What to bring camping?

Springtime; it’s a great time of the year to plan a camping trip. Campgrounds are starting to open back up again with spring and summer related activities. Picnic tables have popped back up again when the snows stopped, and they are just calling your name to enjoy a camping meal during your trip. With the warmer weather, people backpacking through a national park and the backcountry of America will become more and more visible. Even as the cold weather recedes, you still want to be properly prepared for chilly nights on your upcoming camping trip. Therefore, besides for a thick and comfortable pair of hiking boots, you want to make sure as campers you have warm base layers of clothing under your overcoat or jacket. Keep in mind, with the warmer weather you should get an opportunity to get some swimming done in a lake, so don’t forget your swimsuit. These are just the tip of the iceberg of items for your camping packing list which we will delve further into in a bit.

Whether this is your first time going on a camping trip or you are a camping pro, we have compiled a camping checklist including a camping packing list which assist you in getting the best and most safe camping experience possible.

Plan Ahead

Okay, it’s time to go camping, but what do I bring, where do we go etc.? These are questions you want to be asking yourself to get a great camping experience. So let’s start with a camping checklist and camping gear that contains camping essentials for your next camping trip.

1. If you are going car camping which means you will be doing your traveling by car rather than by foot on a hike, make sure that you have a fully stocked first aid kit and tire repair kit in your trunk. This is also a good idea to carry with you on a hike or general camping.
2. You can plan a glamping trip at a signature REI campsite if you desire. REI was designed to give you all the amazing activities of outdoor camping, but they provide hot showers, toilets with indoor plumbing and even private porches around your camping tent. This could truly be a great camping experience for the whole family without sacrificing some of the comforts of home that they are used to.
3. If you plan on camping outside you want to ensure that you have a good camping tent with sturdy and supportive tent stakes. These can come in easily collapsible form. Bring a mallet designed to pound the stakes into the ground at a depth which will ensure that the tent stays upright and sturdy. Keep some duct tape on hand as besides for being useful in general, if you happen to get a tear in your tent you can repair it by temporarily sealing it with duct tape.
4. Have a thick sleeping bag with a camping pillow and air mattress and/or sleeping pad for inside your tent. Comfort matters especially when sleeping outdoors. The sleeping pad will help even the ground underneath the area you will be sleeping. This should help with overall comfort. Cots would serve the purpose of a “sleeping bed” but, we still recommend a sleeping bag for over the cot for added warmth and comfort at night.
5. Bring along a hammock as they are great to lounge around on while enjoying the warmer day weather or reading a good novel. It will give you and your camping buddies another way of relaxing. A hammock would also be great alongside camping chairs around the campfire.
6. Have fire starters like starter logs to get your campfire ready to roast some marshmallow smores and tell some spooky stories at night. Loads of fun for the whole family. Keep your insect repellant close by as mosquitoes and other bugs may be attracted to the fire and the food.
7. You will want to have a camp kitchen as in a camp stove for example, that you can cook your meals on while your friend are gathered at the picnic table with a fresh tablecloth awaiting their usual camping fare food like hot dogs. So make sure that you have the right cookware for what you plan to make. Tongs, a cutting board, a can opener, a cutting knife, a cast iron pan, pot holder and other cooking utensils such as plastic cutlery are necessary bring along items for your next camping trip. Also having a multi tool knife or utensil would also be extremely useful.
8. Cleaning up after your meal and your campsite is very important to the campgrounds you are staying in and to our environment, so bring plenty of paper towels, a dust pan and trash bags and dispose of your trash in a proper manner.
9. There are a plethora of personal items that are staples of your life that you will need for your next camping trip. Toiletries like toilet paper, toothbrush and toothpaste, and hand sanitizer are highly recommended. Water jugs that can refill your water bottles and that you can use to wash utensils with are very important to have along for the trip.
10. Bring your electronics but only the necessary ones as camping trips should be getaways from today’s hectic working world. Obviously having your cellphone is paramount. You may want to check your network’s cell coverage map to ensure that they have cell service in the area where you will be camping. You may want to have a printable version of directions for your camping site if there is spotty cell service and you were using a navigation app.
11. In that same arena, you want have extra batteries for flashlights, a multi use charger that can charge your cell phone. We always recommend having a portable power bank for these occasions.
12. If your camping trip will take you around a lake or pond area where you may want to do some swimming, remember to pack your flip flops and a few swimsuits to cover the trip. You can always set up a clothesline between trees to dry your wet clothing after a swim or rain.
13. We cannot stress enough the importance of skin health. Having the right sunscreen for yourself and your kids (if it was a family trip) is going to be very important. When you are on those long hikes or just lounging around in the sun, you want to protect your skin from the harsh UV rays of the sun. We often recommend an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 30 for adults that maybe more used to tanning. For children we would personally use a sunscreen made specifically for kids, usually these will have an SPF of at least 70-100. It is also important reapply the sunscreen at least every hour or so and check that the sunscreen can still be effective after you swim. Each sunscreen manufacturer should have all the pertinent information on the product label.
14. Finally stay safe and stay warm. Bring the right clothing for the temperature outlook for your camping area. Don’t be afraid to bring warmer clothing and beanie for those chilly nights. Speaking of camping nights, flashlights or lighted headlamps are super important items to have. If you are hiking at night or dusk having a headlamp frees up your hands to hold a hiking stick and the surrounding rocks or nature related items.

Recommended Items

We have several camping items that we feel it incumbent upon us to show you. We may have covered these items in general in the previous section, however, here will we will give you some exact items to enhance your next camping trip.

Want some extreme comfort on your camping trip? You need to see the Intex Inflatable Camping Mattress, Grey. This mattress contains Wave beam construction and a soft velvet feeling top, which is designed to give the user a very comfortable outdoor sleeping experience. It also folds compactly making travelling with this cot mattress extremely simplistic and efficient.

The BioLite Sunlight Solar Powered Lantern, Teal is another great addition to your check off your camping checklist. This solar powered lantern gives off approximately 100 lumens of candle power and can really set mood lighting when you add multiple lights to your campsite. It is IPX4 water rated so it can withstand the rain and water elements to the level IPX4 allows. With three light panel modes including white, full color, or auto-cycle all colors in Party Mode, and the ability to set the lantern to SunLight or Red Night Vision makes this a fun and enjoyable accessory for your next camping trip. And it fully charges via USB in approximately 2 hours or 7 hours via solar power. Either way you can forget the worry of carrying around extra batteries for this item as none are needed.

For added safety and security you can’t go wrong with the Deco Gear FPT100BK Tactical Flashlight and Tactical Pen Set with Water/Shockproof Case. This tactical pen and flashlight kit is perfect for emergencies and self defense. It is a very handy item to have as part of your camping gear. This works as a pen and a self defense item due to it’s sturdy aluminum construction. This is a strong flashlight providing 800 lumens of candle power, with three different light modes Strong, Middle, and Weak. There is also a strobe feature which will make the flashlight shoot strobe lights which can attract help if you are in an emergency situation. Let your camping party know where you are if you get separated during a hike so you can get back to enjoying the camping trip with your friends and family. This item will also be great in your trunk or glove compartment of your vehicle throughout the year for emergencies. Especially if you are going car camping.

Enjoy the Outdoors

You are all set, you have your camping checklist ready to go, you know the items you need to round out your camping gear, and now it’s time to decide what type of camping are you interested in? Are you looking for a campground to really get that outdoor experience or just car camping, whatever type of camping trip you have planned, use the camping packing list, pick up some of the great recommended items and have blast enjoying your camping trip this spring.