6 Types of Camping Gear You Had No Idea You Needed

It’s a wild world out there. Are you ready for whatever it throws your way?

No matter how ready you feel, you’ll undoubtedly be more so with a well-stocked camping closet. Heck, you might not even know what you need to face the elements on your own.

6 Types of Camping Gear You Had No Idea You Needed

Case in point: Faveable’s list of camping gear essentials. If you’re like the average weekend warrior, you probably had absolutely no idea you needed many of these items. Here’s why you should invest in these six types.

1. An Outdoor Camp Shower

That lake isn’t looking so appetizing now, is it?

Look, any camping trip is bound to strain your hygiene routine, but you might as well give yourself as much excuse as possible to stay (reasonably) clean.

2. Microfiber Towels

Even if you don’t plan to shower regularly, you might not be able to avoid getting doused on your next camping trip. After all, you can’t control the weather or guarantee that you’re going to keep your balance crossing that deeper-than-it-looks mountain brook. Be prepared with a lightweight microfiber towel big enough to get your entire body dry and thin enough to air-dry before it’s time to pack out.

3. Picaridin Insect Repellent

Picaridin is the leading alternative to DEET, the active ingredient in many popular insect repellents. It’s not the nicest stuff in the world, and certainly no match for all-natural repellents (which may or may not work as intended), but its smell is far less offensive. In close quarters, that may be all the motivation you need.

4. Portable USB Charger (Or Whatever’s Compatible With Your Devices)

If you plan to spend more than a single night out in the wilderness — and even then, since your phone is apt to deplete its battery searching in vain for service — you need a way to charge your electronic devices on the go.

That’s where a portable charger with USB (or other compatible) port comes in handy. Make sure it’s fully charged before you leave, lest your backup run out of juice too.

5. An Old-Fashioned Compass (Or GPS Device)

If you’re camping pretty close to home, there’s a decent chance your phone will work well enough to pull up Google Maps in real time.

If you’re farther afield, good luck with that.

Don’t risk it. Invest in an old-fashioned compass that relies on the earth’s magnetic fields to tell you where you’re headed. Or spring for a battery-powered GPS device that’s not dependent on earthbound cell networks. Either way, you can safely leave your phone back in the tent when it’s time to go bushwhacking.

Find Your Wild Side

Where’s your wild side?

Maybe it’s just over yonder ridge, or around the next bend in the coast. Perhaps it’s across the lake, lost somewhere in the thick morning mist.

Or maybe it’s the page cast aglow by a solitary penlight, curled up and cozy in an all-weather sleeping bag kept dry by a rugged pup tent.

Whether you’re a true creature of the outdoors or a city slicker masquerading as a tough guy, you deserve to camp in comfort in style. These items — and plenty of others that didn’t make this particular list — can surely help.