8 Overlooked Camping Supplies

Planning a camping trip? If so, you know how frustrating it is to arrive at your site only to realize you have forgotten to pack some crucial supply.

There are also some camping supplies that are well worth bringing along, but most people don’t even think to pack.

This post will go over some over these overlooked camping supplies—items people underestimate the utility of, and those that they frequently forget entirely.

1. Trash bags, a tarp, and foil

These are supplies that are extremely versatile, and can come in handy in all kinds of situations. A tarp can give you a clean surface to walk on, or be hung overhead as a rain shelter. Trash bags can serve as ponchos, door mats, or impromptu wet bags. Foil makes a good fire-building base.

2. A spare rag

There are going to be all sorts of moments during a camping trip when you could find yourself thinking, “I wish I had a rag I could clean up with.” Bring along a spare rag for miscellaneous uses.

3. A clothesline and clips

If your clothes get wet on your camping trip, they will dry a lot faster if they are hanging up. While there might be tree branches at some sites that would help with this, you may not have them available at every site. Plus, they can get your clothes dirty. So, it is always worth bringing along a clothesline and some clips.

4. A canopy tent

One of the most useful and overlooked supplies for camping trips is a pop-up canopy tent.

You might think you are all set with regular camping tents, but those aren’t ideal for everything.

The openness of a canopy tent is convenient for certain uses. Maybe you have some extra gear you don’t want to cram into your camping tent, and want to keep easily accessible. Putting it under a canopy tent can shelter it from rain and keep it easy to reach.

A canopy tent is also great for relaxing or dining. You can set up a table and chairs underneath and just relax in the open air and enjoy the scenery.

If you have a dog with you, your pet may also appreciate having a nice, shady spot to relax while you are at camp.

You also can use a canopy tent kind of like a vestibule. If you have sufficient privacy, you could change out of dirty clothes and into clean ones underneath it if it is raining, and then head on into your camping tent.

You may very well think of some other uses for a canopy tent while camping as well. They are fast and easy for even one person to set up on their own, so great for all campers.

5. Your pillow

One of the worst items to overlook when you are packing for a camping trip is your pillow.

Failing to bring a comfy pillow doesn’t just mean that you will feel uncomfortable when you sleep. It also means you may not sleep as restfully, which can leave you feeling fatigued the next day.

On top of that, if you have neck, shoulder or back problems, lacking a comfortable, ergonomic pillow can result in aggravating those issues, causing pain or loss of function.

For that reason, a pillow is one of the most important supplies when you pack your camping gear. Always be extra sure you have it.

6. Working fire solutions

When you head out into the wilderness, you probably remember to pack supplies for starting fire. That is just one of those basic survival skills that gets ingrained early on for a lot of people who do outdoor activities.

But what many people overlook is that they need to check that their solutions for starting fire are actually in working order.

If you are bringing a lighter, test it out. They can be very finicky. Likewise, sometimes you can end up with a bad box of matches that don’t light. So, you should test out matches before bringing them as well.

Along with working matches or a working lighter, you should remember to pack some fire starters.

Lint from your dryer can work well for fire starters, though it depends on what types of materials you’ve been drying (avoid polyester or nylon).

Another option is to apply some petroleum jelly to some cotton balls. You can store them inside a small bag or container.

7. A towel

It is very easy to neglect to pack a towel (sometimes the author of this post even fails to do so when going between the tent and the camp showers). So, this is a good item to double check for before you head out from home. It is even easier to forget to bring it with you on your adventure in the first place.

It is no fun at all to set up camp, covered in dirt and sweat, only to realize that when you step out of the shower, you are going to have nothing to mop yourself dry with. This can be particularly annoying in cold conditions, as it will leave you damp and shivering for a while.

8. A hand sanitizer

It seems really easy for people to forget for some reason that the COVID pandemic never actually went away. COVID is still constantly going around, and people continue to get sick from it year after year.

It is also easy to forget that just because you are heading out into the wilderness, that does not mean you may not come into contact with objects that could be contaminated. There are times when you are going to need to wash your hands or sanitize them.

Hopefully, you keep hand sanitizer in your vehicle anyway. But just in case you do not, remember to pick some up for your trip.

Now you know some important camping supplies that are easy to overlook when packing. Bring all of these along with you on your next camping trip, and it will be a more comfortable and successful one.

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