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1. A mosquito repeller, because there is literally nothing I hate as much as those pesky little monsters. It basically works by creating an invisible shield of up to 15 feet that will keep icky bugs out of your campsite without using DEET, smelling weird, or using an open flame.
2. Bath wipes so you can keep yourself feeling *and* smelling fresh during your entire trip.
3. A fire starter, because you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of nearby wildlife when you can't even get your campfire started, am I right? "Wow, I remember my first camping trip." — the grizzly bear nearby.
4. A North Face backpack to hold all of your camping essentials, like a first aid kit, snacks, a change of clothes, snacks, a flashlight, sunscreen, and maybe some snacks. Just the essentials.
5. A battery-operated fan because summers are hot and there's no electricity out there in the forests (much to my dismay).
6. A Lifestraw water bottle to give you instant access to drinkable water basically anywhere you go. This is because of the bottle's two-stage filter system which cleans water of bacteria, impurities, and protozoa. Not me daring all of my friends to drink stinky lake water with this bottle.
7. A four-person tent — even if there are just two of you, this way you can have tons of legroom and not have to feel like a bunch of sardines in a can. Don't let it become a new similar phrase: humans in a tent.
8. An aluminum picnic table that folds out so you have a place to sit and eat when you don't want to find the *perfect* sitting log.
9. A camp cupboard to store all of your belonging in a nice and organized way. Not me keeping everything in bags and ruffling through them every time I need something. I would never.
10. A tube of seam sealer, because trust me — the last thing you want is to come back to your tent after a long, rainy hike, and notice that the entire shelter (and all of its contents) have gotten soaked. Then you have to dry and pack everything and book a weirdly stinky motel nearby. What? No, this didn't happen to me...
11. Tissue paper to keep your tush clean without having to use a questionable leaf while you hope it's not poison ivy.
12. A bug-proof LED lantern that will switch from a bright white bulb to an amber bulb that's invisible to bugs. Basically, you won't have to deal with annoying moths and pests that fly around your light for up to 175 hours. Huzzah!
13. A rechargeable LED flashlight so you can always have a bright light to shine your way. This flashlight has a waterproof rating, so it can handle even the rainest of camping trips *and* you can even charge your phone with it when the light isn't in use.
14. A lounge chair that will basically become your DNC (designated napping chair). It has a multi-position adjustable recline so you can find the ~perfect~ spot for your best naps.
15. A compressible hammock so you have a place to kick back and relax at your campsite. It's teeechnically big enough for two, but we don't need to tell anyone that, except maybe your dog.
16. A portable environmental toilet, because hear me out — have you ever actually used community bathrooms at a campsite? Well, don't. Just poop in this toilet. It uses degradable bags that gel waste, neutralizes the stink, and starts the decaying process so it's actually really hygienic.
17. A cast-iron cookware set to make the *best* campfire omelette in existence.
18. A camp cot with a handy little organizer so you can keep all of your belongings nearby and easily accessible. By "belongings" I mean snacks. Just copious amounts of snacks in every pocket.
19. A waterproof jacket for those annoyingly rainy hikes you definitely didn't plan for, but at least you're prepared for. Bonus: the cuffs are adjustable to help keep out the cold air while you trek along to the end of the trail. You can do it!
20. And finally, a generator for when your definition of "camping" is actually just glamping, and honestly I feel you on this. This portable bad boy delivers 4,500 starting watts and 3,650 running watts of power. That's *a lot* of episodes of Emily in Paris I could watch. Or, I could watch Wild and live vicariously through Reese Witherspoon hiking the PCT.
You to your friends now that you're definitely prepared:
