Camping Veterans!

JaneDough_

When you go camping what items do you feel are essential to take with you, please?!
I already have an awesome tent and a snazzy solar charger, but what else?

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you!

darkguardian419

beer

ETA: meat, something to start a fire, and a stick to cook the meat on... maybe some bug spray.

usmcmp

Sleeping bag, matches, marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars.

iAMsmiling

Food and water.

Desterknee

Cast iron skillet, flash light, good foods, playing cards, fire starter,

GiddyupTim

A pad or an air mattress for under your sleeping bag. God, it is no fun to be too cold or uncomfortable all night.

IbiH

As per any trip..... first aid kit and a bottle opener/cork screw.

seasonalvoodoo

Air mattress, lantern or light of some sort, chairs.

DenyseMarieL

Depends on if you are a camping minimalist or you want the comforts of home.

-a decent thick piece of foam bedding to lay your sleeping bag on
-matches
-bottled water
-toilet paper (you never know about those outhouses)
-an extra tarp for over the tent (the ones they provide sometimes leak)
-a lantern/flashlights

Then your essentials, food, clothing, and yes......booze

auroranflash

I also want to know - if you are going camping and have to go on the plane first, how on earth do you pack all the things you need without spending a million dollars on baggage fees?

jsantarelli

As per any trip..... first aid kit and a bottle opener/cork screw.

Bottle opener for sure. Mine is on my key chain.

I like a bottle of liter fluid as well. I've had a few batches of wood that I could not get lit even after chopping them down to little bits of kindling. Which also brings up the hatchett and multi-tool. Don't forget a roll of toilet paper too.

HelenDootson

Bnting, solar fairy lights, ceramic coffee mug, table cloth, kettle, camp stove, gas for stove, chair, twice the number of sweaters you initially thought, hot water bottle, wine glass and shed loads of wine.
I love camping, but I do not believe it has to be rough!!

Oh and those great instant porridge pots that quacker make, where you just add boiling water, put the lid on and 2 mins later have warm calorie counted yummy breakfast :0

NotRailMeat

A Dutch Oven:

ldrosophila

fully loaded RV

JohnnyCashMoney

Cast iron skillet, flash light, good foods, playing cards, fire starter,

If you are hiking, DO NOT carry a cast iron skillet. Oh...hellz no.

tomomatic

Water. Very important. Check to see if the camp site has potable drinking water. It's one less thing to bring with you.
A deck of playing cards
Matches or lighter
Do you know if the campgrounds have toilets? One less thing, but you'll probably have to bring your own TP.
Booze... do you have moonshiners on the way to the campgrounds? We have some in the backwoods of Virginia.
Knife and bandaids

cwolfman13

What kind of camping are you doing? The kind of camping you are doing will dictate what is essential and non-essential for the most part. For example, a case of beer is pretty essential for me if I'm at a campground in my pop-up...but no way in hell am I going to hump a case of beer into the back country on one of my backpacking treks.

True essentials:

Food
Water
Clothing that will keep you warm
First aid
Something to start a fire

JaneDough_

I also want to know - if you are going camping and have to go on the plane first, how on earth do you pack all the things you need without spending a million dollars on baggage fees?

THIS!! Lol we are traveling by plane to our destination!

Timshel_

When you go camping what items do you feel are essential to take with you, please?!
I already have an awesome tent and a snazzy solar charger, but what else?

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you!

My toy hauler. It has everything.

Timshel_

For backpack, essentials are all lightweight. Bivy sac, sleeping bag, couple sets of clothes, MRE's, Water filter pump and flavor tablets, waterproof matches, safety and first aid gear, etc.

iAMsmiling

I also want to know - if you are going camping and have to go on the plane first, how on earth do you pack all the things you need without spending a million dollars on baggage fees?

THIS!! Lol we are traveling by plane to our destination!

A couple of years ago, all 4 of us flew across country to hike/camp on the Appalachian trail. We packed everything in our backpacks and bought carrying bags to contain the backpacks. We were concerned that the bag handling machines would eat the packs otherwise. With everyone having 1 carry on in addition to the backpack, we were able to pack for the hike and for a couple of weeks of sightseeing afterwards.

DesireeLovesOrganic

We are more "KOA" type campers (camping "light" haha) but I always bring cast iron skillet, matches, little stove, booze, smore stuff, food, bikes for kids (or we rent them) camping chairs, napkins, plastic silverware, sleeping bags, light for at night to walk to the bathroom, something to start fire (extra papers or lighter fluid, etc.) If you are going on plane though, that would be totally different...

Kimdbro

Depends on if at a camp site or park, or if hiking it in solo lite. If campsite camping: Dry wood (you'd be surprised how often you'll need it as many sites have crappy and or wet wood) a corkscrew if you're a wine drinker, bottle opener if beer drinker. One rarely forgets the booze but often forgets the method of opening it. Mosquito repellent (if you're Canadian you'd better bring a King size can :bigsmile: ), and sunscreen. Water, hand sanitizer and toilette paper (sites frequently have either cardboard paper or none at all) Clothing - layers, remember both warm and cold attire and rain. First aid kit.

Soloist or backpacking in lite: Thermorest, Bug repellant, Bear scare (bell and spray), toilette paper and hand sanitizer, water or portable water filter, first aid kit.

**** I just realized that in my photo collage 3 of the pics are of me camping the first was me in my tent the year I learned the importance of having a barrier under you that is NOT air mattress (air gets cold and you get cold) I now use a thermorest with double folded wool blanket on top of it, but under me if lite and if campsite I bring a huge rolled up bed foam. The second is me wearing the gilligan hat and that' s the trip when I learned the importance of remembering sunscreen. The third is me pointing at the back of my SUV full of everything and the kitchen sink.... where I learned the importance of packing everything and the kitchen sink (I seriously pack a wash bin now for a sink) lol

Akimajuktuq

It all depends how and where you like to camp!

I take, in addition to tent, sleeping bags and personal stuff:

-SAS Arctic Survival Guide (cuz I live in the Arctic)
-SPOT emergency beacon
-First Aid kit
-ax, multi tool, knives, matches, lighter, fish hooks, twine, rope
-firearm and/or bear spray (I prefer the firearm)
-cast iron pan and basic dishes
-food and water (duh) or skip the food if you know how to hunt and gather your own, water optional if you are going to boil/filter local water
-comfortable camp chair
-stove and fuel
-some kind of bug protection (i use bug jacket and non toxic bug repellent)
-vodka (but not too much, and carefully rationed. Being passed out and oblivious in bear country is not very wise)

This girl LOVES camping.

elenathegreat

Telephone number for the concierge desk and room service menu...I HATE camping:P

GnomeQueen84

Beer.
Bratwurst.
Clean Socks.
Water.
A map.
Toilet Paper.
Matches/Lighter.

JaneDough_

I also want to know - if you are going camping and have to go on the plane first, how on earth do you pack all the things you need without spending a million dollars on baggage fees?

THIS!! Lol we are traveling by plane to our destination!

whierd

Water canteen
Good quality knife.
Hand saw
Strong cord, like parachute
Toilet paper
First aid kit
Water purification ability
Collapsable pot



Really, I could go on and on.

Cp731

:grumble:

Cp731

I also want to know - if you are going camping and have to go on the plane first, how on earth do you pack all the things you need without spending a million dollars on baggage fees?

THIS!! Lol we are traveling by plane to our destination!

Seriously? Ow Forget it.

JaneDough_

I also want to know - if you are going camping and have to go on the plane first, how on earth do you pack all the things you need without spending a million dollars on baggage fees?

THIS!! Lol we are traveling by plane to our destination!

Seriously? Ow Forget it.

Forget what? And yes, seriously.



This is how our checked bags will look like sans the food. We are taking a shelter canopy that one of us can carry in hand. I can pack a roll up table and I am bringing a rei chair.

So, so far I have

-solar charger for phone and camera



-rei chair that I can easily back.


-canopy



-Sleeping pad

- Two lanterns

[more to come, also bumping for the great ideas]