Travel Channel 

Camping gear is more sophisticated than ever. Check out this list of stuff you wish you brought, as well as a few everyday items with more uses than you realized. Here's our checklist:

Hydration Pack: There's no need to hump around those heavy, awkward water bottles when you've got a super-light hydration pack.

Water Filtration: Don't get sick, even some water bottles now come with filters.

Mobile Phone: Remember pay phones? Yeah, it's fuzzy for us too. Now you can call for help from almost anywhere.

Two-way Radios: Stay in touch across the park and waste less time locating stray group members.

Waterproof Lighter and Matches: Need we say more?

Handheld Global Positioning System (GPS): Know where you are at all times. You won't need that mobile phone if you never get lost, right?

Leatherman/Swiss Army Knife: All those tools in such a compact package - not new, but still the bomb.

Light: Headlamps, combo lanterns and Mag-Lites - with all this wattage your campsite could be visible from space.

Batteries: Be an eco-star by using rechargeable batteries for all your newfangled camping gear.

Tarp: From ground cover to emergency rain protection, this all-purpose item is a must-have.

Rope: All those obvious uses - and then there's the bears. Tie up your food and hang it high when camping in bear country.

More Stuff for the Modern Camper

• Thermoelectric Cooler: Forget the ice, this mini-fridge plugs right into your car's cigarette lighter.
• Inflatable Mattress: Banish back pain for good with serious mattress action. Or, buy a pool float and you've got two for the price of one.
• Shoes: Shoes aren't just shoes anymore, they're footwear systems. Bring water sandals, hiking boots and rock-climbing shoes for maximum flexibility.
• Tent Heater: This ultimate camping luxury item runs on propane.
• Wet Wipes: For the germ-phobic in all of us - keep a clean camp with baby's pre-moistened wipes.
• Portable Toilet: Several portable waste systems are currently on the market, including Uncle Booger's Bumper Dumper, which, you guessed it, attaches to your car bumper.
• Solar-Heated Camp Shower: A hot shower - decadence in the backcountry.
• Trekking Poles: Work your arms and save your knees.
• Fleece: Stay warm even when storms keep dumping with this tried and true miracle fabric.
• Digital Camera: No film required, which equals one less item to pack in the digital age.
• Bikes: All those fancy shock-absorbing systems need a rough ride, so don't deprive them.
• Frisbee: Nothing new, but the possibilities are endless - Frisbee golf anyone?
• Deck of Cards: One item from the old days that just keeps on giving.