The biggest mistake of most first time campers is they pack way too much camping equipment. They go crazy the moment they walk into the camping gear store and stock up with so much stuff they don’t even consider that they’ll have to lug all that stuff to the camp grounds. Especially if the camping trip involves hiking, they don’t consider how heavy all that camping equipment is going to be. They just see all that gear and think they’ll need it. Most of the time, they don’t even know how to use most of the items. Don’t fall into this trap. Before you walk into a camping equipment store, have a list made of everything you think you’ll need. That way, you won’t go overboard and you’ll have exactly everything you’ll need to have a great time camping.

The three necessities that you should take with you are shelter, food and water. Any other camping equipment besides that is extra bulk. Of course, there are certain pieces of camping equipment that provide one of these three things. There are tents for shelter, there are knives and guns for the gathering of food, and there are strainers and water purifiers to help you obtain clean water. Those are intelligent camping equipment choices as they provide one of the necessities.

You can, of course, get all the camping supplies you want. Just make sure you’re ready to carry it all around. Some extras are ok, such as blankets for keeping warm, stoves for cooking food, pots, pans, silverware, things like that. The trick is to maintain a healthy balance between what you need and what you don’t. You don’t want to be walking around the woods clinging and clanging with a bunch of useless camping equipment you’ll never use.

Before you even go to the camping equipment store, make a list of what you think you’ll need. Then, once you actually go to the store, stick to that list and don’t get anything else just because you think you may need it. If you didn’t need it when you were making the list, you don’t need it. You’ll save money and you’ll be glad you didn’t take as much stuff. Just remember, camping is about experiencing nature. It’s about getting away from the hustle and bustle of your hectic schedule and it’s about doing without all the computers and cell phones and all the rest of life’s luxuries. It’s not about the camping equipment itself.