40 Common English Camping Words

Camping is an outdoor activity where a group of people spends time with nature, far away from the city.

In this post, I’ll discuss some common camping words, their meanings and how to use them in your own sentences. Firstly, I’ll talk about camping equipment (all the things you need to carry with you before you set out on the trip). Then, I’ll discuss some words that you can use to describe the scenery (nature) or environment (place) around you. Finally, I’ll mention some of the popular outdoor activities (things you do outside) which are often an important part of the camping experience.

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Camping Equipment Vocabulary

Below are some of the many items you’ll find inside a camper’s (the person who is camping) backpack.

1. Backpack

A backpack is a large bag or sack with straps made of sturdy (strong) material that can carry several items. A person can wear it on their back and keep walking. 

Marina’s backpack was very heavy for the seven-day camping trip.

2. Binoculars

It’s a handheld device (a piece of equipment) that lets you see far-away objects up close.

Using his mother’s binoculars, he spotted a rare bird half-hidden in the top branch.

3. Boots

Boots are a type of shoe, usually made of strong material, that covers the whole foot and reaches up to or past the ankle.

Laura matched her white dress with a pair of knee-high red boots.

4. Bug spray

Also known as insect repellant, it’s something that you usually spray from a can onto your skin. It’s used to keep mosquitoes and other insects away.

If you’re spending the night outdoors, don’t forget the bug spray!

5. Camera

A camera is a handheld device that lets you take pictures of your surroundings.

She has taken so many pictures on her camera, it’ll take a while to look through them.

6. Compass

A compass is a handheld device that contains a magnetic needle to point to the directions north, south, east and west.

With a compass and map in hand, you’ll never get lost in the woods.

7. Dried food

Sometimes to preserve a food item or to make it last longer, the water is removed from it. This is called dried food and includes dried nuts and berries, powdered milk, instant coffee or soup and snack bars.

After we lost the trail, we spent two nights in the forest. Thankfully, we had dried food with us to keep away the hunger.

8. Map

A map shows a geographic area. It may be printed on paper or looked at on a cellphone with GPS (Global Positioning System).

If you’re traveling to an unknown place, always carry a map with you.

9. Marshmallow

A marshmallow is a soft, spongy candy usually made of sugar, water, gelatin and corn syrup.

I gave the child a packet of marshmallows to chew on while we walked.

10. Match

Matches or matchsticks are small sticks (made of wood and covered with a material that can catch fire easily) inside the matchbox or tinderbox. You scrape them against the box or a rough surface to light a fire.

The wood wasn’t totally dry, so she had to use many matches and a bit of kerosene oil to light the fire.

11. Radio

A radio is a device that turns radio waves into sound. It can play music and news from a radio station.

We didn’t have phone service deep in the woods, but Alex’s radio played pop music.

12. Rope

Ropes are strands (strings) of long fibers, cords or wires that you can use to tie something.

If we’re going to climb this mountain, we’ll need plenty of strong rope.

13. Sleeping bag

A sleeping bag is a long bag, padded or lined with a soft substance, that you can spread on the ground and sleep in. You can easily roll it up to pack it.

I fell asleep in my sleeping bag while my sister was telling a ghost story.

14. Tent

It’s a small, temporary shelter (a place to stay) made of fabric or cloth, like nylon or canvas. It’s held up by poles, and you can sleep in it. 

It was Ron’s first camping trip, and it took a while for him and his friends to set up the tent.

15. Torch

It’s a portable device that, when switched on, emits (shines) a strong light in order to see in the dark. It’s also called a flashlight.

Rose woke up in the middle of the night to a strange noise. She took a torch and went outside to see what was happening.

16. Water bottle

A water bottle is a container used for carrying water.

Mother gave us extra water bottles for the trip.

Words for Describing Camping Scenery

Below are some words that’ll help you describe the environment around you when you’re on a camping trip.

17. Bushes

A short clump (mass) of plants, usually a single plant, is called a bush. 

Zoya tore her dress while trying to clear a path through the bushes.

18. Campfire

A fire that’s built outdoors, preferably near a camp, is a campfire. Similarly, a large fire built using wood and logs is called a bonfire.

We had roast chicken, cooked over a campfire.

19. Campsite

The place or ground where one is camping is called a campsite.

Reya left the map at the campsite and ran back to get it.

20. Canopy

The leaves and branches in a forest form a roof that lets some sunlight enter the forest floor, forming a canopy.

Although it was afternoon, the canopy was so thick and the forest so deep that we could barely see through the darkness.

21. Countryside

This word refers to rural areas (places far away from the city) filled with trees and greenery.

She took some wildflowers from the countryside and put them in her hair.

22. Forest

A forest is a fairly large area that has a thick growth of trees. It’s also called the woods.

It isn’t safe to spend a night alone in the forest, especially if there are wild animals around.

23. Greenery

As the word suggests, greenery refers to green plants.

Her grandmother’s garden was filled with greenery.

24. Lodging

Often in the countryside or in the woods, you’ll find certain buildings or lodgings where one can stay for the night. A one-story building, usually made from wood, is called a cabin.

The couple found lodging in a cabin in the mountains.

25. Mushroom

Mushrooms refer to the fungus (a group of organisms that produce spores) that grows on decaying wood. While some are edible, most are poisonous and aren’t to be eaten.

The children were excited by the different types of wild mushrooms they saw in the forest.

26. Terrain

Terrain is another word for a piece of geographic land.

We were very tired after a two-hour walk over mountainous terrain.

27. Thicket

Similar to bushes, a thicket is a dense (thick) growth of short trees or shrubs.

The kid was chasing a rabbit who disappeared into the thicket.

28. Undergrowth

It refers to the lowest part of the forest floor beneath the thicket and bushes that are filled with saplings (young trees), moss, grass, herbs and small plants.

Rey found a worm in the undergrowth.

29. Wildlife

Wildlife refers to the animals, birds and fish that are found in their natural habitats (homes). These animals are undomesticated (not pets).

The local wildlife in this forest includes bears, foxes and wolves.

Vocabulary for Camping Activities

Below are some of the many interesting activities one can take part in as a camper.

30. Adventure

An adventure is an experience that’s filled with excitement, and sometimes even danger.

Spending a night lost in the woods was a very memorable adventure.

31. Birdwatching

Also called birding, this is an activity where one spends time outside watching birds, often with the help of binoculars.

Birdwatching over the weekend taught us a lot about the feeding and mating life of birds.

32. Exploring

Exploring often involves traveling to a new place and paying close attention to one’s surroundings.

In the morning, Ben went out to explore and found an old tent deep in the bushes.

33. Fishing

This word refers to the activity of catching fish.

Dad reminded us to bring the bait as he went fishing in the river.

34. Scavenger hunt

This activity is a treasure-hunting game that you can play as individuals or in teams. Someone hides several objects and then everyone else has to find them. The team that finds the most objects wins!

They set up a scavenger hunt for the entire campsite and everyone had a great time. 

35. Geocaching

Geocaching is a fun outdoor game where one looks for containers or “caches” using a set of geographical coordinates (a set of numbers or letters) on their phone or a GPS device. 

It’s like a more modern version of a scavenger hunt. 

My friend told me that if I liked treasure hunts, I’d enjoy geocaching.

36. Hiking

A hike is a long, usually uphill walk. Similarly, a long, tiring journey made on foot in mountainous terrain is called a trek.

The energetic tourists hiked up the mountain path.

37. Rock climbing

This is a sports activity where one climbs rocky walls, usually with the help of ropes.

He joined the university’s Mountaineering Club so he could practice rock climbing.

38. Scouting

Scouting means searching and exploring an area to find certain information.

She went scouting for wild nuts and berries.

39. Stargazing

This is the act of looking up at the night sky and being able to observe the stars and identify different constellations (specific patterns of stars) and planets.

You can use a telescope (a device that makes distant objects look closer to you).

As a child, I’d often fall asleep outside, stargazing.

40. Skipping stones

This is when you throw flat rocks on the water in such a way that it bounces (jumps up) off the water surface (top of the water). You can do this when you’re camping next to a lake!

He became so good at skipping stones, that he set up a stone-skipping competition. 

How to Practice English While Camping

I like to believe that anything can be turned into a learning experience. Even a camping trip might provide a great opportunity to learn and practice your English skills. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Tell stories around the campfire. Whether you’re with your friends or family, you can spend the evening sitting in a circle, telling each other ghost stories or sharing funny memories. This will help in developing your speaking and listening skills.
• Play memory games. You can also try playing memory games. A simple version of this is when each player takes turns choosing an item. When it’s your turn, you have to repeat all of the items already said before adding your own item. The person who remembers all of the items without making a mistake wins. It’s a fun way to grow your vocabulary!
• Find out the English names of local trees and animals. Spending time with nature is an excellent way to learn the English names of local plants and animals. This way, you’ll be able to develop both your general knowledge and vocabulary.
• Write about your camping trip in a diary. Finally, you can sharpen your writing skills by writing about your camping trip in a diary. If you’re out camping, spend a few minutes before sleeping to note down the various things you saw or did during the day. Later, you can turn those notes into a story or an essay.

When you get home, you can practice your camping vocabulary and find even more words and expressions on the FluentU program.

 

By now, you know several camping words and have enough ideas to plan a trip. You may be familiar with some of the words already, so focus on the new ones and write them down. Read through your list once or twice to memorize it.

And, when you’re sharing your camping adventures with your family or friends, be sure to use these new words!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)