Camping Gear

What camping gear or equipment you need will depend on when are where you will camp, for how long, and how many of you are going along. The when part of this equation relates to the weather, for inclement weather calls for much tougher camping equipment than balmy summer nights do.

Your basic camping gear consists of shelter - such as a camping tent, a tarp, a bivy or a maybe even a camping hammock. Then you need some sleeping gear so you can get a decent night's rest and not freeze half to death in the cold of the night. Whether you go heavy or light depends on how long you will be at camp, and how you're going to get yourself and your equipment to and from the camp site.

Probably the most important part of your camping equipment will be your sleeping bag. A good one will keep you snug and warm on countless nights over years of camping fun. A poor sleeping bag will lull you into a false sense of security, ensuring that you wake up in the middle of the night, freezing your buns off. Yes, it gets really cold when you're out in the open - that's even inside a tent! Then there are camp cots (camp beds), foam sleeping pads, air mattresses and other wonders designed to make the hard ground seem softer and to keep your bed a little warmer overnight.

Fixed or long-term camps are best assembled with heavyweight camping gear, including tents, camp cots, mattresses, tables and chairs and portable kitchens. For shorter camps you'll be limited to what you can comfortably carry in the car, and for hiking and backpacking trips you'll learn to get by with whatever will fit comfortably inside your backpack. And no more.

Eating while you're out camping requires a little cooking skill and a camping stove, cooking fire or a portable kitchen setup so you won't have to rely on restaurants or fast food outlets for all of your meals at camp.

Camp kitchens are usually cruder and much less convenient than your kitchen at home. You may have an electric or battery-powered light to work by, but it is unlikely you will have much storage space, or a spacious work area. And cool or cold storage for your foods will be very much less than what you are used to.

It's when you start playing at being the camp chef when you find out what and where the limitations are in your new, simpler environment. And this is where your own brains and ingenuity will make or break the situation. Adaptation and versatility are key attributes for a good camp cook.