Camping essentials for a newbie

Is this around Scotland?

If you're going solo don't take a tent, get yourself a good quality sleeping bag or maybe even a swag (if they are available) and build yourself a shelter

The essentials for travelling light:

knife
flint or matches that work wet
water purification tablets (just take a few and keep them in your bag for emergencies)

for food take a few potatoes and just cook them in the ashes of a fire

although not a necessity there are also rubber bowls and cups that can just squish into your bag which are great.

 

First off, where you going to be camping? Summertime or winter, or what? What kind of terrain? How long are you going to be going as well? Backpacking or just driving to a campsite?

 

Would help to know what kind of camping like everyone said but regardless heres some essentials.



Eagles Nest Outfitters Inc - Your Complete Hammock Sleep System

Ditch the tent and get yourself a ENO Hammock a set of slap strap pros and a nice tarp also if your somewhere buggy the bug net is fantastic, they have a multi year warrenty, super light weight, really comfortable and I've been using an ENO system since 07, I don't have a sleeping bag in the summer but winter months I have a bag I cut a hole in the bottom and sewed/modified so I can slide it over my hammock and it wont slide around when I sleep.

Make sure you have a comfortable pack, either get a water filter or drops/tablets either or works, I like the filters because the drops/tablets alot for less drinking water on the fly in a way, with the filter you can stop at a stream and pump yourself a couple drinks and sit there and quiench your thrist while you do it

I always cary a compass, pocket knife/multi tool, Light weight non cotton cloths, Whatever you feel comfortable enough to start a fire with and Rope.

Good gortex hiking shoes with super feet insoles take alot of stress off you, I always keep my knee brace with me because I have bad knees but even before I had bad knees I kept one with me for days when I would hike 14 miles, around 8-9 miles I liked to put it on to take preasure off.

IBprofin is great to have for inflamation, anti diharea stuff, first aid kit. basics like that are essentail if your going long distance.

aside from that and food I don't cary much else since 90% of the time I have an additional 50 pounds of camera equipment I take with me when I hike


Hope that helped!~

So yeah, specifics would help but everything I mentioned is a good staple regardless of where you are.

Just stay away from Cotton, cotton sucks.

 

You want a hat, your body loses something like 70% of your body heat through your head (hence all the hair is suppose). As for pants, try and avoid cotton (and denim), but if its summer you should be alright with just about anything. bring layers lots of layers, that way, if you get cold you can just slip something over the layers you have already on and if hot then vice versa. A pair of shoes you dont care about because they'll bet super dirty.

If your planning on building small fires for cooking/comfort you'll want a hatchet or something to cut wood. As for food canned stuff is super easy, jerky is excellent, hearty peanut butter sandwiches, precooked hot dogs, drink mix is refreshing when you want a break from water- my favorite thing to do is get some tin foil and put lots of sliced potatoes, carrots, broccoli, eggplant, peppers, hot dog/portuguese sausage and/or beef with some water and whatever seasoning/sauce you like, wrap it up and put it in the embers and after little while you have a steaming hot delicious meal. pair with bread.

last but not least, a small pipe, two lighters (one always tucked away in case the other gets lost) and a sack of weed and you'll be set

 

You should have mentioned what you intended on doing

Hobo camping is easy, tent, knife, sleeping bag, food,water tablets, flash light, whatever cloths you want to bring that are comfy and you don't think will become uncomfortable over an extended period of time outside, your preferred method of starting a fire, book and your about set.


Yeah I wasn't thinking about there not being trees, I'm always around an abundance of trees.

 

You want a hat, your body loses something like 70% of your body heat through your head (hence all the hair is suppose). As for pants, try and avoid cotton (and denim), but if its summer you should be alright with just about anything. bring layers lots of layers, that way, if you get cold you can just slip something over the layers you have already on and if hot then vice versa. A pair of shoes you dont care about because they'll bet super dirty.

If your planning on building small fires for cooking/comfort you'll want a hatchet or something to cut wood. As for food canned stuff is super easy, jerky is excellent, hearty peanut butter sandwiches, precooked hot dogs, drink mix is refreshing when you want a break from water- my favorite thing to do is get some tin foil and put lots of sliced potatoes, carrots, broccoli, eggplant, peppers, hot dog/portuguese sausage and/or beef with some water and whatever seasoning/sauce you like, wrap it up and put it in the embers and after little while you have a steaming hot delicious meal. pair with bread.

last but not least, a small pipe, two lighters (one always tucked away in case the other gets lost) and a sack of weed and you'll be set

 

Well me personally, I got a smaller camelback pack that I have for day hikes. I keep a knife, lighter, bundle of parachord, usually throw a few snacks in there, flashlight, and I have a water filter water bottle that purifies water that I keep in the pack as well. I also have a nice amount of duct tape wrapped around the bottle in case I ever need any. I'm sure I have more stuff in there as well, but that's all I can remember at the moment.

In my bigger packs, I'll pretty much have whatever's in the small one plus clothes, food, tent, sleeping bag.

Also, I 'd throw some benadryll in along with some random first aid stuff. A compass or map of the area you are in wouldn't hurt either. Bug spray/sunscreen won't hurt either if you think you need it.

As for clothing, you don't have to spend a ton of money on stuff, but just cover your bases. You are going to need something to keep you dry if you think you might catch rain. Either get a rain jacket and pants, or a poncho. During summertime, I usually just wear gym shors and a t shirt or w/e really. During winter, I throw on jeans or random long pants if it's cold and layer up for my upper body. I usually throw a t shirt on, then a long sleeve shirt and mahybe a fleece or something on top, and I usually end up in long sleeve shirt with sleeves rolled up. I love the cold. Just remember, it's better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it.

Now as for shoes, hiking boots are a very good investment, especially if you are going to be covering a lot of ground or need to keep your feet dry. But if you are just doing a few miles on a day hike from time to time, running shoes or w/e will pass.

That's all I can really think of right now, I'm sure something might hit me later.

 

dude, don't forget a flashlight. it blows when you are looking for something in your pack in your tent at 3am with no light.

 

Bigger tents are great. Use it. Plenty of room to stand and dress. I solo camp alot. Sometimes for 3 weeks at a time. My mom just asked me if I wanted to go camping. She's buying. Problem here is the rate. 35 bucks a night is too much and for a weekend even though there's a free hot shower and a lodge at the park. I should take the money, but I don't like getting money from my mom. She once offered to buy me a new car and I turned it down. I may try to hit her up for 1500 to buy a house in Michigan.

Anyways, bigger tents can scare off bandits. The 4 person tent actually looks like there are 4 people instead of one unarmed one.

 

Damn man your gona hop in the sea up here? Crazy! Haha. Anyway dude just dropping in to say am planning on heading upto Aviemore in the first couple of July to do some camping and fishing myself. Mainly travelling light; clothes, knife, 2 man tent, sleeping bag, compass, maps, radio, pain killers, arnica, bandages, duc tape, rod etc. Just the basics and essentials.

Also no need to worry about bandits man (unless you are camping near Dundee )

Have a good adventure dude, take it easy. Peace.

 

Hey i didn't know Les Stroud was a stoner!!!???

 

Oh, I've always been pretty sure of it.