Think sex and sleeping bags don’t mix? Think again. Here’s how to have sex while camping – and actually enjoy it. Experienced camper (kind of!) Sarah Fielding has a few survival tips for getting down in the great outdoors.
I’m not one with nature. Or even two. I’m so afraid of snakes, I can’t look at pictures of them. But when I moved from New York to Australia, I met a guy who loved camping. One bat of his blue eyes and a promise to make me prawns on the braai and I found myself in the coastal fishing town of Cervantes, about two and a half hours north of Perth, holding a flashlight while he assembled a tent.
He kept asking me to pass him different pieces of equipment, but I had no idea what any of them were called. In short, I was useless.
READ MORE: Here’s Why This Mini Vibrator Is My Sneaky New Travel Essential
Until the tent went up – literally and metaphorically.
Having Sex While Camping Can Reignite The Spark
Somehow all my reservations went away. I didn’t care about the people camping around us. (Sorry about the noise, mates.) I didn’t care about the disproportionately large number of venomous animals that call Australia home. My reservations about sex itself also went away.
Even in such a small space, we couldn’t get close enough to each other. The walls I’d always kept up in the familiarity of a bedroom came down.
It was only the first experience, but I learned that nothing unleashes your animal instincts quite like doing it in the wilderness, nowhere close to home. Relationship and sex therapist Eliza G. Boquin agrees.
“Novelty is often a key ingredient for passion, which is why sex in the great outdoors during a camping trip can be so exhilarating,” she says. “The danger element can be tremendously erotic. Feeling like we’re doing something ‘naughty’ together can be a real turn-on for some couples.”
READ MORE: 23 Bucket List Hikes To Do In South Africa, From Day Hikes To Wild Camping
Turned on to camping sex? Great. Now it’s time to get ready. Follow these tips to make your “wild” night a success.
The Camping Sex Survival Kit: What To Pack For A Wild Night Outdoors
When you’re packing for your next excursion, make room for these camping-sex essentials:
Step 1: Get Off the Ground (Literally)
Bring a sleeping pad. The ground is not the hard thing you want to have in that tent. An inflatable pad like NaturehIke’s FC-11 Ultralight Prismatic Double Inflatable Pad (R1 499, Naturehike) is the way to go, because it’s lighter than one of those foam monstrosities. You want to carry as little weight as possible so you can save your energy for later.
Step 2: Pack Lube and a Towel
“Being in the outdoors can make it easy to get dehydrated,” says Mia Barrett, a sexuality educator and consultant. For people with vaginas, “that dehydration can decrease your natural lubrication. Pick up a few sample-size packets of lube for your trip.” You could stock up on the 25 pack of Lubrimaxxx Travel Wallet Size Sachet in Strawberry (R175, Takealot).
Step 3: Charge Your Toys
Bring battery-powered or fully charged sex toys, says Amy Levine, a sex coach and the founder of the website Ignite Your Pleasure. Swan’s PalmPower Rechargeable Personal Massager (R1 799, Loot) is waterproof and gives you 90 minutes of playtime on a single charge.
READ MORE: The 9 Best Natural Lubes For A Happy Vagina
Step 4: Use Natural Bug Spray
Bug spray tastes terrible and here’s nothing sexy about DEET. Use natural bug repellents like Badger Anti-Bug Spray (R220, Faithful To Nature), with ingredients such as rosemary and peppermint – stuff you won’t mind tasting a few hours later.
Step 5: Wipes Are Your Best Friend
If you can get your hand on them, cedar-scented body wipes will help you freshen up after a day of hiking and make you smell like a woodsman. (Get resourceful: You can also use the wipes to clean up your post-sex mess, Levine says.) The Sea To Summit Wilderness Wipes Compact (R59.90, Sportsmans Warehouse) are pH balanced and contain soothing aloe vera and moisturising Vitamin E.
Step 6: Don’t Leave a Trace
Always pick up after yourself. Bring a sealable bag to hold the remnants of your romp until you find a garbage receptacle. “Treat the wilderness with respect and leave it as you found it,” Barrett says. “No one wants to come across a used condom while they’re trying to appreciate nature.”
READ MORE: The 31 Best Erotic Novels To Take On Your Next Camping Trip
Step 7: Vent That Tent
Let off steam – literally. Tents get hot and humid, fast so unzip the inner lining of your tent to let in some fresh air.
Shop The Goods
Ultimately, it’s not just about logistics. It’s about letting go of the everyday, embracing a bit of risk and learning to connect in new ways. Once you know how to have sex while camping – and how to make it comfortable, safe and actually fun – you might just find that nature has never looked (or felt) so good.
This article written by Sarah Fielding was originally published in the July/August 2019 issue of Men’s Health US.
Women’s Health participates in various affiliate marketing programmes. It means we may get commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
