Primitive Camping: Your Guide to Back-to-Basics Wilderness Adventures

Primitive camping offers a refreshing escape from modern conveniences, letting you reconnect with nature and test your self-sufficiency skills. Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or new to off-grid camping, this guide covers everything you need to know—what it is, essential gear, planning your first trip, and some wilderness safety tips—so you can enjoy a safe and unforgettable outdoor experience. Now, let’s dive in so you can get prepared and head outdoors to immerse yourself in this unique camping experience. 

What Is Considered Primitive Camping?

Primitive camping, also called backcountry camping, describes campsites without access to modern facilities. It allows campers to practice self-sufficiency, sustainability, and independence from all our modern conveniences while immersing themselves in nature. Here are the basic principles that constitute backcountry camping. 

No Electricity

These campsites never have power on-site unless, of course, you bring your own. The EcoFlow Portable Power Stations are perfect for the backcountry since they come in a wide range of sizes to suit your camping style. Whether you need a compact, lightweight EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus for backpacking and hike-in campsites, or you prefer to use the powerhouse EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 to dry camp in an RV in the backcountry, there’s something for everyone.

No Running Water or Potable Water

Backcountry sites have no running water. While there may be natural water running water from creeks or streams, there are no taps, spigots, or wells to access potable water. Campers must either pack all of their own water in or be able to treat their water. Treatment options are simple and include boiling water for 5 minutes, using water filters designed for outdoor use, or water purification tablets—although the latter uses chemicals and takes the longest to work.    

No Restrooms or Showers

For a truly primitive site, there will be no restrooms or showers, not even outhouses. You must bring your own toilet paper and dig a pit toilet. A pit toilet is essentially just a hole in the ground dug at least 6” deep that you bury when you’re done. Backpackers will do best with a hand trowel that easily fits in your backpack. Larger groups and families will want to bring a shovel to dig a larger shared pit. You can use dirt or sawdust to sprinkle on top in between uses. While pit toilets are allowed in most areas, you may have to carry human waste out in some national parks and wilderness preserves. Be sure to check the rules of the area where you are going. 

Remote Locations 

Backcountry campsites are usually in remote locations with no immediate access to stores to buy supplies or for emergency help. Their remote locations also mean cell service is often unavailable.

Self-Sufficiency

With no amenities and remote locations, campers must be 100% self-sufficient and pack in everything they need, including food, water, and power. Self-sufficient campers may also need to know how to access some of their needs on-site, such as firewood, safe drinking water, and sometimes even food. This can be through fishing, hunting, or gathering berries, greens, and mushrooms. 

Primitive Camping Checklist

• An EcoFlow Portable Power Station provides portable power anywhere and is available in a wide range of sizes for every camping style. For instance, the EcoFlow DELTA Series Portable Power Stations are ideal for extended trips in the backcountry. They’re powerful enough to recharge devices, run lights, and even run kitchen appliances, heaters, and air conditioners. 
• Quality tent with a good rain fly. 
• Sleeping pad, cot, or hammock.
• Small pillow. 
• Warm sleeping bag.
• Quality backpack for all your gear. Drivers will also want hard-sided storage bins to keep their extra gear. 
• Camp lights and headlamps. Ideally, they should be USB-rechargeable so you can recharge them with your power station.
• Clothing varies widely with the season, but some essentials include a raincoat, warm jacket, warm hat, warm socks, and extra clothing in case you get wet. 
• A lighter or windproof matches, but a flint striker is also advisable for emergencies. 
• Water in bottles and gallon jugs, plus a pot, filter, or water purification tablets to treat additional water. Some sites, especially those in deserts, may require you to pack all the water you will need for drinking, cooking, and washing. 
• Hand trowel or shovel for digging pit toilets and leveling your site. 
• Toilet paper.
• Small first aid kit.
• Emergency kit with a mylar blanket, whistle, and other gear in case you get in trouble. 
• A good multi-tool and some duct tape will help you deal with all kinds of situations. 
• Tarps in case it rains.
• Cooking supplies include a camp stove with propane, pots, pans, and utensils. 
• Dish cloth and towel.
• Biodegradable soap for washing dishes, hands, etc.
• Food, including dried snacks and freeze-dried meals for backpackers. If you’re driving in, you can bring the EcoFlow Glacier Portable Refrigerator to keep your items at food-safe temperatures. It lasts up to 40 hours wirelessly and can be recharged with DC, solar panels, or a portable power station.
• Trash and recycling bags to sort your waste to make it easier to pack it out.
• For summer camping, the EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable AC offers cool comfort outdoors, lasting wirelessly for 8 hours, and you can recharge it in the bush with portable solar panels. If you like to camp in winter, it doubles as a heater to keep warm on chilly nights. These are also great for camping in vans since they’re compact, and you can use them inside or outside to stay comfortable all year round.

Planning Your First Primitive Camping Trip

Educate Yourself and Stay Safe

Your safety—and your family’s—always comes first. Ensure you and your family know how to light, maintain, and extinguish a fire. Never start a fire near dead leaves, wood, grass, on steep slopes, underneath overhanging branches, or in rotten stumps. 

Also, ensure at least one person in your group has basic first-aid training. It’s a good idea to bring a first aid book with you so you know how to deal with any situation. 

Finally, wilderness safety involves understanding what wildlife and even plants in the area could be harmful to you. Learn how to identify and avoid them and what to do if you encounter them. 

Choosing a Campsite

For your first trip, try a site in a state park or national forest close to home, ideally one with cell reception. That way, if you forget essential supplies or get into trouble, you can return home to get them or seek help quickly. When you gain some confidence, you can start taking longer trips further from home. Search online for designated areas where backcountry camping is allowed in your state. For instance, it’s free in many national forests, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) areas, Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), and national grasslands. 

Check Local Regulations 

Also, check your local state rules before heading out. In addition to knowing what areas you can camp in, many states require you to be a certain number of feet away from water sources, roads, or trails. Some sites only allow campers at certain times of the year, and national preserves often have extra regulations or require stringent rules, such as packing out all human waste. 

Packing Provisions

Carefully pack your provisions, since both underpacking and overpacking can cut trips short. Your basic necessities include tents, tarps, sleeping bags, fire-starting supplies, a light source, fresh water and treatment options, food, cooking supplies, and a first aid kit. Use the checklist above to ensure you have all the essentials. 

Practice Leave-No-Trace

Backcountry camping is all about self-sufficiency and immersing yourself in nature, so practicing “leave-no-trace” rules is essential. The seven basic leave-no-trace principles include respecting wildlife, planning and preparing ahead of time, leaving no waste, practicing fire safety, setting up tents only on durable surfaces, leaving what you find behind, and being considerate of other people you encounter while in the wilderness. 

This means that you must carry out anything you bring in. Collect all your trash before you leave, and, ideally, carry out other trash that less careful campers may have left behind. Also, only gather dead and downed wood for fires. Never cut standing trees—live or dead—or branches from trees.

Primitive Camping Tips for First-Timers

• Choose a flat, open, or semi-open site that requires little to no modification. If you have to camp on an incline, place your tent so your head is on the higher ground to prevent unwanted headaches.
• While minimal disturbance is always preferred, you should clear rocks, small woody shrubs, or other materials from immediately under your tent so they won’t pierce your tent. A tarp can also be laid down under the tent for extra protection. 
• Never pitch a tent immediately next to the water. It’s illegal in many areas, and you risk flooding your tent if it rains. 
• In summer, try to find a spot under a tree to provide some relief from the sun. 
• Always stake your tent to protect it from wind and rain. Ensure the ground is not so sandy or rocky that you cannot anchor tent stakes. If unavoidable, you can use rocks to anchor your stakes, or in winter, mound snow over it and pack it down over the stakes. 
• Tarps are strongly recommended if there’s any chance of rain. 
• Whether traveling with your immediate family or especially when solo camping, always tell another family member exactly where you are going and when you plan to return. If you don’t have a campsite picked out, at least know the general area where you’re going and stay in that area. If you change locations and get into trouble, your family will give the wrong information to search and rescue personnel. 
• Take a basic first aid course, or better yet, a full wilderness first aid course, before heading out for the first time. 
• Learn what local wildlife is in the area and which ones you should watch out for, how to avoid them, and what to do should you encounter them.
• When you go out, have a notepad and pen, or use your phone, and make a list of what worked and what didn’t and what supplies you want for next time so you can keep refining your essential gear.
• Finally, have fun. Enjoy disconnecting from the hustle and bustle of daily life and immersing yourself in the breathtaking views of the roads less traveled. If things don’t go exactly as planned, don’t worry—it’s all part of the adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Primitive camping is the perfect way to embrace nature, challenge your self-reliance, enjoy breathtaking views of roads less traveled, and create lasting memories. You can ensure a safe and enjoyable wilderness adventure by understanding the basics, packing wisely, and practicing leave-no-trace principles. Equip yourself with essentials like a quality tent and sleeping bag, tarps, cooking utensils, firestarters, first aid kits, camp lights, and an EcoFlow Portable Power Station to enhance your experience and stay comfortable in any season. Now, start researching your destination and gathering your gear—nature awaits.