Top 5 Camping Essentials
The ontheroad blog posted their list of the top 5 camping essentials and after reading it I was left scratching my head. I mean, sure they hit all the major items - sleeping bag, tent, flashlight, stove - but the first item on the list was an air mattress / foam pad, an item many might consider a luxury rather than an essential. As a Boy Scout and wilderness survival merit badge instructor I remembered a slightly different list and it goes something like this:
1. First aid. In any outdoor survival situation the first priority is to take care of life threatening situations whether it be bleeding, a broken bone, etc. Pack your first aid kid and you’ll be set to take care of many potential threats to your safety while camping.
2. Shelter. The ontheroad blog got this one right - bring a tent and a sleeping bag plus weather appropriate clothing. According to the Wikipedia humans cannot survive more than 3-hours when exposed to extreme low temperatures. Blazing summer heat can take its toll as well which leads us to essential #3:
3. Water. In many places you don’t need to bring your own water since it is available via spigots or natural springs. No matter where you go be sure to bring something to store and transport water like milk jugs or Nalgene bottles. If you’ll be relying on natural springs you’ll want some type of purification equipment as well - either tablets or a water filter (and no, a Brita pitcher doesn’t cut it).
4. Fire. The Boy Scouts put this priority before water which is a little questionable in my mind but fire is definitely important. It’s useful for signaling if you’re lost and can be used to purify water in an emergency situation. Fire also goes a long way to improving your state of mind and you can use it to cook any critters you might catch on your trip (see #5). Bring some matches AND a back-up fire starter (a lighter, flint & steel, etc.) and you’ll be set for camping.
5. Food. Man can survive for weeks without food but in my opinion a camping trip without food isn’t really all that fun 
Of course you need food but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need to cook anything. Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) are available from military surplus stores and contain everything you need to prepare and enjoy them (including a heat source). Ok, so maybe enjoy is a strong word but you get the point. Crackers, Snickers bars, and Pop Tarts are all good camping food - no stove required!
So there you have it - the tripleblaze camping essentials list. Of course this list leaves a lot to be desired on the comfort scale so check out our camping checklist for a more detailed list of items to take on your next camping trip!
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October 24th, 2008 at 3:05 am
First of all thanks for your interest in our post. I am glad that it has inspired you to post your own top five list of camping essentials and I really like your website.
I cannot argue that the ontheroad top five list is for the comfort camper rather than for somebody trying to survive in the wilderness. But in my opinion each list has their value - depending on the circumstances.
So thanks a lot again. I will check back on your website regularly from now on!
BTW, here is a good packing-list with more than the bear essentials, but I guess it is better to dismiss an item than forget it!
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=7
January 12th, 2009 at 7:32 am
[...] Anyway, postcrescent.com published an article about Troy Ristau and his successful thru-hike of the Pacific Crest trail from the Mexican border in California to the Canadian border in Washington state. The trail snakes across 2,650 miles of the most scenic terrain in the US and crests some of the highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada (including 13,153 foot high Forester Pass). Ristau took about 4 and a half months to complete the hike and arrived at the end of the trail in relatively good shape. According to the article he didn’t get sick during the trek (rare for long distance hikers) and went completely stoveless (see my previous post on camping essentials). [...]