There is such a huge rage of camping accessories available now, you can pretty much have all the mod cons you can fit in the car.

There is an array of camping gear with everything from camping cookers and rechargeable camping lights to blow up mattresses and camping showers.

As I am a climber I tend to travel light and keep to essentials like a camping stove, water container, a few camping utensils, the means to, wash, light a fire and plenty of beer. The type of equipment you will need depends on where you are going, the purpose of your trip and who is going with you.

If you buy rechargeable camping accessories such as lights and pumps make sure you buy the type that plug into your car cigarette lighter for obvious reasons.  Always make sure your gas bottle is full before you go and you have the means to light it when you get there. If your going away from civilization take a map and a compass in case you get lost. If you are going somewhere really remote make sure you have some way of contacting the outside world should you get into any trouble.

If you plan to go camping outside of the summer months you may want to get a four season tent and a heavy duty sleeping bag. It can get really cold at night. I got caught out in spring in the UK. We had a few really mild days in May, so we decided to go to a campsite for one night to check and air the tent before the summer. That night the temperature dropped and there was a frost. Me, my and my wife got into a double sleeping bag to try to keep warm. Then in the night we were woken up by our pet dog forcing her way in with us. She was shivering and it was pitiful, so we let her in that one time. The point is that it is easy to get caught out and when you are miles from home you don’t want to get caught out. If you are taking children you should check and double check that they will be catered for and safe. Tent camping is a great adventure for children but with things like camping stoves, knives, campfires and other potential dangers you need to keep your witts about you and excersise some common sense.

When you return from your trip it always pays to take the time and care to clean and dry you camping gear. Caring for your gear like this and storing it safely will greatly increase its lifespan. There are few things more unpleasant than having to spend the weekend in a tent that smells of milldew because you put it away damp and it got mouldy.