Plan the Best Halloween Camping Trip with these Spooky Ideas!
Just as the weather begins to transition into summer, October 31st marks the beginning of the camping season in New Zealand and just so happens to be Halloween! Admittedly, Halloween isn’t as celebrated in New Zealand as it is with enthusiasm by our friends in the US, Canada, the UK, Mexico and elsewhere, but if you usually celebrate this spooky occasion, or are looking to liven up a camping trip when travelling with kids at this time of year, then here are some spooky ideas for your Halloween camping trip.
1. Decorate Your Campsite with Spooky Lighting
You can have hours of fun with the kids even before leaving home for your Halloween camping trip. Make your own paper lanterns to hang around your campsite, turn old bedsheets into spooky ghosts, carve pumpkins and get some fairy or LED lights together to set the eerie tone. Although you can get solar-powered LED lights, you can make sure your set-up is powered all night long (along with the other electronics mentioned on this list) with a BLUETTI portable power station. More on that later…
© BLUETTI2. Dress Up!
What is Halloween without costumes? If you’re camping with kids, it is essential to make (or buy) a funky costume for the event. Better yet, amp up the excitement with a costume contest where the kids can parade their outfits on a makeshift runway (lined with LED lights, perhaps?) while the parents and maybe even some of your camping neighbours are the judges. And, let’s be honest, if it’s an all-adults party, do you still need an excuse to dress up?
© Unsplash3. Watch a Scary Movie
Don’t miss out on your obligatory scary movie on Halloween just because you’re in the wilderness. In fact, that makes it all the more terrifying! With a little pre-planning (as it’s likely that you’ll be out of range of WiFi), you can download a scary movie or two and make sure it’s compatible with your laptop/tablet/portable projector, and away you play! Make sure you have your portable power station, so the movie doesn’t end before the protagonist escapes the haunted house…
© BLUETTI4. Have a Lollies Scavenger Hunt
Swap trick or treating for a scavenger hunt as a fun way for the kids to get candy or sweets (in New Zealand, we call them “lollies”). Hide lollies around the campground and see who can gather the most! It’s a great way for the kids (and adults) to get some exercise in the great outdoors!
© Pexels5. Tell Spooky Stories Around the Campfire
… If your chosen campsite allows campfires, that is. Either way, a campfire is not the important part; but a torch light (flashlight) to hold under your face while telling the story is. If you don’t have an eager storyteller in your group, there are plenty of creepy podcasts available. Either way, make sure your batteries for your torch or sound system are fully charged or have a BLUETTI power station at the ready.
© Unsplash6. Take a Night Time Hike
Sure, New Zealand offers many wonderful hikes with beautiful scenery to lap up during the daytime, but there are some interesting reasons to hike at night too. Take a head torch (preferably one with a red filter to lower your disturbance to nocturnal wildlife) and look out for ruru (native owl), kiwi, glowworms, tunnel-web spiders and more. The eerie ambience of a forest at night is enough to get even the toughest campers’ imaginations running!
© NZPocketGuide.com7. Make Some Halloween-Themed Treats
You can get really creative here, as well as prepare some Halloween treats before camping or during as an activity. Some cool ideas include:
- Bloody hot dog fingers (cook sausages on the barbecue or your electric/gas stove, carve the skin off the end in the shape of a fingernail, put them in a bun and decorate them with red sauce like a bloody finger)
- Monster burgers (cook up your burgers as you would usually and cut a slice of soft cheese with “teeth” on the edge to hang over the side between the burger and the bun)
- Witch’s brew (any stew-like dish made in a camping Dutch oven looks like witch’s brew)
- Damper shaped like a wrapped-up mummy
- Cast iron toasted pumpkin seeds
- Spooky cupcakes (prepare at home or bring the icing with you to decorate).
For more camping food tips, check out The Best Camping Meals, Inc. Camping Food List.
© Pexels8. Listen (and Dance) to a Halloween Playlist
Make more of a Halloween party out of your camping trip by bringing an awesome Halloween playlist along. Make your own playlist or there are plenty of pre-made Halloween playlists on Spotify and YouTube. Either way, you’ll want Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” on there. Make sure you pack an epic sound system and keep the party going all through the night with a sweet power station…
© PexelsPower it All for Cheaper with the BLUETTI Halloween Sale
Make sure your Halloween camping trip all goes to plan, where you won’t be haunted by blackouts, see your fairy lights dim into a sad glow or your scary movie come to a premature end, by picking up a portable power station from the BLUETTI Halloween Sale. From up to an A$1,100 discount to A$199 freebie, BLUETTI offers a slew of special deals for power generators, batteries and solar panels from this October 20 to November 3! The EB70 is one of our favourite camping options, boasting big power in a highly lightweight and portable package – and it’s gone from A$1,099 to A$999! Check out the Halloween Sale at bluettipower.com.au.
© BLUETTIMore About Halloween and Camping
That’s it for our list of ideas for your Halloween camping trip but here are more guides to help you prepare:
- The Top New Zealand Events & Festivals
- How to Get Electricity When Camping in New Zealand
- Camping Essentials Checklist for New Zealand
Finally, if there’s anything we’ve missed, you’re likely to find it in our complete guide to Camping in New Zealand.
