Must Haves for Girls Gone Camping

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps to keep this site running – thank you!

The following camping must-haves post has been written by Grace Sumrall, a self-proclaimed girly-girl who has perfected her packing for the outdoors.

---

Let’s face it girls – lizards, bugs, and spiders are not for many of us. They look best in the pages of National Geographic or turned into cute animation characters named Rango. 

Yet we put up with these slimy creepy crawlies (and mosquitos! – best pack that bug repellent gear) once or twice a year in order to please our men – when we go camping.

Now I am a girly girl to the core (like this girl) yet I have been on my share of weekend holidays under the stars and in the wilds to please my fiancé and prove to him that I can be a low maintenance girl. 

Don’t get me wrong.

I still love these trips and spending time with him in the outdoors can be so refreshing and exciting. In the process, I’ve managed to bring my outdoors packing skills down to an art.

My camping must-packs

I always make sure to carry:

• my trusty Lancome Bienfait
• my Old Navy tanks and shorts
• my running shoes (or flip flops, depending on where we’re going)
• my sleeping bag and sleeping pad
• a first aid kit
• dehydrated food
• a stove
• a solar panel which works perfectly well in place of a generator for our appliances

• Check out these cool camping gadgets for your next trip!

Other camping essentials

My fiancé found some great portable solar panels that we could bring along for our trip. We take a panel meant for charging our mobile phones and laptops and another to light up our tent for when the dark gets overwhelming.

I throw in some granola bars and BelVita crackers (I’m a grazer so I need these), some undies good for travel, a pair of spare socks (the hiking kinds, which are lighter than the regular kinds) and I’m good to go for a weekend almost anywhere.

Still lookin’ good while hiking

The first time my fiancé (then boyfriend) asked me to go camping, I had a horrifying time packing. 

I love my heels and have a hard time going a day without them. The thought that I’d have to leave them behind for two days while we traipsed around in bulky boots made me shiver with horror. 

But luckily I discovered athletic running shoes specially meant for hiking that I could wear in place of boots. They look like moccasins but have tough rubber soles. They are comfortable, quite cute and so far have smoothly taken on all the lightly rugged terrain I’ve been to.

I pair these with shorts (not too short to avoid wedgies while hiking) and tees, or my Nike capris that hug my curves, and a fitted workout tank. 

In fact, there are a lot of cute workout clothes that can double as your camping wardrobe. (Editor’s note: We recommend checking out Fabletics!) I don’t have to worry about looking like a high school tomboy in slouchy t-shirts and cargos.

At the same time, I’m still comfortable and can walk for miles without complaining.

Packing makeup for camping & outdoors trips

Yes, just because I’m going to be mucking about in dirt all day, it’s not a crime that I want to still look pretty while doing so. 

I just go for a simple natural look, nothing special. But of course, I keep my makeup light and use some beauty packing hacks.

I always pack a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30 and the Lancom Bienfait is perfect for quick application and easy absorption. The sun and the dirt can dry out the skin and cause some serious damage, so moisturizers are an absolute must. 

In addition, you can pack a light tinted lip gloss and a highlighter cum concealer for light natural-looking makeup.

• Check out our low-key traveler’s beauty kit for inspiration.

---

He has changed my outlook on camping. I really enjoy our trips together, and I’m proud to have perfected my packing to the bare essentials.

What are the essentials you have in your backpack for an outdoors adventure?

About the Author: Grace is a creative writer and student with a passion for telling stories. She loves reading a good book and spending time with her soon to be husband. They enjoy traveling and are always on the go.