Camping is a great way to save money on your vacation, be closer to nature and have an absolute blast! Camping is great for people of all ages – families, college kids and retiree. If you like being outside and you like saving money then camping is for you!

What to bring for a camping trip?

In this article, we are going to look at some essential things you need to get for a camping trip.

1.Tent

Unless you want to sleep on the ground you will need a tent. There are a ton of tents on the market – get one based on your needs and your budget. Make sure that the tent you get has a footprint (goes under the tent to prevent water seeping in) and a rain fly (which goes over the top of the tent). A rain fly keeps rain out of the tent and keeps the tent a lot warmer at night.

2. Sleeping Pad

Browse your local outdoor store and you’ll see an abundant amount of sleeping pads to choose from. You need to try several and find the one that works for you.

3. Sleeping Bag & Pillow

If you are going camping in warm weather you can get away with bringing blankets from your house. However, if the weather is a bit cooler or if you are going to be hiking, you will be MUCH better off investing in a good sleeping bag. Do yourself a favor and get a mummy style bag. It’s a bit more expensive but it is light years better than the standard rectangular bag. Keeping your head warm makes a huge difference and they are very cozy! Also, be it a travel pillow or a standard bed pillow – don’t forget it! It’s a bummer to try and sleep on the ground without a pillow.

4. Knife & Cup

Make sure to bring a knife and a cup! Whether it is putting the peanut butter on your bread or whittling down an S’mores stick, there are so many times a knife comes in handy. Ensure you do not forget one when you head out camping. You can eat with your fingers if you have to but you can’t cut things with them. A knife is the most important camping gear. Also, make sure you bring at least one cup with you.

5. Headlamp

When the sun sets it can get really dark in the great outdoors. Sometimes you need a little more than the moonlight to guide your late night walk to the bathroom. You can get a regular lantern style lamp but it is recommendable getting a headlamp instead. You can keep your hands free which is a huge help with whatever you’re doing. You are going to misplace things in the tent that is why the headlamp is a life saver.

6. Camp Soap

Camping seems to get you dirty, go figure. Bring along some camp soap and then you can wash your hands (and anything else) right at your picnic table. The camp soap is great because it is environmentally friendly and won’t cause damage to the surrounding wildlife & plants. It’s much more convenient than heading to the bathroom numerous times just to wash your hands.

7. Water (drinking & washing)

Buy as much water you think you might need, then double it. Being outside all day will make you thirsty and as said above things tend to get dirty easily. Make sure you have enough water for drinking and then a couple jugs for washing up. Also before you leave on your trip, make sure to check and see if your campground provides running water. If they don’t then make sure you bring more for washing at your site.

8. Trash Bags

This is easily overlooked but it is an important item! Trash will quickly accumulate at your campsite and you need to put it somewhere. Bring along some plastic grocery bags or a couple larger trash bags and hook them to your picnic table or to a tree. It is recommendable to bring the grocery bags because not only is it a good way to reuse them but they fill up quickly. You can throw the full bag out every night which is much better than having trash and food scraps luring the animals at night.

Find our how to Keeping Camping Sites Clean

The above are some of the most important things you need to have for your camping trip.