Desert Camping Checklist - Skillful Camping

Many people who love to spend time outdoors love to go camping. One thing that is crucial if you decide to go camping is to bring the correct items you will need so your camping experience isn’t bad or dangerous. You need to have the right items regardless of where you go camping and it’s no different if you go camping in the desert.

Before I go over the list of items you should bring, we should talk about the desert. During the day, the temperature can be around 80-90 degrees. When the sun goes down, the temperature will reach somewhere around freezing. These are just the environmental factors you have to prepare for if you go camping in the desert. So if you are planning a trip, like this in the future, you may want to make sure you pack everything according to this Desert Camping Checklist:

Backpack to carry all your supplies
A tent that includes a tarp or screen
A Down Sleeping Bag (This bag can be stuffed when you put away repeatedly and it won’t keep you any less warm)
Inflatable Sleeping Mattress
Closed-Cell Foam Sleeping Mattress (While they aren’t the most comfortable portable mattress, they are very light, almost impossible to destroy, and won’t be ruined by water)
Trekking Poles (Useful if you will be hiking on slanted landscapes)
Canister Stove and extra canisters with fuel for cooking
A lighter and matches that are waterproof
Extra items that will be required for cooking at the campsite
Headlamp (Bring an extra bulb in case the one in the lamp burns out. Also bring extra batteries)
2 1-Liter water bottles (32-ounce bottles is close enough to a liter)
Something to treat water. (You can find portable filters, tablets, and drops that will keep the water you find from making you sick.)
Pocket knife or similar item which can have multiple functions
Compass and map (A Global Positioning System can be used instead of a compass)
Sunglasses (Protecting your eyes from the sun)
First-Aid Kit (Along with items to treat simple injuries, include medications that anyone from the camping party may be on)
Drawstring bags (To pack camping supplies)
Zip-lock baggies of different sizes (Store leftover food)
“Off” or something similar that will keep insects at bay
Sunscreen to protect yourself from sunburn (Anything with SPF 15 or higher)
Lip Balm to keep your lips from drying out or getting sunburned (Anything with SPF 15 or higher)
Toilet Paper and a Hand Shovel

Camping is a lot of fun but if you want to minimize your chances of a tragedy then you need to be prepared. If you pack what is recommended on this list then you should be ready for anything that happens. There are other tips you can follow to keep yourself safer. One tip is to keep your shoes on if you’re not in the tent. Also when you put shoes on, make sure no animals made a nest in your shoes before you put them on. Follow this advice and your next camping trip should be a lot of fun.

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Ben Ross

Ben is the owner of this site and has a vast knowledge of all aspects of camping.

Along with his dog, he has camped out in all types of biomes and weather conditions all around the world and loves to share his experience throughout this site.