5 Camping Essentials

around a camp fire

I love camping. In fact, I have been camping almost every year since I was born! My family spent many fun holidays exploring the UK with our tent in tow and I have lots of great memories. We still go camping regularly and will be popping down to Salisbury this summer for our annual camping trip.

Your camping supplies can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make them. We usually take some modern comforts with us but there are still a few items that are a must-have. Camping comes in all sorts of formats from sleeping under canvas to enjoying luxury in a campervan, but no matter what there are a few things that will always be needed.

Check out my top camping essentials here:

Quality bedding

One of the worst things on a camping holiday is to wake up with a crick in your neck or pain in your back which slows you down during the day. It is important to invest in good camping bedding to keep you warm and cosy as well as comfortable whilst you rest from your day exploring.

The temperature rating is an important factor to consider when choosing a sleeping bag, so be sure to check the label to see which one is suitable for your trip. You will also need to put your sleeping bag on something like a roll mat, inflatable mattress or a camp bed. Choose one which best suits you and your tent – camp beds are great for adding extra space but if you move around a lot you might end up falling off!

Having tried and tested many sleeping options we have settled on a product called a Duvalay, a sleeping bag made up of a foam mattress attached to a duvet on one side creating a snug and comfortable pocket to sleep in. They are pricey but if you’re someone who treasures a good night’s sleep and camps regularly it’s worth considering!

A reliable knife

When you are camping you need to make sure you have the correct tools to ensure you have a safe trip. It’s good to have a multi-purpose knife to cut through thick bushes quickly or prepare your quarry for the feast if you’ve been hunting or fishing (check out the best colour boilies for carp here.)

There is a huge range of knives specially designed for those of us who enjoy being outside including bushcraft knives, bowie knives, hunting knives, camping knives, hatchets, axes and choppers. It’s worth thinking about what the knife will be used for and choosing one designed for the purpose. The general rule when choosing a knife for camping is: it must have a non-slip handle, it must be sharp and it must be easy to sharpen when you’re ‘in the field’.

Lighting

There’s a rule of thumb when you’re camping that you live by the light; getting up at dawn and going to bed at dusk because let’s face it, it’s hard to do anything without light to see by. Late evenings sat around the table and midnight trips to the toilet mean lanterns and torches will be in your camping supplies.

When it comes to choosing a lantern think where you will want to put it – most come with a handle so you can hang it up to light a larger area or simply set it down on a table allowing a 360-degree light display, allowing many people to use the same source of light.

A lantern is only as good as the light it projects so choose one with 100 lumens for small groups and higher lumens for larger. Consider the power source for your lighting – batteries? re-chargeable? Recently we have frequented camping sites with electricity hook-ups so we are able to simply plug in a lamp when required.

Entertainment

When you’re not busy exploring your surroundings you will need something to do in your tent which will keep boredom at bay. As we usually have electricity when we camp I tend to bring my favourite electronics including my Kindle for reading books and watching downloaded videos and a Nintendo or similar gaming device.

In the past when we did not have the electricity available the family would gather together in the evenings to play cards or board games (Monopoly being a favourite), so it’s worthwhile considering putting together an electricity-free entertainment pack for such times.

First Aid Kit

While you hopefully won’t have to use it, packing a first-aid kit is an important part of your camping preparations. Burns, scratches, cuts or bumps—are bound to happen on an active camping trip so having some basic medical staples at hand would be a good idea.

Include essential items such as blister pads (you’ll definitely need these if you’re going to do a lot of walking), plasters, sterile gauze, bandages, wound dressing, anti-bacterial cream and pain-relievers. It’s also a good idea to keep some anti-itch creams handy in case you get insect bites. There are lots of kits suitable to take with you available from retailers like Boots, so have a browse and choose one best suited to the activities you’re planning on your trip.

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