Beginner’s Guide for your Must-have Camping Gear
New at camping? Don’t worry! we have summed up a list of essentials you will need to let the adventure begin!
For many, camping is the epitome of adventure and means escaping from your familiar surroundings to experience
nature up close. To succeed at making this step out of the comfort zone and turning it into an unforgettable
camping trip, we have put together a list of the essential camping gear for you…
Β Β Β 1. TheΒ tent:Β yourΒ homeΒ onΒ theΒ roadΒ
ClearlyΒ theΒ mostΒ important item in yourΒ equipment list! YourΒ tent is your homeΒ whenΒ campingΒ andΒ protectsΒ youΒ fromΒ theΒ sun, rain,Β mosquitoesΒ and,
ifΒ necessary,Β fromΒ theΒ looksΒ ofΒ yourΒ tentΒ neighbours. TheΒ selectionΒ ofΒ tentsΒ is large andΒ toΒ findΒ theΒ rightΒ fitΒ forΒ you, youΒ shouldΒ askΒ yourselfΒ theΒ following questions:Β Β
What kind of holiday will I be using the tent for? If you are planning a hiking, cycling or kayaking tour, for example, then the pack size and weight are a decisive factor! Β
WhereΒ areΒ youΒ goingΒ andΒ whatΒ isΒ theΒ weatherΒ likeΒ there?Β DependingΒ on
whetherΒ youΒ pitchΒ yourΒ tentΒ inΒ theΒ ScottishΒ HighlandsΒ orΒ onΒ theΒ Portuguese
Atlantic coast, it will have to withstand different weather conditions.Β Β Β
How many people should the tent accommodate?Β Especially if you are traveling without a car, youΒ shouldΒ alwaysΒ considerΒ theΒ sizeΒ ofΒ theΒ tentΒ forΒ additionalΒ storageΒ space.Β Β
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Β Β Β 2. SleepingΒ bagΒ andΒ mattress:Β It’sΒ theΒ comfortΒ temperatureΒ thatΒ counts.Β Β
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The way you decide to arrange your sleeping situation is an important factor when camping. Hence why you should pay particular attention to the right choice of sleeping bag and camping mat. When choosing a sleeping bag, this choice depends on when you plan to go camping. Die-hard- or Fair-Weather-Camper?
When buying a sleeping bag, you should always pay attention to size, quality, material and above all comfort temperature. This indicates the outside temperature range at which the sleeping bag is advised to be used.Β Β
In order to improve the thermal performance of your sleeping bag, you can use an insulating mat. This not only makes sleeping on the floor a little more comfortable, but also keeps you warm by blocking the cold from below.
Β Β Β 3. CampingΒ chair: Small and lightΒ orΒ ratherΒ moreΒ comfortable?Β
WithΒ aΒ campingΒ chairΒ youΒ canΒ makeΒ yourselfΒ comfortableΒ notΒ onlyΒ insideΒ but alsoΒ outsideΒ ofΒ yourΒ tent.Β
The comfortΒ levelΒ mayΒ varyΒ dependingΒ onΒ howΒ muchΒ luggageΒ youΒ wantΒ toΒ take
withΒ youΒ onΒ yourΒ campingΒ trip. So ifΒ youΒ areΒ onlyΒ travellingΒ withΒ yourΒ backpack
and thereforeΒ haveΒ toΒ pay attentionΒ toΒ sizeΒ andΒ weight,Β youΒ willΒ probablyΒ choose
theΒ lightΒ three-legΒ foldableΒ stoolΒ model. However, IfΒ neitherΒ sizeΒ norΒ weightΒ are an issue whenΒ itΒ comesΒ toΒ packing, e.g.Β ifΒ you’reΒ travellingΒ byΒ car, then comfortable chairsΒ withΒ backrests,Β armrestsΒ andΒ drinkΒ holdersΒ areΒ alsoΒ available.
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Β Β Β 4. CookingΒ utensils:Β ToΒ theΒ table,Β please!Β Β
Whether the classic fried egg for breakfast or Pasta al Pesto for dinner. With the right gear, you can whip up delicious delicacies while camping even without a kitchen. A gas cooker is essential. These are available in different designs and price ranges. Essentially, these cookers differ in the way the gas cartridge is attached to the cooking adapter. Screw-on cartridges are usually a little more expensive than lancet cartridges, but have the advantage that they are easy to store and reuse.Β
In addition to the gas cooker you will also need camping utensils. These usually consist of light aluminium and can be stacked in order to save space. A set usually contains pots, plates and cups. And you should also remember utensils for washing up, such as a dish sponge and cloth. By the way, with a small espresso pot in your luggage, even caffeine junkies don’t have to do without their morning lift-up when camping.Β Β
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Β Β Β 5. WaterΒ bottle:Β plasticΒ orΒ metal?Β Β
StayingΒ hydratedΒ isΒ veryΒ importantΒ whenΒ camping, so a largeΒ waterΒ bottleΒ isΒ also a must inΒ orderΒ toΒ beΒ fullyΒ equipped. Not onlyΒ canΒ youΒ fillΒ theΒ bottle withΒ drinking
water, butΒ youΒ can alsoΒ useΒ itΒ to carry waterΒ forΒ cookingΒ orΒ washingΒ dishes. BottlesΒ areΒ available in different sizes andΒ madeΒ fromΒ variousΒ materials.
Plastic bottlesΒ areΒ particularlyΒ light andΒ shatterproof. Nonetheless, ifΒ youΒ wantΒ to
go plastic-free, youΒ canΒ useΒ aluminiumΒ orΒ stainlessΒ steelΒ bottlesΒ instead.Β
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Β Β Β 6. Flashlight: Safe onΒ theΒ roadΒ evenΒ inΒ theΒ darkΒ Β
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To find your way in and around your tent at night, don’t forget a flashlight. Torches are available in a wide range of variations and designs. From the battery-operated standard lamp to the dynamo torch with capacitor, the choice range is huge. Often a headlamp can be advantageous. You wear it on your head and therefore you always have both hands free. If you happen to have forgotten your flashlight, your mobile phone will help you out. Almost every smartphone is now equipped with a flashlight app.
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Β Β Β 7. FirstΒ aidΒ kit: aΒ definitelyΒ MUSTΒ inΒ everyΒ campingΒ gearΒ Β
Even if you certainly hope to never need it, you should always carry a first aid kit with you when camping. Cut and abrasion injuries happen quickly and require special care, especially outdoors, to prevent inflammation. In addition to plaster strips and tape, a first aid kit should also contain wound dressings, compresses and a rescue blanket. Β
WithΒ thisΒ essentialΒ campingΒ gear,Β nothingΒ shouldΒ stand inΒ theΒ wayΒ ofΒ aΒ successfulΒ campingΒ holiday. SoΒ getΒ outΒ ofΒ yourΒ comfortΒ zoneΒ andΒ intoΒ theΒ campingΒ adventure!Β