As we head into summer it can only mean one thing… it’s camping time. The freedom of a night under the stars, the smell of the campfire, the chance to relax and reconnect with nature. And, the perfect chance to make some new friends.

 

Follow these tips and you’ll be making besties every time you pitch up.

1. Whack on the High Beams

This one is perfect for the city dwellers that can’t make it to the campsite until past 11pm due to those pesky Friday deadlines. That Grand Prix impression you make whilst searching for your allocated camp spot is made all the more fun for everyone when you add in some beamos (Aussies shorten everything right?!).

2. Bring the Beers

You’ll need at least 12 beers per person and you’ll need to drink them all between the hours of 10pm and 2am. This is the scientifically proven method of making friends. Gold star if you offer beers to your neighbours whilst they’re trying to have a conversation/read a book/sleep. 

 

3. Play Some Banging Tunes

Everyone loves music, so what better way to make friends than to crank up the tunes as loud as your tinny portable speaker will allow? Extra points if it’s some all-sounds-the-same ‘dance’ music. That way no one needs to feel left out when they don’t know the words.

Read more: We Are Explorers Spotify Playlists For All Your Niche Outdoor Moments

4. Don’t Bother Booking

National Parks belong to everyone! Screw booking a spot. It’s finders keepers, right? If you take someone else’s spot (particularly those pesky Sydney-siders who didn’t bother turning up till 11pm anyway), they won’t mind. They’re fully behind your anarchy and are happy that you’re making use of the spot they paid for.

 

10 Ways to Make Friends at the Campground, Brooke Nolan - Friends, Campsite,

Photo thanks to Shane Bennett

5. Leave it to the Cleaners

I’m blown away every time I see a free BBQ in a campsite or picnic area. We don’t really get them in England, and it’s just so damn….nice. What’s even nicer is when people cook on it and leave the burnt, greasy mess for the next person. Extra flavour, right?

 

6. Don’t Forget to Feed the Wildlife

Everyone deserves friendship, and that includes the local wildlife. Possums, rats, birds, goannas, wallabies. Leave out some scraps of food to lure them in, that way everyone will get a chance to make some furry/scaly friends. It’ll be like your own little Mad Hatters Tea Party.

7. Choose Your Wild Camp Spot Carefully

This is one for you solo wild campers out here. Don’t know about you, but I most definitely wild camp solo so that I can meet people. I love it the most when people wander into my own little secluded spot of wilderness, pitch their tent nice and close to mine and then proceed to ask how I’m doing / what bought me out here.

 

8. Bring a Baby

I want to write something here, but I know I shouldn’t. I’m sorry, I’m a bad person. I know this already.

 

9. Always Have an Open Fire

Especially during fire ban season when there are lots of signs saying that fires are banned. After all, what do the local national parks and fire service know? You’ve had loads of campfires in the past and always put them out safely by kicking a bit of dirt over them. They’ve all been fine so far. Or so you presume.

 

10. Leave Your Gear for the Next People

That Kmart pop-up tent you used for the weekend did you well, so why not pay it forward and leave it for the next person? They definitely want your bags for life, broken camp chair, and blown-out left thong too.

 

Feature photo thanks to @foreverdigital via Flickr