Before you head out on your trip, be sure to check what type of water supply you’ll be working with. Some campsites have potable water, while others just provide access to a stream/river that isn’t safe to drink. You’ll have to either come with all the water you’ll need for drinking/cooking/washing/, or have a means to purify water such as iodine tablets or a UV light.
For warmth, for cooking, for telling ghost stories – some type of heat source is essential for camping. Assuming your campsite allows open flames (be sure to check!), this could include anything from campfires, barbecue pits, portable burners, and more.
Even if you’re planning on camping out in the open air, you’ll still need emergency shelter preparations at the very least (though if you have the ability to lug enough serious equipment around, a tent is always a good thing to have). Emergency space blankets are a must, or at the very least a large trash bag for the budget conscious in order to keep out the elements.
You may be surprised at how far you can be from civilization and still receive cell reception. If this is the case, you’re all good to go — you’ll be able to reach somebody if something should go wrong. If you don’t have cell reception, however, you may need to invest in a satellite phone for emergencies.
Nothing ruins a good camping trip quicker than being wet and cold, so be sure to bring something to protect against that. You’ll want to bring enough layers to stay warm when the sun goes down, and at least one of them should be a water-resistant shell to keep out the rain.
Beyond having shelter to keep yourself out of direct sunlight for too long, you’ll want to bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and all of that good stuff for your trip. If it’s a warm summer day, the benefits are pretty obvious, but don’t forget the dangers of snow blindness if you’re planning a winter trek.
Pretty obvious, but far too often overlooked is an light source. Not surprisingly, there usually aren’t many streetlights or clap-on disco balls out in the wilderness, and it gets pretty dark when the sun goes down. Be sure to bring a strong flashlight (or better yet, a headlamp in order to keep your hands free) to keep out the dark.
It helps to know where you’re going, so study up on the area you’ll be tramping around in and be sure to bring maps of the region for reference. For hiking and camping, topographical maps are the most useful. You may also want to bring a compass in order to stay oriented.
Unless you’re planning on hunting for your dinner when you get into the woods (outlawed at many camping sites), you’ll want to pack enough food to get you through your planned trip and then some. Nothing kills the mood more than staring up at the twinkling stars with your stomach growling something fierce.
You don’t need to be a surgeon to carry around a proper first aid kit, and they don’t even need that much in them to begin with. As long as you have band aids, gauze, disinfectant, adhesives, and maybe a tube of trusty Neosporin, your kit should be sufficient.
