Have you ever wanted to escape the nine to five, daily grind?

Have you let nature dictate your schedule rather that your Smartphone?

Maybe your next trip can be into nature with the help of this article contributed by my peer travel writer Stephen Jones.

That’s why I have asked my peer travel writer, Stephen Jones, to help make your next camping trip a real getaway. Thanks Stephen!

Enjoy his tips!

Humans have been revelling in the spectacle of a majestic sunrise, or a sky filled with stars, for as long as they’ve been walking the earth. Great adventures have often been found in the grandeur of nature, not just in flashy Florence or Dubai points of interest.

In the busy and industrialised 21st Century, however, many of us find ourselves surrounded by electronics and concrete walls day and night, with seldom a chance to get away from it all.

A camping trip can be the perfect way to recapture some of that primal peace and wonder — but there are certain things we need to do in order for our camping trips to be real getaways.

Ditch the electronics 

Electronics and electrical goods are, in many ways, the heart of modern life. We work in front of computers, communicate with phones, relax in front of TVs, and stay awake late into the night with high power light bulbs allowing us to enjoy Netflix for as long as we want.

Leaving all of those electronic luxuries (except the essentials for our health and safety) at home when heading out into the great outdoors is a great of allowing ourselves to take a break and reset.

Instead of staring at a screen for entertainment or information, read a book, talk to someone, go on a walk, or look up at the stars.

Ditch the luxuries

A good sleeping bag and tent aren’t likely to do any harm to your outdoor getaway, but packing your portable espresso maker and battery-powered microwave might be pushing things a bit.

One of the great things about camping is that it forces us to become more conscious about the everyday behaviours we take for granted. Instead of popping a meal in the microwave, we have to cook it over an open fire. Instead of driving from place to place, we have to hike.

The fact that these things are harder work is part of the point — not because we should try and punish ourselves, but because we should seek to get back that feeling of intentional living, at least for a weekend.

Let the stars, moon and sun set your clock

Staying up all night when camping and waking up around noon with an alarm, is easily one of the worst things you could do for the overall impact and value of your trip. That’s because one of the key benefits of camping is its ability to reconnect us with the ebb and flow of nature.

If you just rely on minimal lighting and agree to pass up on any nocturnal cups of coffee, you’ll find that you quickly begin to get really sleepy when the sun goes down, and wake up shortly after it rises.

When the sun’s up, get active

As in hunter-gatherer times, any physically active chores, adventures, or pastimes will need to be dealt with when the sun’s up.

Take full advantage of this — and heed the obvious lesson from nature. When the sun’s up, you should be busy, making the most of the day and enjoying every last breath of air and glimmer of light. When the sun’s down, time has come to wind down and get ready to sleep.

**Post contributed by Stephen Jones a peer adventure travel writer based in the U.K.**