What gear do I need to camp? I've been asking myself this question over the past few weeks as our weather has warmed up and the need to be outdoors grows. I've been wanting to camp with my kids for a while but haven't actually got out of the backyard.
Let me tell you, our backyard is a noisy place! At night, birds and squirrels are constantly chattering, cars go racing down a distant road...not distant enough, neighbors are out and about slamming car doors or talking much louder than necessary. You don't hear much of this noise inside the house so it was a big surprise when we tried to backyard camp.
My plan is to camp for a night or two at a remote location. I know I don't need all the luxuries of modern camping. I don't need electricity to charge my phone or computer. I don't need an elaborate cooking system to cook hotdogs. I don't need a condo sized tent to have my space.
I spent the last few weeks watching Survivorman on YouTube. If you didn't know it already, Les Stroud put all his Survivorman episodes on YouTube. It really is a great show with real survival tactics in real survival situations. While I'm not planning on "surviving" on my camping trip...well, I do hope to survive the trip...watching Survivorman inspires me to get out and rough it in the woods.
But what are the bare necessities I need to camp? Here is my list so far:
- Tent
- Sleeping Bag
- Lantern
- Water
- Cooler
- Matches/Ferro Rod
- Toiletries/Meds: Toilet Paper, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Tums
- Stanley Adventure Cook Set
- 10" Skillet
- Food: Oatmeal, Hot Dogs, Beef Jerky, Tea, Eggs, Bacon, Potatoes, Breading mix, Oil, Bread
- Axe/Knife
- Fishing gear
- First Aid Kit
- Clothing: Boots, socks, shirts, pants, hat
I think that's about all I need to make it through a few days of camping. The trip is going to be car camping since our vehicle won't really be far from where we setup. However, I do aspire to do some more primitive camping -- primitive being hiking deep into the woods with less gear and essentially bushcraft for a few nights. But I don't think I'm there yet.
We will have to forage around for firewood and fish for a meal or two. If it rains prior or during we may have to be more creative in what we use for firewood. Fishing-wise, I'd love to do a fish fry for one of the dinners. But that will depend on whether the fish cooperate.
There's something about being out there in the woods and occupying your time with busy tasks to reset your mind. With all the attachment we have to devices, we need to give our eyes and minds a rest and get back to living. My eyes are tired of looking at a screen and yearn to just view live nature.
I think my planning is about done. Is there anything I'm missing from my list that you would need?