Are you planning a camping excursion and need a checklist of essentials to pack? This guide lists six must-have items for campers and hikers, including the correct footwear, a reliable stove, scopes for hunters, and a well-fitted backpack. Read on to get inspired for your trip!
1. A Top Quality Tent
First, let’s think about the accommodation. You want a reliable, easy to carry, good quality tent that is big enough but not over-large for you and your companions. Go to an outdoor shop and seek the advice of professionals. And make sure you can fit it in your backpack!
2. The Outfit
Before setting off on a camping trip, you need to make sure you have the outfit sorted. You want good-fitting, comfy walking boots that are designed for long hikes. Moreover, you will need a waterproof jacket and trousers so you are prepared for adverse weather. It is always recommended to wear layers so if you get too hot or cold you can easily make adjustments.
3. A Good Stove
One of the most enjoyable times of the day for a camper is dinner time. After a long day of walking and exploring, it is lovely to settle down around the stove and share a meal with your fellow campers. This is why it is important to do your research on the best camping stoves and choose wisely. You want a dependable and good quality stove so you can rely on a hot cooked meal at the end of the day.
4. Night Vision Scope
A very useful tool for intrepid campers who also want to hunt for their dinner is a night vision scope. It is an electronic device used to intensify one’s eyesight under darkness. Night vision scopes are used and loved by night hunters as they are the perfect solutions for campers in need of enhanced eyesight under the cover of darkness. However, these devices can be very expensive and depending on the brand, these scopes can range into tens of thousands of dollars.
Luckily, there is a useful guide available to you online with a list of affordable and quality options. For your night vision scope needs, check out the online advice and reviews to find a cheaper but still practical product that suits your night hunting requirements. Once you have experienced the clarity of night vision, there will be no going back.
5. GPS
A great tool to have at your disposal is a smartphone with GPS, a handheld GPS device, or any other smart device with GPS settings, like a Fitbit. Your camping trip will be safer and more organized if you always know where you are and where you are going.
6. A Quality Backpack (Fitted Correctly!)
A pro tip is to make sure your pack is fitted correctly! There is nothing less comfortable than a badly fitted backpack. Your shoulders, neck, and back will start to ache and you will find the walking considerably less pleasurable than your well-fitted companions. The easy fix is to make sure you follow professional advice for the best fit of your backpack for your body. You can go into a specialty retailer and have them help to fit you correctly with a pack, or if you are ordering online, ensure you have taken the measurements of your torso so you get the right bag for your body.
Next, you need to adjust the straps of your lovely new backpack. Start at your hips and work up from there. Your hips are where your center of gravity is and should take eighty percent of the weight of your pack, while your shoulders should only take twenty percent. Position the middle of the hip straps directly on top of your iliac crest and pull them tight.
After your hip straps are comfortable, adjust your shoulder straps. Pull the straps forward away from your body and then down toward your hips to get a natural fit. Do not overtighten them, as the straps can dig into your shoulders. The shoulder straps should hug your shoulders from front to back without any gaps between the strap and your back. If there is a gap, your torso setting is likely too long. Pull the torso setting down by an inch and try again.
Finally, ensure the load lifters are at a forty-five-degree angle and your sternum strap is resting comfortably an inch below your collarbone.
This guide has listed some essentials for a good hiking trip, such as the outfit, the stove, scopes, and GPS. Hopefully, this list has set your mind working to plan the best camping excursion you can. Good luck and have fun!
