Hiking Pole
A hiking pole is not mandatory for day-hikes, but on longer treks they can make a world of a difference. It helps with balance control on uneven terrain, and takes some weight off of your knees on gradient slopes.
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We use the Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trek Walking Poles. Although slightly more expensive, we prefer hiking poles with a cork handle grip versus foam, because the former is more breathable and naturally moisture-wicking, so it does not allow sweat to make the handles slippery. Cork is non-abrasive as well, so it also prevents blisters or sores on your hands.
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Tent
Here's a fact about most camping gear- the lighter it weighs, the pricier it gets. And the same applies to tents! For us, the main criteria was weight because on a multi-day hike, every gram counts. The second criteria was that it had to have a No-See-Um mesh (sandfly proof mesh) to keep away tiny insects out in the wild.
We absolutely love our 3-season Big Agnes Copper Spur - HV UL 2 Tent. It fits two persons, barely weighs around 1.5 kg, and is super easy to set up in less than 10 minutes! The No-See-Um mesh also helped keep all the midge flies away when we camped in the damp lochs of Scotland!
The footprint helps to increase the lifespan of your tent floor
Sleeping Bag, Sleeping Liner & Sleeping Pad
We cannot emphasise enough on how important it is to have a proper sleeping arrangement while camping outdoors. It can be a complete LIFE-SAVER! We have camped in our tent in temperatures below 10 degree Celsius, but have slept so nice and warm, all thanks to our sleeping bag and pad.
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We use the Marmot Trestles 15°F Sleeping Bag which keeps you comfortable in 27.3°F / -2.6°C but can be used up to 16.0°F / -8.9°C.
A TIP is to use a sleeping bag liner inside your sleeping bag to add additional warmth. Not only that, it is quite difficult to wash the sleeping bag, so using the liner means that you only have to wash the liner. We use the Sea to Summit Sleeping Bag Liner AREACTOR Thermolite which adds up to 8°C of warmth to a sleeping bag or can be used alone as a warm weather bag.
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When camping in a tent, you would want an insulated base sleeping pad, which works like a mattress on the tent ground for you to sleep on inside your sleeping bag. Sleeping pads have an R- value, which is a thermal rating. Higher the R-value, the more your mat resists heat loss and the better it insulates you from the cold ground. In general terms, an R-value below 2.0 is for summer use, 2.0 to 4.0 is for cooler 3 season use and 4.0+ is for winter temperatures. We use the Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Ultra Regular Wide Sleeping Mat which has an R-value of 4.5.
Water Bottle + Filter
Staying hydrated on your trek is absolutely essential, but there's only so much packaged drinking water that you can carry. This is where a filtered water bottle comes to the rescue which you can use to drink water from streams and other water bodies that you pass by on your hike! We use the Water-to-Go 750ml Bottle which has a purifying 75cl filter which has been tested and proven to eliminate 99.9% of illness-causing contaminants.
Spork (Spoon + Fork!)
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The TiTo Titanium Long Handle Spork is our absolute favourite spork utensil! Made of super lightweight titanium, its unique long handle is very useful to reach/stir the bottom of deep cook pots or dehydrated meal bags without getting your fingers dirty or burned.
Comes with a quick-drying case for cleaning and storage!
Cooking Gear
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We love making our own meals while camping. There's just something so warm and comforting about cooking and devouring your own ramen or porridge out in the wild.
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We like compact cookware that is multi-functional and yet saves space. The SOTO Navigator Camping Cookware Set, made of lightweight anodised aluminium, comprises of two stackable cook pots, the lid of which can be used as a cutting board as well as a colander for draining out excess pasta water. It comes with a metal spring handle that can be used as detachable tongs too!
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Sometimes we additionally carry our Cook 'n' Escape 450ml Titanium Cup to quickly boil water for tea, instead of having to use the bigger cookware.
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For fuel, we use a gas canister with isobutane/propane fuel mix. A 100g canister should be sufficient for two-three days of camping meals.
For the stove, we love the SOTO WindMaster. It comes with a 4Flex that supports large size pots and can efficiently boil 2 cups of water in under 2-1/2 minutes in strong winds and gusty weather.
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We carry our seasonings, spices, oils, and hot sauce in this Portable Spice Bag. To minimise weight, we carry only a required number of the little jars and pack it in a plastic bag just to ensure that there is no mess in case of any leakage.
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Camping Hygiene
Maintaining good hygiene while camping outdoors can be tricky, but a few simple tools can make your experience way more pleasant.
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No jokes, but if anything deserves the best product award to be ever made, then it has to be this Mini Portable Bidet! You only have to fill a little water, and it goes a long way thanks to its electric sprayer ;) It is incredibly easy to use, and is an eco-friendly option in place of wet wipes.
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We also carry a Poop Trowel that can be used to dig a little hole/pit out in the wild, in case there are no toilet facilities at your campsite. You simply have to dig a little hole which you can squat over (at least 50m from any water source), dispose off your bowel waste, and then cover it with the mud back again. As campers, it is our responsibility to not leave any traces, and in fact leave a place better than we found it.
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