Sunny days are here again, and with daylight saving now operating, our thoughts once more turn to holidays, and more particularly, camping. With the costs of holiday increasing every year, camping is a really good way of getting away from it all without it costing an arm and a leg, especially if you’ve got a family.

However, many people – especially some of the womenfolk – shudder at the thought of sleeping under canvas, often because their memories are of leaky old ridge tents and loose-fit groundsheets that allow in all sorts of stuff, from sand and water through to myriad creepy-crawlies!

Today’s camping isn’t like that, though, and giant steps have been taken to ensure that you can camp in comfort, taking advantage of being out in the open air, and away from it all, without having to suffer cold, wet, and soggy conditions if the weather turns, and having to sleep on an uncomfortable stretcher, or even on the ground, in a tent you can’t even stand up in.

In the following pages we have a look at just what’s available to make camping a joy – and not just for this season, but for many to come.

Meanwhile, here’s a checklist, courtesy of Coleman, to make sure you don’t forget anything. Not all of it will apply to you, of course, depending on what type of equipment you have and where you’re planning to go. But it’s a good start!

CAMP COOKING
•    Portable grill and cooking stove
•    Plenty of fuel
•    Grill gloves
•    Griddle
•    Skillet
•    Pot holders
•    Cookware
•    Cooking and eating utensils
•    Skewers
•    Corkscrew
•    Knife for food prep
•    Plates, cups, and bowl
•    Can opener
•    Tables and chairs
•    Coolers with plenty of ice or ice substitutes
•    Plenty of food
•    Paper products and trash bags
•    Foil for lining cookware and wrapping food
•    Beverage jugs or water carriers filled with drinking water
•    Water bottle: a must-have when the grill gets out of hand

SLEEPING AND COMFORT
•    Air bed, stretcher or camp pad
•    Sleeping bags
•    Tent fans and tent light

CAMPING GEAR
•    Tent, poles and pegs
•    Lantern with extra fuel or extra batteries
•    Extra lantern mantles
•    Waterproof matches
•    Compass, maps and portable GPS
•    Flashlights or headlamps with extra batteries
•    Ground cover or tarp
•    Multipurpose knife or multi-tool
•    Camp saw and spade
•    Rope, bungee cords

PERSONAL CARE
•    First aid kit
•    Camp towels
•    Biodegradable soap
•    Citronella candles and insect repellent
•    Layered clothing
•    Rain gear
•    Toiletries
•    Toilet paper

EATING/FOOD PREP
•    Coffee
•    Coffee pot
•    All-in-one portable sink
•    Plastic zipper bags
•    Pot scrubbers and rags
•    Salt and pepper
•    Plastic wrap
•    Tin foil

SLEEPING AND COMFORT
•    Tool kit: hand axe, rubber mallet and tent peg puller
•    Tent repair kit
•    Extra tent pegs
•    Pillows
•    Whisk broom and dust pan

CAMPING GEAR
•    Firewood for camp fires
•    Lantern stand
•    Long-nosed gas lighter

PERSONAL
•    Digital camera with extra batteries
•    Clothesline
•    Cards and games
•    Flare, signaling mirror and survival whistle
•    Pad of paper, pencil or pen
•    Radio with weather band
•    Sunglasses