What Camping Gear and Equipment Should You Take With You?

If you’ve never been camping before, you may be hazy on what kind of camping gear and equipment you should take with you. It all depends on how much you want to spend, how long you will spend out there in the wilderness, how many people are going to be going with you as well as how you will be getting to your camping spot. There is so much variety when it comes to camping gear and equipment that you can quickly eat up your camping budget if you’re not careful. It’s best to comprise a list and stick to that list before you ever get to the sporting goods store so that you don’t overspend and go crazy with all the camping gear and equipment that’s available.

How Much And How Long

You should make that list and also stick to a certain budget. If you find that you go over that budget, you may want to cut back on a few items. You should also put some stars next to those items that you absolutely cannot do without. This should include your camping tent, sleeping bags, food items, cooking items and eating utensils. You also have to look at how long you’ll be going for. This is especially important as far as food and water go as you don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere without food or water. So make sure you plan your meals and your water intake with as much leeway as possible. It’s sometimes better to pack more than you think you’ll need just in case you get stranded or lost.

How Many People

Are you going camping by yourself or are you taking your entire family? This will impact your camping gear and equipment list drastically. You can use one tent, but you might need more sleeping bags. You might be able to use one pot and pan but you’ll need more utensils, more food and more water. If you’re sticking to a budget, you’ll have to buy multiples of certain items and you might have to cross a few other items off the list.

How Are You Getting There?

Are you driving to your camping location? Or are you hiking? Driving will mean that you can pack as much stuff as your car can handle. If you’re hiking, that’s a different story altogether. You’ll want to pack light as you’ll have to carry all that stuff over long distances. Remember, water is heavy and the containers can be cumbersome. So unless you’re taking a pack mule with you, you might want to plan your camping gear and equipment carefully so that you don’t take more than you can carry or more than you think you’ll need.