Something to lay on (e.g. a self-inflating mattress or an airbed)
Something to lay in (e.g. a sleeping bag, or just bring your duvet from home)
Something to see with (e.g. a torch, or a UFA light from Poundland)
You can eat out for your first trip, thus not having to take a stove/gas/pots & pans/plates/cutlery/cups/food/cooler/washing up gear/table & chairs etc
If you read through the "Features/Tips" section (link at the top of the page) then you'll find the suggested packing list which is very useful - but of course, you won't need all of that for your first trip! :)
------------- 2011 plans:
April - Exmoor 11 nights
May - Brynawelon, Wales 3 nights
July - Rendlesham Forest 4 nights
Then I am off back home to Australia, where the weather is always perfect for camping :)
Everones 'bare minimum' list will be different! I am afraid you will have to make up your own, using other peoples lists, and your own once you start camping!
Tent, self inflating mat (a cheap one will be in Aldi on Thursday morning), and a sleeping bag are the absolute minimum.
In order to be comfortable, I'd suggest some sort of lantern, a torch / headtorch, a coolbox and a small £10 "suitcase" stove from the likes of Go Outdoors, along with a frying pan and kettle. I don't think it's possible to enjoy camping without the hope of a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich in the morning.
A tent you can stand up in, and with some room to sit and have a brew in the rain is going to be much appreciated if you are over 12 years of age. A good rule of thumb when buying a tent is that you want it to be 1 more "man" than you plan to have in it. 3 men in a 3 man tent is very cramped. In a small tent without a porch, 3 men's rucksacks will be outside in the rain.
A comfier list would include a camp kitchen stand, folding table, folding chairs and an extra groundsheet / footprint with a picnic rug, along with a two ring stove / two £10 stoves and a better coolbox.
The people who take electric hook ups, heaters, fridges, compressors and deflators aren't really camping. More caravanning without the caravan
I'd not have a coolbox or seat on a 'bar minimum' list (anything that I don't have when cyclecamping or backpacking can't be considered 'bare minimum'.
Some sort of stove (single burner gas jobbie will be fine - I'd get one that fits on the top of the a small cylinder - useful in the future as a backup stove that doesn't take up much space) to at least brew up on with a kettle + a few pans from home to start with for a bit of cooking - you can cook plenty on one burner.
How ever there is another aspect to what is the minimum. Think about how you will be happy camping - if you aren't comfortable enough to enjoy it, you (or you camping partners) may not want to do it again.
Try it not to0 far from home for a weekend. If it was awful (very unlikley) you could go home, and you'll learn more about you requirements for camping than from any amount of pondering.
Sorry everyone, i realised after posting that this may be a bit subjective. Thanks for the replies anyway, there's definately a few things on there i wouldn't of thought of.
One question though, if you're hiking to your camp site/area and there's no facilities there, how to manage about cooking/eating. As in, do you just sit on the floor of your tent and eat, or can you take portable chairs/stands with you? Sorry if this seems a silly question.
That will depend on how strong you are and how far you intend to hike. I would not be capable of hiking with gear at all. I use a shopping trolley on wheels to get my wind break, mat, chair and flask to my local beach.
I have recently made up my bicycle trailer list, which I thought of as my bare minimum, and there is no way it could be back packed. It involved thirty two items that I could not camp without. Multiple items like spoons forks knives etc. are classed as one item. This did include food and cooking equipment though. Trailer size is twenty x twenty x thirty inches. In the end, the bracket did not fit my bike, so it all went in the boot and I went by car. It was great to have an empty car with a half empty boot to go camping with ! It is usually, full car and boot and trailer and roof rack etc.
------------- Canvas tent, paraffin light, petrol stove. Heaven
I'd rather be kayaking.
Spent up, not pent up, just had my new tent up.
If I were hiking, I'd be taking a small a two man tent with a porch / a 3 man tent, a single burner gas stove that fits on top of a gas bottle, or some sort of spirit burner, with a couple of mess tins and a mug. Sleeping bag, a self inflating mat and a head torch.
Anything much more than that will make the hiking a misery.
One question though, if you're hiking to your camp site/area and there's no facilities there, how to manage about cooking/eating. As in, do you just sit on the floor of your tent and eat, or can you take portable chairs/stands with you? Sorry if this seems a silly question.
Thanks,
Ross
Um yes, sit on the floor :-) or a handy log, or whatever.
People ahve been doing it for thousands of years :-)
I have a sit mat (a posh name for a piece of closed cell foam) which I use if the ground is cold/wet or just unfcomfortable.
It's fine, though after sitting for long enough one can feel the wish to ahev the back supported a bit - against abackpack, a log etc. it is a little more relaxed.
You can get a little thing which you fold a Thermarest mat into which does the same thing of giving back support.
There are small comapct lightih chairs around, but I'd not conside them woth the weight of carrying them
Even when we were sometimes car camping me and my wife didn't bother with seats and stuff, we just basically used the back[packing gear . It was only when we got kids and a bigger tent we bothered. also my wife now has a cronky hip and sitting on the ground makes a it a bit painful sometimes.
Most of the stuff that goes car camping isn't on the necessary list
hi. first post, first camping. me and OH booked a pitch (about 15 miles from home)for overnight stay just for a "test run". Gear are as follows:
3 man tent + extra ground sheet
double air bed with battery operated pump
2 sleeping bags
24 LED UFO light + small torch
Bleuet 270 M stove + gas cannister
0.8L tiny kettle + 2 plastic cups
tea bags, 3n1 coffee, crisps, bread/butter/jam
will eat out in the evening and have tea and coffee in the morning then break camp after. filled up the car as well, just in case the wife decides to go back to the comfy of her bed in the middle of the night.
just discovered wondawedge...brill invention and takes up very little room in the pack..Inflatable back rest with waterproof seat flap. Great in a smaller tent
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Bare minimum equipment list to camp
