CAMPING
From packing to pitching and cooking to chilling, use our ultimate guide to camping to prepare for any adventure. Tick off your must-haves from our must-take checklist, discover which tent is fit for your purpose and gather all the comforts of a home from home.
Your Camping Checklist
SHELTER AND SLEEPING
- Tienda de campaña
- Tent pegs + spare pegs
- Mallet
- Sleeping bag(s)
- Sleeping mat/air bed/camp bed(s)
- Pillow(s)
- Tent repair kit
COCINAR
- Camping stove/BBQ
- Stove fuel/charcoal + matches/lighter
- Cool box
- Cooking pans + utensils
DINING
- Camping chairs
- Mesa
- Plates, bowls + mugs
- Kettle
- Tableware
- Tin opener
- Bottle opener
- Cubertería
- Bin bags
- Dish cloths + tea towels
HEALTH AND SAFETY
- Torch/head torch/lantern(s) + batteries
- First aid kit
- Handwash/hand sanitiser
- Insect repellent
- Toilet roll
- Aseo
PACKING
WHAT SHOULD I TAKE CAMPING?
Campsite, festival or wild camping, make yourself at home in the great outdoors by prepping with the essentials for every type of trip from our camping checklist.
From tents through to tableware and stoves to sleeping bags, click here to tick off everything you need to make the outdoors feel like home.
WHAT CLOTHES TO TAKE CAMPING?
Of course your wardrobe choices will vary depending on the weather, location, season and activity. However, as a general rule think layers and think quick drying clothing.
Lightweight and non-bulky items make for easy packing and easier storing in a most likely limited space.
Fast drying clothing is a must to save a damp tent - so whether you get caught in a downpour or need to wash your clothes, items that dry quickly and easily will come into their own. (The same can be said for easy care clothing too).
Spare an extra thought for nightwear – temperatures can drop dramatically through the evenings and into the night, so remember insulating tops, long sleeves, fleeces and long johns.
When it comes to footwear, the easier your shoes are to put on and take off, the better – nobody wants to struggle with their footwear each time they enter and leave the tent.
Flip flops or sliders are very useful for trips to the shower block.
Of course, if you’re at a festival or camping in somewhat wet weather, then wellies will become your go to footwear!
HOW TO PITCH A TENT?
Remember to check over your tent BEFORE you leave for your camping trip. Check the condition of the tent, as well as making sure you have all necessary parts, including poles and pegs.
Check your surroundings and find suitable ground. Your pitch needs to be level and slightly soft, with plenty of room around you. Remember to look up too and check for any overhead hazards.
CAMPERS TOP TIP!
Do not pitch under a tree:
- Rain drops can be very loud on your tent
- As thunderstorms and strong winds are highly likely to cause loose branches, being under a tree isn't really somewhere you want to be!
Lay out each component of your tent
The groundsheet should be the first element you peg down
Then peg down the back down of the tent – this will act as an anchor
Close all zips
Construct your poles and push them through – do not pull!
Hammer in pegs at a 45 degree angle with a mallet – this avoids bending the pegs
Try and make sure your guy lines follow the seams of the tent
Fully extend all pegging point straps
COCINAR
WHAT TO COOK WHEN CAMPING?
There's something special about cooking and eating outdoors. From a small, foldup gas camping stove to a charcoal barbeque with space to cook for the whole family, find the appliance to suit everyone's taste and the food to fill every appetite aquí.
One pan breakfast
BBQ burgers and hotdogs
Potato and egg scramble on the stove
Pasta pots
Camping quesadillas
Toasted marshmallows – the ultimate camping treat for kids of all ages!
HOW TO USE A CAMPING STOVE
CAMPERS TIP!
ALWAYS AVOID cooking inside your tent or in an enclosed camping space due to the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning through inadequate ventilation.
Decide how big your stove needs to be - will a single-burner stove be enough? Maybe a double-burner will be more efficient to feed your family or you're just an absolute barbeque lover!
Remember your cookware too. Specially designed for campers, this equipment, including pots, pans and utensils, tends to be lightweight, durable and space-saving. Stock up on your necessities aquí.
HOW TO FOLD A POP UP TENT
Take the two high arches of your tent and bring them together
Now, bring the front arch inwards to meet the rest of the tent
Turn your tent inwards so that the tent closes in on itself – and the arches stay on the outside
Finally, twist the tent to form two circles and then fold them over one another
Secure your tent with straps or ties if available.
FESTIVAL CAMPING
THE CAPSULE FESTIVAL LIST
Sleeping mat or air bed
Torch/head torch
Sun cream
Dry shampoo
Wet Wipes
Shop our ultimate festival shop here!
FESTIVAL CAMPING
BERTH
An indication of how many people a tent can hold
– excluding luggage
FLYSHEET
The outer fabric of a tent
FOOTPRINT
Placed under the tent floor to protect from abrasion
GROUNDSHEET
A highly durable and often waterproof sheet made for both walking and sleeping on
GUY LINES OR GUY ROPE
Guy lines or guy ropes are cables that are used to add stability to a tent, attached to a tent and stakes, increasing the tension of the tent surface
GROUND STAKES OR TENT PEGS
Anchors the tent securely to the ground by holding the guy lines
INNER
A non-waterproof element of the tent creating a sleeping area and sitting under the rain fly
MUMMY BAG
Used to determine the height and thickness of a sleeping bag’s insulation
PACKED SIZE
A tent’s dimensions when stored in its bag
PITCH
The space in which you set up your tent.
Or the act of setting up your tent
RAIN FLY
The waterproof and windproof outer tent layer
TEMPERATURE RATING
The temperature rating of a sleeping bag means you can choose a bag to the suit the season
– all based on the temperature the average person can sleep comfortably
3-SEASON TENT
A tent crafted for use in the spring, summer and autumn
4-SEASON TENT
A sturdy all-weather and all-season tent, crafted to even handle wintry conditions