What Basic Gear Do You Need For Tent Camping?
Where To Start?
You may be dusting off your camping gear from winter storage and wanting to make sure you have everything you need. Or you may be getting ready to embark on your first camping trip ever and are not sure what to bring. Just remember there are 5 essential items all Humans need to survive. Food, Water, Heat, Air and Shelter. Of course, some people might argue and say, “All You Need Is Love”. Thanks John Lennon!
That is all well and good, but it doesn’t really tell you what gear you Need to bring. Or does it? Keeping these things in mind will help you remember and point you towards the things you actually need to bring. Nowhere on that list does it say you need a 50” OLED 4k television with surround sound. It would be nice, but definitely not a Need.
When you are Camping hopefully you will have plenty of Air to breath, so we are just going to leave that alone. The other things, Food, Water, Heat and Shelter require some attention. For these things, you will need some additional items, skills and knowledge to make these requirements a little more pleasant and useful for a camping vacation in the 21st century.
First off, I will give you a list of the basic items you need while Tent camping.
Then I will give you some things to consider when you are looking for and gathering these items for your next camping trip.
Basic Gear You Will Need To Bring With You:
(Click on the Gear or scroll down)
Tent:
One of the main parts of Tent Camping is of course the Tent. Having a shelter to protect you from the elements is nice to have. Not only that, but it gives you a nice reprieve from any bugs and mosquitoes you are probably going to encounter while camping.
(If you are interested, here is a great article to read about keeping mosquitoes away while camping.)
What Type Of Tent Do You Need?
However, you do want to make sure that you are choosing the right Tent for the type of camping adventure you are about to embark on. For example, you don’t want to carry a multi-room tent with you if you are hiking the Appalachian Trail. The opposite is also true if you are going to be staying at a campground for a couple of weeks, you don’t want to simply rely on a small backpacking tent. Choosing the right style tent for the camping conditions you are going to be in is key.
It’s always a good idea to do some shopping around. Tents come in all shapes and styles and come with many different features that might suit your needs better than others. Of course, after you buy your tent, it is always a great idea to practice setting it up and taking it down a couple of times to get used to it. Even if it is right in your living room. The last thing you want is to get to your campsite and have to take time to figure everything out, when all you want to do is relax.
(If you are not sure what style tent is best for you, this website goes over a brief description of all the styles of tents you can choose from.)
Tent Footprint
A tent footprint is an item you put underneath your tent. This helps to act as a protective barrier between the ground and the floor of the tent. This barrier helps to prevent any rips or tears from sharps rocks or sticks. It keeps your tent from getting wet from any moisture from the ground, and it even helps to keep your tent warmer because it acts as a heat shield, blocking the ground from absorbing any heat. Most importantly you want to make sure the tent footprint is slightly smaller than the tent itself. Mainly because you want to keep moisture from gathering between the footprint and the tent. If the footprint is larger, any rain or dew can eventually collect and make its way to the low spot. Typically, directly under the tent where you are. If you don’t want to spend the money on getting a footprint designed especially for your tent, you can also use a tarp. However, you will want to get one that is close to the size of your tent and you still might have to do some modifications to make sure it is not sticking out around the sides of your tent.
(A great website to get more information on tent footprints is here)
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Camp Mat or Rug:
If you are going to be setting up camp for a few days in the same place but are still planning on doing some hiking or some other sort of activity, a camp mat or rug is a great luxury to have. It is often placed in front of the entry way of your tent. This gives you are nice dry, dirt-free place to put your dirty shoes before entering the tent, and a clean place to stand to put them back on upon exiting. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy but having a fun design on it that matches your personality makes your campsite feel a little more like home.
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Sleeping Bag:
Sleeping bags are just another layer of shelter that you’ll want to have while you are tent camping. Tents can help to trap your body heat, but they won’t keep you warm on a cold night. Sleeping bags will provide you with a way to keep you warm while also providing a little extra padding from the sometimes-hard ground. Choosing the right sleeping bag for the season you plan on camping in is also wise. There is no need to get a sleeping bag rated for 30 below if you are camping during the summer in a typically hot and dry environment.
(A great website to get more information on Sleeping bags is here)
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Sleeping Pad:
A proper night’s sleep can make or break a camping trip. Sleeping on the hard ground, even while in a sleeping bag, will have you waking up with aches and pains, in muscles you didn’t know you even had. A Sleeping Pad adds that little extra cushion to help your muscles relax. Not to mention, they help keep your body heat from being absorbed by the ground. There is still only so much protection a tent footprint and sleeping bag will give from the cold-hard ground. Luckily there are many styles to choose from with these as well. Some are a simple as a foam roll, while others can be inflated with a built in head rest.
(A great website to get more information on Sleeping Pads is here)
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Camp Pillow:
Along with a quality sleeping bag and soft sleeping pad, a good pillow is also crucial to a good night’s sleep. Most tent campers tend to overlook bringing a good pillow with them. They think simply resting their head on a waded-up sweatshirt sounds fine. That is until they wake up with a crick in their neck. Bringing a proper pillow along while camping will ensure that you wake up ready to face the day’s activities without any pain. If you don’t want to take one off your own bed, there are plenty of camping pillows to choose from. Most will be water resistant and be made of a material in which bugs won’t want to nest in.
(If you are interested in finding more about Camp Pillows, Follow the Link Below)
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Fire Starting Supplies:
Along with having shelter from the elements, having the ability to make fire is probably one of the most important things to be able to do while you are camping. Not only are campfires great for providing heat when it’s cold out, provide light during the night, but they also provide a perfect method for cooking over. None of which could be possible if you don’t have the right tools to even make a fire.
Knowledge and Skill
One of the first items in your fire-starting supply is having the knowledge and skill to know how to make a fire. Many people feel they can just set a piece of paper on fire and throw it on some sticks, and Snap Crackle Pop, they have a campfire. Not really how it works. Sure, you might get some fire for a bit but having the ability to build it in a manner which will put off enough sustained heat while also serving a purpose is a different skill to have.
(If you need to brush up on your Fire Starting knowledge and skills, Follow the Link Below)
Ways to create a spark or flame
Next in your Fire-Starting supply is that you should have multiple ways of creating enough heat to set something on fire. Whether that is just a spark from a flint rod to something as simple as pressing a button on a butane lighter. The key is having more than one way and multiple sets of each. It never fails that when you are ready to light the fire and you go to strike a match or light the lighter, that you find the matches are wet or the lighter is out of gas.
Having your own Fire Fuel
Fire starting sticks, balls, logs or whatever you can buy in stores or online are just that, Fuel for your Fire. They are meant to be a more reliable source of tinder and kindling that will catch on fire and remain on fire while you pile on larger sticks and logs. However, sometimes you are not always going to be able to buy these things as soon as you get to the campsite. It is best to either carry these things with you or know what else you can use to start your fire. Dried grass and leaves make for great tinder, but also bits of cloth, paper, even steel wool make for a great source as well. Again, first and foremost, you need to have the knowledge and skill to be able to properly use these in order to get a full-blown campfire going.
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Food:
You might not think of food as “Gear”, but it is something you will need to bring with you. So, of course you are going to want to pack some food for your camping trip. You don’t have to go to the extreme and only live off of what you find in the woods. Unless that is your goal. You don’t want to solely rely on things you don’t typically eat like MRIs or Hot Dogs either. Pack like you would if you were just going to the park for a BBQ. Have some fun with it. After you get comfortable cooking different things out camping, you can experiment with different recipes and ways of cooking your food. Just remember to pack for each meal, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Don’t forget the snacks either. Taking time to plan out your meals and planning on how you are going to keep everything cold while you are camping will save you from any headaches and growling stomachs trying to figure out what to eat while you are there.
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Water:
Not all campsites are going to have a ready supply of water. Again, it may not be thought of as “Gear” but it’s good practice to bring at least a gallon or two of drinking water with you on your camping trip. As well as a full water bottle or two. This way you’ll at least have some drinkable water right after you set up camp. Also, after you use up the water you have brought, you can repurpose those gallon jugs to go fill up more water. If you are filling up from a tap or from a river you might want to have an extra jug and a water filter with you. That way you can filter out the water you collected and then pour it into a clean jug. If you are still not convinced the water is safe enough to drink, they do sell water purifying tablets to make sure all the little nasties in the water are no more. Two things are for sure, you don’t want to run out of water and you don’t want to get sick from the water you do have.
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Portable Stove:
Seeing as though Food is one of the main requirements for survival, and my guess is that you’ll want to cook something other than things that be cooked over a campfire, a portable stove is a great item to have in your camping supply check list. Portable stoves can be as simple as a single burner stove to a multiple burner, griddle grill, fold up stove. Whichever you choose, you will at least have the ability to cook things that resemble real meals. Not to mention if you are one of the lucky billions of people who enjoy having coffee in the morning or cooking rice or pasta, portable stoves make for a much easier method of heating water up to cook with. Also not having to rely on building a fire every time you want to create a meal takes a little bit of pressure off your fire building skills and wood supply. Just make sure you bring enough fuel to last your camping trip. Leaving the fire for more important things, like making S’mores and listening to campfire stories.
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Plates, Utensils & Cookware:
Although tent camping is sometimes seen as taking a step back in time and living like people did for thousands of years, that doesn’t mean you have to be uncivilized. Having the ability to use utensils and cookware is one of the main things that separates us from animals. So now that you have two methods of cooking your food it’s always nice to be able to have the ability to eat that food off something. Making sure you pack plates, forks, spoons, knives, bowls, pots, pans and any other utensils and cookware you think you need is a great idea. Even better will be making sure they are all reusable items and not paper or plastic. You are in nature, try and show a little respect.
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Camp Chairs:
One of the great things about camping out in nature is listening to birds singing, the wind blowing, children laughing and breathing in that crisp fresh air with a hint of that campfire smoke smell. The next best thing is being able to sit down in comfort while doing all those things. Camp chairs have come a long way since the covered wagon days of using old tree stumps. Today you can choose from almost any size and style you can think of. Camp chairs are a great way to relax the day away or give your tired feet and back a break after a long hike in the woods. Maybe not crucial to your survival but sitting down in comfort will definitely help your mood and make sitting around the campfire eating your food that much more enjoyable.
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Lights:
You can’t always rely on having a campfire to be your only source of light at night. Sometimes the weather does not cooperate, and certain areas may be too dry to have a campfire. Not only that, but you are sure not going to bring an open flame into your tent. Yet you need light to navigate your way through the night to the bathroom or find certain things around the campsite. If only there was something where you could flip a switch and it gave you light. Oh, wait there is. You just have to choose from the millions of products out there that do such a thing. It’s always best to have a personal head lamp in order to have your hands free while you move around. Although it’s always great to have a community lantern to put down to give off enough light for others to use as well. Just remember to have an extra set or two of batteries just in case. Having rechargeable batteries is great not only for nature but if you get a solar charger, you can pretty much make sure you will always have enough power to run your lights.
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Cleaning Supplies:
Having some cleaning supplies while you’re camping will help you keep your campsite, well, clean. Having things like a small broom and dustpan will help you to sweep out any dirt from your tent and keep your camp mat clean. Having a wash tub, sponges, dish soap, and drying towels will help you clean your dishes after you use them and even having a multi-purpose cleaning spray or wipes will allow you to wipe up any spills or messes that can happen. Again, you’re camping, no reason not to be clean. Plus, having a clean campsite will help keep bugs, insects, and mosquitoes away and little creatures from wandering into your campsite looking for any crumbs lying around.
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Toiletries:
Sometimes you just need to feel like a real human being. Bringing things along like a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, Q-tips, body wipes, toilet paper, a towel, wash rags, and soap will help you do that. Of course, customize your list of things you would like to bring to make yourself feel better and more hygienic. As an added incentive for remembering to bring along toiletries tent camping with you, remember that you are going to be around others and possibly sleeping in the same tent as them.
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Proper Clothing:
Dress for the weather and dress for the environment. To make sure you pack clothes suitable for your camping trip, it’s always best to check the weather forecast for the area you will be camping. Don’t forget to try and pack where you are able to dress in layers. The temperature difference between day and night can be drastic and being able to layer up or take layers off will make sure you keep yourself at a comfortable temperature. Try and stay away from cotton blends if camping during colder seasons. Cotton tends to absorb moisture easier while lowering its’ insulating properties. Synthetics and wool will keep you warm even when wet. However, if you are camping in warmer weather, cotton blends are great. Either way, synthetic blends work out well because they are more durable and able to withstand some of the harsher environments you will probably find yourself in while camping. Don’t forget the extras like rain jackets, hats, gloves, and appropriate footwear.
(You can find a good list of a clothing packing list on the link below.)
(( Many of the items on this list pertain mainly for women, however, guys can get a good idea of what they can bring as well. ))
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Thank You And Hopefully This Helps You Out!
Have Fun Gathering All the Things You Need To Have A Successful Tent Camping Trip.
Feel Free To Share This Information With Others
And Remember…
Camp Happy And With A Purpose!!