Choosing Camping Equipment
For the first-time camper, choosing equipment for your trip can seem daunting, especially with such a wide range of available products, from the necessities (tent, sleeping bag etc) to luxuries including satellite TV and DVD. Everyone's list will be different and personal depending on the nature of the trip - a family weekend or a trek across the Pennine Way, and one's own preferences.
There can be, then, no definitive "checklist" of items to suit everyone, and that's the great thing about camping - the experience is a personal one, with no constraints. But there are certain basic items that are common to all camping trips, and also some little extras that often get overlooked until they are needed out on the campsite. Like the scouts, it's wise to be prepared for certain eventualities to ensure that your camping holiday goes smoothly.
Sleeping/Living Outdoors
Choosing your tent
You will, of course, need a tent. Okay, the real survivalist may argue that is not strictly necessary but building yerts, benders and the like is not usually permissible on the average campsite - and certainly only for the hardiest of outdoor souls - neither is it practical for a bank holiday break! Most of us will find sleeping under canvas adventurous enough.
Choosing a tent is one of the big decisions - and influenced by the type of camping you will be doing. For the festival-goer a small tent is a must - and it should also be reasonably basic - festivals get muddy, tents get dirtied and beer gets spilt. Space is also at a premium and the 6-bedroomed family tent simply won't fit!
For holiday camping one of the first factors in the decision is of course how many will be going? Also do people require seperate bedrooms, or just a divider? Will you need a spacious living area? A smaller tent with a porch is fine for one or two people but if the weather turns bad, a family with young children confined into a single sleeping area all day can be fraught with boredom, frustration and temper tantrums - where with a few travel games and some imagination, a family tent with a sheltered living area can turn even the wettest days into a fun adventure.
The more people that will be camping, the more storage space becomes an issue too. It's worth choosing a tent a little larger than by simply counting berths - if six people are camping there will be six sets of clothes, six sets of plates etc, and food to feed you all. A six-berth tent will allow for comfortable sleeping but where will all those other items go? A couple of extra berths allows space for all those extra bits and pieces without feeling cramped, and allows all your items to be stored neatly rather than stuffing things down corners, beside sleeping bags etc.
Most tents come with all the guy ropes and pegs needed. It's always a good idea to take along some spare lines and pegs just in case - far better to be able to quickly replace a broken guy line than put up with rain ingress and flapping canvas keeping everyone awake. A basic repair/patch kit is also a good idea - though modern tents are very tough and sturdy and repairing torn material is a rarity, it is better to be prepared rather than let an accident ruin your holiday.
Load the tent in the car last - if it is raining upon arrival on-site you will need to get the tent up first before unloading.
Sleeping Quarters
A sleeping bag is a necessity - modern sleeping bags are light and compact whilst still offering all-round fully enclosed warmth. They are also easy to clean - so leave the bulky eiderdowns and duvets at home! The choice of sleeping bag will depend on the type of camping you will be doing, budget 2 season bags are great value for the summer - but for early spring or late autumn they may be found wanting - a 3 season bag will be warmer out of peak season without being too heavy for the summer. Obviously those hardy souls camping in winter will need a much more technical bag and other considerations too - but this basic quide is not aimed at such experienced enthusiasts.
An air bed makes sleeping out of doors much more comfortable than it would be with just the tent's groundsheet between you and the uneven hard floor. A decent pump is a good idea even with those air beds with built-in pumps. The built-in pumps in some airbeds are ideal for quickly "topping up" a bed that has lost some air (all air beds do deflate slowly over time) but an electric pump makes light work of the initial inflation - especially if you have two or more beds to inflate. TIP: When loading for your trip, put the air pump and beds near the top, so they are easy to get to. You can set the pump up to inflate the beds (keeping an eye on it) whilst erecting your tent.
If your tent is a larger model, a folding camp bed is also a great option, keeping the sleeping area raised off the floor. They are however bulkier to transport than an airbed so consideration must be given to space in the car.
Living Area
Some tents have a full groundsheet within the living area - others such as dome or tunnel tents with porch, do not. A groundsheet for the porch or living area lets you make the most of the space without worrying about mud etc. Use special groundsheet pegs to peg out a groundsheet inside, these have almost flat heads so as not to trip or cause injury if trodden or sat upon.
In lower tents where you will be mostly sitting on the floor, compact sit-mats or roll-mats are ideal for a little extra comfort.
For outdoor use, or in a larger tent living area, take along enough folding chairs and tables for everyone - or be prepared to come back from a trip to the toilet block to find you've lost your seat!
Cooking Outdoors
There are numerous options available today for campsite cooking, which you choose depends on how portable you need your cooking equipment to be, and how complex or large your camping meals will be. The ubiquitous gas cartridge stove is always popular - it is inexpensive, provides a good heat, and it is compact to carry, with replacement gas canisters universally available in populated areas. The Coleman fuel/petrol dual fuel stoves are ideally suited for expeditions to more remote areas where there is not a handy camping store, allowing use of the dedicated Coleman fual which is clean-burning, but also if necessary, petrol, where Coleman fuel is not available. Meths stoves are also suited to expeditioning, though meths burns cooler so cooking is slower. They can also be great fun for older children to use whilst supervised, for that "adventurer" feel. For the family camper with enough space to transport a seperate campingaz, butane or propane bottle, the options are almost limitless, from portable gas ovens, stoves with grills to gas barbecue/grill sets that are also great for use for summer parties at home.
A camping pan set is also a good idea - you can of course use your home pans but this is generally inefficient in space and also cooking heat - your heavy household pans are made for the rigours of daily use on a household stove. On a lower-powered stove, energy is wasted heating up heavy pans rather than heating your food. Camping pans are lighter in construction and usually designed to be nesting, to fit compactly together to take up minimal space.
A cooler box - even a basic one - is a definite must, to keep perishables fresh for longer. 12 volt coolers are especially handy - they can be put in the car on trips to "re-cool" the box - and keep the day's picnic chilled. For real luxury, 3 way gas and electric coolers keep things fresh for longer - if you have an electric hook-up on site or a gas bottle.
It goes without saying that the Royal Doulton with hand-painted periwinkles is as suited to camping as Hyacinth Bucket - plastic or enamel camping plates are ideal, tough and durable.
Don't forget to take enough cutlery and cooking utensils, some sharp knives and chopping boards (remember ESPECIALLY whilst camping where hot water is not instantly to hand, to keep meats and veg preperation separate) - plus can and bottle openers! Take along matches or a lighter - even if your stove has electric ignition.
You'll still need to wash up unfortunately - you can take your household washing up bowl or if space/weight is an issue, a folding bowl does the trick and takes up almost no room at all.
Food and drink containers with secure lids are useful too - open tins in a coolbox are messy and unhygienic, milk bottles are easily spilt.
Folding shelf units are handy where space allows, to keep all your foodstuffs stored neatly off the floor, some also come with a hard work surface for comfortable food preperation - or if you have the space a full camp kitchen stand allows stoves, washing up bowls etc to be used at a comfortable working height.
First Aid
Don't forget your toothbrush! And of course everyday hygiene and sanitary items. Sealed wet wipes / antiseptic wipes are ideal for the wash bag. Also make sure you take along a first-aid kit designed for the outdoors - a burns and stings kit is a good idea too. Your kit should also have an over-the counter pain reliever (eg. paracetamol) and antihystamines especially if you or anyone in your party suffers from hayfever.
Insects, midges etc can be a nuisance especially in the evening - more so if camping near to water or in the Scottish Highlands, so be sure to take along some insect repellant products - spray or roll-on for personal use, also citronella candles or mosquito coils can help keep them away.
High strength sun cream is an absolute must - even if the sun is not at its brightest, remember that you will be out of doors most of your holiday.
Clothing
You'll need to choose a selection of clothes for camping - even in summer the nights can be rather cool so be sure to take both warm and cool clothes. Clothing from recognised outdoor brands are manufactured with all kinds of technical features, to be quick-drying, insect repellant, breathable etc, and generally more suited to camping than your normal everyday wear.
Take some waterproofs, lightweight packaway waterproofs are easy to carry and easily put on over normal clothing when needed.
Shoes and boots should be appropriate for your holiday - at the very least some basic walking shoes for use on and around the campsite.
Be sure to take a sun hat as well as a warm hat for the cooler nights, and some gloves.
Other Essentials
You'll need a lantern (or a few if your tent has seperate rooms) and a torch, with of course batteries to suit. You can save space and money on batteries by using a rechargeable lantern with a car charger - just remember to also pack the charger!
Take a mobile phone and car charger. It's a good idea for one person to take along a fully charged phone and leave it switched off, to be sure there is a fully charged phone available in an emergency.
A rucksack or at least a daysac is another essential, for walks or sight-seeing trips, keeping hands free.
Take a pen and some paper - for emergencies or just for playing games and keeping score. Some dice and playing cards can give evening amusement.
A small radio takes up little space - just remember other campers and don't turn it up too loud!
If you plan to go walking, be sure to have a map of the area and a compass.
Some basic tools (a reversible screwdriver, scissors, pliers and some duct tape) can be stowed away without taking up too much space.
Make a Personal List When Planning a Trip
This is by no means an exhaustive list, rather it is just the basics that everyone should take along whilst camping. The rest is up to you and how you intend to spend your holiday.
When planning your holiday, make your own personal checklist of everthing you need to take along with you. There is little more disheartening at the beginning of your holiday than to arrive on the site after a long trip to find you forgot something vital!