What to take to camp in comfort

What to Bring to Camping: Essential Items

1. Tent

In summary, the tents are made up of 3 essential parts and 2 accessories: on the roof, bedroom, rods, specs and cords. which varies depending on the space requirements needed, waterproofing, ventilation, weight and of course the cost-benefit.

2. sleeping bag

The primary feature of a sleeping bag is that it can be zipped up to the neck, increasing its ability to retain heat compared to an ordinary blanket.

It is worth mentioning that sleeping bags can be used on numerous occasions and not only for camping: on trips by bus, plane, hostels and even at home on very cold days, as their heating capacity often exceeds the best duvets. I myself would sleep with a sleeping bag for the rest of my life.

3. Thermal insulation

Its function is to insulate our bodies from the dampness and cold of contact with the ground. The most basic ones are made of EVA material (0.5 cm thick) which can be found in any upholstery store, or even purchased ready-made. There are also the most modern inflatables, which can be deflated and better compressed, also providing more comfort, but at a higher cost.

For those who go camping near their car, the inflatable mattress may be the most comfortable and cheapest option. Some people love it, I prefer the inflatable insulator.

4. Headlamp or flashlight

A headlamp (or “head flashlight” translated from English) is a small flashlight with a rubber band that can be attached to the head. Very practical for leaving your hands free, it is widely used on hikes and also for cooking at the campsite at night. A normal handheld flashlight does the job too!

I always recommend having an extra flashlight, as well as extra backup batteries, especially when setting out on more remote campsites. There is also a rechargeable headlamp option, which does not require the use of batteries.

5. Cargo Backpack

When you need to walk to get to the campsite, having a cargo bag is essential, as they are spacious, resistant and comfortable when carrying a lot of weight for long journeys, they are also useful for any type of trip, even urban ones, as they give you much more autonomy of displacement than a conventional suitcase.

6. First Aid Kit and Remedies

I love having the first aid kit available, especially for longer trips or camping in more remote places. I take a compact on every trip we take. Basically included in the kit:

• First aid items: thermometer, tape, hydrogen peroxide, tweezers, saline, gauze, bandages, cotton, band-aid, lubricating eye drops, burn ointment, 70% alcohol, lighter scissors with rolled silvertape, scissors, piece of soap. coconut, package with salt, among other items that will be covered in a post given the extension of the theme.
• Medicines: Among the important remedies to have on hand, just take into account the main health problems you may face on a trip, among the most common, headache, fever, allergic crisis (there is one for the skin and the other for respiratory ), stomach pain, hangover, inflammation, food poisoning, etc. I usually remove the pack from the box and take them with their respective package inserts held by a rubber band, on which I write the expiration date of the medicine. Nowadays, the leaflets are much clearer and more instructive in guiding the use of medications, so it is essential to carry it along with the medication pack to assess the symptoms and self-medicate (obviously very cautiously and when considering that the search for care doctor is not a good option).

It is noteworthy that most of the items in the kit have been useful at some point, whether for us or friends on the road.

7. Towel

I really like microfiber towels, as they are light , compact, have high water  absorption power and dry very quickly. Today they can even be found in supermarkets. 

8. Water filter

If you are going to nature and will have access to a water source, be it a pond, river or even a stream, where you are not sure about the quality of the water, you can filter it using:

• Bleach (with an exclusive composition of sodium hypochlorite): simple ingredient and available at a low cost, just pour 2 drops of bleach per litre of water and wait for 30 minutes.
• Chlorine tablets:   in this case, chlorine comes in tablets, facilitating its storage. Just put 1 tablet in the quantity indicated by the manufacturer. Among the best known, Clor-in is one of the most used and can be found in specialized stores.
• Manual filter:  there are several types and are sold in specialized stores. In Brazil it is easy to find some models of minifilter, which are a stick to be attached to the mouth of pet bottles and when pressed, it makes the passage of water through the stick, filtering taking place. There are other mechanical models that are also portable, but very scarce in the Brazilian market, which add a hand pump for faster water filtration.