Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Camping Essentials & Places to Camp
15
items A practical shortlist of camping gear for solo nights, friends' getaways, and family trips - plus some beautiful places to pitch a tent. Put together by Khanyah, a nurse and mom who loves a proper braai under the stars.
Sections
2
Camping Gear for Solo, Friends & Family Trips
Beautiful Places to Camp
Camping Gear for Solo, Friends & Family Trips
Well-reviewed camping essentials picked for everything from a solo weekend to a family trip. Practical choices a busy nurse and mom would actually pack.
A dependable, no-fuss family dome that's easy to pitch and handles wind and rain well - a classic that comes up again and again for budget-friendly camping. I haven't pitched it myself, but it's the tent most parents and first-time campers I've helpe...
Coleman Sundome Camping Family Person
A compact synthetic sleeping bag rated for cool nights that packs small - a solid choice for car camping and family trips. I haven't slept in it myself, but Therm-a-Rest's regular mummy is a go-to pick for first-time buyers.
Thermarest Regular 20 Sleeping Bag
A lightweight, self-inflating sleeping pad that's easy to roll up and comfortable on uneven ground. I haven't slept on it myself, but it's one of the most-recommended budget pads for solo and family camping.
Thermarest Original Sleeping Pad
A sturdy, insulated folding chair with a comfortable backrest that's held up well for generations of budget camping. I haven't sat in this exact model myself, but it's the classic no-frills camping chair that most first-time campers I've helped gear ...
Intermountain Insulated Camping Folding Backrest
A lightweight, waterproof rechargeable headlamp with a strong beam - a must-have for midnight bathroom runs and early-morning braai prep. I haven't taken it camping myself, but BioLite's reputation for build quality and battery life makes it an easy ...
BioLite Rechargeable Waterproof LED HeadLamp
A bright, weatherproof lantern with long battery life and USB charging - a dependable workhorse for lighting a campsite after dark. I haven't taken it camping myself, but the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 is one of the most recommended camping lanterns fo...
Goal Zero Lighthouse Portable Camping
A compact portable stove system that boils water in minutes and packs down small - ideal for solo trips and light family camping. I haven't cooked with this exact model, but Jetboil is the brand most first-time camper friends of mine gravitate toward...
JetBoil Flash Camping Backpacking Stove
A dependable 24-quart hard cooler that keeps ice for days and holds a decent grocery run's worth of supplies - a workhorse for family camping and weekend braais. I haven't ice-tested it myself, but the Igloo has been the default family cooler in so m...
Igloo Insulated Cooler Quart Blue
A small, no-pump water filter you drink straight from - a light insurance policy for treating stream water on remote camping trips. I haven't used this one myself, but LifeStraw is the personal filter most people I know reach for when they want to dr...
Amazon LifeStraw Personal Filter Remov es Bacteria
A compact, well-organised first-aid kit that covers grazes, cuts and sprains for a small group - the sort of kit a nurse would expect in any camping car. I haven't packed this exact kit myself, but Adventure Medical's Sport 'n Out is the kit most cam...
Adventure Medical SP24 Out Kit
Beautiful Places to Camp
Some of South Africa's most breathtaking wild camps, plus one iconic international favourite - the sort of spots I love picturing for myself, a few mates, or the whole family. These are listed from park and park-service pages; I haven't stayed at all...
A stunning sandstone and red-wildflower park in the Free State with well-maintained SANParks campsites - a lovely road-trip stop. I haven't stayed there yet, but it keeps coming up in South African camping guides.
Golden Gate Highlands
Where the Tsitsikamma Forest meets the sea - Storms River Mouth is one of the most photographed wild-camping spots in South Africa. I haven't camped there myself, but it's a firm favourite in every South African camping list I've read.
Sanparks Tsitsikamma Park
A rugged, remote wilderness in the Western Cape with SANParks-managed wilderness trails and basic camps - a real escape. I haven't done a Cederberg trip myself, but it keeps appearing as one of South Africa's best wild-camping areas.
Cederberg Wilderness
South Africa's iconic wildlife park - SANParks runs several self-catering and backpacker campsites where you can camp with the bush and big game right outside your tent. I haven't camped in Kruger yet, but it's the most famous camping safari destinat...
Kruger National Park
One of the world's most famous camping destinations - the NPS-run Yosemite has everything from developed family campgrounds to remote wilderness sites under the giant pines. I haven't camped there myself, but it's a bucket-list spot I love picturing ...
Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service)