Camping in the Philippines

What is Camping?

Camping, by definition, is an activity wherein an individual, or a group stays outdoors for short or long periods of time while being sufficient on basic essentials. Camping is depicted as staying at a minimum of overnight in an outdoor setting to be called one. Less than an overnight would be defined as a picnic or day-tripping. Camping came about in the 1900s when Thomas Hiram Holding, the father of modern camping, first wrote his first book; The Camper’s Handbook. As years passed, the idea of camping and the ways of camping have evolved from a bushcraft setting to a more comfortable recreation activity.

Why Do We Camp?

There are several reasons why people camp. Camping can be a therapeutic aid, a means to strengthen relationships, a way to develop self-sustaining skills, and many more. We have written the article: The Purpose of Camping in order for us to explain why we set out to camp and what are its benefits for us. However, after interviewing other people at the campsite we have been, answers do vary. Some would ultimately want to desensitize their eyes from the urban settings of the city. Others consider camping as a quick and easy vacation. And there are a few that made camping a way to simplify their life and live as a camper.

Camping for many is a way to reset themselves from the everyday stress of work and other aspects of life. Going back to basics, adding the calmness of the outdoors, and being one with nature is definitely why most pack their bags and set out for a camping adventure.

What Do I Need For Camping?

What you need for camping is not a whole lot to start. Just think of the essentials that you will need and you will be able to survive an overnight camping adventure. We have come up with a camping essential list for you and for the ease of not missing out on what you may actually need. Basically, you would need shelter, something to sleep on, something to sit on, a table, something to cook on, your food, lights, cleaning liquids, and emergency kits. Check out the article: Camping Essentials and download a printable checklist. 

How much would it cost to start camping? On average, you can start an entire camping gear set in the Philippines for around 10,000.00 pesos. You can start by buying what you don’t have, and just bring the other equipment you have at home; such as knives, pots, pans, portable fan, emergency lights, mattresses, and pillows. After getting the hang of camping, and when you are truly sure that this is a hobby that you want to pursue, start investing in the items that will make your life easier at camp.

What Camping Equipments Are Worth Buying?

Now, this is a hot topic as many fall deep into the camping rabbit hole when it comes to camping equipment. The equipment dedicated to camping has evolved vastly and it has made camping much more enjoyable and comfortable. What is actually worth buying are the ones you will bring on each and every camping trip. 

Tents

Let’s start with your tent. A tent is basically a piece of equipment that you will always bring. It is where you and your loved ones will sleep through the entire trip. Invest in a high-quality tent and it should last a lifetime. One of us at MotoKampo brings a 20-year-old Coleman tent, that was passed on to from his father. Through rain and strong winds, it is still holding up strong. There are different kinds of tents to choose from. Not to mention that there are different sizes and materials available in the market. You can check out our article: Which Camping Tent Should I Buy for a full guide on the different camping tents and tent materials you would want to consider before actually putting some money on it.

Coolers

Another piece of equipment you should also consider is your cooler. You can always start with the regular Coleman coolers we pull out of the closet for when there are parties at home. However, if you are going for a 3 days 2 nights camping trip, it might not cut it. Always remember that you have to keep your meats and kinds of seafood freezing cold for the longest time possible. And a quality cooler that can keep ice for several days should be a choice for you.

Rotomolded coolers are a high-quality option that you can buy when you’re starting to invest in your equipment. This can keep ice close to a week, great for going on an extended camping trip. The difference between a rotomolded cooler and a regular Coleman cooler is the thickness and design. Rotomolded coolers have thick insulation foam not only on the tub but also on the cover. That way, heat takes a hard time to penetrate and ice is kept for a longer period of time. These coolers also have a rubber seal at the top and on the drain plug. That way there is less chance of warm air getting inside. MotoKampo always brings a SubZ 45L Rotomolded cooler on each and every trip. It is where we basically store all of our frozen food. And we mean frozen food only. This avoids the number of times we open the cooler to avoid the warm air raising the internal temperature of the cooler. This is a very important tip, proven as we tend to have the last meal pulled out of the cooler still frozen. Check out our review of this SubZ 45L Rotomolded cooler to know more and help you decide if it’s well worth it for you. Finally, we always accompany our rotomolded cooler with a regular Coleman party cooler for our drinks.

Cooking Gear

If you love cooking, then you will enjoy cooking outdoors. There are a lot of options and ways how to cook at camp which is why a quality set of cooking equipment is a must. You can always use your home pots and pans but the difference with camping pots and pans is their packing size and material. These camping cooking gears are made to be placed on a butane stove and even on your bonfire. It is faster to cook on and it’s less prone to wear and tear. Out of all the three types of equipment we have mentioned, this is basically the cheapest on your investment list and one you can start purchasing early on. Each and every one of us at camp brings a type of cooking set that Decathlon sells at their store. These Decathlon Quechua Cooking Sets are well built and have been proven by us and by others. For more details on the cooking sets you can check out our article: Decathlon Cooking Sets – Why Are They Often Sold Out for a full review on why we also choose these cooking sets.

Cooking Stoves

This one is a subjective matter. We have asked many over at our Facebook Page what camping stoves they bring. Many do own a simple single burner butane stove and this is totally perfect for camp. There are even campers who cook their food entirely with the use of a campfire. Nevertheless, there are others who take their cooking at camp seriously. If you are one of them (and so am I), then splurge on a twin-burner propane stove. 

Speaking of LPG, we now come to the topic of Butane or Propane is better. The short answer is neither is better. It will always come up to what will be your needs. If you go out to camp for short periods then a butane setup is lighter and cheaper (on the stove side). But if you tend to cook for a lot at camp or Overlanding is your fancy, then a propane setup is a wiser choice. Read through our article: Butane or Propane: Which is Better? As we shed some light on what type of burner should fit you. Finally, you can always go with a campfire cooking setup. However, there are readers of ours that have mentioned that is it not always possible to set up a campfire.

There are other things you can buy or spend on. However, spending on branded ones is optional. As you go through your camping equipment, some of them will definitely die. If so, it will be up to you if you would want to spend more on it.

Where do I Camp In The Philippines?

Lucky for us Filipinos, our country is full of places to camp. According to Statista: • Philippines – urbanization 2010-2020 | Statista, they claim that in 2020, urban setting in the Philippines is at 47.1%. This leaves the rest of the country mostly untouched. That said, there is a huge amount of options where you can choose to camp on. If you’re a more adventurous person, you can travel the vast lands of the archipelago and find an open area to camp on. Just make sure to kindly ask permission when prompted, as there are lands that are undeveloped but are also privately owned. On the other hand, there are available campsites in the Philippines where you can visit, pay a cheap price, and camp. Check out our camping page, where there is a digital map and location of the available campsites in our country. We constantly update the list of campsites we discover and leave reviews on the campsites we have visited. So please check it out!

What Can We Do At Camp?

You have the outdoors to run your creativity. Playing catch, bringing your badminton set, playing volleyball, or fishing when you are near a body of water. You also might want to consider going to a campsite by a lake or river for your kids to enjoy. Otherwise, for us at MotoKampo, we enjoy even just by appreciating the surroundings where we camp at. Campfires are a general activity for most and having a simple fiesta (festivity) at camp. As long as you stay responsible for the surroundings and your camp neighbors. 

This leads us to what should be the proper behavior when you camp. Remember that when we camp, we should always respect mother earth. Many of us at camping groups often rant when others leave their trash. One of the reasons we camp is to appreciate mother’s beauty. And with that said, we have to respond in keeping our environment clean and trash-free. Always bring with you whatever you brought to the campsite. Bring trash bags and tie them up properly when it’s full. Items that are compostable can be left, but do make the effort of digging a small rut/hole in order to dispose of leftover food and paper, and cover them back up before leaving. For plastics and other non-biodegradable items, put them in the trash bag and bring them with you until you reach civilization.

Back to campfires, if possible, use a fire pit or a portable fire pit in order to reduce destruction to the soil where you camp. As mentioned in our article: Camping Etiquette: What is the proper behavior when camping, where we set our campfire will take months or years for nature to repair that patch land. In addition to this, is limiting the size of the campfire you are creating. We generally don’t need a human-sized campfire in order for us to enjoy it. Certainly, we don’t need a campfire big enough that we risk starting a wildfire. Just keep it simple and small, enough to get you warm at night and enough that you can also use it for cooking.

Finally, keeping down the noise level is a must, especially when you have neighbors. Respect is key, and we hope everyone can uplift the general policy. We camp because we want to relax. We don’t go camping because we need a place to party. A lot of campers do want silence and most do sleep early. As a general rule when you have neighbors, keep the noise down at the stroke of 10 pm. If you’re the nocturnal type of person or you’re the group who wants to sit it out at night and drink over long stories, just go easy on the volume. You can enjoy the night while your neighbors enjoy their long-awaited peaceful sleep.

Is Camping Worth Trying?

Yes! By all means, do try out camping. Camping is no longer the thought of being in the bush and trying to survive. Putting effort into it can lead you to the best and most comfortable hotel stay you would get. Not your typical 5-star hotel, but what mother earth can offer will compensate. After all, waking up to a beautiful sunrise by the shores or along a flowing body of water is something that everyone agrees is majestic.

So what are you waiting for? Go start your camping set or go with a friend who is already camping as a hobby. Try it out and you won’t regret it. Afterwhich, do share your experience with friends and family. We are here to promote camping but most important we are here to be good stewards of mother earth. And we want you to join along in caring for our environment as we only have one habitable planet (up until Elon Musk or NASA discovers another planet).