Growing up we had a large family. So I always had to share a room. But there was one spot we could go that I had plenty of space…
CAMPING!!!
The outdoors is a beautiful thing and I love to camp. There’s nothing like sitting around the fire roasting marshmallows, or sleeping on the ground under the stars. Camping can be an exciting thing if you come prepared for it, but more often than not people end up miserable and regretful of their decision to go camping.
If you want your trip to be enjoyable then make sure that you prepare by packing everything that you need and don’t forget about these 11 important items:
- Tent
- Air mattress or cot
- Sleeping bag
- Pillow (NOT optional)
- Water bottles and a water filter if the tap is far away from your campsite
- Rain poncho
- Towel, soap, toilet paper & hand sanitizer for use in campground restrooms – do not forget this!
- Sunscreen/hat
- Bug spray
- First aid kit
- Flashlight with extra batteries
Let’s go through each of them and understand why each is important.
1. Tents are essential for camping!
Tents may be essential, but you don’t want to spend all your money on an expensive tent unless you know that you are going to be going camping a lot. There are a look of good inexpensive tents that you can get while you are still trying to figure out if you are the camping type.
You can read about some suggestions for picking the right tent in my article What Tent Should I Get For Camping?
Make sure that it is big enough for the number of people who are going, and make sure there’s room inside so everyone can get up at night without disturbing others sleeping. Tents usually tell how many people can sleep in it, but the number they provide is only if you sleep like sardines. I usually go with the math of the number of people camping time 1.5. That give you enough room to sleep and keep your stuff in the tent. So if there are two of you going camping then you want a 4 person tent (they don’t really make 3 person tents). If you are a family of 4, then you want a tent that will sleep 6.
Keep in mind that tents are not only for sleeping. People have parties in them, they are storage for your other camping essentials, and they are needed for when you want to change your clothes.
2. An Air Mattress or Cot can save your back!
Sleeping on the ground is fun when you are younger, but when you get to a certain age it makes a difference what you sleep on. Maybe you want the experience of “roughing it”, but personally I enjoy camping more when I get a good nights sleep. Then I can go hiking, boating, or what every else is planned without being tired.
If you want to go the cheap route you can get a roll of foam, but if you are looking for something a little more standard there is camping cots or even an inflatable air mattress. Air mattresses come in a couple different types. The self inflatables work alright, but they barely get you off the ground, so it is only a small step above sleeping directly on the ground. The full size air mattress provide a bit more comfort, but be ware because if it is cold where you are camping, the air in the mattress will cool down to the same temperature as the air around it. You will feel like you are sleeping on top of an ice cube.
3. Sleeping Bags
The choice you make on your sleeping bag is very important. You can find some suggestions of good sleeping bags in my article about Best Sleeping Bags for Near Freezing Weather.The most important thing to note about your sleeping back is the temperature rating on it. This is something that is very confusing to a lot of people. The temperature rating on a sleeping back is to tell you how cold it can get and still keep you alive – it is not how cold it can get and keep you comfortable!!!
Let me explain that with an example. We went camping and I looked at the weather. I saw that it was not going to get below freezing so I grabbed a light 35 degree sleeping bag. The temperature during the night dropped down to 40 degrees. I was cold the whole night! But I did not die. The sleeping bag did exactly what it was supposed to do – it kept me alive.
So from that point on, I changed the way I looked at the temperature rating. Now I try to use a bag that is rated at least 30 degrees below what I expect the weather to be. So if it is near freezing, then I will use a 0 degree bag.
The second thing to be aware of is the type of material the sleeping bag is made of. I will refer to them as a mummy bag and a traditional bag. The mummy bag has a slick material on the inside and the layer between the outside and inside trap all the heat to keep you warm like a mummy. My experience though is that the inner material is always cold. For that reason I prefer the more traditional sleeping bag.
By traditional I am referring to the type of sleeping bag that feels like a large blanket with a zipper. It is usually flannel lined so you don’t get that cold nylon feel. But the drawback of the traditional style is that it has to be rolled up and does not stuff down as small as a mummy bag usually does. But if you are camping with a significant other, there are some great two person sleeping bags as well!
4. Pillows are essential
Some people say pillows are optional, but I say they are crazy! I sleep with a pillow when I am at home in bed, so if I go camping I want to have a pillow. It is not always good to take your home pillow though. You may end up smelling the campfire for the next month when you sleep.
Some good alternatives are an old pillow from home you don’t use any more. Also there are some nice inflatable pillows that you can get for cheap. These types store well inside your sleeping bag when you put it away so you don’t have to worry about forgetting it. Or if you are feeling extra brave you can just steal the pillow from others while they are sleeping…
5. Water bottle or Water Filter
Camping in a place without a reliable water source is a recipe for stomach problems. The concern in getting sick from drinking water in these situations isn’t just about dehydration, it’s the chance of getting campylobacteriosis or giardia from untreated water.
If you want to remove any potential bacteria from untreated sources, there are two options:
1) boiling the water for 10 minutes- This will sterilize the water and kill any present bacteria.
2) using a filter– This will remove all but viruses. If you’re going to be out overnight and don’t have an available electricity source to boil the water, it’s best that you use a filter or purifying tablets instead. It may take longer than boiling, but it’s much better than getting sick.
6. Rain Ponchos Keep You Dry
A rain poncho is one of the most important things to pack if you are going camping. There is always a chance of annoying rainfall! When the campsite already has a good shelter for everyone to go under when it rains, then you might not need your own personal one with you. But even when the shelters offer protection from the weather, best to keep some just in case.
Rain Ponchos come in all shapes and sizes. There are ones that are built for just rain and others that are more like an umbrella jacket. Some will be large enough that two people can share one or they can be very small so they don’t take up much room. I always recommend taking two, just in case one of them breaks or gets lost out on the trail somewhere.
7. Toiletries are essential for healthy camping
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking there are no diseases in the woods! There are plenty of germs and bacteria that can make you sick. And don’t forget you will have to go to the bathroom at some point.
You still need to keep up with basic hygiene
- brush your teeth before you go to bed
- wash your hands before you eat
- take a shower if it is available, if not baby wipes are a good substitute
8. Sunscreen and a Hat
Sunscreen and a hat can save you days of pain after you get home. Most people do not speed all day outside, so when you go camping it may be a shock to find how much sun your body will soak up. Without sunscreen and a hat you can end up with some pretty bad sunburns.
Sunscreen is a must-have for everyone, but especially those with sensitive skin. I recommend at least SPF 30 and above as it will help protect your body from damaging rays that can lead to cancer or just irritating burns on the surface of your skin that may cause you some discomfort later.
I know there are hat lovers out there, and hat lovers I recommend having a nice brimmed one with you. But if your favorite headpiece is more of something that sits on top, then maybe consider wearing it backwards or taking an extra bandana to tie around the back of your neck.
9. Bug Spray
Even in the woods, mosquitos and other insects love to find a human who is sweating and breathing, so be ready for bugs! Yes it stinks (literally and figuratively), but like sunscreen it can save you days of pain after you finish camping. So just bite the bullet and spray on some bug spray before they bite you.
10. First Aid Kit
There are lots of first aid kits that can be used when you are out camping, but there are a few essentials that you should make sure are in your kits every time you set out.
Some type of tweezers are very useful when removing splinters and ticks! Also make sure there’s some band-aids in case someone gets hurt. These don’t need to be high quality or anything, just make sure you have a few in case. Include with the bandaids is some type of cleaning solution, soap and water, hydrogen-peroxide, or some other similar type of cleanser.
Also include an anti-bacterial ointment and some insect sting wipes. Last time I went camping we had one of our kids get stung by a wasp. This of course made his friends go look at where he was stung, so they all got stung as well. Now we have to restock our first aid kit.
11. Flashlight with Extra Batteries
I would suggest at least one per person, maybe even more. There are lots of good options for providing light while camping. A traditional flashlight is always a good choice, but you could also go with a head lamp style. These are very nice for when you need to do things with your hands.
Around the campsite if you want to play some games it can also be great to have a lantern. This will provide a lot of light without any one person needing to hold it. There are great LED options for this, or I always like the sound of the older propane style lanterns.
Let’s go camping!
Camping is a wonderful thing. I love to camp, but you have to prepare or else it can end up being miserable and you regret your decision before the trip even starts. Let me know in the comments below if you think anything was missed from these helpful tips!
