If you’ve ever been camping but felt the pull to go further, wild camping is probably calling to you. Here we’re going to go over what to bring for wild camping and how to decide what to change up from car camping. Beyond bringing different things, wild camping requires a change in essential gear, accessories, wardrobe and mindset which can be cultivated through practice.

A rare opportunity to connect with the land, wild camping offers sweeping views, precious wildlife, and a break from the noise in everyday life. Not going to the campground means there will be far fewer people if any. Being alone means taking extra time to plan for success.

You may have grown accustomed to camping beforehand or perhaps you have never dared sleep on the hard ground. Without facilities available such as showers, bathrooms, phones, or trash disposal, how we approach wild camping is going to be very different. Every action made needs to offer resources to you without damaging the environment. You can’t buy firewood, for instance, so you will need to harvest tinder from the ground without hacking about the trees around you. Without garbage disposal you will need to bring garbage bags to pack out your rubbish. By following Leave No Trace, each member of the outdoor community supports each other, leaving the wild un-spoilt for the next person.

Leave No Trace offers a set of principles for each of us to follow in the great outdoors while wild camping. Although the principles are not strict rules, they are in fact ethics that are generally agreed upon by everyone who goes wild camping. Nobody wants to see toilet paper by the side of the trail or rusted cans in the fire pit. Carefully respecting nature will pay it forward for everyone. By the time you have been wild camping a few times, you will have established a routine of minding exactly what you bring in or out of the wild. This brings up the next aspect of wild camping – exactly what gear is essential for it to be a good trip.

Gear & Accessories for Wild Camping

Shelter

When you go wild camping, you will be planning for the worst weather while hoping for the best weather. Having a sturdy shelter that accommodates your needs will be what decides the likelihood of outwitting rain in favor of a care-free rest. Ideally you will bring something that weighs very little yet offers a feeling of safety out in nature. Most often this will be a tent made for one to two people, because it won’t weigh too much. Pack weight becomes important when you’re wild camping as you will probably need to walk some way from your car to your camping spot, so choosing a tent made by a reputable brand with lightweight poles and fabric will be essential.

Another popular option if tent camping is not your preference would be a tarp and bivy setup. This will require at least two trees, preferably more, so as to string up a tarp nice and tight between them. Using strong cord such as paracord, you should be able to study a variety of tent setup designs. Not only that but by purchasing a bivy, sleeping on the ground below this tarp ought to offer adequate shelter for snow and rainstorms alike. If you like you can purchase a small tarp that will lay directly underneath you to add more waterproofing to the system. The closer the tarp is to the ground the better it can shield you from the elements. Another bonus is that if you are someone who needs to star gaze before bed, all you have to do is poke your head out past the edge of your tarp to have a cathedral made of stars. Bivy camping is not for the light hearted or in experienced camper but has the advantage of being very lightweight and easy to set up.

Finally, the third most popular setup is a hammok and tarp. If the idea of a bivy appeals to you but not the idea of being vulnerable on the ground, then this is a good option to explore. Invest in a high quality hammock so you can have proper back support during your rest. Many accessories are available that are made specifically for wild camping hammocks. Sleeping pads for the liner, hanging quilts for luxurious comfort, and the all-essential tarp to prevent rainfall or wind are only a few of the gear options available. The only setback you may find, along with the tarp and bivy combo, will be lack of trees. Make sure there will be a copse of trees where you are going to be setting up for the night. It’s also a good idea to bring extra paracord, just in case. It’s best to have it and not need it, rather than to need it and not have it.

Gear summary: Tent (2 person sized or less recommended), camping hammock, ground tarp, camping tarp, bivouac (bivy), and other accessories.

Essential Wild Camping Gear

There are many essential items that will significantly increase your comfort and could even save your life in an emergency that we recommend bringing. Here we list the 7 most essential things to pack in your gear for wild camping.

Thinking about these ten essentials as categories may help you decide what to pack, better than just being given a list of items to buy at the store. By thinking in terms of systems that serve you well, you can learn to judge best what to bring on your trips as you gain more experience.

Light source: Bring a headlamp and extra batteries, or a flashlight and extra batteries.

Sun protection: If camping in the summer months then consider bringing a hat with visor, sunscreen, and a long sleeve shirt or sun hoodie if necessary. This is especially important if you are going to be walking or hiking for long periods of time

First aid: Band aids, bandages, lip balm, tweezers, blister care of choice, medical tape, ointment for bee stings or cuts, Benadryl (Diphenhydramine), pain killers, even a splint if needed – these things and more will save your life. You don’t need to be a medic to go camping, but everyone should be able to treat basic burns, blisters, stings and scratches.

Navigation: A traditional map and compass is always recommended, but you could also invest in a higher end GPS. Use these to be aware of where where water sources and roads are. Don’t assume that your cell phone wll have signal wild camping as many wild spots are far from the nearest cell tower.

Fire: If you are camping in a spot where it’s suitable to have a campfire, consider carrying lint, steel, waterproof matches and pocket lighters.

Knife: A good knife is essential for wild camping. You never know when you will encounter a situation where you need to cut, shave or saw something to make your trip less problematic. A large pocket knife or folding hunting knife is ideal for most situtions.

Water purification: If you are wild camping far from civilization it’s recommended that you bring some form of water purification to be able to drink water from natural sources in case anything happens to the water that you bring in. Chemical treatments. filters, and boiling water are popular methods to do this safely.

Gear repair kit: You’re likely to be camping pretty far from the nearest hardware store so you need to go prepared for an unexpected breakage or tear in your tent or other camping equipment. Carrying a small needle and thread set and a tent repair kit could make a small problem out of a serious situation and doesn’t take up much room in your pack.

Wild Camping Clothing

One big difference between driving to the campsite and wild camping will be the clothing. Not only can you carry less of it in the wild, but it will save your life if you are at risk of hypothermia or hyperthermia when camping in the winter months. Everyone may have their favorite cotton flannel and hoodie for the campfire, but when you go wild camping you may just want the flannel.

The material clothing is made of will be the deciding factor for what to bring, other than the weather forecast. We have a saying in the outdoor community – “cotton kills”. Harsh, maybe, but the reality is when cotton gets soaked it grows heavy and remains wet for a long time. If you get caught in the rain, or need to be rescued from a flowing river, then wearing cotton will expedite your body cooling down, draining your heat and energy. All too quickly you could succumb to hypothermia, especially if it’s windy outside.

You will need to learn how to dress in layers if you don’t know how to already. For cold weather, you will need even more layers such as a mid-layer (often a sweater) and an outer shell (often a winter coat like a ski jacket). Winter wild camping offers technical hazards that more advanced campers train to be aware of. Layers get more nuanced as we try to guard our precious digits from frostbite. Gloves especially come in different layers. Glove liners are very thin, protecting hands during camp activities such as cooking. Then you add mittens to keep your hands warmer, plus you can buy glove shells that act as raincoats for your hands. Before you know it, you’re wearing three layers of gloves!

Anything made of eco-friendly material that isn’t cotton comes highly recommended. Cruelty-free wool products offer warmth even while wet, so if you wear cruelty-free wool socks they will keep your feet warm even if you step in a puddle. Wool is probably the best bet for being environmentally friendly because it does not shed microplastic in the wash, which is then carried to the ocean via the waterways. The next best thing may be bamboo or hemp products because they are made from plants instead of plastic. Bamboo and hemp are grown in abundance, and perform well during exercise.

Other than those, polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, and other athletic wear will wick moisture quickly. If you get really sweaty in the heat, these materials help a lot. The only downside is they begin to stink the longer you own them because your body odor will stay in the materials. Plus they shed microplastic since they are synthetic fabrics made out of plastic.

Wild Camping Cooking

Often when we drive to the campsite we can bring big bulky grills and stoves that we can run multiple burners on at one time. However wild camping means bringing something lighter made for only one person. For wild camping, buy a small stove such as a single burner where the top screws into the fuel canister. They seem frail but make no mistake they put out a lot of heat. Prevent spills by buying pot grips to secure the cooking pot while you stir the contents. For one person, you will bring only one fuel canister in most situations. You can also just bring one pot for the contents and one utensil. We highly recommend a titanium spork, titanium pot combination. In group settings an additional pan will prove useful as well as a container for each person. Bring the tupperware bowls with lids – they will help you save food overnight if you couldn’t finish your dinner.

You can bring “boil in a bag” camping meals such as lasagna, quinoa, or curry. To save money you may prefer to make real food. It’s just a myth that you can’t cook good food in the wild. Learning the lifespan of fresh foods will enable you to bring them for at least the first day of the trip. Maybe you pack fresh food ingredients for the first two days of a trip, then bring premade camping meals for the remainder. Understanding your personal dietary needs will influence how you plan for food while wild camping.

Conclusion

As you make plans for going wild camping you will be responsible for carrying in your own essential gear. What you bring will be the determining factor in many situations, such as the proper clothing for foul weather or the favorite shelter setup to help you feel safe. Regardless, you’re in for an adventure of a lifetime.