Planning Ahead
Your campsite is your home away from home. Whether eating, sleeping or hanging out with the guys, your campsite is your refuge. It’s best to plan ahead to have what you need at hand – whether for a weekend or a month. Check out the essential campsite gear below:
Main Campsite Essentials:
- Tent – sturdy and waterproof
- Sleeping bags
- Sleeping pads
- Camping pillow
- Headlamps and/or flashlights
- Batteries for your light sources or other equipment
- Camp chairs
- Camp table (even if the campsite provides one, bring a backup)
- Lantern
Optional campsite gear:
- Tarps or sunshades
- Firewood
- Tablecloths
Camping Tools
Follow the mantra of always being prepared whenever you’re roughing it in the outdoors. Even if you plan on glamping in an RV (no shame in that), you want to prepare as if you’re not. That means having tools to deal with unexpected situations. Things come up when you’re camping, and you may not be in a position to drive back into town or get home easily just because you desperately need a screwdriver. Some good options to have on hand:
- Multi-tool
- Duct tape
- Rope and cord
- Hammer
- Axe
- Small shovel
- Broom and dustpan
- Gloves
- Eye protection
Help provide additional protection for handling tasks by using gloves and eye protection. You’ll want gloves for camping activities from chopping wood to cooking. Use something sturdy, yet comfortable and disposable, like the Venom Steel rip resistant nitrile gloves for a glove you can rely on. For cooking, splash protection gloves will keep your hands clean while handling meat or poultry. Protect your hands and help keep things like saw dust out of your eyes.
Camp Cooking Equipment Essentials
This list will change depending on what you’re planning to eat, so here’s a pro tip: plan your meals. When it comes to camping and food, you want to bring just the right amount of rations. And if you are planning to hunt, fish or forage for some of your food, you’ll want to have some emergency supplies – just in case. If you know what you’re eating, you’ll know exactly what cooking supplies to bring. These are the essential items:
- Stove and fuel
- Matches/firestarter
- Pot
- Frying pan
- Utensils
- Bottle/can opener
- Sharp knife
- Plates/bowls
- Mugs/cups
- Cutting board
- Cooler/ice
- Washing bucket/bin
- Natural soap
- Scrubbers/sponge
- Trash bags (want to leave your campsite pristine!)
- Dish towels
