Camping Essentials Checklist: First-Time Campers Guide

Camping is a beloved past-time all around the world. It’s a fantastic way to reconnect with nature, spend quality time with loved ones, get away from monotonous daily routines, and breathe in the fresh air. However, too many of us arrive at the campsite completely underprepared.

We have our tent, we have our sleeping bags, we’ve certainly got the marshmallows, but we’re missing so many of the essential items that we need to pull off a great camping trip without a hitch. The #1 rule of camping is to be prepared, so let’s learn and prepare together so that your next camping trip is one for the photo albums!

In this article we’re going to highlight five of the most important camping essentials to turn your camping trip into a happy memory, not a weekend that you’d rather forget. These great tools range from the simple things that simply slip your mind, to things you may not have even thought of. They all aim to enhance the comfort, safety, and ease of your camping trip, leaving you more time to enjoy it.

Whether you’re a first-time camper, or an expert, there’s something in this guide for you. So before spring comes and you’re dragging your tent out of the shed ready for your next adventure, have a read through here and think whether you’re missing anything on this list. And if you are, just click through and we’ll have those products shipped to your door in no time, so that you don’t miss a day of camping season!

What Do I Actually Need to Go Camping?

Camping requires a lot of gear. Most of it we already know, but as a quick refresher some of the most important things to pack are:

• Shelter - A tent, a rain fly to cover the tent, and a thermal mat for the flooring.
• Bedding - Sleeping bags or blankets, a foldable mattress (inflatable mattresses are not recommended as they sap heat from your body), and a pillow.
• Clothing - You have to cover up. Protect from sunburn and insect bites in summer and spring, and protect from the cold in winter (layering is especially important in the cold).
• Cooking - Pots and pans, charcoal or firewood, a barbecue, tongs, and of course food!
• Tools - As a tool website, this is where we come in. Camping tools are often overlooked and forgotten, so let’s look at all the important camping tools in greater detail below.

Top 5 Most Overlooked Essential Camping Tools

1. Nata

The Japanese nata tool has been used across Japan for centuries. Traveling migrant woodcutters throughout the middle of the Edo period (around the 1700s) would hike through Japan's difficult, mountainous terrain from town to town, bringing quality lumber with them. The nata was an indispensable tool on their journey.

Part axe, part machete, this is the ideal camping tool - as you can use it to cut away vines, ferns, and undergrowth, as well as to cut and split wood for the campfire.

One of the standout features of the nata is the thick, flat spine of the blade. This makes it much sturdier than a machete, and allows you to hit the blade with a log or a mallet to make splitting logs just that much easier. 

These exceptionally durable cutting tools are all forged from high quality Japanese steel - whether that’s an aogami carbon steel or a top-line stainless steel - nata cut well, and last a long time.

The carbon steel nata need a little more care, as the super sharp steel isn’t naturally rust-resistant - but whichever style you choose, it’ll quickly become a staple in your camp kit.

2. Pocket Knife

Pocket knives are very versatile tools that can serve you well on your camping trip. Whether you’re cutting rope, shaving kindling or creating a feather stick for your fire, cutting fishing line, or preparing your dinner, a pocket knife is indispensable on most camping trips.

One of the very best pocket knives on the market is the Japanese higonokami knife. This minimalistic, extremely durable, and outrageously sharp knife has a long history in Japan, and its design has remained unchanged since it was first created.

Still made in the same blacksmithing workshop that invented them decades ago, these knives have laminated carbon steel blades, often made with aogami (blue paper) carbon steel - the sharpest Japanese steel available. These incredible knives have minimalistic styling, are all-metal, and extremely durable - making them the perfect pick for your camping pack.

If you want something a little more modern, and with slightly less required maintenance, a stainless steel blade would be better. VG10 stainless steel is an affordable steel with high hardness, giving it excellent edge-retention and rust-resistance, and is the elemental equivalent of the finest German cutlery steels, like the ones used by Wustof and Zwilling in their kitchen knives.

This pocket knife from G.Sakai features a carbon fiber handle, and a VG10 blade, and has been made by talented blacksmiths in one of Japan's most famous knife-producing regions, Seki - making it a fantastic, durable camping pocket knife.

3. Gloves

Gloves are one of the most forgotten pieces of camping gear. It’s only when you get the fire going that you realize; you’ve forgotten to pack the gloves, again.

There are many occasions to use gloves while camping, and the situations where you need them tend to pop up more frequently than you might think. When you’re hammering in the tent pegs, when you’re collecting fire wood, when you’re fishing or foraging for food, when you’re putting lumps of dirty charcoal in the barbecue, when you’re holding tongs and the heat of the fire is getting to be a bit too much.

One of the best pairs of lightweight and versatile gloves available is the Atom Air Tector X. These incredibly breathable gloves make it feel like you’re not wearing gloves at all, while providing an excellent level of grip and protection. These gloves are great for collecting fire wood, fishing, setting up your tent, and tackling challenging terrain - they’re even touch-screen compatible!

Once you’ve got the campfire going, you’re going to need something that offers a little more protection for those specific needs. The Fukutoku heatproof and flame-resistant gloves give unbeatable protection. They’re made with Aramid Conex, a functional fiber that doesn't burn until it reaches 400 degrees, doesn't ignite, doesn't melt, and doesn't stick to your skin. They're extremely heat-resistent and ideal for not only BBQs and campfires, but even welding, baking, and working with furnaces!

4. Glamping Upgrades

While many traditional campers turn their noses up at glamping, there are some things we can all learn from this modern trend of glamorous outdoor experiences. While toughing the great outdoors, connecting with nature, and tackling all the challenges that go along with it is a wonderful experience, there are some creature comforts that would make a tough camping trip just that much better.

A quick, hot breakfast or lunch that you can prepare without getting the fire going again. A hot cup of coffee in the morning. Some instant noodles maybe? 

The power tool brand Makita makes two incredible, portable appliances that will take your next camping trip to the next level.

In the morning, when the fire has dwindled down to a few remaining embers, there’s no need to waste time and firewood getting it roaring again just for a cup of coffee. Simply use Makita’s portable kettle - powered by Makita power tool batteries - to boil a pot of water.

When you’ve finished your morning hike and lunchtime is coming around, and that fire from last night is now just a pile of cold ashes, what are you going to do? I know I certainly don’t want to start another fire until dinner time.

That’s when it’s time to break out the Makita portable microwave, to heat up some leftovers, or some canned food you packed for your trip, and have a hot meal ready in seconds!

By simply packing these two appliances in your truck before you leave on your camping trip, you’ve not only saved yourself some time, energy and firewood for breakfast and lunch, you’ve also protected yourself against unforeseen situations where you can’t get a fire going, or you’re stuck in the wilderness for longer than anticipated.

5. Scissors

If you have a knife, why do you need scissors?

When it comes to precision cutting, especially with few flat surfaces around, scissors are superior. This means they're important to have for first aid, as cutting fabric and bandages is much easier with scissors.

It's also safer to cut certain things, like fishing line, with scissors rather than a knife. In addition, many camping scissors are multitools, with other features that knives don’t have.

The Deen Universal Scissors are high-performance scissors designed to handle anything you can throw at them. Made from super hard and sharp molybdenum vanadium stainless steel, these scissors can cut almost anything: aluminum, steel, wire, cables, clothing, rubber sheets, crab shells and more.

This means they're fantastic not just for day-to-day camp maintenance, like cutting rope, but also can be used as cooking shears, and as a fishing tool.

The MCC Marine Cutters are professional fishery shears that look similar to a pair of pruning snips. These ultra-sharp micro-serrated shears have excellent grip, and are designed for cutting fishing line, netting, fish flesh, bone, seaweed, plastic, rope, and rubber. They have a powerful non-slip grip, and unbeatable cutting force.

If fishing is a big part of your camping experience, you can't beat these!

If you plan on fishing with braided line during your trip, it's a great idea to pack a pair of dedicated fishing scissors. The Spa Scissors from Shimano are some of the highest quality fishing scissors on the market. These scissors are handmade, one-by-one, by master blacksmiths in Seki - a town with bladesmithing history dating back over 800 years.

These scissors, a partnership between Shimano and a Seki blacksmith, have exceptionally sharp blades designed to cut through braided line while applying minimum force. With extra-large handles these scissors can be easily used while wearing gloves and are comfortable to hold. The blades have been ground, sharpened, and polished by hand, before being individually tested by experts - so you're guaranteed a quality product.

Gear Up and Enjoy Camping!

Camping is a popular hobby all over the world, but one thing most campers have in common is that they’re often underprepared. Many campers will experience at least one moment of “Oh, I should have packed…” during each trip.

Save yourself from future struggles by setting up your perfect camping kit now. Add some or all of these items to your checklist and you’re guaranteed an easier camping experience next time!