Hi all – Catherine here! I’ve been lucky enough to spend a few weekends recently camping in some beautiful locations!  While the weather has been hit and miss – I wanted to share a few tips I’ve picked up along the way.

Get a good night’s sleep!

Camping can conjure the image of roughing it on a super thin mat and a pillowcase stuffed with jackets and scarves. It’s so worth saving that extra car space so that you can pack your normal pillow and an extra sleeping bag. There are plenty of bed options out there and camping equipment stores will often have displays that you can try and compare before you commit. Make sure you have plenty of warm clothes especially for winter camping, it gets chilly overnight!

Setting up.

We’ll all been there – tent poles flying everywhere, awkward body positions and firewood being used as a hammer (ok, maybe that last one is just my friends and I…).  Be clever about how you set up! Team up where possible so you can put your body in a better position.  Aim to use your legs to get you closer to the ground by bending at the knees and hips (rather than a big forward bend coming from the back and hanging off the hamstrings).  If you need to, have a esky nearby to sit on for extra support.

Keep moving!

No matter how well your bed has been set up – the body is always a bit stiff when camping.  Take your trigger ball with you to keep up with your normal releases. Glute releases are always a good place to start! Check out our releases page for more instructions on glute releases.

Knee rocks are super easy and feel really nice for a stiff lower back and hips. Lying on a picnic rug or a patch of grass with your knees bent and feet on the ground, let your knees gently fall from side to side keeping the thighs together. Start small (think 11 and 1 o’clock if the start position is 12) and gradually get larger making sure there is no discomfort in the low back. Just a few minutes in the morning can make a massive difference!

Packing up.

The dreaded pack up. Again the best way to approach it is together! Get the body low to the ground, kneeling or sitting on the esky if needed.  Lock in to a comfortable position and use your body weight rather than brute upper body strength to get the pegs back out.  Carry equipment in pairs or close to the body if able to carry it yourself and try not lean and extend the load too far into the car when packing up.

And my number one tip?  Don’t forget the marshmallows!!

If you have any specific questions about how to keep your body happy for and during camping, get in touch.  I’m also always happy to hear best campsite suggestions or s’more combinations!