Camping Gear Guide for Beginners

There are 7 things that you should take care of when you go camping which shelter, sleeping, clothing, cooking and activity.

New campers should first try camping close to home so that if you have any missing gear you can quickly drive home and get it. There are other reasons to camp close to home for beginners. You might run out of food, the weather might be too much for your tent to handle and more.

Always use a checklist when preparing and packing for a camping trip.

There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing shelter. The simplest and smallest is the bivvy bag. The most popular type of tent is the dome tent which can be found at a very low price at Walmart.

Cheap tents, however, will likely leak when it rains. Check if your tent will leak by getting inside while someone else sprays water over it with a garden hose.

Make sure you choose a tent that's big enough for everyone in your group if that tent is going to be the only tent.

If you're not used to sleeping on the ground you might find that it's not easy especially without a good sleeping pad. A self-inflating pad like the ones from Therm-a-Rest is highly recommended because of their combination of weight and comfort. Their LuxuryCamp self-inflating pad is one of the most comfortable in the market.

Don't use foam pads unless your body is conditioned enough to sleep on hard ground. You can try sleeping on a foam pad at home and see if it is for you.

You can also use air mattresses or air beds and these are in general thicker than self-inflating pads though not necessarily more comfortable. The problem with inflatables is that there's a risk that it might puncture so you'll be left with no cushioning and insulation if this happens.

If you're not keen on sleeping on the ground, you might want to consider using a camping cot. Canvas cots tend to be taut and hard so you'll also need some padding on top.

You'll also need a sleeping bag for warmth but make sure it's right for the season. Don't use a zero-degree down sleeping bag in summer and don't use a summer bag in winter. Temperature ratings provide a good guide for choosing sleeping bags but don't take it as absolute truth.

Many beginners often neglect to bring enough clothes. You should at least make sure that you have dry clothing for sleeping especially in cold weather. There are not likely to be any laundry service around so you need to be able to wash your own clothes if needed.

Remember to take some rain gear with you in case it rains even when you don't see any sign of it.

Eating and cooking outdoors is a lot of fun. Your food is not just limited to those that require boiling water but you can also grill, bake, fry or cook just about anything that you can cook at home. If you use a camp oven you can even make bread and make pizza with a stove and a pan.

There are a lot of things you can do at camp depending on where you camp. You can swim, cycle, hike, dig for gold, play ball games, etc.  If you want to do all these things, make sure you have the gear for it.

You might also want to take the book you wanted to read and some board games it case it rains.

Once you have all your gear, it's time to get familiar with it. Test each of your camping gear at home. When testing your camp stove, do it outside in your backyard. Better yet, try camping in your backyard. It's a good opportunity to practice setting up your tent. Try it in the dark to remind yourself to arrive early at the campsite.