A Complete List Of Camping Gear You Need For Your Outdoor Summer Adventure

Desperate to get away, but the weather isn’t looking promising? Don’t worry, this tent has you, and all the family, covered for all weather eventualities. As well as being suited for a family of six, or four if you’re sleeping next to smelly teenagers. It even comes with room dividers, so you can opt for extra privacy, and has double the ‘living’ area so you can get some alone time even if it’s raining. Speaking of rain, this one comes set with 4,000mm waterproof protection to get you through the roughest of storms.

There’s nothing worse than a steaming hot tent, so this one from Mountain Warehouse has mesh doors to keep the air flowing all summer long. You’ll need it, too, because this tent fits up to four people (although some reviewers say it fits three more comfortably). It also comes with its a sewn in groundsheet and comes with 2000m hydrostatic head waterproof protection, meaning you’ll stay protected if things get showery. Just avoid full-on torrents.

If you want to avoid resting your head next to your stinky, soggy boots, this tent has its very own porch area that makes for great storage. Or, you know, just sheltering from the rain without getting crumbs all up in your sleeping bag. It can comfortably fit a double blow up bed and, more importantly, it’s easy to set up. Should our sporadic British weather catch you off guard, it can also withstand up to 200L per hour for three hours, and comes with a 2,400mm waterproof groundsheet so you can stay cosy while you sleep.

Should you be planning a walk, and you’re not keen on lugging around a huge heavy tent, here’s a lightweight option that can happily fit a couple. It weighs just 2.5kg, but somehow manages to still tick all our boxes. Namely: it has a mesh upper and double doors to keep it fresh inside, takes under five minutes to set up, and has 3,000mm waterproof protection. Plus, it’s our lifestyle writer’s favourite dome tent, thanks to being surprisingly roomy in both porch and tent.

In case you feel like assembling another object with poles, a windbreak can be a useful addition to your set up to give your tent that little extra protection from the elements. It also has a handy little window so you can see what’s going on on the other side – like if you’re being approached by a mountain lion or your kids are running off into the forest. That’s the kind of thing that happens when camping, right?

Speaking of that cold, hard ground, there is a way to improve it – and that’s to lift yourself off it. This 190 x 120 cm inflatable mattress is great value for money. Not only does it stay inflated the whole night through (which you’d think would be the bare minimum, but…) it also inflates in just under two minutes, so you can have your sleeping arrangement set up in a pinch. It also comes in a single size, if you’re sleeping in a tent that comes in on the smaller side.

For a less extreme investment, this oh-so-lightweight mat comes in at just 520g. You’ll barely notice that you’re adding another thing to carry around with you because, rolls up to into the size of that dinky little bag. It even has its own pillow for neck support, while the hexagonal design evenly distributes your weight across its surface so you won’t wake up with achey muscles.

Unlike your favourite Simba mattress, the hard dirt floor won’t mould around your body weight or warm up throughout the night (that is, unless something’s seriously wrong). To give yourself a boost of heat while you sleep, adding a reflective mat can help trap warmth between you and the earth to prevent any unpleasant moments of waking up shaking with the cold.

I think we can all agree that a good night’s sleep is invaluable. So don’t skimp on what you’re going to sleep in: fleece-lined sleeping bags are far cosier than their plasticky counterparts. This one comes with four ounces of filling, which makes for a comfortable sleep anywhere between 0 and 15 degrees. And if you buy two, you can connect them with one another thanks to having a handy double zipper.

You’re already camping, you don’t need to punish yourself any more than that. This is us giving your permission to buy yourself a pillow that feels like home, like this foam-filled one from Sea to Summit that rolls up into 17% of its original size for easy transportation.

Two pillow people, listen up. Providing 12cm of distance between you and the floor, this blow-up pillow will help support your neck. And if it does happen to get dirty (finger crossed it doesn’t) it’s easy to clean thanks to having a removable fabric cover.

Just look how happy this guy is; that could be how happy you are camping, too. But it won’t be if you don’t have enough blankets to keep you warm. This thermal double bed-sized one will keep you warm, or can be scrunched up into its little bag to double as an extra pillow.

You can fight with me all you like about camping not being the place for a weighted silk mask (I can hear the disdain in your voice from here). But I would beg to differ: you need to get your rest in, and it’s almost impossible to sleep when the sun start glaring through your tent straight into your eyes at god knows what hour. Trust me.

Don’t waste your time trying to find somewhere to frolic in the grass. There are times for that (namely: at your local park on the hottest day of the year) but this is not one of them. You’ll want a surface to rest your plates on, and this one even has drink holders so you don’t have to shoulder the tragedy of losing your hard-earned G&T to the wind. It also folds up nice and thin, and clicks into place, making for a quick set up and getaway in emergencies.

Don’t worry, this isn’t another thing to put in another little bag. This fold up chair is held together by its very own elastic strap, meaning you won’t have to play mix and match with all the little holding bags you have stowed away in your tent at the end of your trip.

If your idea of a holiday is not having to make small talk with your family while you eat, this chair has all the accoutrements you need to fly solo, like a side table, drinks holder. It even has a storage holder at the arm, so you can really hunker down and get some solo time.

At home you might wait until 6pm to be polite, but out camping 5pm sharp is cocktail time. These tumblers will keep your drink cool for longer than most, and they also double as a great mug for warm coffee, tea, or soup.

You might think you can survive on dips, crisps, and snacks (a girl can only dream) but at some point the reality of needing a warm coffee or hot chocolate will hit you. And we’re going to estimate it’ll be sooner rather than later. This three piece set fits snuggly within itself, and includes a kettle and two pans that can be converted from frying to saucepan and back again using the handles.

You go without a lot of basic comforts while camping, but you shouldn’t have to forfeit a cold can at the end of the day. This cooler from Yeti can comfortably hold up to 20 cans, and when paired with the Yeti’s medium ice sheet, will keep them cold for three whole days, according to one reviewer. “I didn’t think I needed it until I did and now it goes with me every where,” they said. This is what dreams are made of.

You wouldn’t believe just how versatile the humble sandwich bag could be. For keeping food safe and dry, yes, but also for rubbish, packing individual items of extra layers in your bag so you don’t have to fish around in the dark for hours, and even for putting over your feet when you have to wear leaky shoes.

You might be thinking: £65 for a glorified mini tool box? And we’d forgive you for that. Now think of the rage you’ll feel if you forget one of the things on this knife that you need. Yup, really puts things in perspective, doesn’t it? This knife has 21 functions to cover everything you’ll need to do out in the wilderness, from cracking open a cold one to filing a broken nail.

Okay, everyone has a torch on their phones nowadays. But when you’re in the wilderness you’re going to want something a bit more reliable than that; this handheld one lasts for up to 35 hours. It’s also IPX 6 waterproof, meaning it can withstand heavy rainfall, so even if you leave it outside in the rain (I mean, don’t) it’ll be able to give you light provided the batteries haven’t died.

Despite the idyllic idea of camping you have going on in your head, your fire won’t be lit all the time, and it goes without saying you won’t have one inside your tent. These wind-up lanterns come in handy for running for a nighttime wee, or just for being able to see where you’re going when you get into your sleeping bag.

Unless you’re embracing the analogue lifestyle, we’re going to take a leap of faith and assume you’ll want something to charge your phone with. This 60,000 mAh charging bank lasts for days of phone charges – and it’s speedy at it, too. Plus, it’ll come in handy if you need to recharge lights or other devices as it has USB-A and USB-C ports.

For longer and wilder camping stints, a solar panel could solve the problem of not being able to recharge your power bank. This one folds up to the size of a laptop, making it easy to carry, but you’ll need to buy a converter to go alongside it.

Well, it’s not going to start itself, is it? Don’t kid yourself with fussing around with ‘natural’ fire starting, especially when you’re camping with other people. It’s all about getting the job done quickly, and this pack of 50 will be your right hand man.

You don’t want to be messing around with matches in the pouring rain; this long lighter will make sure you stay plenty safe when lighting a gas stove. It’s also refillable; just make sure you remember to check if it has enough fluid before you trek off into the wilderness.

We’ve covered a lot of equipment without even mentioning cooking, and if you’re already thinking you can’t be bloody bothered to deal with all the effort of lugging around a huge stove, look no further. This tiny pocket stove weighs just 45g but has the same power as a full-sized gas stove. Simply slip it on to a gas canister and you’re good to go. Yes, chef!

Don’t take any risks when it come to bug bits. You might not see them, but they’re there, so make sure to layer up your bug repellant outside of the tent, whether you’re sitting indoors or out.

I stick to a very serious once a week hair washing schedule. While I’m confident my hair can last out in the wild, I’m not taking any chances anywhere I go, which is why I’ve tested a shit ton of dry shampoos in my time, and this one is the so powerful, it’ll even be able to revive your day five campsite hair. Promise.

Things are about to get messy and stinky, all at once. No matter how determined you are, you won’t be showering as much as you think you will be, so having these on hand to clean yourself, and any unfortunate tent spillages up is ideal.

Come rain or shine, if you’re outside, you need face and body sunscreen. Need we say any more?