A cheap way to enjoy a great vacation

By Timothy Ijala

Do you want to go on vacation without busting your pockets? Is your excuse “times are hard, got to pay the bills so can’t afford one?”
Why not try a camping trip? It is inexpensive, it’s fun and one might also add it’s a healthy way for a family to bond together because there are lots of things to do together. And the experience can live on for many years.
So what then do you need in order to enjoy a memorable camping trip?
It is much more enjoyable when you do it as a group. You can get together some friends or arrange for the family to go. And it’s much more cost effective too. If you are going as a family get the whole family involved in the planning process, including the kids.
You probably already have a tent but if not invest in one or two that can accommodate at least three people each.
It is possible to buy a nice tent for as little as £30 which is less than the cost of sleeping in many hotels in the world. You also could invest in a sleeping bag.
Remember though that this is a one time investment because you will be able to reuse this equipment for years to come.
The other option is to carry a few blankets which you can sleep on and cover yourself with depending on the time of the year and the weather.
Next question is where do you want to go? It really depends on the interests of the group. The beauty of a camping trip is that you can camp in the neighbourhood if there are camping facilities there or go hundreds of kilometres away from home.
In many countries there are many places where you can find camping facilities and you can usually read about these places before you go. Of course where you go will dictate what other equipment you will need to carry along.
If you are going to camp in the bush then you will need to carry more stuff than if you were going to camp in a park in the neighbourhood.
But you will find that most of what you need will be in your house. If you are going camping in the bush, you will need to carry a stove to cook with, cooking and eating utensils, which you probably already have at home, a map, flashlights, a first aid kit, food and water.
The only things you may need to spend money on are food and fuel for the vehicle. Food you would still buy if you were at home. As for fuel, if you divide the cost by the number of people traveling, you will still find that you are not spending a lot.