There is a lot of kit involved in camping and it’s a pain when you forget something. So here’s a list of those camping essentials you just have to take with you.

a roll mat - source: © kingfisher

Roll mat – this is very important as it keeps the cold away from your body, ensuring a better night’s rest. It’s also slightly cushioned, so your hips don’t feel bruised when you wake up in the morning! I like the inflatable roll mats, they offer better insulation and comfort. It can be a bit of a fight rolling it back up again in the morning. This leads me nicely onto my next camping essential.

a sleeping bag - source: © trekmates

Sleeping bag – not only essential, but an absolute necessity. A sleeping bag can mean the difference between life and death if you are in a chilly location. I remember being trapped in my lovely warm down sleeping bag for hours waiting for sleety conditions to clear up on a mountain in Argentina. If I hadn’t had it, hypothermia would have soon set in.

a tent - source: © terra nova

Tent – again, shelter is of the utmost importance in dangerous conditions. It gives you shelter and somewhere to cook, sleep, read and relax when the world is raging around you.

a stove - source: © campingaz

Stove – this gives you the means to refuel and stay warm. A hot cup of tea, or soup, is a powerful restorative and morale-booster if you are tired, cold or hungry. My trusty Trangia stove has been all over the world with me and I won’t leave home without it.

a torch - source: © maglite

Torch – I have been racking my brain over this one – the last of the five camping essentials. It could have been camping boots or a camping lantern, but a torch is multi-purpose. It’s great if you arrive late at a campsite or need a midnight call of nature in unfamiliar terrain and don’t want to kill yourself tripping over a tree root. It’s good for reading in bed and can be used to signal for help in emergencies.

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