Ah, the great outdoors. What can be better than taking the family back to Mother Nature? Where the air is clear and, best of all, the phone finally stops ringing. Yes, the decision was made and we were going camping this year. Now the only thing to check was the state of my camping gear and equipment.Time to Go Shopping

On close inspection I realized that as we had not been camping for a few years, it was time to upgrade our camping gear and equipment. First thing first – the tent. Our current tent was a huge monster with three bedrooms, a living area and a store room. On top of that there were about five bags of poles and pins than I couldn’t possibly carry.

At the store we looked at a few of the newer tents and I started to realize that camping gear and equipment has really advanced in the last few years. We picked up a couple of two man tents that were so much lighter, didn’t need any poles and there was still plenty of room. What’s more, they practically built themselves! This was fun.

Don’t Forget the Accessories

With the tent replaced it was time to think about the other camping gear and equipment required for a good outdoor holiday. I know I always enjoy eating outside in the fresh air and some of the new gas cookers are excellent: very safe, no odors and extremely fuel efficient.

By coupling the cooker with a portable water heater, you have the same basic equipment that come with any indoor kitchen. After the food was taken care of, I focused on my sleeping arrangements as the last sleeping bag I had was an ugly green thing that never really kept the cold out.

A Good Night’s Sleep

Again, it’s amazing how much camping gear and equipment has improved over the past few years. The latest sleeping bags are lightweight and made of super modern fabrics that really keep you warm. One for each member of the family was clearly required as were optional camping mattresses and pillows.

This was going to be one holiday where I would definitely get a good night’s sleep. Yes, there’s no doubt about it, camping gear and equipment has come a long way since we last went camping. So if you are thinking about a holiday without hotels or airports, or cars or telephones, then maybe you should consider looking into modern camping gear and equipment, it makes a great holiday even better.

 

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As our society becomes more and more technological, cold and urban, ever more people are starting to feel the urge to get away from it all, take a break from modern life and go back to the way things were for our ancestors. Perhaps this explains the rising popularity of camping holidays, the ultimate experience of going back to nature and living in the wild, with only a basic structure for shelter and a fire for cooking.

Of course, lots of people don’t exactly do it that way. Camper vans are popular, as is ‘car camping’, and all sorts of electrical appliances have been adapted for camping - there are even camp microwaves. Most people consider at least modern toilets and showers to be a campsite necessity, regardless of whether it’s really true to the spirit of the activity. Camping doesn’t really have to be an outdoors thing if you don’t want it to be, as many camper vans aren’t that much different to houses on wheels, and many families stay in them for a large part of their holiday. It’s all about doing what you feel comfortable with.

For hardcore campers, though, the truest form of camping is camping which teaches survival skills, such as eating-wild caught food, finding your way around by the position of the sun and making fire. You would have to be very hungry to eat the animals that can be found in the woods of most countries, however, and for this reason camping with facilities and packed food is far more popular.

Most campsites are in woods or open fields, and are often publically-owned - if you want to find one, they should be clearly marked on maps for walkers and on road signs for cars. It’s up to you what you take with you, but most people will prefer to have at least a tent, sleeping bags, torches, and either a tool for making firewood or portable oven where campfires aren’t allowed.

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Choosing the right camping here is going to pay one of the major deciding factors of your trip either paying an excellent experience or a total nightmare. Even though disasters make for good stories later on, it’s for the most part a good idea to invest some time and effort into getting the proper camping gear before leaving for a camping trip. Camping is one of my all time favorite ways to enjoy a weekend, but starving and freezing out in the middle of nowhere while getting drenched in a rainstorm all night is not.

Luckily, finding quality camping supplies these days is a snap. You can order just about everything you’d ever want or need online with just a few clicks and some electronic order forms. The days of making those journeys to the camping or sporting supplies store only to settle for something that you really didn’t want to begin with our long over.

However, there are still many advantages in actually going to a camping supplies store. It’s really important to get a close look at the camping equipment that you want to buy to really do feel for its quality. Sometimes an item looks great in a photo, but in real life you realize that it’s a flimsy, poorly made piece of crap. Secondly, you’ll find that a great many of the larger camping supplies stores are staffed by people that really know what camping is all about. They often have good recommendations on brands to go with, have been using various camping supplies for years, and usually don’t work on commission so you can trust them.

I recall that when I first arctic campaign about everything at the camping store because I could get a feel of the other shoppers what’s was quality and what was unnecessary. Now that I’m more confident with what I’m doing, I order everything online. I always a pretty good idea of what I need and I can tell at an instance what their inventory is. Most of the larger camping supplies stores, such as REI (my personal favorite) also have websites you can order from online, so you can continue buying your equipment from people you know and trust.

Once again the real question here is, exactly what camping supplies will be needed? This is harder to answer and depends on what kind of trip you are going to take. If you camping with the trailer arrive at a truck and car to bring what she got because you don’t have to all around on your back. If there’s any doubt in your mind, just bring it, and with time you’ll get a feel for what you actually use and what you don’t. If you are hiking far with your equipment, take the reverse attitude. If there’s any doubt in your mind, leave it. After all, your camper at a pack mule.

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