Camping is many Aussies’ favourite free-time activity. Not only you’ll get to explore the many hidden beauties of our land while breathing some fresh air, but it’s a fun activity to uplift your mood and spend some quality time with your family or friends.
But as much as you packed your camping torch and a first aid kit in your backpack, know that not a camping trip would be complete without the right equipment for camping. For this reason, we made a list of the ultimate camping gear you’re going to need for the real camping experience in the wilderness.
Camping Chairs
To ensure that your next camping trip is a success, don’t hesitate to get your ultimately essential equipment camping chair. Not only it’ll come in handy after your daylong adventures in the woods, but how else would you get cozy for the long night talks under the sky or roasting some marshmallows around the campfire?
But when choosing a chair for your camping trips, there’re some factors you need to take into consideration. While hiking chairs should be chosen with their packed size and weight in mind, what mostly matters in camping chairs is their comfort. So make sure the chair is roomy enough and supports your weight, to prevent the accidental falls and hurting yourself.
Talking about your chair’s stability, lower, suspended chairs are great to keep you cozy if you’re camping on uneven or sandy terrains because they’re less tippy than higher chairs. But for the campsites with even trails, you can choose a rocker chair to “rock and kick back” or the classic three-legged chair for the ultimate comfort.
Aside from that, a good camping chair will feature cup holders for your cup of coffee or tea (or can of beer), footrests and head and lumbar pads to ensure maximum comfort and relaxation.
Portable Table
Just like the kitchen table at your home, a portable table is among the most essential equipment camping trips would be incomplete without, because where else will you share meals, play games for fun and make strategies how to approach the wildest parts of your campsite?
But portable camping tables wouldn’t add that little bit of “homely” touch to your tent if you don’t choose the right one. So, make sure you consider the number of people camping, what are you going to use it for most and the available space in the tent. Choosing a too-small one wouldn’t make any sense since it won’t provide enough seating space, and choosing a too-large one would take much of your valuable tent space and will make it impossible to transport around. So, make sure you choose optimally for the best camping experience.
Sleeping Mat
When the marshmallow roasting party ends, it’s time to throw yourself on your sleeping mat and fulfil your batteries for the upcoming day. Not only a sleeping mat will ensure a soft surface for a sleep experience “like the comfort of your bed”, but they make for a great insulation layer between you and the cold, wet or rocky ground.
But once you hit your favourite camping gear online or brick and mortar store, you’ll notice many different types of sleeping mats. Air mats are the most compact and lightweight type which ensures maximum comfort. Aside from that, you can always adjust the mat’s firmness by adding or releasing some air from the mat’s valve.
Self-inflating mats are a combination of open-cell foam insulation and air, which also allows you to customize the perfect mat firmness to your preferences. They’re also very durable and offer great insulation, so you won’t have to worry about the surface you lay the mat down. But on account of that, they can be heavy to carry, not so friendly for your wallet, and easily punctured or ripped.
Finally, closed-cell foam mats are usually made of dense foam filled with tiny closed air cells. This filling makes them extremely lightweight and durable while offering great insulation for all the weather seasons. But even though you can find a cheap foam sleeping mat for camping, know that they’re not as comfortable and firm as air-filled ones, and can be heavy and bulky to carry.
Compact Pillow
While the right sleeping mat will provide you with the ultimate comfortable sleeping experience even at the campsites, know that it won’t be complete without a compact pillow to lay your head on. But a lot of campers tend to avoid taking pillows on camping trips since we all know that when it comes to carrying camping equipment, every single gram of weight in your backpack can make trouble.
But know that a good compact camping pillow won’t weigh more than 100 grams. At the same time, a compact pillow makes for a very valuable piece of camping gear since it’ll support your head, neck and shoulders. This way, you’ll wake up fresh and full of energy to hit the camping terrains again without complaining about pain in your neck the entire day.
Camping Cooking System
The question about what to eat on camping trips can sometimes be tricky. It’s not convenient at all to carry all those bulky cups, pots and pans from home, while dried camping meals are not the tastiest option too.
For this reason, you might want to get a specialized camping cooking set that is completely compact and lightweight to store in your backpack. Such cooking systems usually include compact pots or kettles, cups or bowls, compact camping stoves and fuel cans. This means you can always have a tasty, “homemade” meal on every campsite out there, which makes this cooking set a very valuable investment.
Water Filtration System
Staying hydrated during your wilderness adventures is very important. But as a camper, you should know that the campsites offer many “questionable” sources of water. And even if the water you drink looks and tastes perfectly fine, it doesn’t mean that it’s completely safe to consume, since many of the water pollutants such as different germs and bacteria are invisible to the human’s eye.
On the other hand, this problem can be solved by having a compact water filtration system. Such systems can come in many different shapes and sizes- from the mini filtration systems, you can fit in your pocket to the ones that come with water reservoirs and containers up to 4l. So, to ensure that the water you drink is safe and crisp, don’t wait to provide yourself with the filtration system you find the most convenient.
Once you check all these items on the list, you’re finally ready to hit your favourite campground and have the most relaxing camping experience ever.
