Ultimate Camping Essentials Checklist
Being outdoors in nature is great for the mind, body and soul. Whether you are going camping on a campsite or wild camping in the mountains our camping essentials checklist has got you covered.
The list is everything you need to ensure you have a stress free and fun camping adventure. It’s really important that you don’t forget any essentials when heading off camping and you can never be too prepared.
Obviously everything is optional and dependant on whether you are hiking with your kit or parking a car next to your tent. Don’t forget that when you go camping to always take any rubbish with you… this includes taking your banana skins which can take unto 2 years to decompose! Don’t leave any fruit skins/peel behind, it’s not the natural environment so can affect wildlife or soil. Leave only footprints, take only memories… and photos of course!
Having a camping checklist means a stress free packing experience and smooth camping trip. We’ve even made it downloadable so you can tick off as you go along!
Camping Essentials
- Tent (check you have pegs and poles!)
- Hammer for the pegs
- Ground sheet (optional)
- Warm sleeping bag
- Sleeping bag liner
- Pillow
- Sleeping mat / Roll mat / Air bed + pump
- Blanket or chair
- Head torch / Lamp (spare batteries if battery powered)
- Rechargeable battery pack & phone cable (make sure it’s charged!)
- Dry bags to separate clothing
- Spare clothing in case they get wet
- Extra socks and warm night socks!
- Spare underwear
- Trainers or change of shoes in case your boots are wet
(consider flip flops or stick to hiking boots if limited on space and weight)
- Change of clothing for the evening (space and activity dependant)
- Hoody or down jacket (great for round the campsite)
- Thermals / warm pyjamas
- Warm hat
- Gloves
- Neck warmer / Scarf
- Microfibre travel towel
- Blanket or chair
- Swimming kit (if wild swimming is available)
- Toiletries (check out waterless wash products and eco-friendly soap)
- Tooth paste and toothbrush
- Eye mask (it may be bright in the tent due to the moon or early sunrise)
- Any required medication or tablets
- Hand sanitiser
- Insect repellant
- Sunscreen
- Compact mirror
- Flask / Coffee cup
- Stove, gas and lighter (or BBQ)
- Pans for cooking (1 for food and 1 for water if no washing facilities)
- Cooking oil and condiments
- Plate / Bowl
- Reusable spork / Cutlery
- Tin / Bottle opener
- Lightweight foldable bag / Cooler bag (for food and drinks)
- Bag for dirty pans & cutlery
- Lightweight trowel & tissues (for a wild poo, if there are no toilet facilities of course!)
Hiking and Camping Essentials Checklist
Essentials and Accessories
- Daypack (optional waterproof rain cover)
- Hiking Boots
- Map and compass
- Navigation app with downloaded route
- Mobile phone
- Camera / Go Pro
- Headphones
- Rechargeable battery pack
- Phone cable for charging
- First aid kit
- Head torch
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Emergency blanket
- Sunglasses
- Waterproof phone pouch
- Walking poles
- Tissues and waste bag
- Hand sanitiser
Clothing
- Waterproof jacket
- Down jacket
- Fleece or mid layers
- Thermals / base layers
- Walking trousers
- Waterproof over trousers
- Baseball cap
- Beanie / bobble hat
- Neck tube
- Neck warmer
- Gloves
- Socks
- Sports bra
- Underwear
Food and drink for hiking
- Reusable water bottle / hydration bladder
- 1-2 litres of water (drink plenty before the hike)
- Reusable spork
- Lunch
- Snacks (fruit, energy bars, jelly babies etc)
- Energy drinks with electrolytes
- Rubbish bag
Things to note:
- Multiple layering is always better than one thick layer. Heats gets trapped between layers so the more layers the better!
- Lip balm with SPF. Even when it’s cold it can be sunny up on the mountains. This will also help to prevent dry cracked lips.
- Freeze dried food pouches or food that you add water to are lightweight, compact and you don’t have to worry about it going off.
- Tea/coffee sachets or use powdered milk so it doesn’t go off
- A change of clothes and shoes in case you get wet
- Swimwear if there’s a lake for swimming
- Jelly babies are always a good snack as they don’t freeze or melt and provide a good source of energy and sugar
- If you are staying on a campsite you might want to take cleaning products to wash up after cooking
- Always dispose of a BBQ correctly and make sure it is on bricks not on the grass or a bench as it will burn and damage them. Check you are allowed in the campsite or area you are camping beforehand
- If you have the car nearby you can obviously take more kit such as a foldable chair but if you are hiking to a wild camp would recommend a blanket like our large Yugen towel
This list is a suggestion of kit that you will need and will be different if you are wild camping or on a campsite. Obviously you will need to tailor it to suit the weather or conditions you will be camping in.
If you can think of anything else you’d recommend or usually take camping please do let us know in the comments.
To find out about the best places and adventures in the UK why not check out our UK Adventure blogs or for easy cooking camping recipes check out our Outdoor Cooking blog
Happy camping!
