What's your single best item you own for camping?

[Lemming]

We all have lots of camping kit I'm sure but what's your best camping item you own?

I always take my leatherman wave

[gecko76]

A frisbee. Take one on every cub and scout camp for fanning the fire, sitting on wet grass, eating off, keeping headtorch/watch/phone together in the tent, keeping a book dry and many other uses. Mine is yellow and a proper weight for actually playing frisbee with.

[Lazarus]

Going with the theme of not essential but jhandy its a thermarest air bed pump.

Put it on to slowly inflate bed whilst i sort out tent / dry bags.

If essential ( it is at my age ) its the thermarest air bed. Lightweight and good for all year round use and comfy enough.

[RIP]

Good question.

A sense of the ridiculous .

If I can't have that, I'll go with "water filter".

[MuddyPete]

The hipflask of Bailey's or Amarula I carry to put in my coffee, instead of milk .

[Bearbonesnorm]

Gatewood Cape I imagine.

[thenorthwind]

Are we talking lightweight bikepacking, car camping, or somewhere in between?

A frisbee. Take one on every cub and scout camp for fanning the fire, sitting on wet grass, eating off, keeping headtorch/watch/phone together in the tent, keeping a book dry and many other uses. Mine is yellow and a proper weight for actually playing frisbee with.

That's a very good shout. I do like my Aerobie though. Tricky to transport without a rucksack, being an odd shape for bikepacking bags, and not having any holes. I have, however, used part of a compression sack:

[gecko76]

(wouldn't hold gravy though)

[RIP]

I find that a "Carry On Camping" DVD is always useful for inspirational purposes.

Consider me now banned from this thread for not treating it with the seriousness that it possibly deserves .

[fatbikephil]

I'll go with my BB 8g meths stove - had it for 9 years now and it's made a lot of brews, porridge and various freeze dried meals... It's burned me a few times too but always makes for a relaxing start to a day going through the whole ritual of filling, lighting, waiting and boiling.

[FLV]

A pillow.

I know it makes me soft, or old... I don't care

For bike camping. I have a sea to summit Aeros (I think), it packs tiny and makes a massive improvement to comfort.

Motorcycle camping. I have a klymit luxe pillow which is fantastically comfortable.

[AndreR]

Swiss Army knife, bought in 1983 and been everywhere with me. Bit bigger than the normal pocket knife and lives in a pouch on my belt, it remembers the days when it was allowed on planes unchallenged! Blades are very worn and struggle to hold and edge now and it is nearly time to retire it and order a replacement.

[Johnallan]

Some interesting replies here.

My camping is usually extremely basic. Literally stopping to sleep, and perhaps boiling some water for rehydrating something.

I'd rarely leave my Neo Air Xlite at home and its probably the single item which has had the biggest impact on how well I sleep, so maybe that's the best thing?

I don't think I've ever needed a knife, let alone a leatherman type tool. That said, I do have a tiny Gerber (dime?) in my oh-sh*t-kit, although its never been used

[Scattamah]

Hands down...Hexamid Solplex. Neoair and Skeletool get an honourable mention.

Greetz

S : )

[RIP]

I don't think I've ever needed a knife, let alone a leatherman type tool. That said, I do have a tiny Gerber (dime?) in my oh-sh*t-kit, although its never been used

I think I'm with you John. As discussed in 'analogue/digital' a while ago, I can absolutely understand the pleasure and satisfaction of simply possessing and handling an impressive tool (oh do behave Tompkinson, per-lease), but I don't think I've ever carried a knife. Then again I guess 'my type' of 'camping' probably has a minimal requirement for skinning a rabbit or whittling a carrot or whatever. I have to admit to a bike multi-tool though which of course usually incorporates a mini-knife so maybe that blows my claim out of the (filtered) water.

I'm still sticking with my waterfilter vote. Without water <melodrama alert> you might possibly not even reach your camping spot at all, and I'd offer that it's also possibly the greatest weight saver of all. A one litre container of water would be the heaviest single item carried on my bike apart from my body. In summer even a pint of water would be (is) the heaviest item.

Again, a nice little thread this. Looking forward to more replies.

(Apologies. I broke my own restraining order. Back to the wilderness I go.. <slinks away>)

[Bearbonesnorm]

I've carried a small knife on the odd occasion but don't recall ever really using it as I found that I can carry out most of the tasks I might use it for, with the handle of my spoon

I would also like to add .... 'the people you go with'

[fatbikephil]

I would always have some kind of knife with me - the wee blade on my leatherman squirt fits the bill perfectly.
It gets used for slicing up things I'm going to eat (eg. pork pies, sausage, carrots found at the road side) but can also be used to cut up string, cable ties, bits of inner tube and anything else that may be used to bodge something on either the bike, my bivvy kit, or me.

You can also use it for a bit of whittling. I've twice carved a rudimentary spoon when I've forgotten my spork....

[RIP]

I would also like to add .... 'the people you go with'

Heh heh, yes I like these "soft" (*) type of items too .

(*) not as in "Stop Being Soft", as in "not physical"

I've twice carved a rudimentary spoon when I've forgotten my spork....

It's a fair cop, you/knife wins .

[javatime]

Surely it must be a head torch, any head torch ?

[gecko76]

Second the Swiss Army Knife. Most used is probably the scissors, but given you can use one to whittle a spoon, with time I reckon a frisbee isn't unachievable.

[Specialist Hoprocker]

A decent set of earplugs. And if I may have a second, a wooly hat i can pull over my eyes when I'm sleeping.

I struggle to sleep if there is noise and light!

[JohnClimber]

A frisbee. Take one on every cub and scout camp for fanning the fire, sitting on wet grass, eating off, keeping headtorch/watch/phone together in the tent, keeping a book dry and many other uses. Mine is yellow and a proper weight for actually playing frisbee with.

Gecko, I doff my cap to you.

I started reading your post
"A frisbee. Take one on ever"

I thought.... how ridiculous....

By the end of your post I was searching for lightweight frisbee's

[JohnClimber]

Apart from a light weight frisbee (see above)

I love my nemo tensor insulated regular wide sleeping mat
Wide and deep enough for comfortable side/front sleeping and getting many more hours sleep a night

If I can have a second choice it is a 50mg Sleepeaze tablet taken 30 minutes before laying on the above said mat

[faustus]

Hmm, difficult one. Probably a merino buff. Always pack one no matter what time of year, and useful on and off the bike...pretty much wear one every day in the winter anyway.

[rudedog]

Depends on the type of camping

Car camping - Exped megamat, is like sleeping on a normal bed.

Bikepacking - Big Agnes copper spur ul1 tent, ticks all the boxes ; lightweight, roomy, small packsize, decent ventilation - only question mark is on its durability (only used it on three trips so time will tell)