New Forest is one of the best camping sites for anyone who’d like a taste of what it’s like to stay close to nature. There are delicious diners around and tons of campsites to choose from. With the experience, amenities and facilities you can find in the area, it’s easy to think that camping in New Forest is extremely expensive- well, not for me.
My recent camping experience in New Forest has been a blast and it didn’t even include as much money as you’re probably thinking. The trick lies in proper planning and here’s how I did it:
1. Taking the middleman out
With the benefits of convenience, using online booking services can sound tempting and encouraging However, if you are on a tight budget, I suggest you book directly. Aside from cutting a fraction of the cost, I also got more flexibility in terms of making changes and asking for special requests for my trip. Travel agencies can charge cancellation fees and penalties if you ask for any changes in your travel plans.
Another good thing about booking directly is that you don’t have to wait for your travel agent to get back to you. Direct communication with the persons in charge of the campsites gave me a faster and more accurate response. They even offered me great discounts after I tried negotiating for a lower rate.
One of the downsides of booking directly is that you have to do all the work. You have to research the best campsites in the area as well as go through several online reviews to get an idea of the services they offer. I spent a few good hours over the phone and on the internet just to compare prices and facilities. And because I actually got involved in the booking and planning phase, I got a more personal camping experience out of it.
2. Borrowing camping gears
Reaching out to your family or friends to borrow a few camping gears can make you feel intimidated at first, but don’t let that discourage you. The truth is that there are actually a lot of people who are willing to lend their camping items to keep them from molding and rusting. A few of my friends actually volunteered some of their gears after knowing about my upcoming trip.
If you are an occasional camper, borrowing gears is a practical option. However, if you frequently go on camping trips, you can choose to buy your own camping stuff. There are tons of quality second-hand stores you can visit and splurge your money on. In case you can’t find similar stores in your area, there are websites that sell used but quality camping gears online.
3. Planning your camping trip ahead of time
Planning gives you time to prepare and allocate your budget properly for the trip. Since I wasn’t planning on splurging my money on fancy meals, I looked around for electric cool boxes for camping and secured one for the trip. There are actually a lot of options to choose from and since it’s an important investment for a camper, I suggest you really take the time to study your options. You can search for electric cooler reviews online to see which one will fit your needs best. You can also ask some of your camper friends about what type of electric cooler they use and how they feel about it.
By planning, you need to consider how much time you will be staying in the campsite. From there, you can assess the activities and facilities you want to check out and research their expected costs. This will give you an idea of how much money you need to have on hand for the trip. It will be easier if you create a to-do list for your activities. I personally use a mobile app for this to make sure I don’t miss out on anything.
