What to Bring Camping This Summer

Camping is one of the most popular summer pastimes, and if you and your family love spending some time outside during the warmer months of the year, then you’ve likely already planned your first trip of the season. At EZ Storage®, we can help you find the ideal self-storage unit for any camping gear that you need to store between trips or once the summer is over. Visit us today to learn more!

What to Bring Camping 

To get the most out of your camping experience, it’s a good idea to go prepared. If you’re not sure what to bring camping, we’ve brought together a handy list below. 

Campsite Gear

Every good campsite needs essential items such as a tent, sleeping bags, and blankets. You may also want chairs, lanterns, flashlights, and maybe even firewood. You can always gather sticks from around your campsite, but it’s often good to have larger logs that have been dried properly, especially if you’re going to be cooking over the fire. The chairs will make your site more comfortable, and flashlights and lanterns are indispensable once the sun goes down and the fire has burned out.

Cooking Gear 

One of the best parts of camping is cooking over an open fire. You’ll want to make sure you have enough firewood for each day you’re at your campsite or enough fuel if you’re going to be using a camp stove. As for your cooking gear, you’ll want to bring a few pots and pans, as well as a coffee pot for your morning cup of joe. You’ll also need cups, mugs, and plates, as well as silverware, including sharp knives for cutting any meat that you grill. 

If you’re going to be roasting marshmallows to make s’mores, then you may want to bring some metal sticks that can be washed and reused on your next trip. And a cooler is a must for anything you want to keep cold, as well as anything you need to store overnight.

Camping Attire

Depending on how long you’re going to be camping, you’ll need to pack clothing for each day, including clean socks and underwear. You can always wear the same sweatshirt each day, but having choices when it comes to shirts, pants, and undergarments can make the adventure more comfortable. That means bringing both shorts and pants, and short- and long-sleeve shirts, if you think you’ll need the options. You won’t likely have a way to wash clothes, so bringing a dirty laundry bag with you can be a good idea.

Since you’ll be in the great outdoors, you’ll also want to pack extra layers, including a raincoat, or, at the least, a water-repellent jacket. Hats and gloves are also important, and you’ll want to make sure you have the right shoes or boots for hiking. If you’ll be camping near a lake where you can swim, then make sure your swimming suit and any other swimwear you might need make it into your luggage.

Personal Items 

Camping can be a lot of fun, but it can also pose some risks, such as heat exhaustion, sunburn, and insect bites. Packing your sunscreen and bug repellent will keep most of those hazards at bay, and you’ll want to be sure your campsite has a first aid kit, complete with bandages, disinfectant, and other necessary items. If you take any medicine, then be sure to bring enough for the days you’ll be camping, and perhaps even a few extra doses, just in case.

Toiletries are also a must, even if it’s just soap and a toothbrush. You likely won’t be able to shower for a few days, so deodorant is a good thing to bring along as well. You’ll want to pack some bottled water because you don’t know if you’ll be able to find a clean water supply near your campsite.

Make sure you have any necessary ID cards on you, as well as your wallet. If you plan on using your cell phone, it’s a good idea to bring a portable charger. And, of course, retreating into nature can be a great time to catch up on any reading you’ve been meaning to do, so bringing a book can be a nice plus. 

Storing Your Camping Gear at EZ Storage at the End of the Trip or Summer Season 

Once you have everything you need for camping, you can look forward to a summer full of fun and relaxation at your favorite spot. However, once the season comes to an end, the last thing you want to do is try to fit all of your camping gear into the garage or the attic. 

By renting a personal self-storage unit or business storage unit from EZ Storage® you can keep everything safe and sound for the fall and winter, and then pick it up in the spring when you’re ready to go camping again. Because it’s important to keep your camping gear dry while it’s in storage to help prevent mildew and mold, a climate-controlled storage unit can also be a great idea. 

How Do You Store Camping Gear in a Storage Unit?

If you’re wondering how to store camping gear in a storage unit, we’ve got you covered. Follow the steps below and you’ll know you’re storing all of your camping gear in the best way possible. 

Clean Everything Up

Before you start packing up your camping gear, you’ll want to make sure it’s all cleaned up. Shake out your sleeping bags to get rid of any dirt and bugs, and make sure they’re fully dried out. Clean the bottom of your tent to remove mud and dirt, and make sure it dries out as well. If you used cooking equipment, make sure there aren’t any food remnants or grease left in it. And of course, don’t forget to empty your backpacks. 

Use the Right Containers

Finding a container that will help keep moisture out is important. After all, the next time you’re in the mood for some camping, you probably won’t want to sleep in a mildewy tent. Any container with a lid will help keep out moisture, and you can’t go wrong with large plastic bins. 

Keep it Dry

You’ve already dried out our tent, backpacks, sleeping bags, and other materials. Now it’s time to make sure they stay dry in storage. One way to do this is to use plastic bins and put a few silica packets in each bin. These will help absorb any moisture that does happen to get in. You can also place your camping gear in a climate-controlled storage unit, which will keep your gear at a consistent temperature and humidity level.

Organize and Label

If you have a lot of campaign materials, it might be worth your time to organize them into separate boxes. You might have seasonal camping materials, for instance, that you can split up into different boxes, or you might choose to keep your tent and backpacks together while storing other goods separately. However you choose to organize your camping materials, using masking tape and a sharpie to label each box once you’ve filled it up is a good idea. 

Take Care of Specialty Items

If you have a portable stove or a lantern that runs on fuel like kerosene, you’ll need to make sure they’re completely empty of any fuel before putting them into storage because combustible materials can’t be stored in storage units. Similarly, if you have any camping items, like lanterns or flashlights that run on batteries, you’ll want to make sure to remove the batteries before you place them in storage. 

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve still got questions about what to bring camping and how to store camping gear, we’ve brought together answers to a few frequently asked questions below. 

What Is The Best Food to Take Camping?

That will depend on what gear you’re bringing with you, but in general, ready-to-eat foods like cereal, bread, trail mix, beef jerky, dried fruit, canned foods, and materials for making sandwiches are some of the best foods to take camping. 

Can Camping Gear Be Stored Outside?

You shouldn’t store your camping gear outside, even if it’s in an outdoor shed. That’s because large temperature changes and especially moisture can damage your camping gear and lead to problems with mold and mildew.