If you are going to be outdoors for a period of time, you need to consider several factors that would make your experience all the better.

Here is what you should consider when packing for a camping trip:

Rain
Depending on where you are and when you are going, chances are you may face rain, in one for or another. Other moisture concerns you should be aware of includes morning dew, which is significant in tropical regions and water bodies (eg. rivers or ponds) that could get your items wet.

What you would need to consider is:

 

• How likely are your items going to get wet.
• How important is it to keep your items dry (eg. keeping bananas dry is more important than your canned mushrooms)

After deciding if your items need to be waterproofed, you would then decide what level of waterproofing is best. For most trips, an outer waterproofing cover. If you expect your bag to be throw in water (river, sea, etc), then placing your items in a zip lock bag is wise.

Group Equipment

You should arrange how you will carry your group equipment. It is usually a good idea to evenly split up these items so no one person is carrying most of it. For example, if you have a 4-men tent, you might want to split it up 4 ways if you have 4 guys, one carrying the poles, one carrying the tent itself, one carrying the flysheet and one carrying the pegs. Group items tools like axes and ropes or food should also be split up to minimise fatigue on any one individual.

Water

Water is often one of the more heavier items in your bag. With a liter weighing in at a kilogram, you should plan how much water you want to carry wisely. Water is essential for life, so you must bring along at least some amount of water.

Consider the following when deciding on how much water to carry:

• How much water do you expect to consumer per day/for the entire trip?
• How often will you be able to top up your water during your camping trip?
• For your planned water sources, how confident are you in the reliability of these water sources?

Dealing with emergencies

An emergency may arise during your camp. How prepared are you to deal with it? A first aid kit of a suitable size should be enough to deal with immediate medical attention. Read more on this.
Also make sure you have a reliable communication with the outside world if you are going somewhere remote. So you should consider bringing along your hand phone and perhaps an extra battery.

Weight of your items

Lastly, do consider the weight of your items and how you will travel to your campsite. If you can drive up almost all the way, you have no problems bringing along a 14kg tent or a gas canister and gas stove. If you are going to be walking for at least a few hours, you had better think twice about what you put in your bag.

You should also consider the utility of the items you bring along. Very often, people pack in things that they either forget it is in there or have no real intention of using them. Cut down on such items to pack lighter and more compact.

With these tips in mind, you should be better prepared when it comes to deciding what to bring and not to bring in your next camping experience.

The Bag

Carrying a double shoulder bag is important if you are going to be walking for a while. This will allow your back to evenly take most of the weight of your items. You should also get a bag with a waist strap to transfer the weight to your hips from your shoulders and that is the most ergonomic way to carry your items.

  Go camping with the Iguania 4-men Dome Tent