According to the American Recreation Coalition, in 2006, 48.6 million Americans participated in camping. Camping means different things to different people; it can be as simple as pitching a tent in your backyard or as elaborate as a multiweek stay in the backcountry. Camping equipment is designed to provide you with the basic necessities during your stay in the outdoors and is classified under the following headings: shelter and support, tools, cooking gear and miscellaneous items.
Shelter and Support
There are several pieces of camping equipment that every camper should possess. The most obvious piece of equipment is a tent. Your tent should be large enough to accommodate the number of people in your camping party, or you should have enough tents in your group to fit everybody comfortably. Tents are designed for the various seasons, so select the tent you'll be using based on when you will be camping. It's important that your tent has a rainfly, which is a thin piece of water-resistant material you can drape over your tent to keep rain out, and that you have a "footprint" or a piece of protective material, such as a tarp, upon which your tent can sit. Your footprint will help improve your tent's longevity by keeping it off the moist ground. Other important shelter and general support items include a sleeping bag, folding chairs (if you plan to sit around a campfire), a portable camping table (for preparing your meals), an air mattress (to create a layer of space between you and the ground), a blanket, a pillow, a cooler, a second tarp (which can be strung up to provide additional shelter from rain or wind) and a flashlight.
Tools
When you're camping, it's important for you to bring tools with you that will assist your camp-related activities. Having a camping ax or hatchet on hand can be helpful, especially if you're trying to build a campfire. Wood that's "dead or down" can be harvested for your campfires, then split into more manageable pieces using your ax or hatchet. Some campers even bring a handsaw with them for such purposes. A Swiss Army knife or other multitool can be useful for tasks requiring fine motor skills, such as uncorking a bottle of wine, opening food packaging or trimming twine. Consider also carrying with you a hammer and a handful of nails, which may be used selectively to help erect a shelter or lean-to or string up a clothesline to dry wet clothes. It's always wise to carry some lengths of rope with you too. Rope can be used for hanging food in trees, as a clothesline for your clothes or as a guy-wire for your tent or a protective tarp.
Cooking Gear
Your cooking gear is one of your most valuable types of camping equipment. Having good cooking gear at your disposal, and using it judiciously, can make the difference between an enjoyable outdoor experience and a miserable outdoor experience. The following list of camping-related cooking gear is non-exhaustive, but provides a basic checklist for you to consult prior to heading outdoors on a camping excursion: a propane or liquid gas stove, several propane cylinders or additional liquid gas, a cooking grill (for cooking food over a campfire), pots and pans, cutlery and utensils, a kettle for boiling water, a can opener, plates, bowls and glasses or mugs. Some campers even bring their own marshmallow or hot dog roasting sticks with them on camping trips. If you're camping in the backcountry, your cooking gear needs to fit in your pack, so bring the essentials with you and be selective about additional "luxury" items whose use is not absolutely necessary. Car campers may be able to tote more cooking gear with them during outings.
Miscellaneous Items
According to AvidOutdoors.com, the following miscellaneous gear may be useful when you're camping: aluminum foil, a cutting board, a tablecloth, clothespins, a camera, extra batteries, sunscreen, bug spray, a lighter or waterproof matches, newspaper or another source of kindling, additional tent stakes, Ziplock bags and garbage bags. Other miscellaneous items you might consider taking with you when you go camping are sunglasses, a brimmed hat or visor, reading material, toiletries (including toothbrush, toothpaste, eye drops, feminine products and toilet paper), a sponge for cleaning dirty dishes, a spatula, a wooden spoon, multiuse, biodegradable soap, a collapsible water bucker or water carrier, napkins, a compass or GPS unit, a cell phone for emergencies and a water filter.
Member Comments