I am more than happy to share my own personal viewpoint on this topic.

I have been a camper my whole life and, for the past 41 years,have spent many nights in tents, sleeping bags, stretchers, under the stars, in the rain, hail, wind, dust and who knows what else. Not to mention all my military deployments where I even once had to sleep in a Baobab tree because of lions that were in the area!

If you are asking me for a list of the minimum gear or equipment you need for camping, you first have to tell me what your intentions are; are you going to go hiking, climbing, cycling or are you just camping to relax?

The ONLY people that should be concerned about what to take and what not, are those who have to carry everything in their backpacks! Their mission is not camping, but rather hiking, the activity or sport they love and enjoy. They don’t mind sleeping in a cramped, one-man tent, on hard, cold ground, because they are out there doing what they love.

For family or recreational camping, there can never be a minimum list, especially here in the UAE where we don’t have trees, or other natural “objects” to assist with camping! Most countries accommodate campers and have camping facilities with ablution blocks, showers and allocated areas to wash dishes. However, there are virtually no such places in the UAE or Oman. Also, the natural vegetation and surroundings elsewhere would allow you to get some shade, protection from the wind, and wood for the campfire and BBQ. There would also be some rocks that you could use to “elevate” the grid from the fire.

Good luck finding that here, and if you enjoy holding the grid for the duration of the BBQ, then I suppose you don’t need to bring a portable BBQ. Also, if you enjoy the taste of sand in your food, I suppose you then don’t need a windbreak either…?

No, I’m sorry, I take everything with me! All my friends laugh when I explain how much stuff I take camping. However, once we arrive and my “camp” is pitched, they cannot but agree that, that is how all camping should be!

There are my “one-night” camps which I impulsively decide upon and would then take the boys away for just one night. We’d plan to leave home at about 16:00 and all our food would be prepared at home (hotdogs or something light). This I do to get the boys outdoors so they can exhaust themselves on the dunes. We return early the next morning and have breakfast at home. For these one-night trips, I only take sleeping gear, the prepared food and lights for the camp. For any camping other than this; I take EVERYTHING with me.

I converted my quad bike trailer into a bit of a camper to make these one-night camps, and of course the longer trips, an even more “camper friendly.” I fitted 2×200-litre water tanks under the trailer and, as can be seen from the photos, I also got a large tent made that attaches to the trailer. The structure is very sturdy and can handle most of the wind and dust we often experience. The trailer, of course, also allows me to take quite a few extra “necessities” that most people have to leave at home because of limited space. Don’t think that there is any SUV that can accommodate a family of four and one weeks camping gear! Not even a Land Cruiser or Nissan Armada has sufficient space. I am sure many of you are disagreeing as you are reading this, but I have seen what the campsites look like when two or three families arrive on Mashira Island with their SUV’s loaded and cramped-in like sardines. There is just not enough space and they have very limited facilities!

Let me give you a rundown of what I take with me. Then as you read, you may again think that this is total overkill, but everything I have was bought out of “necessity.” Every time we camp I make a list of the extras we needed on the camp and ensure that I don’t go camping without these items the next time we go.

The minimum equipment I would take on a family camping trip for a typical 6 day (5 nights) camping holiday:

* Generator to power the TWO freezers and the lights in the camp at night. You don’t need a 4,500 AED Honda generator, nor do you need an expensive camping fridge. I own a WAECO 80L camping fridge. It is great, but my other fridge is a 650 AED fridge bought at Carrefour and in some ways, more user friendly because it has a door and not a lid like the WAECO. Yes, the WAECO runs on 12Volts and can be used while driving, but if everything in the normal fridge had been frozen before you leave, then a 5 to 8 hour trip will not even start to defrost the food, even with the fridge being on the back of the trailer. (Remember to lock the door or pack something against the door.)

* Camping chairs (one for each person + two or three extra for the inevitable visitor)

* Two large folding tables and three smaller ones. (Ten would be ideal but…)

* Two cooler boxes for the cold drinks and foodstuff that has to be chilled not frozen

* Two double-bed inflatable mattresses

* We use normal bedding and take blankets and pillows, rather than sleeping bags. Bed Bug Exterminators Seattle provide experienced bed bug solutions for your sound sleep.

* Three 6m X 1.5m windbreaks (a MUST!)

* Large 4m x 5m canvas with steel poles for shade (a double MUST!). Normal quick pop-up gazebos cannot handle any strong wind and if you lose your shade, you might as well pack up and go home!

* Enough water for 10 litres per person per day + extra for dishes. This is for showering and cleaning, not drinking.

* Portable hot water shower system (gas operated). To go for a hot shower at night revives the body and soul! I only added this to my inventory about three years ago. At least four of my friends, who also have been camping for years, have since bought this.

* “Pop-up” toilet tent with toilet. NOT the “Portapoty” system which uses chemicals and water. Use the one that looks just like a toilet seat with a folding frame on it. Strap a 13Gallon “Glad” dustbin bag to it and next to the toilet tent you have a large plastic dustbin with a Sanita 55 Gal. heavy-duty plastic bag (don’t waste your money on any other brand or size. The 55 gal. one is stronger and thicker than the 30 and 50 gal.versions. Sanita is also the strongest brand and available at Carrefour). I am sure you can figure the rest out from here. This is clean, hygienic and by far the least effort. If you think taking a spade is fine, just wait till you camp in an area where there are several other people and try to find a spot that you are “safe” or that no one else has already used.

While I am on this subject; don’t think that two boxes of 20 bags (the 13 gal. Glad bags for strapping over the seat) are remotely enough if you are a group of 6 adults and 6 children for 6 days… (Don’t forget the toilet paper!)

*My entire cutlery collection when camping is paper or plastic. Due to the lack of facilities I use disposable plates, cups, knives and forks. I then have a collapsible dustbin and again use the Sanita 55 gal. bags to dispose of it. I know that for those tree huggers and environmental people, I leave a huge “Carbon footprint” when I camp, but I don’t litter as much as one piece of plastic. Everything is disposed of properly and trying to clean dishes with limited facilities is not enjoyable.

* Gas stoves: the ones you can buy from Carrefour or Lulu, which come in a carry case and use disposable canisters, are the best! They are dirt cheap (about 65 to 80 AED) and you don’t need matches or a lighter as they have self-igniting systems. Make sure you have sufficient canisters of gas and plan on about two canisters per stove per day. DON’T use the stove on your plastic table! Put a wooden carving board under the stove unless you don’t mind a hole in your plastic table.

* Plastic storage containers. We use these for everything as they are so convenient. The 3 or 4 drawer ones in particular are great and make the accessibility to cutlery, rations, clothing and just about everything a pleasure.

* Portable BBQ and grid (no need to expand, just remember the bags of charcoal, firelighters or fluid and tongs to turn the meat)

* Bug spray! Just wait till you have pitched your camp only to find out on the first night that it was done on top of an ant’s nest!

* Dustpan and brush, or small broom, to sweep sand from the tents

* Tent pegs: go to the industrial areas and look for a welding shop. Ask them to cut a 12mm rod into 30cm lengths and weld a “D” shape to the top. They will last a lifetime and can be hit into almost any surface. Then also get 25 x 25 x 3mm angle iron cut and make 40cm pegs to be used in sand. I have tried all the pegs available on the market yet nothing holds when the wind picks up. These pegs work!!

I take considerably more “stuff” than listed above, but these are the major items I can think of.  If you think this is overkill, take this list with you the next time you go for a camping trip which is longer than three days. Then on the third day read the list again and you will be surprised.

Many will argue that it is not worth the expense and that camping will become too expensive. Well, let’s do some comparisons:

Hotel accommodation: on the beach, in season, for a family of four including lunch and dinner for 5 nights. You would be lucky if it costs less than 7,500 AED.

For 7,500 AED you can get fully kitted, including: generator, fridge, tents, gear, chairs, tables, windbreaks AND buy a single QUAD trailer to load everything! I am not joking and have proven this to many people.

Once you have all the gear, your camping becomes more enjoyable and remember that the next camping trip will cost you almost nothing as you already have the majority of your kit.

Click on the following to get the mig welding guide for all your welding requirements and issues.

Go For Gold and enjoy the camping

John Basson


P.S. My mother’s remark is that I’m nothing other than a 21st century Bedouin!

Published in September 2012