Camping is one of those activities that, in theory, sounds pretty easy when you’re a beginner. But you quickly realize that if you do it wrong, your whole body is hurting and you don’t have room for anything you need. You’ll realize while reading that I’m a big fan of compact stuff because it just makes life outdoors so much easier. In addition to that, having high- quality gear is a must if you plan on being outside often. It doesn’t always have to be expensive gear, but certainly things that will prevent any injuries or body aches so you can really enjoy your camping trips!
These are a few of my essentials I always have when camping to make life so much easier!
Having a good backpack may not seem that important until you’re half way through a hike and your back is in serious pain! Regular backpacks force you to lean forward to compensate for the weight in the back. A high quality backpack allows you to secure the weight right above your hip bones with a buckle in the front. You want to make sure you clip this just above the hips and tighten it so that the weight is almost entirely off of your shoulders and back.
These backpacks also allow you to carry triple the amount that a standard one would. There are pockets designed for larger items and others for easy access. You can strap in yoga mats, sleeping bags, and whatever else you may need.
I didn’t think it was super important to have one of these awhile back until I started really hiking and now I take it no matter how short or long the trip is going to be. They are essential to any outdoor travelers!
Seriously the best space-saver essential I have ever come across! There are so many items packed into this set and it condenses down to so little. You can throw this in your backpack and have everything you need to cook a good meal outdoors. Cooking on a fire outside is one of the best parts of traveling for me and it can be super difficult to carry everything you need.
If you’re in a van, this can definitely be the set you use inside as well because it is so compact that you can store it pretty much anywhere. I definitely recommend having as many compact items as you can when living tiny and being outdoors so much because it just makes life a lot easier than a ton of heavy, large stuff.
I did not understand all the hype about the Jetboil until one was gifted to me for Christmas. And now I’m completely in love with this thing. It heats up water incredibly fast, it’s super compact, and very lightweight. The design is brilliant, and takes very little propane. You can make coffee, tea, ramen, or basically anything you need with the Jetboil. They have lots of different versions/colors/designs so you can get one that you really like!
Having good sleeping bags that can fold down into a really small bag is awesome when you have to hike a long distance before setting up your tent and camp for the night. It’s not always possible if you are staying somewhere that gets really cold at night and need a very thick sleeping bag. These are pretty warm but lightweight so they aren’t the best for too cold of temperatures.
However if you can go with lightweight, I really think something compact like these are the best way to go. From living in the van to camping in a tent, they save space and aren’t hard to carry at all. Sometimes I like to just camp right outside the van because you get some fresh air and experience more of nature so just having these stored away and then throwing them down in the tent is super convenient.
This is like the backpacks; you think your regular boots will be fine until you get on that hike! Your feet will probably start hurting and you may even fall because most regular shoes are not designed for the difficult steps and footing you’ll need to hike to your campsite. Even if you aren’t a hiker, I would STILL get boots like these because they make everything outside so much easier and painless.
If you don’t know much about hiking boots, head over to the nearest REI or similar store and talk to one of the reps because they can answer anything you need and recommend the best ones for you.
Okay, so this one might not be essential to your camping. But it’s definitely preferred. Essential to me for sure! Who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee outside when you’re camping? There’s no better way to enjoy it! Again, I’m all about the compact stuff when it comes to camping. This coffee system has absolutely everything you’ll need to make coffee in the middle of nowhere. Stanley is a trusted brand and all of the pieces are really durable. Things like this just makes for such good van life/camping hacks because they take up so little space!
SHOW SOME LOVE
Dear Sydney,
you have a wonderful helpful blog. Here a hint for cooking from me. What about buying a Dutch Oven. you can cook every meal with it. One can even bake bread an cakes in it. Some of Dutch Ovens have a lid which can be used instead of a pan. Most popular here in Germany is Petromax. A less known brand is Grillfuerst. The quality and pricing are the same. The last one has T-shaped supports, which fill give solid support on any cooking grate, too. Petromax also makes very reliable forged steel skillets. They are not as heavy as the cast iron ones.
Most popular in the US I think is LODGE. The skillets are fine, I run two of them. Their Dutch Oven look solid too.
There other brands too, but I only gained experience with the mentioned three brands
Another helpful device for cooking is a wood gasification stove. Just google it. Thea are simple to use and do not use much wood a fire material you can find anywhere.The are commercially available. In case of low budget a few standard tools and two empty cans will do it. DiY plans can be found on web.
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