Wild camping kit list for one night

What is the essential wild camping kit?

The essential wild camping kit is a shelter, a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat, a stove, water, food, a head torch, a map, and clothes for the worst weather forecast. Everything else is comfort, and comfort can be added one item at a time.

Each section below takes one part of the wild camping kit list in turn and says what the item has to do. Brand and weight matter less than whether it does that job on a wet night in the hills. The camping kit hub has buying guides for each item.

Which shelter should you take wild camping?

For a solo wild camp, take a one man tent or a bivvy bag. A tent gives room to sit up, cook in the porch and keep kit dry; a bivvy bag is lighter and fits on smaller pitches.

Whichever you choose, check the numbers on the product page. The flysheet's hydrostatic head, in millimetres, tells you how much water pressure the fabric resists before it leaks. Our hydrostatic head guide explains what the figures mean in UK rain.

Browse one man tents and bivvy bags, or read one man versus 2 man tents if you cannot decide on size.

What sleeping bag and mat do you need?

You need a sleeping bag with an ISO 23537 comfort rating at or below the coldest temperature forecast, and a sleeping mat with an ASTM F3340 R-value suited to the season. Together they are called the sleep system, and they decide whether you sleep or lie awake.

ISO 23537 gives each bag three figures. The comfort rating is the lowest temperature at which a standard adult woman sleeps comfortably in a relaxed position. The limit rating is the lowest at which a standard adult man sleeps curled up for eight hours. The extreme rating is a survival figure, and you should not plan a night around it.

The mat matters as much as the bag, because a bag's filling is crushed flat underneath you and the ground takes the heat. Mat R-values are explained in our R-value guide. Shop sleeping bags and sleeping mats.

What cooking and water kit do you need?

For cooking, you need a stove, the right fuel, one pot, a lighter, a spoon and a mug. For water, carry at least a litre from the start and a filter or purification tablets for refilling from streams.

A gas canister stove is the simplest choice for UK wild camping. Check the canister thread matches the stove before you leave; most use the same screw thread, but not all. Pack a spare lighter in a different pocket from the first.

Stream water in the UK hills can carry bacteria and parasites even when it runs clear, so treat it. Take water from fast-flowing streams above any sheep, path or building.

What clothing should you pack?

Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm insulated layer, a hat, gloves, and a dry base layer and socks kept only for sleeping. Wear walking clothes for the walk in and change once the tent is up.

The dry set is the item people skip and then regret. Damp clothes against your skin pull heat out all night, however good the sleeping bag. Keep the sleeping set in a waterproof bag so it stays dry whatever happens on the walk.

What safety kit should be on the list?

The safety kit for a wild camp is a paper map, a compass, a head torch with spare batteries, a small first aid kit, a whistle, and a charged phone with a battery pack.

A phone map is useful. It is also a battery that goes flat in the cold, so carry the paper map as well and know how to read it. Register for emergency SMS before you go by texting 'register' to 999; it lets you text the emergency services where there is too little signal to call.

Tell someone your route and return time. Planning your first solo wild camp covers this step by step.

What is easy to forget?

The items most often left behind are a trowel for toilet waste, a rubbish bag, a lighter, tent pegs, and the pole bag. Check each one against this list before you leave the car.

A small trowel and a sealed bag for used toilet paper let you follow Leave No Trace properly. A spare bag carries all your rubbish home, food scraps included.

What rucksack size do you need for one night?

A rucksack of about 40 to 50 litres holds one night's wild camping kit for most people, though the right size depends on how bulky your tent and sleeping bag pack down.

Pack everything at home first, then choose the bag, rather than the other way round. Heavy items such as food, water and the stove go close to your back and between your shoulder blades. Browse rucksacks, or look at our starter kits, which put a matched shelter and sleep system together.