• Tent. Even if you prefer slumbering under the stars, you should always have a tent or other emergency shelter on hand just in case. …
• Sleeping Bag. …
• Water Bottle. …
• Fire Starter. …
• First Aid Kit. …
• Pocket Knife. …
• Map and Compass (Or a charged GPS) …
• Weather-Appropriate Clothing and Rain Gear.

Below are some of the many items you’ll find inside a camper’s (the person who is camping) backpack.

• Backpack

  Meaning: A backpack is a large bag or sack with straps made of sturdy (strong) material that can carry several items. A person can wear it on their back and keep walking. It’s also called a knapsack or a rucksack.

  Sentence: Marina filled her backpack with pebbles and small stones that she found on her camping trip. As a result, it was pretty heavy to carry.

• Binoculars

  Meaning: It’s a handheld device (a piece of equipment) that lets you see far-away objects up close.

  Sentence: Using his mother’s binoculars, he spotted a rare bird half-hidden in the top branch.

• Boots

  Meaning: Boots are a type of shoe, usually made of strong material, that covers the whole foot and reaches up to or past the ankle.

  Sentence: Laura matched her white dress with a pair of knee-high red boots.

• Bug Spray

  Meaning: Also known as insect repellant, it’s a substance that you usually spray from a can onto your skin or in the environment. It’s used to keep mosquitoes and other insects away.

  Sentence: If you’re spending the night outdoors, don’t forget the bug spray!

• Camera

  Meaning: It’s a handheld device that lets you take pictures of your surroundings.

  Sentence: She has taken so many pictures on her camera, it’ll take a while to look through them.

• Compass

  Meaning: It’s a handheld device that contains a magnetic needle to point to the directions north, south, east and west.

  Sentence: With a compass and map in hand, you’ll never get lost in the woods.

• Dried Food

  Meaning: Sometimes to preserve a food item or to make it last longer, the water is removed from it. This is called “dried food” and includes dried nuts and berries, powdered milk, instant coffee or soup and snack bars.

  Sentence: After we lost the trail, we spent two nights in the forest. Thankfully, we had dried food with us to keep away the hunger.

• Map

  Meaning: A map represents (shows) a geographic area. A map may be printed on paper or looked at in a cellphone that has a GPS (Global Positioning System).

  Sentence: If you’re traveling to an unknown place, always carry a map with you.

• Marshmallow

  Meaning: A marshmallow is a soft, spongy candy usually made of sugar, water, gelatin and corn syrup.

  Sentence: I gave the child a packet of marshmallows to chew on while we walked.

• Match

  Meaning: Matches or matchsticks are the small sticks (made of wood and covered with a material that can catch fire easily) inside the matchbox or tinderbox. You scrape them against the box or a rough surface to light a fire.

  Sentence: The wood wasn’t totally dry, so she had to use many matches and a bit of kerosene oil to light the fire.

• Radio

  Meaning: It’s a device that turns radio waves into sound. It can play music and news from a radio station.

  Sentence: We didn’t have phone service deep in the woods, but Alex’s radio played pop music.

• Rope

  Meaning: Ropes are strands (strings) of long fibers, cords or wires that you can use to tie something.

  Sentence: If we’re going to climb this mountain, we’ll need plenty of strong rope.

• Sleeping Bag

  Meaning: It’s a long bag, padded or lined with a soft substance, that you can spread on the ground and sleep in. You can easily roll it up to pack it.

  Sentence: I fell asleep in my sleeping bag while my sister was telling a ghost story.

• Tent

  Meaning: It’s a small, temporary shelter (a place to stay) made of fabric or cloth (like nylon or canvas). It’s held up by poles, and three or four people can sit or sleep in it.

  Sentence: It was Ron’s first camping trip, and it took a while for him and his friends to set up the tent.

• Torch

  Meaning: It’s a portable device that, when switched on, emits (shines) a strong light in order to see in the dark. It’s also called a flashlight.

  Sentence: Rose woke up in the middle of the night to a strange noise. She took a torch and went outside to see what was happening.

• Water Bottle

  Meaning: It’s a container used for carrying water.

  Sentence: Mother gave us extra water bottles for the trip.