You need never be short of advice on what to take camping with you, with bookseller's shelves, camp gear manufacturer guides and the Internet all positively bursting at the seams with 'essential lists' and such like which include some truly useful tips. However, one of the most common mistakes made by newbie campers is taking too much gear so a list of what NOT to take could be equally as useful.

Camping, for all but the most hardened campers is not about travelling so light it turns into an endurance exercise but neither is it about trying to transport the contents of your three-bedroomed house to create a home away from home in your tent. One of the great joys of camping is the simplified life it allows, reducing clutter and the surfeit of things we surround ourselves with on an everyday basis.

There is no doubt that as you notch up more and more camping trips your equipment list will become honed to perfection; it is almost inevitable that until you have camped at least once you will have no idea what constitutes essential and what defines non-essential - both lists can be surprising.

Below is a list of those items which you can almost certainly leave behind without missing them one little bit.

Tons of kitchen equipment

If you intend to cook at your camp there will of course be certain items you can't do without. What you won't need however are several pots and pans – depending on your stove you will only be able to use one, or at most, two pans at a time so this should be the number you take.

Utensils are another thing that people tend to over cater with. Beyond a knife, fork, and spoon for each person, a larger spoon for stirring and serving with, a sharp knife and a fish slice for frying, everything else tends to come into the 'just in case' category.

A good Swiss Army knife on multi-tool blade will include the other essentials such as tin opener, corkscrew, scissors etc.

Excess bedding

This is a bit of a difficult one as there is nothing more miserable than not having enough bedding and being cold while you're camping. However, a good quality, three season sleeping bag, a good quality sleep mat and some pillows will be more than enough for most people especially during the summer months.

This may well be something that takes a bit of trial and error to get right.

A cheap tent or low quality equipment

Unless you get extremely lucky these items are quite possibly top of the 'what not to take camping' list. They will let you down (if not this trip then the next trip) and quite possibly put you off camping for good.

Too much food

A crate of canned food, a box full of freeze dried food and the contents of your kitchen cupboards covering all eventualities – three things NOT to take with you camping.

Brits are the worst race possible for taking too much food with them when they go on any sort of self-catering holiday and end up throwing away much of it unused at the end of the trip.

Unless you intend to be hiking into the wilds of North Dartmoor or wild camping in one of the Scottish mountain ranges you are unlikely to be a) far from a food source and b) in a survival situation where lack of food will make all the difference.

Storing fresh food is difficult at camp and will attract vermin and insects. Buy your food as you need it, that way you can travel light in the food department and can ensure you will have on hand only what you need.

Your best clothes

Comfortable and practical are the watch words that should dictate your camping wardrobe. Leave your best and expensive clothes behind – you won't need them and they risk getting ruined anyway.

Excessive toiletries and cleaning products

If you are germ obsessed then it is quite possible that camping will not be the most suitable choice for a holiday. Beyond some sort of hand cleanser to use before meals, washing up liquid and a cloth for cleaning cooking and eating utensils, cleaning products are really not required. What's more, if you are at a more basic camp site you are also risking introducing harmful chemicals into your surrounding natural environment.

Toiletries should be kept to a minimum too. If you use a multitude of different body cleansers, hair products, shaving products etc each time you take a shower then you may want to rethink things a little. Take products which have several uses in one or that can be used by every member of the party.

Elaborate lighting systems

If you want to light up your camp site like a beacon not only do you risk incurring the wrath of fellow campers but you've perhaps missed the point of camping. One head torch each is really all that is required allowing you to leave large torches and lanterns at home.

Hand held gaming devices and electrical items

You may have to prise that portable gaming system out of your child's unyielding hands but camping is an opportunity to remove you and your family from the sometimes anti-social nature and insular pastimes of TVs, computers and gaming devices. There are many options for entertainment while camping which are more of a family affair and sit somewhat better with the ethos of camping in general.

Many electrical items will become redundant unless you have opted for a camp site where you can hook-up to an electricity supply.

The wrong attitude

If you are lacking in the sense of humour department, have no ability to improvise, would never be seen dead without your high heels or can't tear yourself away from the TV or computer for longer than a day then quite possibly camping is not for you.

Successful camping trips are more dependant on the attitude of the people taking them than almost anything else. If your nature is to grumble and moan about the smallest of problems and inconveniences then it is probably best for everyone, including your fellow campers, that you choose a different holiday option.

The four questions to ask yourself when choosing what not to take

• Will it keep me warm or cool, depending on the time of year you are camping?
• Will it bring me the means to provide food and/or drink quickly and easily?
• Will it provide shelter?
• Will it aid with convenience and/or allow me to leave several other items behind?

If the item in question doesn't provide a yes answer to one of the questions above it quite possibly needs to come off your packing list.

As a final point, remember that civilisation is going to be close by (unless as previously stated you intend to wild camp in some isolated area) and although you won't want to be shelling out for every little thing, a few forgotten items or things you opted to leave behind but find you really can't manage without after all, can easily be replaced.