Making a checklist is one of the mandatory things we do when preparing to go camping. Many a checklist will have obvious items on them like tent and tent-pegs - but hey, if you forget those then why bother?
What is not often seen is a list of those smaller items that can really come in handy in emergency or even everyday situations alike. The key word here is small - items that can be packed in a small bag or pack and stowed away easily. But first, here is a real world example that happened to yours truly:
My wife and I were camping in the tropics in our pop-top camper. We had the awning out. The sun was out, and we had a great day. After a day of doing nothing we were really tired and so turned in around 10pm.
At 3am the next morning I awoke to the sound of high winds and torrential rain. After about another ten minutes of listening to the crescendo of the rain, there was an almighty crash that had me swiftly jumping out of bed and opening the door of the camper. The sight greeting me was not a pretty one. Rain had collected in the awning forming a large pool. Eventually the weight of the water was too much for one of the awning supporting arms and it had snapped bringing the awning and its load of water crashing down. What to do on a dark, wet and windy night, albeit hardly dressed for the occasion? Simple. Screw the head off the broom, grab the roll of duct tape and make a temporary splint for the damaged arm using the broom handle and some good old duct tape. I was back in bed in five minutes after lowering one of the awning legs to provide a good slope for the rain to drain off (lesson learnt).
Ahh duct tape... One of those little things - easy to forget, but oh so handy in times of need. Here are some others for consideration. Maybe you can add to the list.
Velcro. The double sided type. You can use it like duct tape but it is re-useable. I buy it by the metre and use it for all manner of things around camp. Helps to keep many things nice and tidy and secure (maybe mischievous children!).
BlueTac. Lots of uses here. Keep candles standing upright, secure smaller articles from rolling around when travelling.
Cell phone. Not for what you think because you may be camping outside a coverage area; but most cell phones now include a camera, calculator, time and date functions, memo facility, etc - a multi-function gadget indeed.
Miniature LED flashlight. These are light, bright, and the batteries seem to last for ever. Some have a signaling mode too. The type with a headband are especially useful, leaving both hands free (to fix a broken awning for example). They generally come with more than one function too - wide beam, spot, and infra-red.
Small spirit level. Particularly useful if you are camping off the beaten track and want to get your rig level for comfort and fridge efficiency. I also use one to help level my camera when taking award winning snapshots!
Multi-function tool. You know, the type that fold out and you have a complete tool kit in the palm of your hand! There are different varieties of these. When you do get one make sure you are getting one that will provide the tools you want, and one that is a high quality brand - multi-function junk will not help much in the long term.
Locking penknife or pocket knife. Mine has just two blades - a knife blade and a screw driver cum file. Keep it sharp and lightly oiled.
A small compass. No I'm not getting into survival mode, but this could prove useful when setting up camp on a dull day. Also useful of course if you do not have a GPS when hiking, though I swear I could blindfold my wife and she would always point out north.
A whistle. If you want to get attention, summon help, use the whistle!
Batteries. I always carry a good supply of the smaller batteries for the small electrical items - flashlight, firelighter, TV remote!
Jubilee Clips. You know, those worm gear expandable ring clamps. Not essential but I carry a variety of smaller sizes. You never know when one of these is going to save your day.
A selection of fuses. I carry the blade type for the car and some spare cartridge type too for the electrical appliances.
A small amount of cord and maybe some shock-cord too. I suppose you could say that duct tape or velcro will substitute here, but would that be overkill? I am a firm believer in the right tool for the job.
This is not an exhaustive selection by any means, but I hope it gives you fuel for thought. Happy camping.
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