In 2016, at least 40.5 million Americans went camping.
If you’ve never been camping before, you may be wondering what you should even pack because you want to be as prepared as possible.
Camping can be a great experience if you are prepared correctly. Here are 7 crucial camping supplies campers must have on their trip to survive.
1. Sleeping Bag or Tent
Having shelter is one of the most important things when trying to survive while camping.
Whether you bring a tent, sleeping bag, or some other type of shelter, make sure that you have something that can withstand the elements. You want something that can keep you warm and preferably dry.
There are different options out there that you can choose from as well. For example, there are bivvy-style sleeping bags that will help keep you dry and protect you from the snow and rain.
These will be easier to carry than a regular tent, and sometimes they will even keep you warmer. Some of the bags are also a bright orange so that if you need rescue, people can easily spot you.
Some campers who go for fun don’t like to use these, however.
Not only will these camping supplies make you more comfortable during your trip but you will also be protected from the wind, rain, and cold.
2. Flashlight
You need to bring a flashlight or a headlamp for safety reasons. If it’s pitch black and you’re still hiking, you want to make sure you’re not going to trip over or fall into anything.
A headlamp can be nice because you don’t have to carry, but it can be hard to hold a headlamp steady.
If you can, try to find a flashlight that’s small but bright so that you don’t have to carry a heavy one around with you.
Make sure that you also bring extra batteries in case some of your others die.
3. Survival and First Aid Kit
In addition to everything else that you should bring on your camping trip, you should also assemble a small survival and first aid kit.
This may consist of different things to help you survive in the event of a worst case scenario. You can either make it yourself or you can buy pre-made ones online.
To get ideas for what you should put in your survival kit, learn more here.
4. Water Bottle and Purifiers
Bringing a water bottle is very important on your camping trip. Make sure that you bring one with a wide top so that you can utilize it for other things too, if necessary.
Put a lot of thought and care into choosing your water bottle, because it can make a big difference.
Along with your water bottle, you should also bring water purifiers.
To make sure you have drinkable water, there are tablets that you can buy to put in the water to make it safe to drink. Two examples of good water tablets are Katadyn’s Micropur tablets and Potable Aqua’s Iodine tablets.
Like most other tablets, these use different chemicals to achieve the same effect, but there are good and bad things about both. Do your research before purchasing one.
For example, when you’re purchasing a water tablet, there are a few questions you should ask:
- How long do these last for?
- How long does it take to purify the water?
- Are there any side effects?
- Does it make the water taste different?
- Is it okay for me to have an iodine tablet?
These aren’t the only two tablets on the market, so look around and try some before you take them out camping with you.
5. Food
Food will also be very important to bring on your camping trip.
You don’t need to bring a lot of food as long as you make sure you bring the right kind of food.
You want to bring food that will give you energy to stay awake and be able to think properly. You should find something that is also high in calories.
There are certain energy bars that are very high in calories that will last for years that you can buy. This will be good because they won’t take up much space or weight in your backpack.
6. Map
Whether you’re camping in a familiar or unfamiliar camping site, you will need a good, updated map.
Most of the time we use maps that are on our phones, but in the wilderness, relying on a digital map is just a bad idea overall. If your phone isn’t dead already, you will be able to save battery for emergencies only if you have a paper map.
With a good map, you can navigate along the trails, figure out how far you’ve gone, and know where you are at all times.
If you really want to use your phone for maps, bring a paper map as a backup just in case.
7. Knife
When packing your camping supplies, make sure you have some kind of knife.
There are all kinds of different ones you can purchase, but you want one that is good quality. Finding out that the knife you bought breaks or won’t cut or saw when you really need it will not help you at all.
You don’t need a giant knife that will take up a bunch of room or weigh a lot; they do make smaller ones. They even make knives specifically for camping survival.
Get Your Camping Supplies for Your Trip
If you have the right camping supplies, you should have nothing to worry about.
Just be safe and aware of what’s going on, and do your research before heading out on your adventure.
While you’re planning your next trip, check out this article to see where you should go next.
