Going camping is a fun pastime, enjoyed by many people. If you’re thinking about going camping, you can make the experience a lot better (or worse) by bringing or leaving the right gear. Let’s take a look at some items you should definitely leave at home. Fragile Items You’re going to be in the wilderness, living out of a tent. Bringing along fragile things like glass, mirrors, pottery or dishes is impractical, and even unsafe, as they could be easily broken in transit. Instead of dishes, bring a mess kit. Mess kits are sturdy, and conveniently collapse down. Gadgets Leave your electronics at home. One of the main reasons people go camping is to disconnect from modern technology and reconnect with nature and family. If you’re worried about emergencies, bringing a single phone is fine – just remember, you may not have reception out in the wilderness. Canned Food Canned food may initially seem like a good choice since it’s nonperishable and sometimes doesn’t need to be cooked – but when it comes time to transport them, they can very quickly weigh down your pack. Additionally, once you’ve finished your meal, there’s nowhere to dispose of the can. You’ll have to carry it all the way back, too. Makeup and Beauty Products Nature doesn’t care about your looks – in fact, it’ll be much harder to maintain a faceful of makeup in a place with no mirrors and limited running water. Save yourself some time, effort, and space in your bag, and just don’t worry about your makeup. Toys If you have kids, you might think you need to bring along all their toys. The fact is, they’ll be plenty occupied. When you go camping, there’s so much to see, explore, and do around the campfire. Your kids won’t need a toy to keep them entertained, because nature will do that on its own. There’s no one right way to go camping. Make your trip suit you, and above all, make sure you have fun! Being out in nature is a great way to de-stress and disconnect from modern distractions and worries. As long as you plan and use common sense, you should be just fine. This article was originally published at SteveFarzam.com