Skip to content

Basic Mobile Camp Kit List & Notes

Packing for a mobile camp is quite different to packing for a standing camp. You’ll be walking most days carrying a full pack with all your clothes, equipment and food, so it’s important to only bring the essentials. Part of the challenge on an expedition is choosing what to pack, keeping things light, avoiding materials such as cotton which don’t keep you warm when wet, and minimising doubling up on too much (sharing things like tents, suncream etc). You’ll need to pack in a way which keeps things dry but allows quick access to the items that are most needed throughout the day (see the drawing at the bottom of the page for how to pack!)

The following list for a typical walking mobile camp. Your campchief will be in touch with a camp-specific list which will have further details on items such as which map to bring along. If you’re on a cycling or canoeing camp, the requirements will be different and your camp chief will let you know what to bring.

If there is any part of the kit list and notes which gives cause for anxiety or you have trouble getting hold of, please let us know on the Camper Information Form or via your camp’s organiser. FSC has some equipment we can lend – do get in touch if you feel this would be helpful to you!

Kit List

  • Lightweight tent – If you have one. Get in touch if you’d like to borrow one. See Note 1)
  • Rucksack (See Note 2)
  • Roll-top drybags or strong plastic bags (See Note 3)
  • Warm sleeping bag (See Note 4)
  • Sleeping mat
  • Waterproofs (See Note 5)
  • Boots (See Note 6)
  • Warm fleeces or woollen jumpers, x2 (See Note 7)
  • Synthetic trousers/leggings, x2 – Including the ones you wear for the journey (not jeans: they are very cold and heavy when wet)
  • Shirts/t-shirts, x2 – including the one you wear for the journey (at least one with long sleeves for protection from midges and the sun)
  • Thermal base layer tops and bottoms x2 which can be worn in bed (See Note 7)
  • Normal underwear
  • 4 pairs comfortable thick socks that can be worn in boots (See Note 6)
  • Lightweight shoes e.g crocs or sandals but nothing heavier (for evenings and crossing shallow rivers)
  • Swimming costume
  • Warm hat and warm gloves – Essential for extra warmth in the evening
  • Sun hat or cap
  • Small washing kit – toothbrush and very small tube of toothpaste is fine
  • Small towel
  • Eating things – Instead of a plate bring a Tupperware type container with secure lid, big enough for meals (about 800ml volume) + mug, knife, spoon or spork
  • Personal robust water bottle that carries at least 1.5L of water (See Note 10)
  • Small torch and spare batteries
  • Sun cream – small tube or plan to share with sibling or friend
  • Matches in waterproof container
  • Penknife – If desired
  • Compass – If you have one
  • Midge net hood – With clear name tag. (See Note 8)
  • Midge repellent (See Note 8)
  • Map (See Note 9)
  • Small first aid kit for blisters – Compeed is good but a bit expensive
  • Emergency rations to be kept at the bottom of the bag just in case e.g. kendal mint cake

Notes for kit list

NOTE 1: TENT

  • When we are carrying our tents they can be split up into poles, pegs, flysheet and inner tent to share the weight between the people sleeping in it. We need tents that are lightweight per person using the tent (ideally no more than 1.5kg per person). If you do not have a tent then you will be able to share with someone who does have or borrow an FSC tent.

NOTE 2: RUCKSACK

  • For most people 55 – 65 litres is a good rucksack size. Your rucksack must be big enough to carry all your own belongings and some shared kit and food.  
  • The length of the back is crucial and sometimes it is tricky finding a rucksack for a smaller child/teenager with enough volume but a short enough back length. Smaller people may need to have a rucksack that it is a bit of a squash to get everything into; in which case it becomes even more important to keep down the weight and volume of what is carried. Some rucksacks have adjustable backs which should get the back length just right for the wearer. 
  • Although having the correct back length is essential, it is good if possible for your rucksack to be big enough to pack fairly easily, without too much squeezing things in and certainly without having to dangle things off it! Don’t forget the extra space needed to carry food, stoves, fuel etc.
  • The rucksack must have a comfortable padded waist belt (so you can share the load between your shoulders and your waist) and some sort of internal (soft or hard) frame.
  • Smaller people are usually keen to do their share of carrying communal kit but we are very careful to not overload them too much. There is a balance to be found between the ‘cost’ of carrying a bit more than is comfortable or best for a person and getting to remote beautiful places to camp where we will eat up our food and fuel and reduce our loads. 

NOTE 3: DRYBAGS/STRONG PLASTIC BAGS

  • Rucksacks are almost always NOT waterproof (even if they say they are), so you need to put all your clothes and bedding inside several layers of strong plastic bags or in ‘drybags’/roll-top ‘expedition sacks’. 
  • Drybags can be bought in camping shops or online. Plastic bags are fine, but do get rubble sacks (available from Homebase) or rucksack liners (sold in camping shops) to line the rucksack, then strong carrier bags inside as a second layer. It is very easy to underestimate the number of plastic bags needed: make sure you use two layers and bring spares as they can split.
  • If using drybags, spares aren’t necessary. We think they are great but realise the cost of all these small items adds up.

NOTE 4: SLEEPING BAG

  • It will get cold at night and so a warm sleeping bag is very important (3-4 season rating). Synthetic sleeping bags are recommended for most campers as they retain much of their effectiveness when damp, are easier to clean, and less costly.  However, some older more experienced campers may prefer down/feather bags which are warm, light and pack away smaller.  A silk or fleece sleeping bag liner will help with insulation. Please bring an insulating mat which will add significantly to warmth.

NOTE 5: WATERPROOFS

  • WATERPROOFS MUST BE THOROUGHLY WATERPROOF. You need a jacket and over-trousers. Very lightweight fabric will not stand up to camp conditions. Test waterproofness under a shower or hose!

NOTE 6: WALKING BOOTS AND SOCKS

  • Walking boots must be worn because we will be walking with full rucksacks over rough terrain. They must have good ankle support and good grip/tread on the soles. Leather or fabric boots are fine. New leather boots need to be ‘walked in’ before camp. 
  • Nice walking socks make boots a lot more comfy (they usually have loop stitch on the inside to allow movement to happen within the sock rather than between layers of skin causing blisters. Thin cotton socks do not protect the feet very well (even as a second layer) and cause blisters because they hold a layer of water against the skin. 

NOTE 7: WARMTH

  • Keeping warm is very important. Bring fleeces or lamb’s wool type jumpers. At least one should be thick for cold evenings and high places. COTTON SWEATSHIRTS AND HOODIES ARE NOT WARM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WET, so PLEASE do not bring these instead of fleeces or jumpers – it would not be safe. Look at the labels on clothes to check the fabric.
  • As well as your two warm fleeces or wool jumpers you will have one or two sets of thermal underwear/baselayers. Again, cotton is no good, so bring items made of either merino wool or synthetic ‘thermal’ fabric.
  • The rest of your clothing must be kept to a minimum – in the great outdoors no-one will mind if you wear the same t-shirt several days in a row, and if the weather is dry we can wash our clothes by a stream.

NOTE 8: MIDGES

  • Midges can be very irritating, so a midge head-net is very useful for the evenings and mornings to keep midges away from your face, neck and ears. Please label it clearly with your name. Insect repellent will also help to protect against midge bites on arms and hands. ‘Smidge’ is one such brand.

NOTE 9: MAPS

Everybody having a map is empowering and means navigation skills can be learned by all. The map will be specific to your location and can be bought online at https://dash4it.co.uk/. The details of the map required for camp will be specified by the campchief before camp. Waterproof maps are preferred, however we still recommend bringing a clear plastic bag or map case for them for wet weather.

NOTE 10 – WATER BOTTLES

  • We may need to treat water from some wild camping sites in which case we will use a group water filter, chlorine tablets or extended boiling water. If a personal water filter bottle is something that might be useful for your child / family (and affordable for you) then there would be less water to treat for the group and that would be helpful for FSC. If you do buy one, make sure it removes bacteria (e.g. Water-To-Go) not one that just makes tap water taste better (e.g. Brita).
  • We’ll usually only need to carry about 1 litre of drinking water, but there are some sites where it may be useful to have 1.5-2 litres capacity per person to carry more water a short distance. Strong disposable or reusable plastic drinks bottles are good – metal bottles tend to be quite heavy, so avoid if possible.