Look, we’re already fans of regular old camping. There’s hardly anything better than the great outdoors, wide open skies, a good hike, a packed cooler, and nights around an open flame with a handful of your favorite people. But at Kiva, we know that the perfect gummy can make a baseline good experience, like a movie or an afternoon walk, even better. A little heightened, brighter, a touch more elevated.
The same goes for camping! Introducing just a few fresh new camping ideas into the mix can take your next trip from “pretty good” to “extra special.” These special touches are how a weekend transforms into everlasting memories — so let’s start with 20 Kiva-curated camping activities and camping tips to level up your adventure.
The Setup
It’s true that the journey is the heart of camping, but the destination plays a huge role, too. And in this case, that destination is your campsite. From late-night, lantern-lit convos to waking up to the sound of light rain on the tent, the site is your home base for camping activities, resting up, making meals, and making merry. So might as well make it count, too.
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Choose a unique camping site. If you don’t want to mess with rods and tiedowns this trip, book a memorable, extraordinary campsite from the jump. Think geodesic domes, canvas safari-style tents (some even have perks like luxe beds and clawfoot tubs), yurts, Airstreams, or treetop canopies.
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Try a bell tent if you like to rough it- but in style. These roomy canvas tents can fit beds, portable or permanent furniture, and they look ultra luxe when actually decorated
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Rugs, rugs, rugs. Who wants to feel plastic under their feet? Roll some old, colorful rugs into the back of the car and deck out your site like an album cover
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Ditch the camping furniture. If you’re not schlepping it up a mountain, go for stuff that’d make influencers blush – think folding wooden chairs and tables and vintage trunks for storage. Lean in to real materials like wood, metal, and stone, and soft but rugged textures like canvas, cotton, flannel, rope, and burlap.
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Level up the lighting. Go with warm-hued lanterns, Edison-style string lights, or tiki torches. Opt for warm LEDs for both vibes and power efficiency, or candles for mood lighting. Just abide by campsite rules and steer clear of fire hazards.
The Accessories
Any good stylist will tell you it’s all about the accessories, and the same is true for a camping trip that exceeds the ordinary. Of course, much like the campsite aesthetics, the amount of accoutrements you can accommodate depends on the logistics (of course we’re not recommending hauling any of this along for a two-week backpacking trip). But if you’re able to add a little pop of luxury to a shorter trip, the juice is almost always worth the squeeze.
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Pack luxurious linens instead of swishy, scratchy nylon sleeping bags. Make a little nest of cozy quilts, cottons, and pillows.
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Bring along a boho-style macrame hammock. They pack light and hang easy – kinda like how you’ll be hanging easy.
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Invest in a rugged (but stylish) outdoor-ready Bluetooth speaker. Phone speakers just ain’t gonna cut it. Your camping activities playlist deserves better.
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Burn sage smudge sticks at your campfire. Not only does it add atmosphere, clear energy (so they say), and make your site smell dreamy, but this camping idea is also an all-natural mosquito repellent, too.
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Boost your camp kitchen with a portable grill grate (looks fancy and cooks just like a grill, opening you up to more complex recipes) and a French press for the most satisfying cup of coffee of your life.
Camping Activities
No shade to hiking, fishing, boating, ghost stories, or cornhole — far be it from us to knock the classics, and we say go where the wind takes you. But if you’re craving something a little outside of the ordinary for your next outing, try these camping activities that thread the needle between active and casual.
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Try geocaching. Not only will it add an extra layer of adventure to your hike, but it’s also free, group-friendly, and you’ll end up with a little treasure (or at least a good conversation piece) at the end.
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Engage in some stargazing with a telescope and a constellation guide. You know we’re going to get to it, but this one goes extra well with a good gummy.
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Pack up the paint and get into some rock or driftwood painting. Way better than Paint Night at home, this one’s easy and gets everyone talking and laughing around the fire, plus you end up with a nice little keepsake as a bonus.
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Bring a digital projector for a movie night under the stars. Nowadays, projectors can fit in a pocket or a backpack, run on a charge, hook up to a phone, and won’t break the bank. If you’ve got a decently sized canvas tent or can hang up a white blanket between some trees, you’ve got a magical outdoor movie theatre.
Elevated Eats
They say food tastes better outdoors, and we don’t disagree. These camping ideas are technically functional because you do need calories when you’re in the wilderness, but let’s zhuzh up the cuisine side of the trip a bit, shall we?
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Break out the real plates. Sure, paper plates (or fingers) are camping classics, but dining off of some nice stoneware in the great outdoors just feels magical.
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Prep bulk mocktails in an aesthetic dispenser. For summery trips, we love an alcohol-free twist on the Mayahuel cocktail, a mix of lime juice, pineapple juice, agave syrup, and grated cinnamon. It’s usually served with tequila, but you can nix the booze and garnish with a Camino Sours Tropical Burst ‘Energy’ for a mocktail that pairs perfectly with a hike, game of bocce, or late-night beachside fire pit hang.
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Swap out the same old camp meals for elevated food fare like charcuterie spreads, yakitori-style grilled veggies, paella, couscous, tortillas and tacos of all sorts, German brats (rather than hot dogs), and overnight oats with lots of fresh toppings (you can repurpose your granola or trail mix here) for breakfast.
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A good set of cast-iron pie irons really opens up your campfire dining options, letting you make hand pies, panini-like sandos and more over the open flame. Why not add mini-pie-making to your list of camping activities, too?
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Don’t forget the most important snack – edibles. We suggest Camino Sparkling Pear ‘Social’ for campfire convos, Camino Sours Watermelon Spritz ‘Uplifting’ for energizing hikes and camping activities, Freshly Squeezed ‘Recover’ for sunrises and campground coffees, and Midnight Blueberry ‘Sleep’ for getting cozy anywhere you lay your head.
And if you do want those s’mores? Layer in a THC twist with a Kiva Dark Chocolate Bar for a campfire classic, reinvented.
Dan is a freelance writer, small business owner, and full-time creative living in Dallas, TX. In 15 years of writing, he’s been fortunate to collaborate with companies and publishers like Cannabis and Tech Today, Healthfully, Salon.com, ArtBase, The Seattle Times, USA Today, SF Gate, and many more.
