Tips for New Camping Gear in 2021

It’s a good bet that camping will be an extremely popular travel option later on this year. With so many people having had to put their holidays on hold in 2020, we have actually already heard about campsites selling out around the UK. The hope, of course, is that we’ll all have even more travel options in another five or six months, and that it will be possible to fly, take trains, and even visit other countries once more. But if conditions still won’t permit that sort of travel, camping serves as an excellent option — a way to get out of your home and do something fun, adventurous, and different without risking your health.

With all of that said however, it’s also a good bet that you’ll need to update your gear before taking any camping trip. A year off (if you didn’t get around to camping in 2020) can simply leave things feeling old or in disrepair. Your hiking boots may have stiffened, your bag may have a few rips in it you forgot about, items you may not have cleaned properly may not be fit for purpose, and so on. These things happen. And so, for anyone who may be eyeing some camping activity later on this year, here are a few handy tips for obtaining new camping gear in advance of the season.

Find affordable delivery options
First, let’s assume that you’re shopping for new gear online rather than in person, given present restrictions. This is less than ideal when you’re looking at camping and hiking gear, and yet with due diligence you can find plenty of excellent, well-reviewed products, from cookware to a new tent or backpack. In doing so though, you should also be mindful of shipping fees, which can add significant chunks to costs compared to what you would ordinarily be paying in stores. Throughout the UK, there are free delivery and marginal delivery costs that some of the larger retail stores offer, and often these can be used to purchase clothing and equipment for hiking and camping. Just remember to keep this in mind as you shop, rather than gathering a digital shopping cart of the things you want only to find that shipping is going to cost you an extra £100!

Shop early
Again, shopping online isn’t necessarily ideal for some of the gear you need while camping. If you’re looking for a new hiking backpack, you’ll want to examine how well you can pack it, and how well it sits on your shoulders. If you’re buying new clothes you’ll want to know how they fit, and whether they’re breathable or insulating. And as you may have gleaned from boot reviews here in the past, you’ll especially want to make sure any new footwear you purchased is cushioned and supportive, rather than just attractive (or new and expensive). What all of this ultimately means is that you should do your shopping early if you’re planning a camping trip. Online shopping can work out just fine, but you’ll need to allow time for returns and exchanges without being able to test all of these things out in
person.

Factor in PPE
It’s easy to think of camping as an activity free of the coronavirus issue — out in nature, with minimal to no risk of exposure to others. And yet last summer the reopening of some of England’s campsites came with new social distancing measures, and on the condition that national tests were met with regard to PPE. These are reminders that while camping is a great deal safer than virtually any other kind of holiday, there’s still the chance that you’ll find yourself among others at a campsite, or even hiking along a route. For this simple reason, stocking up on new camping gear in 2021 also means factoring in PPE. Find a few masks that you’re comfortable with in the outdoors, and find travel-sized sanitisation items that suit you — just in case you wind up feeling more comfortable with them.

Otherwise, keep things normal!
All of the points above are important to bear in mind with specific regard to the unusual conditions we still find ourselves in this year. It’s important in that context to mind online shopping costs, shop early, and factor in protective items. However, you don’t have to let these precautions completely colour your preparation or camping experience! Beyond these ideas, you can simply prepare as you ordinarily would, planning your trip and purchasing whatever you need to round out the gear you need. Taking a few precautions in advance doesn’t mean that the camping experience ultimately has to be much different than it would be in a normal year.

And so with that we say good luck re-stocking your outdoor gear, and happy camping!