Wendy & Sean's Camping Checklist
When it comes to getting away from it all, throwing on a pack, rolling up your sleeping bag and stepping out into the wilderness, it can really ruin your trip when you forget toilet paper, your tent, camp stove, waterproof jacket, or can opener… and half your food is tinned.
To help you out - Joe and I have put together a camping and hiking essentials checklist that we run through whenever we’re “Off to the Wild”. You may not need all the bits and pieces, all the time. But if you run through the entire list, chances are you’ll remind yourself of that “one little thing”.
Tents & Sleeping Bags - Where are you off to? How cold/warm will it be? How far will you be carrying your kit? Picking the perfect piece of kit for the trip is obviously important so take the time to consider not just the weather and temperatures of the location you’re off to but also how far off the beaten track it is. We tend to just use lightweight gear by default - saves hassle and if you’ve got decent quality camping equipment. Typically we’d use a combination of the following;
One Person Tents:
- Cloud Up 1 lightweight one person tents are available in either the 210T polyester or if we’re going somewhere particularly cold/wet or far away - the SilNylon for that extra waterproof rating and further lightness (200g less than the polyester version).
(Click a tent to pick a tent)
Two Person Tents:
- Cloud Up 2 lightweight tents - same as above these chaps are robust two person tents and if you go for the SilNylon you have the added option of grabbing snow skirts as well.
(Click a tent to pick a tent)
- Cirrus 2 person tents - these are a great expansion on the same style of design as the Cloud Up 2 person tent. With an additional cross pole to expand the annexe (which is really handy for kit storage and provides a little bit of extra cooking space on wet days and nights) the Cirrus is also more rigid thanks to the cross bracing this provides which makes it more durable when you’ve got an exposed camping spot.
(Click a tent to pick a tent)
- Ultralight 2 person SilNylon dome tent - these bad boys are pretty handy - about the same weight as the Cloud UP 2 but with a typical X shaped pole skeleton, these guys are really sturdy and coming as standard with SilNylon (no polyester option available) you’re not going to have any issues with rain. I particularly like the 2 door access on these so you don’t have to crawl over the top of your hiking partner to get in and out of the tent. Not bad for £79 as two person tents go - especially as it’s lightweight SilNylon.
(Click a tent to pick a tent)
Three Person Tents:
- Cloud Up 3 person tents - currently our only 3 person tent option at All Four Outdoors but this is no bad thing - spacious, sturdy and with the option of SilNylon, 210T Polyester or SilNylon with added snow skirts - you can’t really complain!
(Click a tent to pick a tent)
Four Person tents:
(click a tent to pick a tent)
- P Series 4 Person Tents - again a typical dome design, these four person tents have a nice high roof line and plenty of internal space. While they’re “only” 210T polyester, I’ve used them on rainy nights in Dartmoor on multiple occasions without any hassle at all. And the thing is, for a relatively big 4 person, they’re bloody light!
Hammock Tents
(click a hammock to pick a hammock)
And just for something a little different - also a big fan of hammock tents for solo campers provided you know you'll have somewhere sturdy to swing them. Up off the ground, away from moisture, waterproof! They're just great!
Obviously, you have a higher exposure to wind and the heat loss that comes with that but if you can pitch them in a sheltered location and have packed a nice, warm sleeping bag, Bob's your Uncle!!! Check out the NatureHike Cloud Ultralight single hammock.
One Person sleeping bags:
Summer Sleeping bags - if I'm grabbing a summer sleeping bag, generally I'm referring to one of the 2 single person sleeping bags we stock - either a standard lightweight sleeping bag or an ultralight - 720 grams of lean, mean... nylon.
They're both relatively compact, comfortable and provided you're not going to suffer chilly weather, all you'll need. I often take two ultra lightweight sleeping bags. I can use one as a throw, picnic rug/snuggle rug while the other is my sleeping bag or alternately, I can throw it over the top or bag in a bag for extra warmth should I need it.
Lightweight Sleeping Bags:
(Click a sleeping bag to pick a sleeping bag)
Ultra-Lightweight Sleeping Bags:
(Click a sleeping bag to pick a sleeping bag)
Winter Sleeping bags - I pull out my down sleeping bag. It's reasonable at 1700 grams, warm and comfortable to about -5 degrees C and safety rated to -10, though you've always got to factor in wind chill and heat loss to earth, especially if you're not using an insulating sleeping mat. I strongly recommend buying an inner liner as well - whether to keep the bag clean (easy to pull out and wash) or as additional insulation when you're charging off somewhere particularly cold.
(click a sleeping bag to pick a sleeping bag)
Two Person sleeping bags:
Now the two person sleeping bag I tend to use is a little bit on the light side if you're going somewhere super cold but there's reason to my rhyme.
Rated for Spring and Autumn camping - my double sleeping bag is comfortable enough for temps up to 18-20C. I find that I generally run fairly hot too so if I'm sharing it with someone, generally speaking I'd expect that I can comfortably sleep in temperatures down as low as 4 - 6C, having said that, the bag is rated to 0C so perhaps with the addition of a lightweight sleeping bag as a throw I'd take it out on a mild winters night.
This one is particularly handy as it also comes with inflatable pillows - they're hardly the fluffy magic of home but as far as giving your head that familiar rest, they're a damn site more comfortable then perching on a bundle of clothes, my pack or if she's in a snuggle mood (which she always is), Wendy. The one side effect of cuddling up to Wendy is her extremely gassy tendencies and a peculiar habit of trying to lick my eyeballs... But hey, beggars can't be choosers!
(click a sleeping bag to pick a sleeping bag)
Hiking Packs:
(click a hiking pack to pick a hiking pack)
- 70L Hiking pack - I'm all about comfort when it comes to picking a pack - I want something that's adjustable, well made, and preferably keeps my clothes dry. A lot of pack manufacturers make a song and dance about their packs water resistant capabilities, a lot sell additional waterproof pack covers. My pick of the bunch is the NatureHike 70L Hiking Pack. Large capacity, solid materials (420D Nylon/aluminium alloy construction), highly adjustable waist and shoulder straps and plenty of external, easy access storage. And to refer back to my point about water proofing, this bag has a pull out rain cover built into it's base. Clever!
- 25L Day pack - If I'm just chasing a light daypack, my 25L pack does the trick. Chest cinch, waist belt, sleeve and access point to slip a camelbak water reservoir in, and enough room for lunch, a hot water thermos flask, a towel and a light change of clothes. When you put it on and cinch it tight about your chest, it's quite a comfy little pack for cross country running.
(Click a day pack to pick a day pack)
Dry Bags:
5L Dry bags - When you're off to the wilderness and the weather turns a little bit poo, there's nothing worse than finally getting the tent set up in the rain, climbing inside and going to change into something warm and dry only to find that all your clothes are soaked. Obviously if you're using the 70L Hiking pack discussed above you're relatively safe but otherwise, grab yourself a dry bag or two - one to keep your clothes dry, another for your food and first aid kit. Depending on the time of year and the bulkiness of the clothes you'll need you may get by with a 15L Dry Bag or alternately a 25L Dry bag in the winter time.
5 Litre Dry Bags
(click a dry bag to pick a dry bag)
15 Litre Dry Bags
(click a dry bag to pick a dry bag)
25 Litre Dry Bags
(click a dry bag to pick a dry bag)
60 Litre Dry Bags
(click a dry bag to pick a dry bag)
Sleeping Mats:
Bit of an unsung hero these! They make you more comfortable, warmer and make extended hiking trips less of a chore as you are getting a decent nights sleep! Depending on your priorities there are a range of things to look for in a sleeping mat - from dimensional requirements for the long or wide bodied among us, insulation factors for the cold weather campers, or depth of cushioning for those of us with a bad back or just chasing that extra bit of comfort. For that reason I've prepped a bit of an extended list.
The NatureHike TPU Inflatable sleeping mat is a cracking sleeping mat for those chasing a little more cushion for the...umm... sleep. 90mm deep with built in pump system and generous proportions at 1930 by 600 - this is the sleeping mat for the larger or more comfort driven camper. It's also reasonably light at 840g.
While having less cushion depth, the following two sleeping mats are two of my favourites for their additional features. Both come with side clips to turn single sleeping mats into double, triple or more mattresses, feature built in pillows and in addition to their inflated padding are full of BAYER high density foam. Check out the NatureHike Inflatable Egg Crate sleeping mat or it's cousin, the NatureHike One man inflatable sleeping mat with pillow.
(click a sleeping pad to pick a sleeping pad)
Camping Stoves
Now camping stoves are a bit of a bug bear for me as A, I'd much rather cook on an open fire and B, the price you pay for a JetBoil to me is a little exorbitant - I'd much rather stick with the compact and collapsible NatureHike Collapsible Camping Stove. It's small, robust, made with a mixture of stainless steel, copper and aluminium alloy and comes with a built-in piezo lighter. What more do you want? And it's less than half the price of a Jet Boil. Combine it with a NatureHike compact windshield and a camp pot and pan set and you end up having far more camp kitchen for your coin!
(click an item to pick an item)
I guess to summarise how Joe and I plan our camping trips, the key things to consider are:
- Where are you going?
- Who's going?
- What do you plan on doing when you get there?
- What are you carrying? What's the terrain like?
- What's the weather forecast? What sort of potential weather could occur?
- Have I notified someone of my timelines?
Always pack more than you need, plan for the worst and the best, and let someone know where you're going. It's better safe than sorry!!!
Safe travels and hopefully catch you on a track somewhere.
Sean, Joe & Wendy