You’re at the campground, the weather is terrific, and you’re with great company. You’re probably capturing a bunch of memories, and you want to show them off instantly to your social media friends. So you’re probably going to wonder if the campground is even offering Wi-Fi?
Of course, they do! If libraries have Wi-Fi, campgrounds should too! Many campgrounds nowadays have Wi-Fi connections; the demand for Wi-Fi in remote areas increased with the number of millennials traveling and working. For some people, Wi-Fi is not a luxury but a necessity.
On the other hand, some camping sites do not have Wi-Fi as there’s also demand for remote nature camping. Being off the radar can be a rewarding experience for some people, and being connected is worthwhile for others. If you are passionate about camping and require a Wi-Fi connection, you need to have some insights.
Getting an excellent Wi-Fi connection while camping certainly requires some extra effort. There are several ways you can improve your Wi-Fi connection, even if you’re deep into the wild. Read on to know what to use for receiving the best Wi-Fi signal while camping.
Do Campgrounds have Wi-Fi?
Nowadays, most campgrounds have Wi-Fi at a varying price rate. You can make the most out of it by surfing up the campground you’re visiting and checking their Wi-Fi rate chart beforehand. But also, be prepared for poor connection because you never know!
People use the internet constantly, even on the go. Apart from its entertainment aspect, internet connection can be beneficial in several other ways, let me explain how:
- Wi-Fi allows you to stay updated with the world; if there’s a weather forecast, you can know quickly using the internet.
- Your family and friends can know where you are at all times. It’s dangerous to be camping alone, so Wi-Fi acts as a safety net in some cases.
- You can use the internet to look up roads and tracks for trekking.
- If you’re camping in another country, you can use the internet to translate and communicate.
- With Wi-Fi, you can order emergency products like medicine or get emergency services quickly.
Why Might Campground Wi-Fi Not Be Good?
Wi-Fi has been around for over two decades now. Over the last ten years, tech companies have struggled to better the technology. The goal was to give people more benefits. They wouldn’t have to rely on operator plans or satellite internet, or hotspots. What you can surf up and find across the World Wide Web has certainly evolved. When customers want to explore while they’re camping, they want to have access without barriers – just like they can at home.
Although more money means you get increased levels of bandwidth, that doesn’t ensure that you’ll get the best service from a campground. Consider the basic things you do when you’re online – you want to post on Facebook, maybe exchange a couple of emails and mostly be on YouTube and possibly download one file.
Frankly, the connection in campgrounds is expected to be bad. However, there are some ways you can improve connectivity.
How to Get Best Campground Wi-Fi?
Wondering how to get full access to the campground Wi-Fi? Here’s the real talk.
We’re sure you’ve already tracked down a fantastic campsite that won’t break the bank. You can use several tricks to have the best Wi-Fi a camp has to offer, or you can purchase products to ensure the best connectivity.
You need to have a clear idea of the region of your campground destination, so take out its satellite view and print out a picture of the screenshot. You should circle areas that have apparent barriers that may block or slow down Wi-Fi. Literally, any heavy structure such as buildings and trees could affect the speed of Wi-Fi.
Booking in advance is also a wise decision for camping, as you can stay near the Wi-Fi your campground is providing. The best idea is to use a booster for receiving smooth connectivity. You’ll get an in-depth discussion about Wi-Fi alternatives and boosters along with how to use them in the following section.
How to Get Better Connectivity in Campground?
Campers have come up with several solutions for getting Wi-Fi in the wild. While ensuring better connectivity means spending more cash, it’s all worth it if you can camp in peace.
Mobile Data
As an alternative to getting Wi-Fi on campgrounds, turn on your mobile data and tether the internet connection for your tasks.
While this is the fastest and easiest solution, it can be expensive if you’re depending on it throughout the entire camping trip. We wouldn’t recommend playing or uploading videos if you want to save up data for urgent mail.
Average Cost: 1 GB mobile data costs around $8-$12. If you’re not using the internet constantly, 1-2 GB of the internet should suffice.
Internet USB or Dongle
If you have ever used a phone, you’re familiar with USB cables. Internet USBs are cables that help you connect with a 3G network to provide Wi-Fi. Most campsites are ideal for using internet USBs, but if you go too far into the wild, these might not work as you’ll be out of network.
Average Cost: Internet USBs are available for all major mobile networks. These are also sold in contracts; you can pay as much as you use or have a contract. A dongle costs around $35-$50.
Satellite Wi-Fi
This is the most expensive of all options and also provides the best connectivity. Satellite Wi-Fi is for people who are professional travelers and are always on the move. These Wi-Fis don’t rely on any mobile network and are often offered to individual users.
Average Cost: Starlink, a famous satellite Wi-Fi brand, costs $99/ month. It also requires a one-time payment of $499.
Portable Wi-Fi Routers
These routers resemble the ones we use in our homes, but they work like a modem and have a SIM card inside. You can connect several devices with portable routers. Make sure that you purchase unlocked portable Wi-Fi routers so that you can use different SIM cards except for the one from the router’s company on your device.
Considering the cost, set up, usage, and bandwidth, these are the bests of all options for regular campers.
Average Cost: You can get year-wise or month-wise contracts on your portable router. The average cost is $25-$100/month, depending on the amount of internet purchase, bandwidth, and devices supported.
Should You Get A Portable Wi-Fi Router?
Why not? Even if you don’t plan to use a lot of it, why keep purchasing internet packages when you can carry portable Wi-Fi? You don’t have to worry about cell phone reception and wasting away entire runs of internet plans in the long run. Why not share the Wi-Fi, save a ton of money, get constant connectivity while you’re at the campground?
Don’t have one yet? Let’s help you to purchase the best suitable one for your preference!
4 Tips to Purchase Portable Wi-Fi Router for Camping
Portability and Durability – Remember, size matters. So to keep it light and off from taking up too much room in your bag, pick a device that’s compact in size and is also built durably so that it doesn’t crack in the edges or scratch easily on the surface.
Weather-Proof – We’re not going to assume that you’ll be camping in the summer. All hotspot routers are not built to be weatherproof, but you’ll want to keep the rainy and stormy days in mind to pick a competitive portable Wi-Fi.
Speed – Okay, some of us need our devices to connect to the Wi-Fi immediately after turning it on. Understandably, you don’t want to wait around for it to successfully connect. Get a machine that prides itself on excellent downloading speed for decently large files and offers excellent connectivity for desktop computers.
However, this often comes with a con. Usually, the more speed a hotspot offers, the faster its charge drains down to the red bar. Once again, a power bank would help finish uploading the last one percent of your file.
Budget – You have already seen the average cost, so don’t worry about breaking the bank for purchasing this gadget.
Conclusion
While nobody wants to admit it, Wi-Fi is the most favorite four-letter word we love anywhere and everywhere! Besides worrying about what to eat and how to survive the night in the cold, modern campers worry about not having an internet connection. Keeping one of the most demanded amenities in mind, campgrounds have Wi-Fi with a competitive mindset to provide the best bandwidth and service level.
Just in case there’s no guaranteed Wi-Fi, you can always arrange for alternatives as we suggested depending on your budget, abilities, and preparation time. If you’re choosing a camping destination, let us know which campground had the best Wi-Fi facilities!
Max, a passionate lumberjack and outdoors enthusiast, loves fishing, camping, and hunting. He has extensive experience in the great outdoors and is eager to join Outdoor Fun Mag to share his adventures and knowledge. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, Max promises to bring laughter, learning, and an unforgettable outdoor experience.