Did you know that consumers spend over $1.5 billion every year buying camping equipment? That?s no small amount! But for good reason. People love camping — most people who do go camping actually commit to using the equipment they?ve bought. On average, those who do camp spend 15 days camping per year — no small amount!
If you?re going camping, you may have trouble figuring out what sort of things are necessary, what items are luxury, and what items are just plain useless and will be taking up unnecessary space in your backpack. Here?s a list of items you should keep on hand whether you?re staying in cabin rentals or in a tent on nearby campgrounds.
1. All Your Cooking Equipment
When you?re packing for your adventure, it can help to go through the motions of what you?ll actually need to use once you?re away from home. It can be easy to remember all the food and the tinfoil needed for cooking it — only to forget that you?ll need a knife to cut it all, and a fork to eat it with. It?s a good idea to have a cooler, a large water jug, any pots and pans you?ll need (along with cooking spray or cooking oil, don?t forget!), and any seasonings you?d want to use. Love coffee in the morning? You can technically make it the same way you make tea — tie up a coffee filter worth of coffee and steep it in your mug instead of brewing it.
2. Outfits for Different Temperatures, Conditions
Did you know that 90% of amusement parks operate year round? If you?re camped out near a splashpark, you?re going to want to have one — or potentially more than one — swimsuit on hand. Similarly, don?t rely simply on your local weather channel for understanding the weather conditions during your camping trip. Temperatures can fall dramatically at night, which you may not be used to if you?re normally inside an insulated home. Pack enough warm clothing to get you through, and consider a few extra blankets as well. For the splash parks, make sure you bring an adequate number of towels!
3. The Things You’ll Truly Appreciate
Although a solar powered sandwich maker might sound cool in the store, chances are you’ll only use it once, if that — so it might not make that much sense to bring it with you to the campgrounds. Instead, opt for items that you’ll get a lot of use out of and appreciate especially when you’re out in the wilderness. Having a consistent source of music can be important for those who like tunes at night. Similarly, if you’re all over the age of 21 — don’t get to bring some drinks to relax with!
Are you planning a camping trip this year? Whether you’re going to luxurious cabins or woodland campgrounds, make sure you’re prepared with everything you need!
