As an avid camping enthusiasts, I always make sure that all my camping items are well packed before my trip. I've been asked several times about what do I normally bring, so I wanted to share with you on my 7 essential camping items that I will bring on my camping trip, and hope this will serve as a guideline for you on your next camping adventure.
Why Hammock?
Using a hammock for camping has many advantages, compare to a camping tent, you can use a hammock in any condition.
In a dens jungle, surface full of rocks, uneven floor which covers by roots, a cliff surface, near the waterfall where you don't want to sleep on the wet floor, with limited flat ground, as long as you are able to find two trees which are strong enough for you to hang the hammock, then you are good to go.
Where to get?
Why Stove?
Food plays an important role in provide us energy, when hiking, especially hike on a highland area, we will consume more energy then we hike on a flat land. Therefore we will need more energy, so we need to eat in order for the food to generate more energy for our body to keep moving.
For camping, you can either bring dry food or sometime you can also cook your own food. For us, we like to cook, cause we can share the food together with friends, and we can also boil hot water for coffee. Drinking a hot drink in the cold weather at night or early morning its like heaven.
Where to Buy?
Why Sleeping Bag?
Did you notice in the picture I posted, I don't have a sleeping bag. It happen when I climbed the highest mountain in Sarawak the Mount Murud, tempreture back then was about 14 degree celcious. I'm furtunate that my friends lend me some of their warm clothes, and move me to a warmer places. But that 2 nights was the toughest night, as I shiver non-stop and didn't manage to get a good night sleep.
After that lesson, I will always bring a sleeping bag to keep myself warm at night. Tempreture in the wild unlike at home, its unpredictable, so we have to get ready for the unpredictable weather in the wild, and prevent from getting hypothermia.
Where to Buy a Sleeping Bag?
Why Water Bladder?
Keeping yourself hydrate is the most important thing in a hike, and water is heavy, when we carry heavy stuff we need energy, while low on energy we will tend to move slower.
For me, I will get lazy to reach for my backpack, open the cover and get the bottle out for drinking. So a water bladder / hydration pack is my favorite thing to use to sovle this.
It enables me to drink water on demand, on the go, whenever, and whereever I want. But remember not to drink too much to finished your water before you finish your trail.
What I normally do are:
- I plan my route carefully so I know where there is water if I run out, and can carry more if necessary.
- I will bring a water filter incase I finish my water.
- I start out with 2 liters and drink about 1 pint every hour.
Where To Buy?
Why Headlight?
There is one time my team and I went on hiking to a mountain range area, and we are lucky enough to be able to
discover a cave there, and good thing is I bring my headlight with me on a day hike. So we manage to explore the dark cave, and took a few pictures there.
There is another time when my team and I went on a hike to a transmission towel, and we stayed too long at the top end up when we descent, its already dark. Good thing that we bring our headlight with us, and manage to get down safely.
With a headlight, your hand will be free so you can carry with a hiking stick, or climb a rope and still have a clear view ahead.
So my headlight is the no.5 essential camping item on my hike.
Where to Buy?
Why Cooling Towel?
Keeps me cool in the heat, when I hike under the hot weather. I just soak in water, wring out and shake and i'm ready to stay cool
The one that I get normally is the one that's highly absorbent fabric wicks sweat and when wet, it will cools to a pleasant below average body temperature
This is the ideal hiking companion, my cooling towel retains water yet feels relatively dry to touch, so doesn't soak clothes as ordinary toweling material would.
It keeps me Cool for several hours, depending on conditions and is easy to reactivate by simply re-wetting, wringing out and shaking.
Sometime I even use it on a cold enviroment. When I'm at Kinabalu Mount, I use it as a facemask to protect me from the cold and dry breez at the summit.
Where to Buy?
Why Power Bank?
In the Internet age, we all carry a smart phone. Problem with smart phone is the battery can only last for a day or two.
I normally will use my phone to map my trail with a GPS app, and take some pictures and short video.
I also have a video camera, which I use to record all my amazing hiking videos, so it can be charge by using a USB port.
Therefore a powerbank is a must bring item on all my camping trip.
Where to Buy?
