Ladies, love the idea of camping, but afraid of looking bedraggled and feeling overwhelmed by the end of the trip?  For us women who are more posh than sporty, the idea of vacationing down-and-dirty in the great outdoors can seem daunting.  But worry not; you don’t need to become a mountain woman to survive a camping trip.  Just bring some extra girly essentials beyond the sleeping bag, tent, and headlamp, and you’ll impress the boys with your camping grace and style in no time.

MISS A KIT: A traditional pocketknife, gone girly.  The Miss A has the usual knife, corkscrew, and scissors, but also a hidden perfume bottle, nail file, sewing kit, tweezers, flashlight, pen, and, most importantly, a mirror.

MAKE-UP: Face it, most of us look better with make-up than without, so the trick when camping is to just make it look natural--and use products that also protect you from the elements.  Try a tinted moisturizer with high SPF (Laura Mercier has one), a colored lip gloss with SPF (Revlon and Kiehl’s, among others, offer them), and mascara that’s waterproof, so it won’t smudge in the water or when napping on the beach.   

NO-RINSE SHAMPOO or TALCUM POWDER: When showers aren’t available, try No-Rinse Shampoo to clean your hair without water, or just brush a little talcum powder through your hair to soak up grease.

ANTIBACTERIAL WIPES & NEOSPORIN: These wipes will be your best friend when you can’t bathe, but get the moisturizing kind to keep your skin from getting too dry.  Also good to keep little cuts and scrapes clean; bring Neosporin to fight infection, as well.

POCKET PACKETS OF KLEENEX: Good to always have in your pocket in case there’s no toilet paper wherever you go to the bathroom, or get a case of the sniffles from dust, water, or wind.

FEMININE PRODUCTS: You might think you won’t need them, but you’ll really be sorry if the unexpected hits when you’re 500 miles from the nearest store.  

CUTICLE CUTTERS: Until you get back to your manicurist, these will help keep you from being driven mad by hangnails and dirty, broken fingernails acquired in the wilderness.

SARONG: Forget the towel, just bring a sarong instead--and use it to double as a blanket, skirt, dress, shawl, or scarf.

BANDANA: Another multi-functional piece of fabric, a bandana can be used as a scarf to protect your neck from the sun, a washcloth for your face, a napkin when eating, and a head wrap to hide messy hair.

COWBOY HAT: When all hope is lost for your hair, throw on a hat--a packable, flexible-brim cowboy hat always looks cool, and protects your face from the sun.  

PRESCRIPTION SUNGLASSES & STRAP: A hip pair of sunglasses helps hide tired eyes, and, if they’re prescription, are a good back-up for contacts.  Just make sure you wear your shades with a strap so they don’t fall off when hanging over a cliff or the side of a rocky boat.

About the Author: A former Hollywood producer and now 2nd-generation travel professional, Susan Michelle travels the planet as the “face” of the fashion-forward Compass travel lifestyle brand. For more articles, tips, and hot spots from Susan, and community with fellow Cosmopolitan Travelers, visit http://www.CompassTravel.info. Or write her directly at Susan-Column@CompassTravel.info.

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