If you were planning on taking a big trip abroad this summer, it may have to wait. However, while air travel may be difficult for the foreseeable future, a trip to the explore the great outdoors nearer to home this summer may be a good option. Whether its camping, hiking, trekking, backpacking or going on a road trip, we’ve got a list of essential gear you’ll likely want to be taking with you this summer on your outdoor adventures.
What camping gear should I bring?
Summer has arrived and with it the time for summer holidays. However, with the unprecedented times we are currently facing around the world, it may be harder to find a way to travel this summer. With borders closed in many places and flights limited, many may opt for a staycation of sorts. And why not turn to the great outdoors nearer to home for a summer holiday or a road trip? Whether you’re going camping, on a road trip or just a general outdoor adventure, there are a few essential pieces of gear you’ll be wanting to take with you.
Tent
First of all, you’ll probably need a tent. This may seem obvious, but if you are really planning on camping out, you’ll be needing yourself a tent. Even if the weather this summer is nice, you’re probably still going to want to have some kind of shelter. Of course, if you are going on a road trip, you could just sleep in your car, but where would the fun be in that? Not to mention, that just seems uncomfortable.
One thing to keep in mind is that the size of the tent is pretty important. One tip is to travel with a tent that sleeps one more person than you plan to travel with. If you are traveling alone, get yourself a tent for two people; if you are travelling with two people, get a tent that sleeps three, and so on. The reason being that the gear you bring can take up quite a bit of space inside your tent, so you’ll need that extra space to store your stuff.
Backpack
Again, this sort of depends on the type of adventure you’re going on, perhaps with a road trip, this isn’t especially essential, but if you are going backpacking, hiking or trekking on your outdoor adventure, a backpack is probably a necessity.
Assuming you don’t already have a backpack, you’ll want to make sure that whatever backpack you do acquire has a few essential features. First of all, you’ll want to make sure it is made with water-resistant material. Things can get wet out there, so keeping your things high and dry is important. Lockable zippers are also important, to make sure no one can get in there and take your stuff. Also padded shoulder straps and a hip belt will be indispensable to make sure you’re comfortable while you’re on the go. Check this post out by Nomadic Matt for a few more tips on choosing a backpack.
Sleeping bag, sleeping mattress and a pillow
Although a sleeping bag is probably the only item in this point that really is essential, the sleeping mattress and a pillow will make your trip so much more comfortable. Sleep is important and if you are sleeping on the hard ground in a sleeping bag with nothing to support your head or your body underneath, you’re probably not going to be getting great sleep and you’re probably not going to be a very happy person the next day.
Since this article is about summer outdoor adventures, make sure to get a summer sleeping bag. These are usually lighter, given that the temperatures during the summer are higher. Of course, if your outdoor adventure will be taking you to higher altitudes, it may still get cool at night, so make sure that whatever type of sleeping bag you get has an adequate temperature rating. Sleeping bags will usually have an EN13537 standard temperature rating, which is determined by a standard and independent laboratory test for which temperature range the bag is suitable.
Camping stove and pots
When it comes to a stove, you’ll want some kind of lightweight backpacking or camping stove. These are designed specifically with backpacking and camping in mind. And although this article is about going on outdoor adventures nearby, as Novo-monde points out, if you are ever planning on going abroad with your stove, a gas powered stove can sometimes be a nuisance given that depending on where you are, the gas cannisters may not be compatible with the gas stove you have. Thus, some kind of multi-fuel stove is what you’ll be wanting.
With regard to pots, there are many sets of pots that are small and lightweight, designed specifically to fit inside one another similar to a Matryoshka doll, also known as a Russian doll.
Padlock
If you are at a camp site, and not wild camping or backpacking, it may be wise to bring a padlock with you to lock up your tent as you leave for the day to venture out into the outdoors nearby. It might not be a bad idea to have a padlock for wild camping either. Any number of creatures and creepy crawlies that can get in there, so a padlock might be a good idea in that case as well.
Mosquito repellent
Although citronella oil candles have come under some fire recently with some studies, they do provide some protection. Spray-on mosquito repellents are also useful. Maybe try a combination.
Rope, tarp, compass, pocketknife
There are a couple of other bits and bobs that may come in handy starting with rope, which is good for doing any number of things that you didn’t foresee being necessary before you set off on your trip. As the Boondock Saints said, ‘You don't know what you're gonna need [rope] for. You just always need it’. Similarly, a pocketknife, or Swiss Army knife, is just one of those things that you don’t know what you’ll need it for, you just will at some point. Tarp is good for making a lean-to outside the tent. And lastly, although you may have phone coverage, you never know what might happen with technology, thus a compass may become invaluable, especially if you’re wild camping.
Check out this wikiHow article on how to use a compass.
Personal utility cases
Having said the above, some of those bits and bobs, in addition to personal items like keys, wallets and phones, may need some kind of protection. It can get wet, dirty, dusty and possibly even snowy out there in the great outdoors, thus your best bet to keep all of these personal items protected is an IP68 rated PELI RUCK Case.
The RUCK case is the ultimate personal utility case for your personal gear that is crushproof, dustproof, watertight and adventure proof. These ultimate personal utility cases are an innovative and strategic storage solution designed by Peli's engineering team to help the user protect their small electronics, phones, wallets, keys and tools from external elements with total peace-of-mind while on outdoor trips, working under extreme conditions or simply during poor weather conditions.
And for those photographers out there that travel to remote areas to take incredible photos, SD memory cards need to be kept safe, and a Ruck Case is perfect to that end.
Headlamps and torches
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While we are at it, a headlamp or a hand-held torch is also pretty important to take. It can get quite dark out there away from the bright lights of the city and there are any number of scenarios where a headlamp or torch can come in handy. One of the classics is the bathroom trip at night. Without a bathroom in your tent, you’ll have to venture out into the dark of night, fumbling and bumbling about looking for the outhouse. This is when a headlamp or a flashlight can especially come in handy. Peli has a number of different headlamp and torch options, so check them out before you go out on your next outdoor adventure empty handed.
Whether it’s camping, trekking, hiking, backpacking or road trips that you’ll be getting up to this summer, hopefully, the above post has given you an idea of some of the essentials you’ll be needing while you go off on those outdoor adventures.
If you’d like to know more about Peli Ruck cases, click on the button below to download a FREE Ruck Case guide to learn more about how they can help you.
Additionally, there are any number of other tools that Peli provides to outdoor recreation enthusiasts, such as flashlights, torches, headlamps and other types of protection that you may like to have a look at. Head on over to Peli.com to find out more.