Cool camping equipment

So you’ve already looked through one of our Cool Camping books, found that fabulous spot that has everything you’re looking for: mountains, sea views, fabulously long coastlines, chilled out site vibes and no bans on campfires! Awesome! Unfortunately, despite having the perfect location, being unprepared can still ruin what should always be a brilliant stress-relieving holiday. What’s the point having the tent if you forgot the tent pegs? Preparation is essential, so on that note, the tent is definitely the best and most fundamental place to start.
 
If you’re on a budget and you’re going to a festival where the likelihood is that your tent will probably get trashed anyways, then you can pick up a £15 pop-up jobby from a catalogue. However, most outdoor shops which specialise in an array of outdoor essentials, will be able to advise you that true outdoor camping requires a strong lightweight and contoured tent designed to shelter to you from all weather conditions. Something to think about is the size and how many people you intend to cram in it. You can get perfectly adequate 2-3 person dome tents which are durable, spacious and can fold up into a neat little bag. Or you can opt for the Tunnel which is an extended dome that will fit more people in it. Bearing in mind that the dome style tents are not sectioned, you might be more inclined to go for the large framed tents which could be mistaken for a small house! These tents are perfect for large families and often come with “kitchen” style compartments plus multiple sleeping areas for all the family. Not only are they extremely spacious, but also highly waterproof and durable. Unless you’ve recently won the world’s strongest backpacker competition, you won’t enjoy carrying around these tents. And if you consider yourself to be a hardcore camper, then you will probably already own a geodesic dome which has additional durability and strength and can out stand any climate that the UK has to offer. Finally if you don’t fancy yourself as much of a tent assembler then you’ll be happy to know that there are quite a lot of campsites (many are featured in the Cool Camping series) which provide the rather glamorous Mongolian Yurt style tents and of course the Native American Tipi huts-so very Pocahontas-esque. Both the Yurts and Tipis often come with an indoor stove or fire and are of course very spacious and comfortable. Note to self: Never go on a trip with a new tent without erecting it already to see if it’s ok.
 
So you’ve got your tent sussed; now you can’t pack your double bed, so you’re going to have to find a sleeping bag. Firstly however, what many people undervalue, is the comfort-increasing power of a decent sleeping mat. Lying on the floor of a tent no matter how level the ground is, is still incredibly taxing on the old back, so some padding really doesn’t go amiss. Bog standard foam mats aren’t quite good enough so invest in a good one- or splash out on an air bed, but you might want to purchase an electric pump...trust us! Also, most campers have said they prefer the self-inflating sleeping mats as they are good heat insulators as well as comfortable.
 
Sleeping bags are simple enough to pick-and if you regularly camp in challenging weather conditions, you should probably splash out the extra dough and get one that will definitely keep you warm and dry. You got 2 types to choose from, the down variety which are extremely comfortable, they compress well, yet they’re quite costly. Or you could opt for the cheaper synthetic kind which are quick-drying and retain heat even when wet, however they are quite heavy and simply not as comfortable. An outdoor shop will be able to advise you on what season you will need but for through-the-year UK camping, season 2 or 3 will keep you cosy. If in doubt, always ask yourself “what is the coldest temperature I will be exposed to?” and then work it out from there.
 
So that’s the essentials out the way. Here are a few more suggestions that we recommend for you to take:
 

• A torch (because late trips to the loos or the trees can be quite difficult without one)
• A sharp knife or a swiss-army knife (truly invaluable)
• Plates and cutlery (camping is basic but not primitive!)
• Standard cooking pots and pans
• A gas stove with some spare gas
• Barbecue tools such as tongs, skewers etc
• Kettle and mugs (for those quintessential cups of tea)
• Pillows, additional blankets
• Spare batteries
• Candles
• First aid kit, insect repellent (if you are staying in warm areas near stagnant water)
• A guitar or an instrument for some music around the campfire
• Some good protective clothing such as poncho’s and wellies to help you combat the unforgiving British weather
• Beach clothes just in case a ray of sun does happen to shine on you.
• If you got kids then we suggest you take plenty of games, toys and perhaps their entire wardrobe for them to change into as they proceed with getting as filthy as possible.

Try not to follow this all too religiously…what you can’t borrow from other campers, you can improvise. Forgotten your plates? Use a piece of bread instead. Forgotten your pillow? Stuff some clothes in a T-shirt. Forgotten your camping stools? Use an upside down bucket. Just let your imagination take over and have fun with it. That’s what camping is all about.