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Camping essentials are the key to an enjoyable camping experience. Without some basic gear, you’ll either have to skip your camping trip altogether, or you’ll be thoroughly miserable. Neither of those is a good option.
That being said, the opposite holds true, as well. When you have the right camping essentials, every camping trip can be a great one. I’ve put together a list of 10 must-have camping items that you need for every camping adventure, all of which you can find at Backcountry.com
Camping Essentials to Make Your Outdoor Adventure a Success
The items on this list will make sure that every camping trip is a good one. If you’ve never camped before or haven’t camped often, you probably aren’t sure exactly what you’ll need.
There’s a lot of gear out there, and they all serve a variety of purposes. Today, we’re focusing on the gear that will make camping and hiking easier, so you and your family will have more fun exploring.
A Tent
A tent is the most important piece of camping equipment you’ll need. Without a tent, you’re exposed to all of the elements. Rain, sun, wind, heat, and cold are all part of the camping experience at one point or another, and you need a high-quality tent to protect yourself from all of them.
Tents come in a variety of sizes from single-person models to models that actually have wings like a house for multiple sleeping arrangements. Be sure to choose a tent with adequate ventilation, as well so you don’t feel like you’re trapped in a stale box.
Soft Blankets
Soft blankets are essential for any camping trip. Blankets keep you warm at night and are perfect for snuggling into those crisp, early morning hours. If you’re camping in cool or cold weather, bring along a heavy blanket to help keep you thoroughly protected from the overnight lows.
If you’re camping in warmer weather, a lightweight blanket is perfect for taking that little bite out of the air that you can sometimes get at night, even in the summer months.
Air Mattress
Just because you’re roughing it doesn’t mean you have to thoroughly rough it. If your tent is big enough, an air mattress is a great way to get a good night’s sleep for the coming day’s camping and hiking experiences. With an air mattress, you’ll never have to deal with hard tent floors, tree roots, or rocks again.
Fast-Drying Towels
Fast-drying towels are a must for any camping and hiking trip. These towels are excellent for drying off after showering or swimming. They’re also excellent for wiping away sweat if you get smaller sizes. These towels also do a great job of getting your dog dry if he takes a dip in the local lake.
Thermal Cups
Whether you’re bringing along hot coffee or something cold like ice water or Gatorade, thermal cups will keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold. Thermal cups might not seem like camping essentials, but on a hot day when you’ve been hiking for hours, a nice drink of cold water refreshes you and helps keep you hydrated.
By the same token, when you’re up at the crack of dawn stoking the fire for breakfast, thermal cups keep your morning go juice nice and steamy.
Camping Chairs
So many camping images show people sitting around a fire on logs or stumps. That looks great for photos, but your rear will not be happy with you after a camping trip of sitting on hard wood.
Be sure to always take camping chairs with you. After a long day of hiking, sitting down in a nice comfortable chair while you roast hot dogs, marshmallows, and other campfire treats is a joy like no other.
Lantern
A good lantern is one of the most important camping essentials you can bring with you on any camping trip. A powerful lantern helps with setting up and breaking down camping equipment in low light, seeing what that noise you heard was in the middle of the night, or simply enjoying a good book in the quiet of the evening while relaxing in your tent.
You can find lanterns in a variety of styles to suit almost any need at Backcountry.com
Over Fire Grill
Bring along an over fire grill, and your campfire can double as a grill. These over fire grills are great because they allow you to cook a wider variety of foods. Simply place the grill over your fire, and you can cook things like burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and fish. You can even make coffee on it.
Hammock
Owning a hammock and laying in it while camping is one of the best things ever! If the weather is favorable, instead of sleeping in your tent, you can even spend the night in your hammock. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, then it is perfect for afternoon naps. We love our hammock!
Medical Kit
Last on my list of camping essentials is a medical kit. Never going camping without one. Camping and hiking are great fun, but accidents can happen. If the unexpected happens, you need to be prepared. A good medical kit will help you treat everything from minor cuts and scrapes to blisters, minor burns, and even wounds if you bring along a trauma pack.
Hiking Shoes
Hiking shoes are key if you want to avoid turned ankles and massive blisters while camping and hiking trails. Mother nature is beautiful, but she’s also harsh. Good hiking shoes will help keep your feet safe from the rigors of hiking and climbing while keeping them comfortable at the same time.
Without adequate footwear, your hiking experience can quickly deteriorate into misery, so choose quality shoes that fit well, have a tough sole, and adequate arch support. Remember you’ll be on your feet a lot.
Always Remember Your Camping Essentials
From tents and lanterns to grills and medical kits, always remember these camping essentials whenever you go on an outdoor adventure. Start with these camping essentials and build from there, creating your own tailored camping gear list. If you start with these as a base, you’ll be in good shape for your camping trip.
You can use code MOMTROTTER15 to save 15% off your first purchase at Backcountry.com. Exclusions may apply.
This blog post is sponsored by Backcountry, as always all opinions are my own.
