Top 3 Camping Necessities for New Campers

Flashlights & Portable Lighting

While enjoying the natural night sky sounds incredible, you’ll need some light on the campsite. You don’t have to go out too far before your night view isn’t interrupted by light pollution, and the natural moonlight may not be enough to offer the necessary lighting. As a result, you’ll need some reliable flashlights and portable lighting systems. Here are a few types of lighting products you should consider investing in: 

• A handheld flashlight – It always helps to have a compact but powerful handheld flashlight. It can be small enough to fit in a glove compartment or large enough to light up a small area of your campsite. Try to invest in a flashlight with LED lighting like the Smittybilt GB8 LED Glove Box Light-Blue – L-1407BU or Rigid Industries RI-1100 Flashlight with Clear Lens – 30150.

• A lamp or lantern – You’ll also want a lantern or lamp as a stationary lighting source that can illuminate a specific area. This tool can be primarily helpful when you need to carry out tasks like cooking or if you need to fix something at night. Take a look at products like the JW Speaker 3.5″ Round Portable LED Hand Held Lamp (Black) – 0554251 or Cali Raised LED Rechargeable LED Work/Camp Light – 13938894962730. 

The goal is to ensure you aren’t in the dark and can safely navigate the campsite. A reliable flashlight, lantern, or lamp can accomplish that. 

Adding Truck Mattresses

Tents are great, but they can be very cumbersome to set up. Additionally, you might find yourself in a situation where you have to leave camp quickly, whether due to weather or another reason, and it can be challenging to take down a tent in a short amount of time. For this reason, a great camping mod to invest in is using your truck as housing. If you have a truck or larger SUV, you may want to get an air mattress. Check out the Rightline Gear Full Size Truck Bed Air Mattress (5.5′ – 8′) – 110M10 or Napier Sportz Air Mattress – Compact (75″ x 42″) – 32200. 

A good air mattress can help ensure a relaxing time camping and facilitate a good night’s sleep. If you decide to go this route, ensure you have other helpful sleep accessories to make your experience as smooth as possible. Check out items like bed sheets and anti-condensation mats that prevent moisture from building in the mattress. These simple additions can make your truck feel comfortable and a little more like home. 

Fridge, Coolers & Accessories

While you may want to experiment with living among nature for a few days, you don’t have to rough it. Whether you’re deciding to cook food over a campfire or bring already-cooked items, you need a way to preserve it. Some of the best camping gear you can invest in is a refrigerator or cooler. 

Focus on finding a fast-cooling fridge that is big enough to take care of your food storage needs and has battery preservation features that allow you to reserve whatever power source you’re using — likely your car or truck’s 12-volt battery. 

There are standalone refrigerators or freezers like the Smittybilt Arctic Fridge/Freezer (Charcoal) – 2789. Depending on the type of truck you have, you may also want to consider installing a center console refrigerator like the Dometic CCF-T Center Console Refrigerator – 9600049539 — especially if you’ll be spending a lot of time in the truck. 

You could also spring for a refrigerator or cooler with additional bells and whistles. For example, your refrigerator could have a dual USB charging port to help you power any extra electronics. Additionally, you could spring for a one-year warranty for added protection. 

If you want to save cash, consider a more affordable cooler. Canvas coolers are considerably less expensive than refrigerators and can help keep your food and drinks cool without breaking the bank. The AO Coolers 48-pack Canvas Cooler (Black) – AO48BK  and AO Coolers 36-pack Canvas Cooler (Charcoal) – AO36CH are good choices for cheaper and portable coolers that can preserve a smaller collection of food items. 

Tips on Camping For Beginners 

In addition to getting the right products and camping mods, there are a few helpful tips you may want to follow regarding camping: 

• Always tell someone where you’re going – Camping can be a lot of fun, but it’s important to remember that you still need to take precautions. An important thing to do is always let someone know where you are going — even if you’re traveling with a group. If anything happens, someone will know where you are so they can help. 
• Test out equipment before camping – Whether you buy a truck mattress or a durable refrigerator, be sure to try out all the products before taking them on your first camping trip. You can fix or exchange something before your camping trip if something is malfunctioning. 
• Plan your route ahead of time – Be sure to map out where you’re going before heading out camping. If you’re camping at a national park, you can likely obtain a map of the trails online. Doing this will allow you to select areas with hiking trails and terrain that match your skill level. 

Camping can be an excellent way to enjoy nature. Use these tips and product recommendations to help you prepare for your first camping experience. However, remember that there are likely other products you should have in your camping toolkit before stepping out, so be sure to do additional research for other tools you may need. And whatever you need for a camping adventure – whether it’s one weekend, a week, or a month in the backcountry – you’ll find the gear you need to make it like a home away from home at 4 Wheel Parts.