Beginner camping gear: start with just these

Gear in order: sleep, light, fire

Camping gear lists go on forever: tables, chairs, tarps, fire pits, string lights. But only three things are truly essential for getting through one night: bedding that keeps you warm, light so you can move around in the dark, and a way to boil water and heat food. Spending your budget in that order leads to fewer regrets. Comfort gear can wait until you have been out a few times and know what you actually missed. Buy everything at once and the items you never use end up filling your trunk and your storage room.

Choosing a tent

The capacity printed on a tent is often close to the minimum floor space for people lying side by side. Once you add room for bags and space to turn over, it is more comfortable to choose a tent rated for one or two more people than you have. Waterproof ratings are useful for comparing tents under the same conditions, but sealed seams and a design that keeps the outer fly from touching the inner tent matter more in practice. As a beginner, choose a design with few poles that one person can put up. Weight matters less for car camping, but some sites require you to carry gear by hand from the parking area.

Bedding is half of camping

A sleepless, freezing night is the most common reason people give up camping. Sleeping bags usually list both a comfort rating and a limit rating; the limit is roughly what you can endure curled up, so choose by the comfort rating if you want to sleep well. The sleeping pad matters just as much. The insulation under you gets crushed by your body weight and loses most of its effect, so it is the pad that has to block the cold from the ground. Pad insulation is often shown as an R-value, and a higher number means better insulation. Do not forget a separate set of dry clothes and socks to sleep in.

Two kinds of light

Nights at a campground are much darker than you expect. A headlamp leaves both hands free and is the most useful light for organizing the tent, cooking, and walking to the toilet, so bring one per person. One lantern is enough to light the whole site. Inside the tent, use only battery-powered or rechargeable lights, and keep gas or liquid-fuel lanterns outside. Fuel-burning lanterns also give off carbon monoxide and get hot enough to start a fire. Charge rechargeable lights fully the day before, and since batteries drain faster in the cold, pack spare batteries or a power bank.

Keep the kitchen simple

At first, a single-burner stove, a pot set that doubles as bowls, and fuel are enough. With a gas stove, never use a pot so large that it covers the canister; heat reflected back onto the canister can overheat it dangerously. Do not store canisters in a sunny car or inside the tent; keep them outside in the shade. Bring plenty of water, separating drinking water from washing water, and check ahead whether the campground has sinks so you can pack less. Small items like a knife, tongs, scissors, paper towels, and a dish cloth are the things that actually get forgotten most.

What can wait or be rented

A table and chairs are nice, but for your first trip or two a ground mat is enough. A tarp for sun and rain is useful but takes practice to pitch, so add it after you are comfortable with your tent. Fire pits and firewood are often available to rent or buy at the campground. Before buying gear, try a site that comes equipped or a rental service; you will get a feel for the size and style that suits you. Gear you chose after using it tends to last for years, while gear bought on someone else's recommendation tends to pile up in storage.

Easy things to forget

When you think everything is packed, what is missing is usually something small. Check the list below the day before you leave. Pitching the tent once at home also reveals any missing parts in advance.

• Spare stakes, a mallet, and a repair sleeve for a broken pole
• Work gloves, spare socks, and dry clothes to sleep in
• A first aid kit with basic medicine, bandages, and burn ointment
• Trash bags and sealable bags for food waste
• A power bank and spare batteries
• A waterproof sack for wet items

Safety gear and cautions

However much you cut back, never leave out the first aid kit, a light, and a way to charge your phone. For winter trips a carbon monoxide alarm is worth considering, but having one does not mean it is fine to use a heater or charcoal inside the tent. Anything that burns gas, charcoal, wood, or liquid fuel stays out of tents and cars, as a rule. Keep sharp hatchets and knives out of children's reach. If an injury or burn is deep or large, do not stop at first aid; see a medical professional. This guide does not recommend specific products, and the manufacturer's instructions come first for how to use any piece of gear.