With summer here, why not invite a few friends on a camping trip? You could enjoy a walk (short or longer) and then set up camp somewhere wild and beautiful. Here are some of the tried-and-tested ways to create a campfire night to remember.
When hiking to a place for an overnight camp, make sure you think about the weight of you items. You will need to carry everything so you will not want to take the kitchen sink as well.
First things first, when you get to your camp spot you need to light a great fire. Make a ring of earth or stones to protect the surrounding area then set out to gather wood, kindling, tinder, twigs and dry leaves. To make your fire, create a grid of twigs and pile a small cone of kindling in some tinder around the centre of the ring. Make a pyramid of large sticks all the way around it and light the tinder, adding more bits of larger wood as the fire increases in intensity.
Always remember to put out the fire and cover the ground so you can not see a trace of the fire when you leave. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code has some guidance on lighting campfires.
Now for the food. After a long (or even just a short!) day of hiking, having a hearty meal with friends is the perfect way to refuel and unwind. Whether you’re a pro at outdoor cooking or you prefer to stick to simple one-pot wonders, make sure that you are fully prepared by creating a menu before you leave.Bu doing this you will not need to carry anything you do not need.
Keep your ingredients lightweight but do think about making it a special evening.
A one-pan dish is a good idea because it means you need to take only one camping cook pot. A bacon and egg hash could be a good choice, especially if paired with some cold beers a a big pot of cheesy campfire nachos. You could also try out a pasta recipe or a stew with rice.
Next up, how about playing some games, such as “I Have Never’ or take a deck of cards and play “Go Fish” to “Crazy Eights”. It’s a good idea to remind yourself of the rules before you go! And if you and your friends usually play a particular card game, then perhaps it’s time to turn up the fun factor and try something a bit different. Poker fans could make life a little more interesting by learning the rules of the novel variation called Spilt Hold’em or 5-card Omaha, while Cheat fans might want to look up the rules to a Finnish version of the game known as Paskahousu.
Finally, before you turn in for the night, make sure that you spend some time enjoying the beautiful night sky. See if you can pick out some constellations.
