Tent Camping Gear

WHAT ESSENTIAL TENT CAMPING GEAR IS REQUIRED?

Here are some must-have tent camping accessories to put on your packing list:

• Season-Appropriate Tent. A four-season tent that can withstand heavy snow loads is required if camping in the winter.
• Sleeping Bag. Sleeping bags are rated for temperature levels. Sleeping bags vary in actual weight depending on whether they’re made of synthetic materials or cotton.
• Sleeping Pads. For these canvas tent accessories, you can choose between solid pads or the blow-up type. I prefer the solid pads. Blow-up sleeping pads often lose air and deflate. Not comfortable.
• Camp Stove. Two stoves are normally required for winter camping. One for cooking and one for heat. Most people use a propane stove for cooking and a portable wood stove for heat if camping in cold weather. All wood stoves offered by Wall Tent Shop are portable.
• Lighting. The most common is battery-operated lighting. For longer camping trips, generator lighting is sometimes used. Don’t forget quality flashlights and headlamps. I take 5-6, as I camp up to 3 weeks at trailheads.

Other tent accessories and camping gear include: appropriate clothing, food, coolers, first aid kits, water for drinking and if necessary water for dishwashing, toilet paper, maps and a compass if going into back country, bear spray if applicable, axe, quality knife or multi-tool, ropes if necessary, pots, pans, utensils, toothpaste, and toothbrush.

I have a very detailed spreadsheet that lists all of the tent camping accessories I take, from specific food to the number of t-shirts I take. If you camp often, make a list and then add to it based on your needs when camping. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel if you take camping trips annually or more often.

WHAT TENT ACCESSORIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM WALL TENT SHOP?

• Portable Wood Stoves. Many campers who camp in the fall and winter require tent wood stoves. Wall Tent Shop has numerous portable wood stoves. Stove requirement is based on the size of the tent and how extreme the weather can be during the planned camping trip. I recommend one size larger than recommended for the tent size. A camper can always put less wood in a stove if it is not needed, but you can’t put more wood in a smaller stove in colder weather than expected. Always have heavy-duty gloves near your stove in the event there is any issue. The stove pipe can come loose if not secured properly or in high winds.
• Stove Mats. These wall tent accessories are used to place under a tent wood stove. These mats should be long enough to extend one foot to the front of the stove in the event any embers fall out when the stove door is opened. Never place a stove on a tent floor without some type of fireproof material beneath it.
• Stove Shields. These tent camping accessories are essentially the same as stove mats, but secured to the tent frame. Occasionally, high winds will blow the tent's side wall into the stove.
• Fly. A fly is a tent term for a tarp. The tent fly has a reinforced fireproof hole that corresponds to the stove jack hole in a tent when using one of the best tent accessories, a stove. The fly also acts as a water barrier, prevents any stove sparks from burning holes in the tent roof, and keeps the roof clean from sap or dirt when camping underneath trees.
• Loose stake in the floor that also helps keep water out of the tent.
• Coat racks that attach to the internal frame.

WHAT MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS SHOULD I KNOW?

Your camping gear must be cleaned and stored completely dry. Especially your tent. A canvas tent will rot and have mildew if you put it away wet, even if it is water- and mildew-treated.

Store your wall tent accessories in boxes, containers for easy use and inventory for the next camping trip.

Store the tent in a mouse-proof container. Mice will burrow to the middle of a tent and will require multiple tent patches.

Inspect each of your tent camping accessories before storage. Repair or replace prior to the next camping trip.