There are a few things that I consider to be Camping Must-Haves. Those of you out there who know me well will know how much I love camping and travelling. But when camping, you really don’t have to rough it. I would prefer not to have to dig a hole (if you know what I mean) unless I absolutely have to! And I know a lot of other ladies who feel the same way.
I also have a few friends who have never tried camping because they don’t like the idea of having to go without a shower for a couple of nights or having to use a toilet that is a little bit on the rough side. I also know that there are a few guys out there who would love to encourage their ladies to go camping with them if they didn’t have to rough it for the whole time they are away.
Camping and being outdoors a lot can leave you exposed to the elements. Whether we are camped on the beach or in the bush we are dealing with the sun, saltwater, the wind, the cold and all these different elements can damage our skin and hair.
So with that in mind, here are the Top 7 things that I always take camping with me, just to help take the rough edges off the experience!
SUNSCREEN
Always take good quality sunscreen with you. One for the face, one for the body. For my face, I use tinted sunscreen from the Cancer Council. I’m not a huge wearer of make-up but this adds a bit of colour to my skin tone. For my body, I always try and use sunscreen with at least an SPF30+ rating.
Try not to store your sunscreen in the hot car all the time as this cause it to lose its effectiveness. Also, make sure that your sunscreen has not reached its use-by-date.
FACIAL CLEANSING WIPES
These are great to remove any build-up of sunscreen, insect repellant, dust etc. before you go to bed at night or if you just want to freshen your skin up during the day.
LEAVE IN CONDITIONER AND DRY SHAMPOO
I use a leave-in spray-on conditioner, especially if I am swimming, near the beach or it is windy. It keeps my hair from drying out and becoming knotty and unmanageable. I also use Argan Oil or similar to stop the ends of my hair from drying out.
Dry shampoo is a must if you are going to miss out on a shower for a couple of days and are prone to oily hair like me. It will freshen your hair up for another day until you are able to wash it properly.
LIP BALM
Too much sun, surf and wind can really dry your lips out. I generally use Blistex which also has SPF in it as there is nothing more painful than sunburnt lips!
SKIN MOISTURISER
I always take a bottle of moisturiser with me. It stops my skin from drying out and is soothing after a day in the sun and the water. I like the Dove tinted one best as it smells great and gives me a hint of colour.
INSECT REPELLANT
There is nothing worse than getting bitten by insects. Bites cause major irritation and can even become infected if you scratch them. The best repellent I have found is Good Riddance Tropical Insect Repellent. It is Australian made and owned and contains no nasty chemicals. If you do happen to get bitten by something their Magic Balm will take the itch away in seconds.
TOILET PAPER AND TOILET WIPES
I carry nice toilet paper and toilet wipes with us all the time, even when we’re not camping. Often toilets in campsites run out of toilet paper, especially if they are free sites or in out-of-the-way places. I can’t count the number of times we’ve stopped at public toilets and there has been no toilet paper in them. Toilet Wipes are also a great way to freshen up when there are no showers available. Or baby wipes work just as well.
Keep it all together in this handy Hanging Toiletry Bag from Sea to Summit.
Now that you know which of life’s little essentials to take camping with you, what are you waiting for? Get out there and do it!
PIN THIS:
Listen in to their podcast episode https://allaroundoz.com.au/podcasts/travelling-and-working-around-australia/
Awesome list, and a couple of things that really resonated … like suntan cream for the face not only with an spf but with colour in it. Going to try the one you suggested 🙂
It’s a good one. Not greasy like some of them and doesn’t seem to clog my pores up either!
Thanks Melissa, this is a handy list to have. I’m with you, I really have to clean me teeth, no matter what, and can manage it with a squirt of water if necessary 🙂
I am not a light packer so I take all of the above plus anything else that I think might make camping a little more luxe. I love camping but I also like to have my luxuries with me!
I am pretty good when it comes to packing now….I used to be a chronic overpacker but have got better with time.
A great post. I take whatever I want when we go camping. I really love to have my moisturiser, perfume (for when I want to feel feminine), BB Cream and lipstick. When our kids were little we camped a lot with other families and we roughed it in that sometimes we had no shower, but we did have a lake which we waterskied in and the other mums thought it odd that I wore perfume. It takes up so little space and makes me feel so good!
I don’t mind skipping a shower but I have to be able to clean my teeth! And I like my tinted sunscreen too!
I need to try dry shampoo and see if it does the trick!
It’s very handy!