This guide will show you how to use the Camping Gear key item to set up Pokemon Camp in the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on to learn how to camp together with your friends, how to get more Toys, and how to change the color of your Tent.

What is Pokemon Camp?

Pokemon Camp is a new feature introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield where players can set up camp and bond with their Pokemon.

In Pokemon Camp you can not only communicate with your own Pokemon, but you can also play with other trainers' Pokemon when you visit other players' camps.

Pokemon you camp with will receive boosts to their Friendship level, as well as Exp. Points once you finish camping. The amount of bonuses they receive depend on how you bond with them during your time camping.

How to Increase Friendship

How to Unlock Pokemon Camp

Pokemon Camp will be unlocked before the first time you visit the Wild Area. In the Wedgehurst train station, your mother and Hop's mother will say their goodbyes, and will give you the Camping Gear key item.

How to Set Up Camp

Unlike real camping, you can get everything set up for your Pokemon Camp with the press of a button!

Go to the Menu

Press the X button on the Joy-con to show the in-game menu.

Select “Pokemon Camp”

From the in-game menu, select the Pokemon Camp option to start camping.

Setup Complete!

Have fun and enjoy camping with your Pokemon. Be reminded that only Pokemon from your party will be present and if the Pokemon is fainted, it will not show up while camping. However, fainted Pokemon can be revived by eating Curry made while camping.

What to Do in Pokemon Camp

Play with your Pokemon

While camping you can play with your Pokemon with Pokemon Toys. When you start camping you will only have 2 kinds of toys – the feather and the ball. Using these toys increases the Friendship level of the Pokemon you are playing with. The feather toy allows you to play with Pokemon that are already in front of you, while aiming and throwing the ball toy can allow you to play with any Pokemon in the camp who grabs it – however, some are better at retrieving the ball than others!

Watch Pokemon Interact with each other

While camping, you can simply wait and watch your Pokemon interact with each other. There are times that they will show how they feel towards other Pokemon in a form of speech bubble.

Talk with your Pokemon

During Camping you can talk with any of your Pokemon to hear about its feelings toward you and the other Pokemon in your party. When not holding a toy, press the A button to call them over and wait for them to come near. When the Pokemon comes close, press the A button again to talk with them.

If two Pokemon are close to you, you will be able to talk to two Pokemon at once to hear how they feel about each other. However, please note that talking with your Pokemon will not provide Exp. Points.

Cook Curry

While in the camp you can cook Curry for you and your Pokemon what this does is heal all status effects and even revives all your fainted Pokemon, as well as giving a boost to a Pokemon's Friendship level. There are over 100 different kinds of Curry possible to make depending on the ingredients you add, as well as a variety of Taste Ratings depending on your performance in making the Curry.
Ingredients and Types of Curry

Camping With Friends at Pokemon Camp

Pokemon Camp is also a great way to share your Pokemon with your friends. At Pokemon Camp, you can play together with your friends' Pokemon, and they can play with yours. Both yours and your friends' Pokemon can increase their Friendship level this way.

Be reminded that you need a Nintendo Switch Online Subscription if you would like to connect to the Internet to camp with friends online; however, you can still camp with friends over Local Connection even without a subscription.

How to Invite Friends to Join Your Camp

There is currently no feature allowing players to specifically invite their friends or other players to join their camp. This means that when you've set up Pokemon Camp, any player who is able to connect to you is able to join your Pokemon Camp.

If you would like players to join your Pokemon Camp over the Internet, be sure to connect to the Internet first by accessing the Y-Comm and pressing the + button.

How to Join Another Player's Pokemon Camp

Check the Y-comm

When another player is camping, a Stamp will appear on the Y-Comm menu. In the top-right corner of the stamp, there will be information on where the player set up camp. If the campsite is in the Wild Area, you'll be able to find the campsite set up when you visit that area.

Find the campsite

Find the camp location in the specific part of the Wild Area with the information you got from the Stamp.

Enter the camp

Enter the camp by pressing A on the joycon controller, then selecting Yes to join in the camp.

Enjoy Camping with Friends

There you have it! You are now camping with your friends; enjoy and have fun playing with other campers and their Pokemon. Up to 4 players are able to simultaneously join one player's Pokemon Camp.

You can play with Pokemon, talk with the other trainers at the camp, play with Pokemon using toys, and cook Curry together with your fellow trainer.

Benefits of Camping with Friends

• You can discover new curry recipes from other players. Players in the camp can share their ingredients with fellow players. This will be advantageous in completing the Curry Dex.
• Your Pokemon will gain more Exp. Points when camping with multiple players.
• Pokemon's Friendship levels increase more when camping with multiple players.

How to Get New Toys

Where to Find New Toys

As you fill up your Curry Dex, you can get more new toys to play with your Pokemon with. Different toys have different appearances, weights, and sounds when you throw them. Playing with Pokemon with many different toys will help increase their Friendship level towards you.

Go to the front of the Motostoke entrance

Go to the front of the Motostoke entrance, and to the left you will see two men standing.

Go to the Camping King

Talk to the man on the right wearing yellow. This fellow is known as the Camping King.

Ask him to rate your Curry Dex

Ask the Camping King to rate your Curry Dex. If you've achieved a given number of entries in your Curry Dex, the Camping King will give you a new Toy to play with your Pokemon with at Pokemon Camp.

List of New Toys

How to Change Your Tent Color

You can change your Pokemon Camp tent color to set your own style while camping. Your tent color will be shown to other people in the Wild Area, so be sure to pick your favorite one!

Go to the front of the Motostoke entrance

Go to the front of the Motostoke entrance, and to the left you will see two men standing.

Go to the Camping King

Talk to the man on the right wearing yellow. This fellow is known as the Camping King.

Change your tent color

Ask the camping king to change your tent color. The color of the tent will be based on the type of the first Pokemon in your party, so be sure to set a Pokemon whose type matches the color you want.

If you're unsatisfied with the color, you can always talk to the Camping King again to change the color.

List of Available Tent Colors

Pokemon Sword and Shield Related Links