Do you want to try the adventure of wild camping, or are you going camping in the snow or in the rain? Are you looking for a list of essential equipment for camping or bivouacking? This article, made up of all my tips and tricks, is for you! After fourteen years of scouting and seven years of traveling around the world , I share with you all my advice for camping well, in France or on the other side of the world…
Going camping for the first time:
Camper first evokes in me this memory of evenings around the fire, spent playing the guitar, while roasting marshmallows on wooden skewers. And it is these moments, so simple but so precious, that I wish you to experience, if you decide to go camping for the first time. In order to allow you to camp well and experience this new adventure to the best of your ability, here is first of all some general advice that it is best to follow, otherwise beware of unpleasant surprises!
You should know that you should generally avoid pitching your tent under a tree, especially when the weather is stormy: lightning could then fall on you while you sleep. However, if you are not worried about the weather and it is a little too hot, you can decide on the location of the tent according to the morning shade. A tent in the sun is a real oven from 8am!Then, before pitching your tent, check that you have chosen flat ground (there is nothing worse than sleeping upside down, even if the inclination is very slight), and remove any small branches and pebbles that could get in your way. Of course, you will have taken the trouble to test your tent beforehand, in order to know approximately how it is assembled. Another thing, but it goes without saying, when you set up your tent, properly stretch your flysheet (it must not touch the fabric of the tent, otherwise you will systematically take in water).
Moreover, when packing your backpack , if you bring food and especially sweet foods, remember to close everything tightly (freezer bags, tupperware, etc.) because this always attracts insects, especially insects. ants. Another tip for going camping: if there are several of you and you plan to walk before reaching your bivouac, you can share the weight of the tent by distributing it equally between your two backpacks.
My camping gear list:
Before starting the list of essential equipment for camping, you must first choose your tent. Take into account the different aspects of your trip (weather forecast, duration of the adventure, camping once in a while or bivouac daily) and establish a budget. For around twenty euros, you will find a tent that will suit you perfectly for going camping on a very occasional basis, and in good weather conditions. If, on the other hand, you are going away for a long time and in a more unpredictable climate, I recommend the Ferrino Atrax 2 tent , the price of which is certainly not cheap, but the quality of which is irreproachable. That being said, here is the list of camping equipment that I advise you to bring with you:
Carefully chosen duvet according to the expected nighttime temperatures (bring either an ultra-lightweight sleeping bag for camping in the summer, or a warmer duvet for other seasons or altitude);
If you are sensitive to the cold, add a silk sheet or fleece blanket;
A foam groundsheet or an inflatable camping mattress , it all depends on whether you want to travel light or in comfort;
Warm pajamas even in summer, such as a fleece sweatshirt , jogging pants and a pair of merino wool socks ;
However, you don’t need to bring your pillow, your rolled-up coat will do just fine;
A pair of flip-flops (it’s useful for avoiding mushrooms in campsite showers, but also for swimming in the river if you’re bivouacking);
String that is always used for everything (drying your laundry, repairing a tensioner in the tent, building a tripod, etc.);
A Swiss army knife ;
A frontal and rechargeable flashlight , especially for wild camping (if there are several of you, you can add a solar lamp to your list of equipment for camping , this will make you more user-friendly);
A mosquito repellent if needed (having tested many, these two sprays for skin and clothes are the most effective);
A lighter to light the fire (only if the legislation authorizes it, it depends on the place);
A small first aid kit with the essential basic equipment;
A microfiber towel that will dry quickly;
A roll of toilet paper (to be picked up after use and put in a paper bag, which you will have taken to bring back your various waste: camping well also means leaving a nickel place behind you);
A rain cape ;
Earplugs for camping in urban areas (or in municipal campsites which are often noisy) ;
Freezer bags to protect your small electronic devices from the humidity that appears each night (telephone, camera, etc.);
An external battery , especially for camping in the middle of nature, because you will not have access to electricity.
