Camping with a tent is a common recreational activity in the United States. The use of a tent provides protection from the weather, insects and some animals. You can take a tent on a multi-day hike into the wilderness or camp next to your car at a commercial campgrounds. Regardless of what you do, there are several different supplies you will need to make your camping stay both safe and comfortable.
Sleeping Bag
Few tents provide much cover from the outdoor temperature. You can keep out the rain and deaden the wind blowing through your tent, but it's essential that you bring a comfortable sleeping bag to keep yourself warm at night. Depending on the temperatures and climate in which you will be sleeping, a simple cloth and cotton sleeping bag may be effective. But as you near temperatures of less than 50 degrees, a thick sleeping bag becomes more important. Below 40 degrees, you may want to consider using a mummy-style sleeping bag, which traps heat in the bag with greater efficiency.
Sleeping Pad
Whether or not you need a sleeping pad depends on your sensitivity and the type of ground you will be sleeping on. This can be impossible to gauge if you aren't familiar with the terrain on which you will be camping. Sleeping pads are positioned underneath a sleeping bag to provide an extra layer of cushioning between your body and the ground. It is ideal for lumpy, hard or otherwise painful surfaces. For long hikes where a tent is used, a sleeping pad can reduce the overall strain of hiking by making the nights more comfortable.
First-Aid Kid
For burns, cuts, scrapes or other injuries, a first-aid kit can come in handy. Buy a kit at an outdoor store or put together one on your own. A kit should feature--at the very least--bandages of different sizes, gauze, tape, burn cream or gel and non-prescription medicines, among other optional items.
Cooking Materials
Anyone with a tent needs to be prepared for surviving in the wilderness at all hours of the day. Bringing food is vital to a successful experience in the wild. It is dangerous to plan on foraging, hunting or fishing for food when camping. Instead, bring dried and non-perishable items, along with utensils to cook the food. If you plan on roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire, you will also want to bring campfire skewers to heat the food without getting burned.
Tent & Tent Equipment
Last but not least, camping with a tent can't be done if you forget to bring the tent itself. You will appreciate having cover when temperatures drop at night, or when rain or bugs threaten to ruin your camping trip. Most tents are staked to the ground to provide stability, and some use a tent pole to prop up the middle of the tent. If your specific model requires a pole, be sure to bring it along. You should also find out whether the tent has a waterproof bottom. If it doesn't, a ground cover will prevent you from getting wet when it rains.
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