When summer comes rolling in, a lot of people look forward to going camping. Well, we are some of those people as we absolutely love to camp and love anything that has to do with the outdoors. Don’t worry though. If you’ve never been camping and would like to go for the first time, we put together a list of “must haves” for camping that won’t cost you an arm or a leg. Want to take your kids camping? Even better! This list is universal and the supplies that we have listed here for you are also applicable for everyone else. Enjoy!

Tent

The first thing that you need to go camping is obviously a tent but why did we list it as being a cheap item? Well, that’s because you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a tent in order to go camping. Forget about all these fancy 4 bedroom tents that you see being advertised for hundreds of dollars when you can get all the tent that you need for under $50. It may take a little more effort to put it all together but we promise the savings make it worth it. Another rule of thumb is to avoid buying them at sporting goods stores.

Sleeping Bags

Next, you’ll need some sleeping bags for everyone that is going camping with you. Typically, you can find these for pretty cheap online and even if you can’t, we don’t recommend skimping out on the sleeping bags. Unless you plan on camping during the winter months or you live in an exotic environment, any sleeping bag should be fine.

Camping Food

Next, you’ll need something to eat while you are camping. What’s cool about this is that the traditional camping foods are already cheap foods such as marshmallows, hot dogs, and stuff like that. Swing by your local grocery store and grab yourself a bag of ice, a foam cooler, and anything that you may need to prepare the food before you go camping. Then, you’ll be ready to enjoy your camping trip and not starve to death while in the process.

First Aid Kit

Finally, we recommend getting a first aid kit to take with you. You just never know what could happen in the woods so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Fortunately, you can find a quality first aid kit at almost any retail store on the planet for as little as $20. Even if you don’t end up needing the first aid kit, it’s still money well spent as it’ll last ages and you can take it wherever you go. By all means, do not skimp out on finding a good first aid kit.

And now you’re ready to go camping. Sure, we left out a few odds and ends such as a knife, matches, and things like that but we definitely covered the bare essentials. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to gather a few supplies and get your tent up. Camping is a blast and we hope that you’ll consider taking this list, planning a camping trip, and doing it!