The Fibromyalgia Camping Checklist
My husband loves to camp. He grew up doing it. I did not, so it was a new thing for me 10 years ago. I was getting OK at it, and then 3 years ago fibromyalgia became a major factor in our lives. Because I didn't want to stop living, and I really didn't want my husband and children to stop living, we figured out some solutions. Chief among them was an inexpensive tent trailer we fixed up (all new canvas and cushions, because of my allergies.) After a few trips, I've figured out what I need in order to get through a couple of days in the wilderness without paying too steep a price.
Here's what it takes:
- Multiple changes of clothing that can be layered. That way I can adjust my temperature based on both the weather and my internal thermostat (which is broken) and avoid temperature-related symptom flares.
- Good bedding. A scratchy or cold-feeling sleeping bag, or one that wrinkles up underneath me, would keep me up all night. I'm fortunate that the soft, cozy one I use also has an "escape hatch" for my feet, so they don't get overheated. And forget those little camping pillows -- I take the good one that I use every night.
- Non-typical mosquito repellent. Spraying chemicals all over my body does bad things, but so does my mosquito allergy! On our last excursion, I used one of those new clip ons and was very happy with it. I also had success with a friend's homemade, all-natural spray. (If you'd like the recipe, let me know -- I'm sure she'd share!)
- Allergy medications & topical creams. I take 24-hour Zyrtec (cetirazine), but I make sure to have Benadryl on hand in case I find a new allergy. The cream is for mosquito bites and scratches from plants that make me itch -- which I think is most of them. (The Benadryl is also good for insomnia.) Also, I make sure to have TWO asthma inhalers in case one runs out.
- Non-smelly muscle creams. Sadly, I have to leave my Capzasin and Tiger Balm at home because they can attract bears and other unwanted close encounters. Aspercreme, for me, works almost as well without the strong food-related odor.
- Ice packs. Because some of my pains only respond to ice, we put several ice packs in our coolers. They help keep the food cold, and I can use them as needed.
- Plenty of hot drink options. I always take tea for the mornings, but I make sure to have some decaf options to warm me up at night.
- The entire medicine cabinet. The one thing I leave at home will be the one thing I need, so everything comes with me.
Someday I hope to have a power supply so I can take my CPAP with me, too -- and considering how loudly I snore without it, I imagine my husband will find one before long. And of course, the 3 major keys to success are:
- Pacing
- Pacing
- Pacing
Have you continued to camp in spite of your illness? What helps you get through it? What hard lessons have you learned? Share your experiences by leaving a comment below!
Suggested Reading:
- Learn How to Pace Yourself
- Develop Better Coping Skills
- Living With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Photo © Stockbyte/Getty Images
Comments
I’d like the natural mosquito repellant recipe if it worked for you!
thanks.
I’d love to get that recipe, too! My daughter and I both have FMS, and we seem to attract mosquitos but have problems with most repellents.
I also want to know about people that go camping who have FM…same sort of situation, with my man loving camping and I haven’t yet gone and now have FM….I don’t think he realizes how that may be a barrier and I hope there are ways to cope…please forward the mosquito recipe if you can!
I am 16 years young, and have suffered for about a year from fibromyalgia. My family and I love camping, we usually take three camping trips a year, and we are hiking and fishing every day. This past year, with my various pains and weaknesses, our trips have been modified greatly , but they are not impossible.
My most recent trip was in mid-June, only two weeks after I had received my diagnosis. Rather than bring the harsh mosquito chemicals, we brought the Off clip-on fans, and they worked great! They actually worked better than the spray in my opinion!
In order to prevent me from having to sit out the entire trip, we cut back on our activity level. Rather than go hiking AND fishing, we would just do one of the other. If we took a really long hike one day, we would spend the next day relaxing and taking short walks and drives, to keep the activity level up, and to prevent my muscles from getting too sore. This method worked great for me, I never had to grab the Tylenol or any other pain reliever.
The biggest struggle for me was the temperature. Depending on where you go camping at, it will probably be pretty cold at night. For me, my muscles are a lot stiffer and more sore with cold weather, so it was difficult to try and stay warm. The best thing was the camp fire, once darkness was setting in, we started up the fire, and I didn’t move from it until it was time for bed. It kept my body warm, which kept my muscles in an agreeable mood. It was also crucial for me to have a jacket and a blanket close by.
It is also important to have comfortable bedding to sleep on at night. During my trip, I only had a thin foam mattress and a sleeping bag, and it was my biggest regret. After a long day and lots of activity, it is necessary to have the most comfortable bed possible. I would suggest a thick foam mattress, and then an extra sleeping bad to sleep on top of. Socks, mittens, and a hooded jacket are also important for bed, to keep your hands, feet, and head warm. You’d be surprised at how big of a difference it makes when those things are kept warm and they don’t cramp up.
Overall, just limit your physical activity, stay warm, and keep moving. Don’t lay down and die, try to walk just a couple of minutes to keep your muscles stretched out and functioning.
Ditto on that bug repellent recipe. I’d love it.
I would also love that mosquito repellent recipe….in addition to the Fibro and CFS I have MCS and have been looking and looking for something that I can tolerate – so far with no luck.
Air mattress. 10 years ago I slept on this tiny foam pad that rolled up to virtually nothing so I could throw it in my backpack and hike 15 miles to our camp site. Sadly, no more. Campgrounds are more like it and I haven’t found anything better to sleep on than a good air mattress, (unless you have a trailer). I also love our big tent which is large enough that I don’t have to stoop over and hurt my back every time I get in it.
The most crucial things for me are to make sure that I am comfortable. I have a great cot that I sleep on because its too hard to get off the ground in a sleeping bag. The larger tent is also a must so that I am not stooping over and straining myself getting in and out. Making sure that I don’t overdo and know when to sit an activity out helps as well. If I have these things and my good pillows I can do ok without them I am a hot mess and end up in a big flare that takes weeks to get over. With modifications I think that you can do it just not as ruggedly as you once did. Before I was diagnosed my husband and I would climb mountains just to see the view on the other side and not think a thing about it. Now, thats just not going to happen for me again. It really stings knowing that I can’t do the things we once enjoyed but my husband is great about it and does his best to understand my limitations.
Hi everyone! My husband and I – and dogs – are avid campers and used to tent camp, but now have a travel trailer and it is awesome! however, the bed in it did not have a thick enough mattress, so we purchased a foam pad about 2″ thick to put under the mattress. We also have a thick comforter that we put under the sheets, so this bed is very comfy now. I still struggle with getting in and out of it though and that is a challenge. I have to use a step stool and then crawl on my hands and knees to actually get into the bed – its hard to explain, but we have to crawl over the couch sectional to get to the bed. When we bought the camper in 2005 we didnt think anything of it. Now I regret not considering it, but back then I didnt have the medical problems that I now have. In 2006 I fell down the stairs screwing up my right knee pretty bad, then the surgeries started to repair the damage. I think I developed FM sometime in 2006, but the symptoms would come and go. But my last surgery a year ago June – total knee replacement (I’m only 41!!!) – totally knocked me on my butt and I have not regained my energy or strength and deal with chronic pain everyday. This last June we took our annual trip to a big lake in our state and I was miserable the whole time. I slept for several days after arriving at the campsite. My allergies were out of control and I ached horribly. My poor husband didnt know what to do. I ended up leaving 2 days early because I couldnt deal with it. (My husband and his cousin always go together with the camper and I drive our car with the dogs in it). I did find out that I CANNOT make the 300 mile trip by myself – I cant sit that long in the car driving. I made many stops along the way to walk the dogs and stretch my legs, but I had horrible muscle spasms and leg cramps. Even with the frequent stops and taking my pain meds, the pain was still horrible. This next weekend we will be going camping again, but this trip will be very close to home. While camping I plan to take many walks with the dogs and stretch my body many times each day. I’ll also use some resistance bands and see if that helps – but above all else, like you said above, Pacing myself will be critical.
thanks for your awesome blog! I love your articles!
Nancy
yes, I sure would appreciate that mosquito repellant recipe. Are you really allergic to mosquitos, or is that just an exageration? I swear that bugs don’t even have to bite me…just land on me, and I’m already itching.
Yes, I really am allergic to mosquitoes. I have been my whole life — the bites cause huge hives that aches, and if I get a lot I’ll have an asthma attack.
I’m working on getting the repellent recipe from my friend — I’ll post it as soon as I can!
I hated camping when I was younger because I always felt so lousy. But we got an air mattress and a large tent, and it went really well, actually. I was surprised!
I also have FM and the one thing what always keeps me going (camoing, festivals etc) is the heatpatches you can get for saw shoulders/ back. one or two usually stops my body from going tense. It’s always been really good even just on evenings out in the winter.
Great list, thank you for taking the time t owrite it!