How to prepare for your first camping trip so that everything goes smoothly

Choose a suitable route

If you have never been to the mountains, it is reckless to try to conquer Elbrus right away. Match the route to your level of health and physical fitness. To begin with, you can arrange a test hike for a day or at least walk around the city, taking a hiking backpack.

Choose trails equipped with comfortable paths and rest areas. As a rule, all routes are assigned a degree of difficulty, from easy to very difficult. The first option is just right for beginners. But the last one is better to reject – it is only suitable for people with trekking experience.

It is better to take walkie-talkies to places with poor cell phone reception. They will be useful, for example, if one of the participants lags behind or gets lost. Install maps on your phone that work in offline mode. A paper version will also come in handy in case your device runs out of battery.

Ideally, you should look for fresh topographic maps or special tourist maps that show places for parking, water sources, and places of interest. But such maps are not available for all regions. An alternative is OpenStreetMap, where users add such objects themselves.

Discuss the rules of conduct with children

It is better not to take children of primary school age on a long hike – it will be difficult for them to follow the instructor’s instructions and cover long distances. But a teenager can handle it. The main thing is to discuss the rules of conduct with him before the hike. Tell him, for example, that it is important not to stray from the path, because you can get lost, you can’t throw garbage and try unknown berries.

Give your child the opportunity to show independence. Let him also carry a small backpack and participate in preparing food and setting up a tent. This will make it easier for him to feel like a full-fledged member of the tour group and get vivid impressions from the hike.