As a first-time camper, these are 11 things I packed that I found made life easier (cloned)

I decided to give camping a try for the first time as my other half, Callum, said it’s an activity he enjoyed doing that he wanted to share with me.

I admit I was more than a little reluctant as I am the kind of person who likes my home comforts and I was anxious about sleeping in the great outdoors, exposed to the great British weather and without my bed or my kettle.

But, relationships involve compromise so I said I’d give it a go. As a complete camping novice, however, I had none of the gear needed. So, I began searching for everything I may need to have the most comfortable camp possible.

After having now returned from my first ever camping trip, these are the things I would recommend, whether you are a first-time camper like me or just want to upgrade your exisiting kit to improve your experience.

The most important thing, of course, is having somewhere to sleep. I chose the Eurohike Sendero 4 Family Tent from Go Outdoors (£200) It sleeps four and has a porch area for muddy footwear and bags, while the sewn-in groundsheet helps keep draughts and insects out.

This was very pleasing to me as part of my main concern regarding camping was that I’d be cold as I am the person who will have a blanket over me all throughout the year. I also admit that I’m not the most natural outdoorsy person and I had a (perhaps irritational) fear of waking up and finding bugs crawling on me.

The Eurohike Sendero 4 Family Tent did as it promised, however, and kept both the wind and insects out. Callum and I had plenty of space, of course, in the tent as it’s made for four people. But, I liked having a bigger tent as it provided much more space to put our things, and it made a huge difference to my my enjoyment to feel like we’d got plenty of room.

Once the tent was up, which was an experience in itself for me, but was quite straightforward to do, it was time to think about where we were going to sit and sleep. The Eurohike Peak Folding Chair (£15) folds into its carry bag, has extended armrests and a drinks holder, and weighs 2.2kg, so it’s got everything needed and is extremely portable and easy to carry.

It is also possible to get the Eurohike Sendero 4 Family Tent and Eurohike Peak Folding Chair in matching colours, which makes for an attractive overall set if you, like me, appreciate things that are in co-ordinating colours. I chose pink, as this is my favourite colour, but multiple other colours are available including blue, green and yellow shades.

Then there was the part of the camping trip that I probably thought about most: sleeping. First came the sleeping bag. The Highlander Sleepline 250 Mummy Sleeping Bag was the one I chose; a lightweight, compact option two-season bag with a comfort rating of 8C and a lower limit of 5C according to Highlander, making it more suited to milder UK camping conditions than very cold-weather trips. This is ideal for me, however, as wouldn’t want to go camping during particularly cold weather, so it teamed well with my other items to help keep me cosy. More on those below.

There are many sleeping bags to choose from, and what made me choose the Highlander Mummy sleeping bag (apart from the pink colour) is the narrow shape, hood and neck baffle that are designed for extra warmth. The inner lining was soft, and I was surprised at just how comfortable I was considering I was a reluctant camper. It is also available in multiple colours including charcoal black and demin blue.

However, no matter how lovely the Mummy sleeping bag was, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of giving up my cosy mattress, and didn’t fancy the idea of sleeping directly on the ground either. So, I found the Decathlon Air Basic camping mattress so I didn’t have to.

I chose the double size, of course, so Callum could share with me. But, the inflatable mattress is available in a few different sizes. It is more than 10cm thick when inflated and packs down to a relatively compact 8 litres, although it weighs 4kg. This is my top item beyond the absolute essentials. It may been seen as an add-on for some, but for me it’s an absolute must.

The Decathlon Air Basic camping mattress made me feel like I was getting on a proper bed, and it was comfortable. Of course, an airbed cannot compare to an actual bed, but it definitely significantly improved my comfort level and therefore my sleep quality.

A pump is required for inflating an air mattress, and the Decathlon camping foot pump is specifically designed for their inflatable mattresses, so it worked exceptionally well and made getting the mattress fully expanded straightforward. It weighs 820g and measures 33cm long, making it a piece of kit to be kept in the car.

A pillow is another small comfort that made a big difference to my comfort level. The Mountain Warehouse Travel Pillow is my pillow of choice. It is soft, compact and comes with its own travel pouch, so it doesn't take up much space when packed away. The product is also machine washable, which was useful as it meant I could easily clean it when I was back home and didn’t have to worry about it being exposed to the elements.

For extra insulation underneath the mattress, I'd been recommended the Highlander Reflective Camping Mat. It has a foam backing and reflective foil layer designed to help retain body heat, while the water-resistant material gives you another barrier between yourself and the ground.

I was so glad I had taken this with me as I do feel like it helped to keep me warm, and as I previously mentioned that in a huge factor for me. Callum didn’t need one as he’s a warm sleeper anyway, but you can buy more than one if needed. It’s only available in single size, so you will need one for each camper who would like one.

Food and drinks were another consideration to make. We wanted to take things for meals and drinks with us, but we knew we needed to keep things cool so that they were still enjoyable, and safe, to consume. We chose to take the YETI Hopper Flip 18 Cool Bag. It is certainly a more premium option, but its generous capacity and durability makes it worth the price. YETI says it can hold up to 30 cans or 12kg of ice, giving you plenty of room for a day's worth of food and drinks.

Once you’ve got your food to the campsite, there’s the question of how you’re going to prepare and cook it. The HungerHub takes a totally unique, and in my opinion brilliant, approach to camping cooking. It packs cookware, utensils, storage and workspace into what the company describes as a kitchen in a bucket.

The kitchen in a bucket, as it is described in a complete outdoor kitchen for two, packed into one rugged 17-litre bucket, and that’s exactly what it provides. The bucket contains 25 items including a saucepan, a frying pan, a kettle, travel mugs, a chopping board and portable gas stoves.

It’s the perfect thing to buy if, like me prior to this trip, you don’t have any camping cooking equipment at all. I was over the moon to not have to give up my beloved kettle, and by extension my cups of my tea, too. Being able to put the kettle on made my first camping experience feel a lot more like home.

It also made it a lot easier to know I’d got all the cookery and dining items I needed in one box. I didn’t have to worry I’d accidentally forgotten something, and the fact that the Hunger Hub all fits in one compact box is very impressive too and means you don’t have to worry about how on earth you’re going to fit everything in the car.

And I do admit that all of this equipment will only be suitable for camping trips where you can drive right up to your campsite. It won’t be possible to carry all of these items to a wild camping spot.

Finally, lighting is something I'd definitely prepare for too. I’ve discovered that a campsite can feel very different once the sun goes down and you need to take your own light source because it isn’t always provided for you, and certainly not in the area you actually want it.

The Highlander Wee Lantern gave us compact campsite light which could remain in one position throughout the night, while the Mountain Warehouse 9 LED Mini Rubber Torch was a really useful addition which I'd keep somewhere easy to grab. I used it, for example, when trying to find the campsite facilities.

The big lesson I’ve taken from first camping trip is that you don't necessarily need the most technical gear available. A decent tent, something comfortable to sleep on, a warm sleeping bag, a chair, reliable lighting, food storage and a few small comforts can make the difference between feeling like you're roughing it and actually enjoying being outdoors. And I did actually enjoy being outside in the end and am looking forward to my next camping trip now I am confident I do have all the right gear.

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