhome. Campgrounds catering to trailers/caravans/RVs usually have at least basic facilities, such as fresh water and toilets. Many car camping sites also have an area for those coming with just a tent.

Camping outside of an established campground may be possible in a sparsely inhabited area. You'll need to bring your own water and figure out your own hygiene; if you want facilities, use paid campgrounds. Make sure you leave no trace, keep out of sensitive areas and check campfire regulations.

In the Nordic countries the right to camp is a fundamental part of the right to access: you may put your tent more or less anywhere for a night or two, as long as your camping does not disturb or harm nature or people. In the United States, you can "dispersed camp" on some public lands, but public and private land is not always clearly delineated and laws around trespassing are strict, so be sure who the owner is before you decide on a campsite.

If you want to stay somewhere the roads don't go, you might have to carry everything you need by yourself. Backcountry camping requires you to hike multiple days in an undeveloped area with just enough equipment to stay safe and comfortable. When hiking an established trail, there will often be set camp sites a day's walk apart. The facilities, if any, may be much more basic than at normal camping areas.

Glamping, or luxury camping, adds amenities and, in some cases, resort-style services not usually associated with traditional camping. Third party companies and often campsites themselves rent out fully-equipped tents or mobile homes that can be as comfortable as hotels or vacation rentals. Glamping has become particularly popular with tourists seeking to combine the luxuries of hotel accommodation with the escapism and adventure recreation of camping. Glamping can vastly reduce the amount of luggage you have to bring but limits you to specific campsites. Some people think it dilutes the "true" camping experience.

Pack what you need on the most primitive site you are going to visit.

The distance from the nearest parking or bus stop to your campsite (and whether you will take a taxi) may dictate whether you need proper backpacks or can use other baggage. Also consider whether that distance will be covered along a paved road, a potholed dirt road or a stony footpath across some hills.

You want somewhere to sleep, a way to prepare your food, enough clothes for bad weather, necessities for your hygiene and equipment for anything you want to do (swimming gear, sports equipment, books, a pack of cards, whatever).

If you are setting up close to your vehicle, it doesn't matter too much how heavy your gear is or how much extra and just-in-case items you bring. If you are going on a wilderness hike, packing is a serious issue and you will want specialized gear designed for carrying long distances. Cheaper gear may be heavier, harder to set up, less durable or less sturdy in bad weather, but even the cheapest options are usually good enough to get you outside for a weekend in mild conditions.

If there's no chance of rain or wind, no bugs, ample shade and plenty of privacy, then you can sleep under the stars. However, if your campsite falls short for any of those (and it almost certainly does), bring along a tent or other shelter to protect you from the outside environment. Tents are typically marketed with the number of people that can sleep in them (i.e., a 2-person tent or a 4-person tent). This is based on what is possible and not what is comfortable, so size up if you're able. If you're not into tents, you can try a hammock or find a campground that offers cabins.

You want a good night's sleep. An insulated sleeping bag is the most practical way to stay warm. Choose one rated lower than the lowest overnight temperature you expect. Some people sleep colder than others, and most sleeping bags are marketed with the temperature they will keep you alive at, not cozy at, so give yourself plenty of extra warmth.

If you'd rather not sleep on bare ground, you'll also want a sleeping pad, air mattress, cot or other form of padding. In addition to comfort, these can also provide insulation; the cold ground will suck heat out of a thick sleeping bag. And don't forget a pillow!

There's plenty of ways to make your campsite comfortable. Lighting, including lanterns and headlamps, will help you find your way as the sun dims. Shades, tarps and canopies will protect you from the mid-day sun. A camp chair will make passing time around the fire more enjoyable.

For hot food, you need an outdoor cooking setup. You might also want a cooler to keep perishables cold. If you use a camping stove or similar, check refuelling options and local standards (such as for gas containers and connectors). If planning on using open fire, check local regulations and whether you can bring firewood or get it locally. Bringing any highly flammable fuel on flights and public transport is probably restricted.

You won't have access to your home wardrobe, and probably not your laundry machine. Bring plenty of clothing layers for whatever conditions you may face: rain, cold, wind, heat, sun. Choose fabrics that handle moisture gracefully (not cotton), as it's hard to get wet clothes dry again.

Most campgrounds have access by car, while they may be away from routes of public transport. There may not be any taxis available in the proximity and hitchhiking may not be a viable option if most people travel to the campground as families, filling up their cars with people and luggage, and there is little other traffic along the road.

Some campgrounds lie by hiking trails or canoeing routes and the road to them may be closed for normal traffic, especially if they are inside a national park or similar – although in some parks campsites cater also to people visiting by car without any intention to carry more than a daypack.

Arrive to the campground in time to be able to choose a good spot in daylight and to acquaint yourselves to the site while the reception is open.

Campgrounds are usually the cheapest kind of paid accommodation, but prices vary. Sometimes you pay by tent, sometimes (also) by number of persons. There may be more expensive alternatives, such as cottages. You might also have to pay for showers, sauna and other amenities.

Bigger campgrounds usually have quite some facilities to keep you occupied, such as beaches, badminton courts and playing equipment to borrow or rent.

The draw of campgrounds is often the surrounding nature, so there may be nice trails around.

Although most campsites have some kind of kiosk, the selection may be very limited. Unless there is a proper supermarket at the site or nearby, you will want to buy at least most provisions before leaving the closest city.

If you plan on visiting any primitive campgrounds, you may need to bring your own camping stove and fuel. Otherwise there are often communal kitchens, and barbecue sites may be available regardless.

As you probably don't have access to a refrigerator, you may need to rely on non-perishable food or frequent replenishment. Some basics are often available in a kiosk at the campground. Check the distance to the closest proper shop. There may be some nearby farm selling their produce.

Ordinary campsites usually have potable water available for you, but at some primitive sites you may have to bring your own or use a brook, the water of which should probably be boiled for a few minutes or otherwise disinfected before use. The site should have instructions on how to cope.

Many campgrounds have sites for those coming by tent only as well as for those with caravan or campervan. Often there are also cottages, stationary caravans or other locally prepared accommodation.

• Camping in the United States, California desert camping
• Camping in Israel
• Hiking and bushwalking in Australia
• Hiking in the Nordic countries, Right to access in the Nordic countries
• Primitive camping in Denmark
• Tramping in New Zealand
• Urban camping in Japan

Mind fire safety. Your tent should not be close to open fire. At some sites tents have to be at a distance from each other, to prevent a fire from spreading.

Keep your valuables out of sight and avoid leaving them unguarded in unlocked places.

Many campgrounds are in sparsely populated regions; mobile phone coverage may be less than good. You may want to download your online maps and check in with your closest family when you have the chance, before leaving the closest city.

Many campgrounds have postboxes etc.