Camping is a perfect way to spend a weekend in the summer, but if you’re going to go camping, there are some things that you have to have. If you forget something when going out to hike and camp, it can be dangerous or just plain hard. Here are six things that should be on every camper’s list when they head out.

1) First Aid Kit

The first aid kit is one of the essential common items that campers often overlook. Accidents and disasters can happen when camping and a piece of excellent advice from survival enthusiasts at https://bestsurvival.org/best-survival-kits/ is to be prepared for the worst, so it’s good to have the right supplies with you just in case you or someone else gets hurt. You can easily make your own first aid kit by buying the items separately, but if you want an already assembled one, there are numerous varieties of them available at most outdoor stores. It is best to have a survivalist mindset when going on a camping trip.

2) Water Bottle

You should always have a water bottle with you when camping because you will be breathing heavily and working hard, so it’s important to drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. You can just take an insulated one that keeps your water cold for hours or you can bring bottled water with you, but whatever type you choose, bring at least one water bottle with you.

Ideally, you should bring enough water to last until the end of your camping trip, but would mean bringing roughly three liters of water aside from other camping essentials. If you plan to supplement your water supply from a nearby outdoor water source, be sure to bring a filtered water bottle, or water purifying tablets. You can also make an improvised water purifier out of common household materials. All you need is some charcoal, iodine, sugar, and salt which you can mix up with water in anything that holds liquids.

3) Flashlight/Lantern

Even if there is still light outside, it may get dark earlier than you think and you’ll need some way to see around the campsite. A flashlight or lantern is important for seeing what you’re doing in the dark of night—especially if you want to go to the bathroom (or even worse… use the bathroom).

It also helps when trying to tie up your tarp so that it’s above your body for protection from the rain. If it starts to get dark at night then this will be quite useful because nobody wants to be running around lost looking for something they’ve forgotten. Just remember that if the flashlight needs new batteries then make sure they’re fully loaded before leaving or else it won’t turn on when you need it most.

4) Matches/Lighter

It doesn’t matter how skilled of a fire-starter you are, matches or a lighter are always useful just in case your tinder isn’t catching on fire. Bring waterproof matches as a backup measure because the weather can be unpredictable outdoors.

5) Knife/Multi-Tool

A knife is useful for all sorts of situations so it’s important to bring one on every trip. A knife is a must-have when going out to camp in the wilds because you never know what will happen or what could become useful against an animal or maybe just to cook with. It’s also good to have a multi-tool with some pliers because these are perfect for helping out when stranded somewhere or doing camp tasks that require more pressure than your hands can produce alone (such as cutting branches).

6) Tent/Tarp

A tent is the number one thing on every camper’s list and it has to be. It keeps you dry (if made of waterproof material) and protects you from bugs. If you want to make sure that your gear stays dry, bring a tarp along with some rope or string so that it can act as an overhead cover while still keeping some distance between the ground and your stuff. Everyone needs a tent to sleep in at night if they want to live through the night without being eaten by bears or other wild animals. You also need a place to store all of your belongings.

If you forget your tent at home, then there are still other options available to make sure that you aren’t instantly killed upon arrival. Some viable alternatives include sleeping under the stars (please don’t), or asking someone nearby if they could let you stay in their house for the night (it’s usually frowned upon).

You should always have these things on you or nearby when going camping. Having the right supplies is generally more important than anything else because you could literally die without them. The outdoor activities are an added bonus, but make sure to do only safe ones. The last thing you’d want is to go back home with a scarred face or injured leg!