What To Take Camping, A beginners Guide

The basics needed to get you out and camping.

Maybe this is the year that you've decided to take up camping? Or maybe your going to a festival and have never camped before. In this guide I'm going to tell you everything you need to go camping for the first time. There may be people who tell you that you need more kit or people that tell you that you don't need as much but this is the kit I'd buy if I was going camping as part of a day today. This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to buy from them I get a small commission at no cost to yourself. Thanks for your support!!

1 The Tent

Unless you're looking to go super lightweight backpacking you need a good tent that gives you space to be comfortable. There's nothing worse than waking up soaked to ruin a camping trip. For that reason I could always go with a 100% waterproof tent. I love the Coleman Darwin 4+ tent. Packed down it's not too heavy and the tent packs down fairly small. It's a dream to put up and once it's up it has plenty of space inside to get comfortable. Being a 4 person tent there's plenty of room for a small group, couple or just one person who likes a bit of extra space. The tent has received rave reviews on Amazon getting 4.6 stars from just short of 3000 customers. Buy yours here https://amzn.to/3n3ZWDD

2 Something to sleep on.

Its so important as when you go camping to make sure there's something between you and the ground. Why? well two reasons. 1 comfort and 2 if you don't insulate yourself from the ground you get very cold very quick. There are a number of options available to you. As a novice camper I would go with either a foam roll mat such as this one from Highlander https://amzn.to/3lp5Qil If your looking for a bit more comfort from your sleeping mat then the best value sleeping solution would be a self inflating mattress such as this one https://amzn.to/3ltso1d . A firm favourite with owners and very budget friendly this is a lightweight but comfortable which inflates itself to save you from having to blow it up yourself or carry a pump. As if that wasn't enough this self inflating mattress comes with 3.5cm of foam padding and a 1 year warranty!

3. The Sleeping Bag

Assuming your going to take your first camping trip in fair weather and your not heading to Everest base camp the next thing you need to consider when deciding what to take camping is a sleeping bag that will keep you warm and comfortable. This Coolzon 3 - 4 season sleeping bag https://amzn.to/3JzViot is a great solution. If it gets chilly at night then it can be zipped up to keep you warm and cosy. If its warmer then it can be used unzipped like you could a duvet.

4 Something to cook on

You can literally spend hundreds a camping stove but its worth considering that when you start camping you just looking for something to heat up water for a brew or some food. with this in mind a sensible choice of camping stove would be this AUTOpkio cooking set https://amzn.to/40fUv2O it comes with everything you need to cook when camping, just add gas. The Kit includes a stove, boiling pot, frying pan and even a folding spoon and fork,

5. Camping Gas

there are a number of types of screw on Gas cannister which have different benefits for people camping in specific and challenging areas. If your camping or going to a Festival its best just to keep things simple. By far the best value camping gas on the market is this value pack on Coleman C500 cannisters https://amzn.to/3Z5rBkZ which should last a good while.

6 Lighting

The two main types of light used while camping are a tent light and some kind of torch. I definitely recommend at least having a torch or head lamp just in case you need to kind you way to the toilet block in the pitch black. there is a staggering range of tent lamps available today and gone are the days where we use paraffin lamps in a tent. Now the longest lasting and brightest lamps available are LED and the good news is they are pretty inexpensive.

This Blukar Rechargeable camping lantern has 7 light patterns and can last for 10 hours. The lantern can recharged using a phone charger, laptop, power pack or in car charger and comes with a handy hook to hang it inside your tent. Get it here https://amzn.to/402XEDf

7 Somewhere to sit

After a long days adventuring your going to want to sit down and enjoy your surroundings around the tent, when I'm considering what to take camping a chair of some kind is completely essential. I may be sat outside my tent or be invited to a camp fire or I may be enjoying some outdoor entertainment. Either way I take my ultra lightweight Trekology chair with me. Truth be known it stays in the boot of my car, this is a lightweight, durable folding chair which folds into a very small pack making it ideal to take anywhere. https://amzn.to/3ZW9D5D

All the other things on my What to take camping can potentially be brought from home. Warm clothing, good shoes and waterproofs are essential when camping. ensuring you have enough food and drinks to last you the trip is important as well as a lighter, tent peg mallet and a first aid kit.

Camping is an incredibly fulfilling hobby, it has provided me with hundreds of cheap holidays, weekends away and long care free, breaks in the South of France and Spain. It has given me the opportunity to see dozens of festivals and events and see great places and make amazing friends. Above all when your considering what to take camping take a spirit of adventure! Happy Camping!!

For some bargain camping items to get you on your was check out these bargains under £10 here

You may also like our guide to the little things which make camping more comfortable. Read it here

This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase using one of my links I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Many thanks for your support