The excitement is real! There is nothing like being in the outdoors, breathing in the fresh air, and taking in a serene, pollution-free environment. At night, you are lulled into a sense of wellbeing as you discern the night sounds and sink into the comfort of a crackling fire. You look up into the sky in awe of the millions of tiny stars in the expanse above you. There is space and you feel a sense of freedom and rest.

We think we need more but actually, we need very little to truly be comfortable – it all depends on our level of gratitude. In order to be comfortable we need food (bread and water), shelter (any roof over our heads - some are grateful for a cardboard box), warmth, and safety, all the things that bring us comfort indoors are the things that bring us the most comfort outdoors. 

What kind of camper are you? Minimalist, Maximalist, or a Happy Medium Camper? Do you need very little to be comfortable or are you so afraid you’ll be uncomfortable that you pack your entire wardrobe AND the kitchen sink?

I was recently told that an acquaintance of ours goes camping with his family every year. He literally packs one pair of swim shorts that he wears daily, and a couple of shirts and underwear changes. His wife and daughter, however, pack three bags each of clothes and shoes! 

Comfort is subjective, we all have own thoughts of what we need in order to be comfortable. We have food, we have shelter (a tent or RV), we have warmth (clothes, blankets, sleeping bag, hot water bottle). What about safety?

Living in a first-world country, we are spoilt for choice. There is a great deal of ready information at our fingertips - we’re able to purchase anything at the click of a button and it’s delivered to our doorstep. It’s that easy. When we are given too many choices, it often makes choosing more difficult, research becomes exhaustive and you’re concerned that you’ll buy the wrong thing and be disappointed when it arrives. I speak from experience. 

I have my own first aid kits and honestly, when they arrived, I was more than impressed with them. So what I offer to you today, are kits that I know well, and I know they will genuinely help your comfort levels when you’re out camping in the back of beyond. 

The Minimalist

All your provisions are in your car trunk, you pack a two-person tent, and you don’t want any more fuss than that.  You’ve got only the clothes you need and one cooking pot you cook everything in. You enjoy being out, hiking trails, and coming back to tranquility and the simplicity of a fire and a hot cup of coffee. 

You prefer only the essentials and like compact, well-packed things. The great thing about getting a first aid kit with MOLLE compatibility and Velcro strips is that you can attach it to the fabric of your car trunk so that it’s completely visible and easily retrievable while you’re at camp. When you hike, it’s a simple thing to attach it to your backpack so that you’re never without it.

It’s important to be organized no matter how lightly you pack. Every first aid kit needs to have order, and when it comes to camping and hiking, you need a casing that is robust and tear-proof. You like to know where everything is, and that everything has its place. This is what you need:

Surviveware Small First Aid Kit - 100 essential first aid supplies, compact, labeled, and organized.

The Happy Medium

You usually enjoy camping with friends or family, and thrive when you’re surrounded by camaraderie, laughter, and companionship. You pack what you need plus one or two “just in case” extras. You usually return home with a couple of unused items that you were glad you had with you, even though you didn’t need them. 

A slightly bigger group will need a bigger first aid kit and you’ll need to attach it where everyone can see it. Kits that are organized and labeled are THE best! Everyone knows where to find anything they need and because of the labels, they know where to replace items. I don’t know about you, but when someone else uses my stuff, I like it to be the way I left it. Or maybe I’m just slightly more OCD than you, coz don't you be putting my Trauma Shears in the wrong compartment! The labels tell you exactly where everything goes!

The great thing about the kit I have in mind for you is that it has a small 50-piece kit that can be hooked onto a belt or backpack and taken on the trail when you hike or go down to your swimming hole.

Different people have different needs and it’s not a bad idea to let the group know where the kit is. Let them know to use the extra space in the kit for personal emergency items so that everyone knows where to find what they need in case someone runs into a problem – things like insulin, an EpiPen or an asthma pump.

You will need:

A Surviveware Large First Aid Kit – 200 supplies, labeled, organized, added mini-kit.

The Maximalist

I read somewhere that Dolly Parton loves camping, but the only way she can camp is in an RV. She has so much stuff that she doesn’t want to spend her entire weekend organizing her camp. I wonder if she has a special array of wigs for camping? I'm thinking a purpose built wig cupboard, including little mannequin heads.

If you camp like Dolly, you clearly cannot be without your creature comforts, including the microwave, plus campsites that offer electricity. Coffee first thing in the morning, tea for mid morning including cakes, herbal tea and decaf for the afternoon and your bedtime cup of warm milk. For you, camping is more about being at home but not at home. 

You have your own pillow, coats in case it’s cold, hats, gloves, hiking shoes, sneakers, flip flops, and a pair of formal shoes in case you go into town for something. You pack your warmest comforter, hot water bottle, and a profusion of cushions lie against the wall of the RV, next to the library of books. You're more of a glamper than a camper.

A Surviveware Survival First Aid Kit – First Aid plus the added survival gadgets and a pack of extra-large wet wipes. Also, just in case the world ends, you could also team it up with a Survival Backpack which holds enough provisions for two people for three days in case of disaster. Like your RV packing skills, you may just need it. 

You like the extras, and while you’re preparing a nice dinner in your RV, the kids can practice their survival skills with the gadgets. (Knife under supervision)

Which camper type are you?

However you like to camp - think about the safety aspect and get yourself covered with what YOU think you need. Once you feel comfortable with your level of safety, you can ...