The 10 Most Important Camping Supplies

The joys of camping run deep. It can be a lifelong pursuit, as it is for countless folks who were
introduced to the routines and rituals of roughing it as kids. But it’s also the kind of universal activity
people of essentially any age (and any walk of life) can start doing at any point—and, more likely
than not, it’s going to stick.

No special skills or expensive equipment are necessary to give camping a try, though of course they
come in handy for certain kinds of camping. But having basic supplies is essential. Here we’ve put
together a beginner-friendly camping gear list that hopefully will help you plan out an introductory
night out in the woods.

Keeping Camping Necessities in Context

This may or may not go without saying, but keep in mind that “camping” encompasses a mighty
broad spectrum of forms and settings. Front-country camping can be a plush stay at a heavily
developed commercial or county-park campground, or primitive boondocking off some middle-of-
nowhere backroad. And then there’s backpacking, which sees you lugging everything you need right
on your shoulders, or any number of other nonmotorized wilderness forays by horse or mule or raft
or kayak. Obviously there’s a lot of equipment specific to the particular kind of camping you’re
engaging in, and the length of your journey, relative remoteness, and a host of other factors will
influence what you bring along.

All that said, the following camping essentials are likely to come in handy for just about any
overnight trip in the great outdoors.

1. Food

Besides the whole life-sustaining thing, food’s at the heart of any camping trip because of the hearty
appetites inspired by outdoor living and the rich opportunities for shared experience that a trailside
picnic or campfire meal presents. Plus, that old adage about everything tasting better outside
happens to be true.

When it comes to campsite cookery, some go impressively elaborate, while others prefer to keep
things simple in the interest of packing space and time. However you approach the camp kitchen, it’s
vital to make a meal plan. Keep in mind the dietary needs and preferences of your party, how and
where mealtimes will fit into your planned itinerary (e.g., Do you need picnic-friendly fare? Will you
mostly be eating at the campsite?), and just how much energy you’ll be burning through (consider a
leisurely campsite-focused idyll vs. A weeklong backpacking adventure).

It must be said, meantime: From the established campground to the deep wilderness, Mountain
House entrees, sides, and snacks are convenient-as-can-be camping foods.
 2. Cookware

Here we’re talking about stoves (or not), dishware, utensils, and all the other cooking-and-eating
essentials. You can cook everything over a fire (in the interest of Leave-No-Trace principles, better
pursued in a developed campground than a backcountry campsite), in which case you’ll need
firestarting materials such as matches or a lighter. Cookstove-wise, there’s a range of sizes and fuel
types. In terms of pots and pans, backpackers get by with a modern-day nested cookware set or an
old-school mess kit; car campers can afford to bring a much more extensive arsenal, if they so
choose.

With a fully equipped camp kitchen, you can be just about as fancy as you want in the meal-
preparation department. Many campers, though, go the one-pot route, in which case—hey, how
about a just-add-hot-water Mountain House feast?

3. Water

Critical to planning a camping trip is identifying the water resources available at the campsite(s)
you’ll be using. Established campgrounds may or may not have water available via faucets or hand
pumps. If not, you’ll have to bring your own water for drinking, cooking, and washing. Backcountry
camping generally requires treating/purifying water from natural sources such as creeks, rivers, or
lakes, although such sources aren’t always available (underscoring the need to thoroughly research
the environment you’ll be trekking through).

4. First-Aid Kit

Too many campers neglect to include a first-aid kit among their essential camping gear. It’s a piece
of equipment you only miss when an on-trail stumble results in a scraped knee, or the kids play hide-
and-seek in a poison-ivy patch on the edge of the campground, or that whittling knife makes a small
but costly slip. You can buy a prepackaged first-aid kit or assemble one yourself. Don’t forget to
assess the kit periodically and to re-up on any constituent supplies that are running low or depleted.

5. Tent

Obviously you RV-campers don’t necessarily need a tent. But otherwise a tent’s pretty much part-
and-parcel of the camping experience. (And yes, for sure, there are outdoorspeople who prefer tarp
shelters, bivy sacks, or no shelter at all.) Needless to say, tents come in all shapes and sizes, from
barely-there solo backpacker ultralight setups to huge family-size tents.

Tent considerations include the number of people in your party, the kind of camping you’re pursuing
(car-camping vs. Backpacking), and the season(s) you plan to be out and about in. Those who
typically camp in summer or early fall can typically get by with a three-season tent; winter campers
need a more robust four-season structure.
 6. Sleeping Bag

Like tents, sleeping bags come in a wide range of quality. Penny pinchers can certainly make a cheap
and poorly insulated bag work if they’re camping inclement conditions, but regular campers usually
end up deciding to invest in a higher-quality sack. Choosing a sleeping bag means considering its
temperature rating, composition (down vs. Synthetic), and shape. For example, are you looking to
zip together a pair of rectangular sleeping bags to make room for two? Or are you interested in the
maximal warmth and efficiency of a mummy bag (the go-to style for backpackers, but one some
claustrophobic types find disagreeable)?

7. Lighting

Flashlights, headlamps, and lanterns: You need illumination of some kind, and preferably several
kinds and a couple of backups. Many novice campers underestimate their lighting needs, only to find
themselves fumbling around the cookstove or trying to set up a tent in near-total darkness. Don’t
forget those extra batteries; it’s nice to have hand-crank and/or solar-powered options along, too.

8. Map

Hey, you’ve got your smartphone with its GPS and online-mapping capabilities: Why do you need to
bother with an out-of-fashion paper map? Well, such a resource is actually essential: You may be out
of cellular range, for instance, or your digital map may be inaccurate. An up-to-date, properly scaled
paper map is a safeguard for campers, most especially for anyone venturing into more isolated
country. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get utterly turned around on the drive to a Forest
Service or Bureau of Land Management campsite: A maze of rough backwoods roads can get you as
thoroughly lost as trackless terrain, believe it or not.

9. Knife

Human beings have relied on knives of one kind or another for thousands of years, and their utility
hasn’t diminished in the modern age. A high-quality, full-tang camping knife can be (with no
hyperbole) a lifesaver if things go sour on your wilderness getaway, but it’s also a practical, everyday
aid for wielding heated pots and whittling s’mores sticks.

10. Rope

Put an adequate length of sturdy rope in the same category as a knife: a ridiculously versatile
survival tool, most importantly, and also an endlessly handy around-the-campsite aid. From rigging
tarps to fashioning an emergency sling, you definitely don’t want to embark on a camping trip
without 100 feet or so of 550 paracord. (Check out our blogpost on the survival facility of a paracord
bracelet, in case you aren’t convinced.)