As much as I love travelling to exotic places and big flashy cities, I LOVE travelling North to the Muskoka’s and the Canadian cottage country. There is nothing like relaxing by the lake while surrounded by the beautiful Canadian pines, like an image from the Group of 7 (my favourite group of Canadian artists). But when you’re going to be in the middle of nowhere with no one around and limited shower access what are you gonna do? So what do you pack for a long weekend of camping?

Most important is your SPF. No matter the weather, SPF is extremely important. Even on a cloudy day you can burn. I packed three different SPF products. The first is my sunscreen, the Neautrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen with an SPF of 60. This sunscreen is great! I find it hard to find a good one that isn’t greasy but has a high SPF. I feel confident enough with this SPF that I even put it on my face. The second SPF product I brought along was my Smashbox BB Cream that has an SPF of 15. Although this SPF is quite low, I usually apply it on top of my Neutrogena Sunscreen and I don’t feel the need to reapply throughout the day. Although I don’t see the need to bring makeup or foundation along on a camping trip, it’s nice to have the option of a tinted moisturizer or BB Cream for those days we travel into town to pick up some stuff at the local market. And finally, I always always bring my Blistex Daily Conditioning Treatment that has an SPF of 20. There is nothing worse than burnt lips!! SO painful. Personally I think conditioning and protecting your lips is just as, if not more, important than applying sunscreen on any other part of your body.

After the important SPF products, it’s always important to have soothing products for those ‘just in case’ moments when you forget to reapply the SPF. I’m not very picky with Aloe Vera brands, but I love the packaging and scent of the Banana Boat Soothing Aloe After Sun Gel. Although it’s super soothing, I sometimes worry about applying it on my face just in case it clogs my pores. So in that case I use Bioderma Hydrabio Serum, a super hydrating moisturizer for super sensitive skin, great on those sensitive burns. And finally, for an added boost of moisture and for easy conditioning I love the Body Shop’s Vitamin E Face Mist.

To round it all off, I never go camping or to the cottage without one of my Buff’s. If you’ve never seen a buff before or heard of buffs, they are amazing!! It’s a headband, scarf, bandana, shirt, wrist band and so many more things all roped into one!! Ever watched Survivor? They wear buff’s all the time. My buff obsession can be traced back to my camp counselor years – perfect for those hot showerless days to cover your unwashed hair. My buff is grey with a map pattern.

So what do you bring camping? Have you used any of these products before?