Lockdown restrictions are lifting, so you can finally start to prepare for our next trip away.

You may not be unpacking your tent, taking long hikes or relaxing around a BBQ at a campsite just yet, but from July 4, you'll be able to go on a camping getaway.

The Winfields Outdoors blog already has dozens of helpful articles designed to inspire you to have the best outdoors experience possible, and for this latest post we have collated some of the best ideas and top tips to help make sure you are ready to hit the camping ground running when the time comes.

Top preparation tips for your getaway:

Make sure your tent is in good order

Imagine after weeks spent indoors or isolating from your loved ones, you finally reach your tenting pitch and are looking forward to a well-deserved family break. You open your tent out ready to pitch and – disaster - it’s damaged.

Devastating, right?

It doesn’t need to be this way. If, like many of us, you have more time than you know what to do with at present, then now is the time to carry out that crucial maintenance to ensure you don’t endure any nasty surprises when you reach your holiday destination.

From small tears to large rips and from bent pegs to broken poles, we’ll make sure you don’t get caught out in the wilderness.

Check out our complete guide to tent repair maintenance and the importance of checking your tent before you camp.

Pack away properly

If your tent has been packed away for months, and wasn't correctly packed at the end of your last outdoors trip, then you could be in for a shock when starting to pitch it next time.

Of course, any issues with your tent when last packed away will still be there now - so don't delay and make sure you have ironed out any problems before day one of your next holiday.

For example, if your tent was packed away wet after a rainstorm then there’s a good chance it will be covered in mould or mildew when you next get it out. This will mean having to thoroughly clean the tent, which may well delay your camping holiday hopes.

If you just squashed your tent into its bag and didn't carefully roll it away, then you may have unwittingly caused some minor damage.

Find out why it's so important to correctly pack away your tent.

Give your tent a reproof

Being in the UK means you can never completely trust the weather – which could, in turn, mean your tent is left vulnerable to the elements.

With sunshine often turning to rain in minutes, you need to make sure your tent is completely waterproofed.

Although most tents are either covered in a waterproof membrane or treated with an agent to prevent against moisture soaking through the fabric, after a while this can wear away and will need replacing with tent waterproofing spray.

Guard against an unexpected – and unwanted – leak in your tent and use your spare time now to re-waterproof your tent.

Check out our guide to the best ways to waterproof your tent

Freshen up your sleeping bag

If you love camping then there’s a good chance your sleeping bag could benefit from some TLC.

And what better time than now to give it a freshen up in readiness for your next adventure?

From patching tears or holes to washing and even waterproofing, you can care for your sleeping bag in the same way as your coats to ensure longevity.

There are many different ways to clean your sleeping bag at home, from spot cleaning to hand washing and machine washing.

Our complete guide to helping you care for one of your most important camping essentials will help ensure a good night’s sleep next time around. Read our sleeping bag care guide.

Check over your jackets and boots

Along with your tent, you’ll want to make sure your main camping clothing items are ready for their next outing.

Jackets and boots aren’t cheap so looking after them is crucial to ensuring you don’t need to replace them at regular intervals.

As with all clothing products, the time will come when you’ll need to replace them – but before taking that decision there are steps you can take, whether it be re-proofing your jacket or regularly cleaning your shoes.

Waterproof jackets and walking boots are expertly manufactured nowadays, with many years of research going into their design. However, they don’t last forever and eventually will begin to succumb to the rigours of the outdoors.

Are you at that stage yet?

Check out these 5 signs it’s time to replace your walking boots and find out if it’s time to replace your waterproof jacket

Get the extras you didn’t know you needed

Just because you have the key camping kit sorted – the tent and your clothing – doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready for the outdoors just yet.

There is an incredible array of camping products you probably didn’t even know existed – all of which will contribute to ensuring you have the best possible experience when you’re able to go away.

Of course you don’t need all of these extras – you can consider them ‘nice to haves’ – but at Winfields Outdoors we stock an amazing range of products, from collapsible utensils to plump pillows and from inflatable seating to tent carpets – all designed to give you the best possible home from home experience.

Plan your destination

Finally, having checked all of your kit is in good shape (or not!), it’s time to allow your mind to wander to the future and begin planning where you are going to be heading.

You may already be a seasoned camper and know exactly where you’ll be travelling to, but if you’re a novice to living outdoors and are in need of some inspiration, then we’ve put together some great ideas to get you in the mood.

Check out our guide to the best 20 campsites to stay at in 2020