1· The tent

 Camping is all about the tent, and there are many things you should consider before you invest in one. How many people does your tent need to accommodate? This will dictate how large the tent needs to be – or how many separate tents you need to buy. Will you be driving or cycling to the campsite? This will dictate how heavy and bulky the tent can be when it’s all packed up. Do you have plenty of time to pitch the tent, or are you looking for a simpler option, which pops up on demand? This will help narrow down your options further. Once you’ve answered these questions, you should be in a better position to choose the right tent for your needs. There are so many options on the market nowadays, from basic one-man ridge tents to ‘pod’ tents which can be connected with others to create a small camping village of sorts – you’ll certainly have plenty to choose from, with options for every budget range. Read our tent buying guide for help on choosing the right option for your trip.

2· Groundsheet or Tarp

Laying a groundsheet before you pitch your tent will give you another layer of protection between yourself and the floor – ideal if you’re pitching somewhere that could be waterlogged or damp.

3· Spare tent pegs and a mallet

 Having a few extra tent pegs will give you added peace of mind while pitching and putting the tent away. A mallet speeds up the pitching process.

4· Camp Bed, Air Mattress or Sleeping Mat

 You’ll need to bring something to sleep on which will fit inside your tent. An air mattress is a good option for those who have plenty of room in their car or caravan, while camp beds are also comfortable and help keep campers elevated off the floor. Sleeping mats can be rolled up and are perfect for backpackers or cyclists. It’s worth spending a little more on your camping mattress – you’ll be thankful for the added comfort after a long day out in the countryside!

5· Sleeping bag

 As well as your mattress, you’ll need a sleeping bag to keep you warm during the nights, when it can get quite cold.

6· Pillow

 Some sleeping bags come with a pillow included, but if yours doesn’t, you should invest in a comfortable pillow for your trip. If you need to save space and can’t really carry a pillow, you can stuff some of your clothing into an empty pillowcase to create one of your own.

7· Mat

 When camping, you can’t always guarantee that you’ll return to your tent with clean shoes. Bring a mat where you can leave your footwear, so that you don’t trek mud throughout your sleeping space.

8· Camping chairs / table

Bringing a camping chair is a great idea, as it allows you to sit outside of your tent and make the most of the Great Outdoors. A table will also help you when preparing and eating meals.

9· Equipment for repairs

Complete with fuel supply. You won’t be cooking every meal over a campfire – you’ll certainly need a camping stove and a propane canister to ensure you have access to hot meals.

 Try to ensure these have lids, or you’ll end up with aphids and flies in your stew!

13. Charcoal and Firelighters

·Having charcoal and firelighters if you’re planning to cook over a campfire with you will make life easier when starting a fire, especially if it is wet.

If you’re camping for a long period, most of the food you’ll be eating will come from cans and tins – so you’ll need a quality opener to ensure you can get into them!

· You can warm up some soup and keep it with you all day, or enjoy a hot cup of tea on-the-go with a quality flask.

Bring plenty of bags to dispose of your food waste and unrecyclable rubbish.

 Obviously, these are vital. Canned foods are great for camping, and you can also pick up specialist camping foods from outdoor shops. These include dehydrated meals, energy gels and cereal bars. If you’re lucky enough to be camping near a shop, you might not need to bring so much food with you initially.

If you’re preparing meat or other fresh food on your camping tip, you’ll need a surface on which you can safely chop them, and a knife sharp enough to get the job done. It’s best to bring a separate knife for food preparation – you could use your multi-tool or Swiss army knife, but you risk contaminating the food with any bacteria that may have come into contact with the blade as you’ve used it. Read our UK knife law guide.

If you’re going to be clomping around muddy fields or exploring the natural environment, you’ll need a good pair of sturdy, waterproof boots which will protect your feet throughout.

If you’re camping in the UK, you’ll certainly need to bring waterproof layers with you, even if you’re camping in the middle of summer. You never know when a downpour could occur, and you don’t want to be caught without rain protection.

Perfect for chilly evenings and mornings preparing breakfast, a warm and cosy fleece or jumper is a must on any camping trip.

If you’re going somewhere particularly wet and muddy, a pair of comfortable wellies will be the perfect complement to your walking boots, ensuring your feet are always protected from mud and rain.

Always bring a hat with you, whether you’re camping in summer or winter. In summer, a baseball cap can help keep the sun out of your eyes and your hair off your face, while a bobble hat or a trapper hat will keep your ears warm in winter.

If you bring three or four different tops with you, you can layer them up depending on the temperature. Try to stick with natural fibres, or moisture-wicking materials which won’t smell if you wear them for too long!

If your campsite has access to a pool, or even if there’s the potential for wild swimming in a local lake, you’ll need a swimming costume or trunks.

When nature calls, you need to be prepared! Most campsites have their own toilet blocks, but if you’re wild camping, you might need to find somewhere discreet to hang your toilet paper!

You’re going to be getting down and dirty while camping, so it’s important to have a hand sanitiser on standby, to remove the germs and bacteria from your hands before you cook or eat.

If your hair is long enough to run your hands through, a hair brush will prevent it from becoming matted and tangled while you’re camping. For ladies, a selection of hair slides and ties will also be useful.

An all-purpose moisturiser is recommended to keep your kit minimal. Choose one which can be used to moisturise dry areas, as well as your face and hands if necessary. If left unchecked, dry skin can become cracked and painful, and this can really ruin a camping trip.

A lotion with an appropriate SPF for the location you’re visiting is a must – even if you don’t think it’ll be that sunny. Remember that you’ll be outdoors most of the time, and that can take its toll on your skin. Applying a water resistant sunscreen is highly recommended.

You don’t want your tent to smell after you’ve slept in it!

· Make sure you get the waterproof options – they’re usually more hardwearing and durable than the regular kind.

Larger wounds or sprains can be bandaged up and protected.

This is especially useful if you’re camping abroad – you don’t want swarms of mosquitoes in your tent every night!

If your insect repellent fails and someone in your party gets bitten, an antihistamine tablet can help treat them if they have a bad reaction to it.

If you’re a very active person and plan to spend your camping trip hiking, cycling, abseiling, rowing or any other demanding kind of exercise, bring plenty of deep heat or muscle rub to aid your recovery.

A must for cleaning cuts and wounds.

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Vital for any First Aid kit, these will help as you’re cleaning up cuts and wounds.

Sunburn can really impact someone’s enjoyment of a trip – make sure you have enough aftersun on hand to help them if their sun lotion fails.

A multi-tool is an important item to have with you when camping. They can help with everything from chopping food to undoing knots or opening bottles.

You never know when you might need to secure something with a piece of string – and it’s not like it’ll take up much room in your pack!

You can use these to separate your dirty clothes from your clean ones, or to keep your damp towel and swimming costume away from your dry garments. Can also be used for collecting litter and ensuring you leave the campsite exactly as you found it.

You can never have enough water around a campsite! Bring enough water bottles for everyone to have a spare.

A basic needle, a selection of threads and a small pair of scissors can be very useful to have around. This can be used to fix zips or buttons back onto clothing, as well as fixing holes in sleeping bags or blankets.

Just as important as a compass – you can use these to navigate and to find exciting things to do in the vicinity of the campsite.

This iPhone app can help you figure out what food and utensils you need to bring with you, as well as offering plenty of inspiration when it comes to camping and cooking. You can plan your meals for the whole trip, and the app will even generate your shopping list for you!

Whether you want to impress your friends with a complex knot, or whether you just want to know which knots will secure your tent most effectively, this app will help you learn how to tie each and every one of them, from hitches and binding knots to climbing knots and stopper knots.

This astronomy app will help you identify the stars in the night sky. Without the light pollution from nearby towns and cities, it’s likely that your campsite will have an amazing view of the stars, and this app helps you take advantage of that to help you discover which constellations are above your tent.

Geocaching is essentially a 21^st century treasure hunt. Users can hide small items in the wilderness and tag their location with GPS coordinates. Using the app, you can then track down these items yourself! As mentioned, this app uses GPS, so if your phone signal is poor, you may want to wait until you reach an area with 3G or WiFi signal.

• If you’re driving to your campsite, give your vehicle a good check over first. Make sure you’ve got plenty of fuel for the round trip, and ensure you have a spare tyre in case of emergencies.
• Try to arrive at your campsite with plenty of time to pitch your tent before the sun goes down. This should be easy during the summer months – you’ll have until at least 10pm before the light fades – but if you’re camping during spring or autumn, it’s worth making sure you arrive in good time. Pitching a tent in the dark is difficult, and you may wake in the morning to discover you’ve missed a peg or pitched it wrong!
• Most tents have some kind of window or vent to help with airflow – make sure you leave one slightly unzipped through the night to reduce moisture within the tent.
• Bring iodine packets with you to make sure any water you drink is safe. Most campsites have clean running water available, but if you find yourself needing to gather water yourself, you can sanitise the water with an iodine sachet and make sure you don’t pick up any illnesses.
• If you’ve purchased new hiking boots for the camping trip, keep a small bar of soap with you in your bum-bag or hiking backpack. Rub the soap on your heels and anywhere else you think your shoes might cause a blister – this will prevent your feet from getting sore.
• If you’re bringing matches to light your campfire, it’s important to prevent them from getting wet. Alternatively, you can waterproof them by dipping them in clear nail polish beforehand. They’ll still ignite just as easily (nail polish is flammable) and they’ll be protected from any moisture.
• Wrap personal items like a washcloth and your soap in tinfoil to keep other items in your kit dry.
• Camping equipment like tent heaters, a coolbox or camping fridge and a camping lantern will make the trip more comfortable.
• If you’re camping with a large party, or with children, practice a ‘fire drill’ with everyone in your camp, and ensure you have a system to prevent little ones from getting lost. Each child should have a torch or headlamp with them at all times, and should be drilled on what to do if they wander off and can’t find the rest of the group.

So there you have it – the ultimate guide to camping! If you follow this checklist and take our tips into account, you should have a successful and enjoyable camping trip, no matter where you’re heading. Happy camping!