Camping for Beginners
Become the King of the Campfire With These Versatile Camping Tools
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There’s something special about camping. At its most basic level, you’re choosing to sleep in a tent (or cramped camper), prepare all of your meals (even your coffee) over an open fire, and (potentially) dig a hole to go to the bathroom. To add to that, you pay money to reserve the best campsite. But camping is so much better than the stripped-down, simplified, less-than-exciting version.
Camping is about hiking into the unknown (or a specific campsite, state, or national park) and leaving the cold, unwelcoming stone and steel of the city to become one with the natural world. It’s about sleeping under a seemingly endless starry night and using only fire to make epic meals (and s’mores). Camping is about camaraderie with friends and family while you share stories and sip whiskey or beer while you sit around a roaring campfire. In essence, camping is everything we love about summer.
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Now that we have delved into why we strive to go camping as much as possible between June and September, it’s time to talk about the necessities. You can’t just stroll into the woods without the proper supplies. Lucky for you, we’re here to help. Below, you’ll find a detailed list of the most versatile tents, coolers, campfire equipment, cooking utensils, sleeping bags, lanterns, and other essentials.
Coleman Skydome 4-Person Camping Tent
Sure, you’re sleeping out in the wilderness; it’s to be expected that you’ll wake up when the sun comes up. But what if you stayed up a little later than expected reminiscing around the campfire? Lucky for you, there’s a way to sleep in at least a little bit thanks to Coleman’s Dark Room Technology tents. The Coleman Skydome 4-Person Screen Room Tent with Dark Room Technology. It’s designed to block 90% of sunlight while reducing heat on those sweltering summer days. On top of that, it sleeps four comfortably, has a screen room for storage, and only takes about five minutes to set up.
Nemo Disco 30 Endless Promise Down Sleeping Bag
When it comes to camping, after the tent, there’s nothing more important than your sleeping bag. And while you can stop by your parents’ house and grab the cheap sleeping bag you used to use for sleepovers as a child, you might not be happy with the results. This is a serious camping sleeping bag. It features the brand’s “classic spoon shape” so you can move around easily at night if you don’t sleep like a vampire completely on your back. It also has “Thermo Gill” vents to control the temperature on those hotter-than-normal summer nights. It will also keep you warm at temperatures as low as 30F.
HEST Foamy Sleeping Pad
The sleeping bag is important, but so is the sleeping pad. You wouldn’t want to wake up with an aching back because you slept on the rocky, unforgiving ground, would you? The HEST Foamy Sleeping Pad will guarantee you a good night's sleep with two layers of enhanced memory foam to create the perfect body alignment while preventing discomfort on pressure points. There’s no need for a pump as it’s easily inflatable, highly durable, and water resistant.
Pit Command Commander Fire Pit Tool
You might think you’re the king of the campfire, but using a large stick to move around logs isn’t the greatest idea in the long run. That’s why you need the Pit Command Commander Fire Pit Tool. This important campfire tool is a durable, 30-inch long three-in-one stainless steel tool that includes a serrated hook for moving logs around the fire, an ax for breaking up wood in the fire, and a poker for pushing everything around. It’s lightweight, powder-coated, and comes with molded grips for easy use.
YETI Roadie 60
When you’re deep in the woods, you can’t just stroll to the refrigerator to grab a cold beer. That’s why you need a durable, easily transportable cooler that will keep all your drinks and food cold for a few days. The YETI Roadie 60 is that cooler. This enormous cooler is sure to have the room to fit all of your essentials. If you only use it for drinks, it fits up to 98 cans. It can also fit up to 68 pounds of ice. Permafrost Insulation will keep everything cold for days. As a bonus, it’s on wheels so you don’t have to throw your back out carrying it to your campsite.
Nitecore P20iX 4000 Lumen USB-C Rechargeable Flashlight
If you’re staying at a state park with minimal lighting or in the middle of the wilderness, when full dark sets in you’re going to want a reliable, durable flashlight for those midnight trips to the bathroom or to grab something from the car. The Nitecore P20iX 4000 Lumen USB-C Rechargeable Flashlight is a great choice because it has a maximum output of 4000 lumens as well as a 241-yard throw. It’s rechargeable using the USB port in your car and even has a built-in power indicator that will flash when the battery level is low.
REI Co-op Outward Low Padded Chair
The problem when many easy-to-transport folding camping chairs is that they aren’t very comfortable. The REI Co-op Outward Low Padded Chair is different. Made with a frame of surprisingly light, coated aluminum, it has backpack straps so it’s easy to carry between campsites. This comfortable, padded polyester seat is waterproof, stain-resistant, and fits up to 250 pounds.
Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle
A good camping thermos is an absolute necessity. Whether you want to keep a beverage cold or a soup hot, you need a reliable, durable thermos. It’s tough to beat the value-to-quality ratio of a Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle. This double-wall vacuum-insulated bottle has a twist-and-pour stopper for easy pouring. It’s made from stainless steel, its BPA-free, leakproof, dishwasher safe, and a must-have for your next camping trip.
Coleman Classic Recharge 800 Lumens LED Lantern
While a flashlight is important to light your way through the woods, a durable lantern might be a bigger necessity. How are you going to play Euchre in your tent or read a paperback novel without a decent, illuminating lantern? This classic lantern will brighten your tent up to 800 lumens, will work on high for 5 hours, comes with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and is only a little over two pounds.
Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller
You can have everything you need for camping – the tent, sleeping bags, food, drinks, and all the necessities- but if you don’t have a way to ward off the swarms of mosquitoes and other bugs, you won’t enjoy your time in the woods. You can slap on bug spray, but then you’ll feel slimy and smell aloe or some other scent all night. There’s no need to spray yourself head-to-toe when you bring the Thermacell Backpacker Mosquito Repeller. Using a camping fuel canister that emits a scent-free repellant, this device creates a 15-foot space so you can enjoy the great outdoors without having to constantly slap away insects. It does this without using DEET. It even tells you when it’s time to replace a canister by changing color.
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