5 Essentials for Camping

Camping in the great outdoors can be an essential to life as it helps with sleep, happiness, mindfulness and of course, increases our vitamin D intake.

But that’s enough about why we should go camping and talk more about the essential items we think you cannot forget to bring with you to ensure you have a safe, comfortable and enjoyable camping trip.

 

Comfort First

This one might be obvious, but for first time campers a strong (and preferably waterproof) tent is number one on our list. Unless you’re travelling in a camper van, the last thing you want is to be woken up from water or mud seeping through the floor or roof of your temporary room.

Depending on the time of year you’re going camping, you’d also want to invest in a comfortable sleeping bag that’s not too thick or warm. Not just so it’s suitable for most weather conditions, but so it’s easy to put away and carry around if you’re having to carry it on your back while hiking.

Speaking of hiking, the next important item you’ll need to take are good quality hiking shoes. You want a pair that’s durable, comfortable and also lightweight (your gear is heavy enough already). Lucky that’s our area of expertise. We’ve got a huge range of men’s, women’s and kids hiking boots to choose from.

For those who camp to simply listen to the peaceful sounds of nature, enjoy the scenic views or even go fishing, you’ll want a collapsible camping chair with compartments and drink holders to keep you refreshed and relaxed from dusk until dawn.

 

Protect Yourself

Now, we always hope for no injuries or broken bones on any trip however accidents can’t be helped sometimes. It’s always best to have a first aid kit on you just in case with band aids, an assortment of headache tablets and other basic over-the-counter meds. You never know what you might need. It’s much easier to have medication and not need it than to be sitting in a gusty tent at 3am with a pounding migraine.

If you happen to be camping during the summer or on sunny day, you want to be slip slop slapping the sunscreen because you certainly don’t want to expose yourself to sunburn and not be able to have a soothing cold shower to ease the pain.

The last thing you want to deal with on a relaxing camping trip are pests and bugs. Bug spray is a must have item. Let’s face it – you will encounter plenty of flying critters and creepy crawlies while you’re camping but being covered in bites means you can forget about enjoying a good night’s sleep. It’s also handy to bring some anti-venom, just in case. (Better to be safe than sorry)

 

Let There be Light

Although you’ll be spending most of your camping trip exploring during the day, you just never know when you’ll need light during the night. Our recommendation is getting portable, battery operated lights like torches, and more conveniently, head torches so you can navigate hands free. You also don’t want to get into a situation where you’ve run out of batteries so don’t forget to bring spares.

Ready, Set, Refuel!

We know we all need food, snacks and hydration to keep us going so it’s important to pack nutritious, nutty and preferably dehydrated food that will not only boost your energy and keep you satiated, but will last longer than fresh, hydrated foods. Nut bars, trail mixes and of course bottles of water just to name a few. Check out our Top 5 Hiking Snacks for more ideas and recipes.

Keeping Clean

Practicing good hygiene has certainly become one of the most famous trends, especially now. Being immersed in the outdoors, we’re bound to encounter plenty of mud, dirt and bugs so you’ll want to pack wet wipes, cleaning supplies and rubbish bags if you have rubbish bins available.

It’s also good to have a collapsible drying rack ready. Perhaps your trip spontaneously went from two days to ten, you’re going to need to hand-wash some of your clothes. Now, dangling hand-washed delicates from trees and branches can be tricky (although amusing), but it’s much easier and quicker to bring your own little drying rack to prop outside the tent for privacy and convenience.

Packing A Little Extra

In case you want to go the extra mile on your camping trip, you might also want to take.

• A compass – for times when paths and trees start to look the same
• A pocketknife – if you ever need to get yourself out of a sticky situation
• A poncho – if the weather decides to take a sudden, wet turn
• And finally, some extra clothes for those unpredictable situations

Now all that’s left is to ENJOY YOUR CAMPING TRIP :)