Camping without Tears
- When you arrive at your camping site, drive your car as close to your camping pitch as possible to avoid extra carrying. Don’t forget you have probably been driving for a while, which puts greater pressure on the back and it is not a good idea to leap out of the car and start lifting, bending and twisting. Maybe lie on the ground for a couple of minutes (rain permitting … ooops!) and do a few of our recommended exercises to help take the pressure off your spine before you start messing about with the tent.
- Try to use good posture with tight stomach muscles and don’t carry too much at once. The same applies to when you are lifting anything – it is much better for your back to walk backwards and forwards with lighter loads than struggle with heavy loads and end up in pain for the whole holiday!
- Be careful when you are picking up the tent – get down on the floor to work with it. When either putting it up or taking the tent down, think about getting down on your hands and knees when unraveling or rolling up the tent to avoid unnecessary bending.
- Don’t sleep on the bare ground, try out the various options for beds. Often a self-inflating airbed can be more comfortable for a bad back and a duvet gives you more space to stretch out in than a sleeping bag.
- Take care when getting in and out of your tent. It may well be worth investing in a tent which has enough height to stand up straight in.
If you are having problems with aches and pains before or after your camping trip or for more tips on back safe camping, call us at the Avenue Clinic – we don’t want you having to book into the nearest hotel because you can’t get into your tent!