When it comes to camping gear there is a ton of options on the market. There is also a ton of camping gear that is very unnecessary for anyone starting out. This is a list of camping gear that will help get you started and keep you safe and comfortable in the woods.
Shelter
When it comes to shelter most people will start off in a tent. Tents are very easy to set up and offer the most privacy in the woods. It is basically a small bedroom for you to keep your belongings and rest your head at night.
I suggest your tent should be one of your most expensive items. A good tent can really make or break your camping experience and they also hold their value pretty well. If you buy a good tent it will keep you dry and comfortable not just for the night but for years to come.
The size of your tent depends on the size of your family or group that you plan to share the tent with. I suggest your first tent be slightly bigger than you think you need. A family of 3 should have a 4 person tent. A family of 4 should get a 6 person tent and so on and so forth. The gear you start out with is going to be big so having room in your tent to set up and store the gear is going to make you a lot more comfortable.
Find a tent that is big enough to comfortably move around in, when all members of camp are in the tent with you. Being able to get to the door without climbing over too many people is something to keep in mind. Especially for the middle of night potty breaks.
Sleeping Gear
Sleeping gear is one of those things that you will constantly be upgrading to smaller and lighter options. When starting out focus more on comfort than anything else. A good night sleep in the woods is one of the most rewarding things in life.
Feeling refreshed and rested the next day is going to make your trip a ton more enjoyable. So make sure you bring an Air Mattress that you enjoy using at home. If it is comfortable in your guest bedroom it will be comfortable in the woods (for the most part).
Also, make sure to bring a sleeping bag or enough blankets to keep yourself warm in temperatures well below what the weatherman says. Temps can drop at night and not having a heater to warm things up makes your sleeping bag a very valuable piece of gear. Blankets can also be used just make sure to lay blankets below you as well as on top. The air in your mattress can get quite cold so insulating with blankets can help keep in the cold in the mattress and the heat with you.
When it comes to camping pillows just bring what you have. A good pillow really does make sleeping a lot more enjoyable and bring what you already have is going to suit you just fine in the woods. Just make sure you are ready for it to get a little dirty. Pillowcases are a lot easier to clean than pillows themselves.
Food/Drink
Eat drink and be merry. The best part of camping is all the good foods you get to eat. Smores and hotdogs are always some camp favorites. Anything cooked over the fire seems to be a very rewarding treat in the woods. Always have a backup plan. Bring a small stove or other ways of cooking. Making fire isn’t always the easiest and cooking over it can be a chore as well.
Make sure to bring lots of snacks and treat options. You will be burning more calories than you are used to being outdoors. The fresh air and running around can really make a person hungry. Having fast no-cook options really make relaxing a lot easier but also having a warm cooked meal is very rewarding. Bring things that are easy to make at first and as you get more comfortable in the woods the better your meal options will get.
One of the things that you will need is a cooler with ice. Having a way to keep your drinks cold for the whole trip is a must. I suggest anyone starting out just getting a Coleman cooler. Unless you are going out for a long week long trip the Coleman will work just fine.
Camping Gear Must-Haves
When it comes to packing camping gear I try to walk through my house and make sure I have the things I need in each room. I start where I start every morning, in the bedroom. I make sure I have a bed, blankets, pillows, clothes.
Next is, of course, the bathroom. I make sure I have toilet paper, soap, shampoo anything that is going to keep me clean and comfortable.
I then move into the living room. The fire becomes the TV I make sure I have fire starting materials along with fire lighting devices. Camp chairs become the couch and or lazy boy.
Last I go to the Kitchen. I make sure I have plates, bowls, spoons, forks, knives, pans, stove, utensils. Anything I will need to not only cook but also eat my meals. I also look at the fridge that becomes the cooler. Anything I use daily in my home I make sure to add it to the camping gear list.
There is a long list of camping gear that you will need with you in the woods. Here is a list of what I would bring also the things you don’t use every day in the home like bug spray. –> https://www.wolfpackwoodcraft.com/camping-list-beginners-2
Also for a list of gear options –> https://www.amazon.com/shop/wolfpackwoodcraft?ref=ac_inf_hm_vp
You are going to continue getting people to sub your channel. I am new and really like it. The content in your videos is interesting and the message is well said and explained properly. Here’s to continued success. Thanks. Tony
Yep, I will have a new video on YouTube every Sunday and Thursday for as long as they will let me upload.
This is a great channel and I look forward to more videos. Thanks. Tony
Thank You so much for your support it really means a lot to me. I am really glad you have been enjoying my videos!!!
As a newbie on camping i would recommend to have the basic things don´t buy more advanced gear you can buy that when you get more experience. I have been camping since i was a kid so i have a couple of years of experience.
There is some stuff you can go cheap with but something like a tent you wanna make sure you have a good tent that will keep you comfortable and dry. I also think a good sleeping bag is important. Having a couple good items is gonna make your trip a lot more enjoyable making you want to keep going out for more.
I agree you need a good tent and a good sleeping bag as well but tents are expensive to buy here in my country so i have to save a lot of money until i can get one.
Looking forward to today’s video! My birthday is coming up on the 14th and I’m wondering what to get myself. Lol. Cheers bud!
I have been enjoying your reviews , i’m a new subscriber . Its nice to see some outdoor videos of minnesota ! I lived in the twin cities for 6 years in my twenties . Your doing a great job , keep them coming man !
Thank You so much I really appreciate all the kind words!!!
Hey bud! I was wondering if you could do a video on bushcraft and/or wood carving. Just some stuff to do around camp that’s fun and productive. Thanks again for doing what you do for the reasons you do them! Lol
I’m not much of a wood carver but I really enjoy just sitting and relaxing around a fire. Growing up and even still now, my family and I were never able to afford vacations or trips to different places. So local campgrounds are where we would go to escape the responsibilities of life. I still have that same mindset. I really love not having a schedule and being self-reliant in my actions. I put in just enough work to be comfortable and relax as much as possible lol. I do plan on getting out and camping here in the near future and I will make sure to film myself at camp so you can see exactly what I do to keep from getting bored.
Awesome! Looking forward to more videos.
Good morning Kory! I’m looking forward to seeing todays video. I was wondering if you have done a video on solar fire starting. I have a few magnifying glasses but can’t seem to get past the smoldering phase. I think maybe I need to use different tinder or something. I haven’t been trying too long but I’m having a little trouble blowing the ember into flame. If you haven’t done a video on it yet, do you think you could? Thanks again bud!
I have been thinking what your experiences about solar ovens? And that would be nice if you could do a video or so about that topic.
I’ve never used a solar oven. They are also very expensive. Cooking over a fire is much more cost effective and takes much less time to prepare meals.
My preferred shelter is a hammock and tarp set up, provided there are anchor points to hang one. Any thoughts on hammock shelters?
I use a Trek light Hammock and bug net. Here in Minnesota, they joke about how the state bird is the mosquito lol. I really like how the Trek light bugnet goes around the whole hammock and not just the top. Mosquitos will bite through the bottom of the hammock in other setups. I also use a Jacks R Better tarp that is lightweight and very easy to set up. If I know the weather is going to be bad or I really want more coverage I use an Aqua Quest King Camo Tarp. Both I find are really great options.
I will always have some sort of insulation under the hammock, be it an under quilt, or some gear between my 2 hammock layers in very warm outings, so having a net that goes around the whole rig isn’t necessary for me to stop mosquitoes as they cant bite through the insulation.
Having the nice cool breeze on a hot summer night is one of my favorite parts of hammock camping. The clear sky nights when you don’t even need a tarp some of the best night ever. What kind of under quilts do you use? I use a sleeping pad during the colder months and I think an under quilt would be much easier to sleep with.
I have a HammockGear Incubator, and I’m very happy with it.
Love the channel! You oughtta do a more extensive review on the woodcraft pack axe!
I will have to do that. I really like that axe.
Hey Kory,
Great vids and info. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much for the support!!!
Hey everybody!
Hey Alex thank you so much for stopping by!!!
Awesome site brother looking forward to all your videos
Thank You so much!!!
No problem! Website is not too bad either
You have a great channel and awesome topics i´m impressed