If it is your first time camping, you may have some anxiety over what to pack. I spent an entire year camping, working in the backcountry restoring trails. If there is one thing I learned in that experience, it is what is an absolute essential, and what you can do without. In this post, I will break down essential items you may not think about when creating your camping checklist but are essential to having a good experience.
Toilet Paper– I have been to plenty of campgrounds that have run out of this bathroom essential. The last thing you want is to be stranded in the middle of the night after a long day of hiking and exploring the outdoors without TP!
Batteries- Before heading out, take stock of what gear you have, what requires chargers, and what needs batteries. Even the most hi-tech flashlights and headlamps are useless without batteries or a charge.
Reusable Water Bottle- This one may seem obvious but so many people pack up their cars and bring jugs of water and bladders for their backpacks and forget a reusable bottle to drink out of!
Tent stakes- Make sure your tent has come with stakes! Un-staked tents can fly away easily and some models of tents don’t come with stakes. My favorite are plastic stakes with a large top. These can be pounded into the dirt easily with a nearby rock. Oftentimes, the cheap metal stakes tents are accompanied by bend easily and can be hard to insert and remove.
A clothesline and carabiner- A simple cord can be wound around two trees and tied with a knot, or around a carabiner. This setup can make a difference in whether any clothes you have dry properly! Towels from showers or swimming, bathing suits, and anything wet you have will be able to dry out and keep your tent smelling great!
Tarp- A tarp, even a small one is a great item to bring along camping. You can use it as a form of shelter when prepping dinner or hanging out outside of your tent. Use it below your tent as a tent footprint if yours is damaged, or you just need a bit more protection from water seeping through the floor of your tent. Spread it out and sit in the grass as a makeshift blanket, separating you from itchy grass.
Bear Canister- Are you going to be camping in the backcountry? Your car? A bear canister can be life-saving in certain situations. Bears aren’t a reason to keep you from camping, but it is important to be prepared and stay safe. Do some research into your camping area and determine if a bear canister or bag is necessary.
An activity- The outdoors have so much to offer, but if you are going to have an extended camping trip, sometimes a rest day back at camp is much needed. If you have the space, consider bringing an activity to keep yourself occupied whether that be a book, a deck of cards, or a frisbee!
That wraps up my list of eight unexpected essentials! Did any of these items surprise you? What else would you add? Check out my other posts on camping here if you would like to learn more! Thanks for reading!
