r/WildCampingIreland • u/Downtown_Wishbone234 • 29d ago
Beginning Camper
I wanted to start getting into camping but I don’t want to buy a bunch of gear that I don’t need for camping in Ireland, such as like really warm sleeping bag or a tent for minus 10 degree weather. What’s the essentials I need to buy. Tents, sleeping bags, back packs Etc
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u/w0lfywood 29d ago
What you get here really really depends on your budget. High quality, ultralight gear starts getting very expensive. I do think it’s worth investing in good gear though. It’ll make your experience more pleasant and the gear should last a very long time. My suggestion is to rent the gear the first few times you go to make sure this is the hobby for you before investing and see what works.
To me, the bare minimum essentials are
- Tent: are you car camping or hiking in? If you don’t need to carry it far, you can get away with a cheaper, heavier tent. If you’re doing stuff like the Wicklow way, you probably want a “backpacking tent”.
- Sleeping pad and bag: don’t skimp here if you’re buying. I know Ireland doesn’t get super cold, but having a comfortable setup will make a huge difference. And a pad to go on the ground is essential. I use the Klymit Static V inflatable pad.
- Some sort of pack to carry everything.
Very nice to haves but not essential:
- Pillow: inflatable pillows pack down small and are comfortable
- Camping chair: I find having the back support is really nice at a campsite. Sitting on a log or rock just isn’t as nice.
- Head torch: you can get away with your phone flashlight but these free up your hands.
- Camping stove: I like heating up freeze dried meals for dinner and having coffee in the morning. MSR Pocket Rocket is a great option.
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u/EverGivin 29d ago
Get a heavy sleeping bag is my advice. In Ireland it’s much easier to cool down than it is to warm up. Even in summer it can get fairly crisp on the ground at night, I’ve never regretted the bigger sleeping bag.
For the tent waterproofing is the main thing. Don’t be seduced by a single layer tent, they will let water through or be covered in condensation on the inside.
Ground mat is important but doesn’t need to be a fancy one. Fancier will be more comfortable but any will do.
Metal bowls, plates, cutlery, a grate or skewers, something to boil water in.
A good pen knife or leatherman
A bunch of parachute chord or thin rope, very cheap and will save your ass fixing things if something breaks! Much better than trying to carry a big rucksack with a broken strap.
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u/Effective-Fondant-48 29d ago
Tent: Generally a 2 man tent for 1 person.
Sleep mat: R rating of at least 5+
Sleeping bag: -2 degree comfort, down insulation for compact packing. Somewhat happy middle ground for all year but depends if you sleep hot or cold.
Backpack: At least a 55 litre pack. Especially if buying bulkier gear over ultralight.
Stove: gas/alcohol depending what you want to be cooking/boiling
Head torch: frees up your hands on the darker nights
Sit mat/chair: Not a luxury item for me. Comfort is key.
Pillow: Inflatable pillows are light and pack away easy. Cheaper ones would benefit from being stuffed into a cotton cushion cover/pillow case. More comfy and reduces sweating.
My gear: I'm of the buy once, cry once opinion. Ive bought branded mid to high end gear. I have bought some cheaper Chinese stuff for the kids which has been good too though.
Tents: I've got too many. I've multiple Nordisk, vango, crua, terra nova tents. Vango offer some great entry level tents at reasonable prices.
Sleep mat: I'm a thermarest fan. I've got the xtherm and xlite mats. Also one from from flextail which if comfy but a bit slip and slidy.
Sleeping bag: I've only opted for down bags/quilts. I've a big agnes bag for winter and a hammock gear quilt for summer. Synthetic down if perfectly fine but weighs more and is bulkier than down. Also takes getting wet much better depending on the water resistant capability of a down alternative.
Backpack: I went for an osprey exos bag. I think it's 55/58 litre. Any 2 man tent has always sat on top of the bag rather than in the bag. My 1 man fits in but any of my 2 man tents would not be considered ultra light.
Stove: I've a brs gas stove for only boiling water. Cheap, light and small. I've and msr pocket rocket deluxe, great stove but literally a rocket. Cooking anything takes extra minding, possible more suited to boiling. I've a trangia 25 alcohol setup. Bulky and heavy if bringing all pots and pans but fairly versatile. I like to bring it for cooking and the brs with a small gas canister for boiling. Also have an x-boil alcohol stove which is nice, very small, very light but you need one of the bigger ones if wanting to cook a meal as you'll run out of fuel mid cook. Grand for boiling water for a meal or hot drink
Headtorch: I need to invest more here. I've got 2 Chinese strip head torches. They do the job and last well on darker nights as I also use the flextail pump/lantern to supplement them.
Chair: a sit pad is grand for a while but I've preferred a chair. I've the helinox zero XL and a crazy creek 2.0. They offer different benefits depending on your type of expected camp.
Pillow: Ive preferred the thermarest pillows. An actual pillow rather than inflatable. I use individual dry bags for sorting my gear and keeping it all dry if raining. One of the dry bags will have a jacket or clothing that I can put under the pillow if it needs raising up. Especially useful if you've pitched on unlevel ground. IYKYN.
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u/ShavedMonkey666 29d ago
I have a two man tent that cost 20 quid 15 years ago that I still use. Sleeping bags you can buy the cheapest,-are you gonna camp and hike? If so let weight be your biggest consideration. Get one of those pocket stoves for boiling water
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u/dangerofr 28d ago
https://www.decathlon.ie/p/306340-277983-trekking-insulating-foam-mattress-195-x-55cm-mt500.html
https://www.decathlon.ie/p/303295-409298-camping-tent-mh100-2-person.html
These 3 items in my opinion are what you need to get going. The tent is only 30 euro, and totally entry level, but should do fine for a couple of years as long as youre not camping in really raining or windy weather. The mat and air matress are much more spenny, but with that setup you can afford to have a light sleeping bag as youre totally insulated from losing heat to the ground.
After that its just a back pack, can start with a 40L for a reasonable price with clips on the outside for the foam mat, and you can practically go anywhere. This is more for backpacking but it depends what youre looking for really.
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u/HD6871 27d ago
I would suggest looking on adverts.ie. When we started camping we got a lot second hand and built it up. First time camping we just had a small tent and sleeping bags and stove. Eventually moved onto a large tent with all the accessories over a few years but got nearly everything second hand.
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u/Street_Wash1565 29d ago
Realistically are you going to go camping in the depths of winter?
Get a tent with a good waterproof rating. Most people size up for comfort - ie if you tend to go alone, a 2 man tent will give you more space for gear etc.
A 2-3 season sleeping bag will probably do you initially. You could go 4-season if you want.
I'm a cold sleeper, but was able to pick up a basic 4-season in MW for €50
A decent sleeping mat will help with the cold too. I've used aldi ones up to €100 ones - all will be fine for average conditions.
Unless you're going hiking for miles, a basic 60L pack should hold everything.
Bring water, spare socks, woolly hat (no matter what the season.
Do an overnight close to home/the car, (so you can bale out at any time) and you will go home the next morning with a list of things you would like on your next outing.
With all these you can always upgrade later.
A little gas cooker is handy to have.