Winter camping and extreme cold: what changes
Below freezing, it isn't the sleeping bag that decides the night: ground insulation, gas, condensation, clothing and water all behave differently.
Camping guides and checklists
This section gathers the guides that cut across everything: the ones that are not about a single type of equipment but about preparing a trip as a whole.
A checklist does two jobs. Before you leave, it prevents the omission that costs you an evening — the gas canister, the head torch, the mallet. After you get back, read cold, it tells you what never came out of the boot, and therefore what you can leave at home next time.
The lists published here are organised by area — shelter, sleeping, cooking, hygiene, safety, documents — rather than by importance. That is the most efficient arrangement when loading the car, because it matches how the kit is stored.
For the equipment itself, each thematic section goes into detail: tents, sleeping, cooking, furniture, hiking and bivouac and motorhome and caravan.
Guides in this category
Family camping: the essential gear list
Camping with children: which tent, which sleep system and what gear to plan for. Storage, safety, laundry and organising the pitch.
What gear do you need for camping?
The gear you genuinely need for a first camping trip: shelter, sleeping, cooking, light. What to buy, what to rent and what can wait.
Camping gear checklist: the complete list
The complete camping gear checklist, area by area: shelter, sleeping, cooking, furniture, hygiene, clothing, safety and documents.