Sometimes, you catch the feeling of adventure on a whim. What should you keep in your pack, ready to go for such an occasion? That is what we are going to break down today.
I preach planning your camping adventures often, and about a month in advance. I talk about planning how long it will take to get to your destination, what activities you want to do, which campsite will be home for the weekend. However, there are moments where you just want to go with the flow, live life to the fullest and go on an unplanned adventure. Even while being spontaneous, a little bit of planning can definitely help make your adventure a fun one that goes smoothly. This is a hack for us that we use, mainly in the summer so that when the mood strikes we just have a few things to add to our pack and off we go. So…
Keep These in Your Pack to be Ready to Go
- A Swimsuit
- Pillow
- Pajamas
- Camp Towels
- Spork
- Deck of cards
- Extra socks
- A lighter or flint and steel
- Rain poncho
- Hat and Gloves, because even in the summer the nighttime can be very cold.
- Compass
- Emergency blanket
Make Sure to Store These Out of Your Pack
- Sleeping bag, storing it compressed will ruin the loft
- Sleeping pad (I prefer self-inflating pads, and these should be stored expanded and not compressed.)
- Food, it just helps you keep an eye on expiration dates to store elsewhere. And if there happens to be a hole in the packaging you won’t get any ants crawling into your pack for a snack.
- Knives, knives require maintenance and leaving them in your pack is an easy way to forget about them. Your knife is an important tool so making sure it is taken care of decreases the risk of it breaking or being damaged. It also allows you to change it up.
- Flashlight or headlamp. This seems like a great idea, but you need to keep the batteries charged. Neither of these will do you any good if you get to camp and the batteries are dead.
- Sunblock or Bug Spray, just in case they break open. You don’t want that stuff all over your pack.
There you have it! Storing these items in your pack will make it so you can throw in a few extras and spend more time enjoying your adventure! Make sure you check out our other camping lists here to make sure you grab everything you need. Let me know in the comment section below what you always make sure to have packed!