Explore with Amie

How did you spend the bank holiday? I had a very lovely weekend camping in the Yorkshire Dales. We hadn’t done much hardcore hiking in a while so we kept it quite low key but we had a lovely time nevertheless. It was a slightly different camping experience for me as I have never been on a trip where we had a car, instead having to carry my big camping rucksack as we walked. To be honest though, this packing list would apply for either occasion as I didn’t pack anything differently. So, if you’re going on a wild camping trip or just heading to the campsite by car, then this packing list will work for you. Here are my camping essentials….(For a full checklist, scroll to the bottom of this post)

To start, my rucksack is not anything expensive or luxurious. I have the Carrion 65L Rucksack from Mountain Warehouse. I can’t seem to find the specific colour that I have on the website but, as you can see, it is a green colour with pink accents. It usually costs £119.99 but is currently on sale for £69.99. My boyfriend, Alex, actually used to work at Mountain Warehouse and therefore, I got a good discount when I bought mine. It’s not the fanciest of rucksacks but it does the job and has lots of little pockets which is really handy. You can get cheaper ones and you can get more expensive ones but, they all do the same job really.

When camping, you obviously need a tent. I say obvious but I’m actually adding this in later as I completely forgot to add it to the list. Rookie error. We actually christened our new tent at the weekend which is the OEX Coyote III tent. You can buy more compact tents than this for wild camping but, for the size of the tent, you’re getting a fairly lightweight one here. It also separates into two bags which is good for us as we can share the load as we walk. This tent will set you back £130.00 from GoOutdoors as a member as I am writing this but prices do tend to fluctuate so, keep an eye out. If you’re looking for a slightly more budget friendly option, I would suggest the Eurohike Cairns 3 DLX Nightfall Tent which is around £90.00 usually (currently £95.00 on GoOutdoors). We used this tent for three years and had no major issues. Both of these options are easy to put up and have a handy porch area for storing shoes etc. overnight. There are always going to be cheaper tents however, these are often made for festivals so it’s better to spend that extra little bit if you’re planning on using it for camping regularly and want something that is going to last.

Okay, so the next essential is a sleeping bag. Again, because of Alex’s job, we bought sleeping bags from Mountain Warehouse and I think they’re actually really great. We have the Summit 300 Winter Sleeping Bag in Cobalt which can be zipped together too to create one large sleeping bag which is handy. I find that zipping them together does make it a little colder though so, it’s only possible on the summer nights. This sleeping bag is for 3/4 seasons and has a extreme temperature of -17 degrees and comfort temperatures between 4 and -2. Of course, where you’re using it and what you’re using the sleeping bag for depends on how good you need it to be. If you were camping on Everest, then you might need a better one…. But, if you’re just people like us who enjoy camping and hiking casually then, you’ll be fine with this one.

Underneath your sleeping bag, its always a good idea to have a roll mat. This means that you’ve always got that extra bit of padding when you are sleeping on slightly rougher group. My roll mat is actually not made for camping but, is an exercise mat that I bought during university. This was actually a blessing in disguise as it is thicker than Alex’s camping made mat and is quite comfortable really. It is quite difficult to squish down and roll tightly enough to fit on the front of my bag but, it does fit on there. The exercise mat I have is the Maximo Fitness Exercise Mat from Amazon which is £26.99. You can get the normal camping mats for as cheap as £10.00 but don’t expect them to be the comfiest.

You’ve got all the necessary functional items for sleeping; now, you need tools to make and eat your dinner. When camping at a campsite, there is always the option of a nearby pub if there is one. We opted for this for one night of our trip but cooked ourselves the other night. You can get some fancy stoves and kits for cooking but, we have the simple and effective method: the CampingGaz Bleuet Micro Plus, Single Burner, Camping Stove. You can purchase this for £16.00 from Argos and then a pack of four extra gas canisters will set you back only £20.00. These are great for wild camping in particular as it is such a light piece of kit to carry around with you.

Metal Mess Tins are the utensils that I use to eat my dinner along with some plastic cutlery. I think these mess tins are great because, you can use them cook on the stove with as well so it saves you carrying around anything extra. Use them to cook the food on the stove and then eat it straight out of it. Of course, the bottom does get hot so you have to be careful. Although they’re all basically the same, I have the Eurohike Mess Tins which are £10.00 from GoOutdoors if you’re a member. I can’t find the cutlery that I have in particular but literally any would do – take some out of your kitchen drawer! As for a cup, I would recommend getting a plastic cup instead of a metal one as you won’t be able to hold a metal cup once it’s heated up. Instead, heat the water in your mess tin and then pour it into your cup for tea or coffee.

Your evenings and morning are now sorted but, when you’re hiking about during the day you 100% need get yourself a compass. Admittedly, I’ve only just begun to learn how to use a compass correctly but Alex taught himself using a YouTube video. You might think you don’t need one but, if you ever get lost and can’t work out which direction you need to go in, a compass is a must. You can pick these up from any outdoor shop. Mine is an OEX brand one but, you don’t need anything fancy.

This one is dependent on where you are going again but, Ordinance Survey maps are, of course, a must. These are fairly reasonably priced. If you’re planning on walking, you want the OX Explorer maps rather than the Land Rangers as these have a smaller scale so are more suited to walking. Land Rangers are more for driving and motorbikes. I think I’m going to write a post soon about how to read an Ordinance Survey map as it is actually really easy once you get used to it. You can pick these maps up from most tourist information centres if you leave it to the last minute or WHSmith also sell them in the UK.

We’re at the point now where you can sleep, eat and hike. However, I’m also going to briefly cover some of the camping clothes that I have as well as other essentials you might not think about. Most importantly perhaps is a first aid kit. Just in case you have a minor incident, it is a good idea to take a small first aid kit with you. It is also a good idea to take some bin bags. There are many other more glamorous ways of doing this but, to save your belongings getting wet if it rains, it is important to put everything in bin bags. This includes your roll mat, your sleeping bag, your clothes etc. It is also handy to have a separate bin bag for dirty clothes as these are smelly after a day of walking.

In terms of clothing items, I would also recommend grabbing yourself some UV Protect T-Shirts. These are much more lightweight than a cotton t-shirt so you’re not going to see the same sweat patches as you would usually. I, again, got mine from Mountain Warehouse but, I believe you can get them from most outdoor brands including North Face. They’re not something you need to spend lots of money on though to be honest; my Mountain Warehouse ones do the job just fine. Other clothing item essentials include: walking boots, walking trousers, a good pair of walking socks and – for the girls – a sports bra.

THE ESSENTIALS:

• Rucksack (65l)
• Tent
• Sleeping Bag
• Roll Mat
• Gas Stove + Cansiters
• Mess Tin
• Cutlery + Cup
• OS Maps
• Compass
• Bin Bags
• First Aid Kit

CLOTHING:

• Walking Boots
• Decent Walking Socks
• UV Protect T-Shirts
• Walking Trousers
• Waterproof Over-trousers

I hope this has been helpful in some way. I feel the need to point out that – other than my walking boots – I don’t have any big spenders on here. You don’t have to break the bank to have a hobby; you can build up your kit as you go along. That is definitely the case with me.

Amie x