‘The only thing that gets me out of my tent’: the camping essentials you need (and what you don’t)

From foam wash to hammocks, these are the non-negotiables seasoned campers swear by – and the kit they’d happily skip

• The best camping mattresses for every type of adventure, tested

Packing for a camping trip isn’t easy, especially if you’re not an experienced adventurer. Newbie campers often overpack while simultaneously leaving more useful items at home.

As a lifelong city dweller, my lack of knowhow has been exposed on trips with my camping-savvy family in the US. It turns out that House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski and a medium-sized Bluetooth speaker aren’t must-haves on a four-day wilderness hike. Who knew? An extra water bottle would have been a better use of that space, something I learned through a series of hardships.