So, you’re heading out camping - it’s shaping up to be a great weekend of roasting s’mores, watching the campfire, reconnecting with nature, and recovering from the hectic pace of life. Or at least, it will be if you don’t forget anything. No one wants to be standing in the campsite, hours from town, only to find that no one brought the toilet paper. Sure, camping is all about simplifying and having a little more primitive experience, but even so, it’s worth making sure you’ve got all the gear you need, afterall, it doesn’t take much to change that idyllic trip to the woods into a frustrating mess.
To help you avoid this, we’ve compiled a camping checklist here with all the camping gear you need to have a good time. We’ve broken it down into five major categories: Shelter, Food and Water, Tools, Apparel, and Personal Items.
Since we moved out of caves, man has always needed some kind of shelter to protect us from the elements. For camping, a tent is the obvious choice, though some people enjoy sleeping in hammocks, or under the stars. Make sure your tent is rated for the number of people you have coming on the trip, things can get too cozy too fast if you don’t pay attention. It’s also worth taking your tent out of its stuff sack at home before you leave. Check to make sure it has the fly and all the poles or stakes, and make sure it’s not smelly or moldy.
Shelter from the elements is step one, next is staying warm and cozy thanks to your sleeping bag. Check the weather forecast of where you are planning on camping and look at the overnight low. Is it lower than the temperature rating of your sleeping bag? If so, you’ll need to bring extra clothes or blankets. If you’re car camping, it’s never a bad idea to throw in some extra blankets - worst-case scenario you’re cozier. Sleeping on the ground is not only uncomfortable but cold. A sleeping pad solves both of these issues.
Finally, if the campsite you’re staying at doesn’t have a picnic table and benches, you’ll want to bring folding camping chairs and a table. Even if it does, it’s worth bringing your own chairs so you can set them up wherever you’d like. Check the fire regulations of the area you’re camping in. Are fires legal? If they are, it’s worth bringing your own bundle of wood, it will save you money and guarantee that you can have a campfire. Finally, it’s always worth having a spare tarp in the car. If it gets rainy you can set up an awning to cook under, or use it to back up your tent’s rain fly.
What’s camping without camp food? The best part of sleeping in the woods is cooking over an open fire. So your camp kitchen is one of the most important parts of your gear system. Starting things off is your stove. Even if you’re planning on just cooking over the fire, it’s a good idea to bring a gas-powered camp stove. It will boil water much faster than the fire, and it’s a good backup if it rains.
While you may be dreaming of s’mores, or hotdogs roasted over the fire, don’t forget about water. Check if you’re campsite has drinkable water, if not you’ll need to bring a water filter or pack it in. We recommend about .75 gallons per person per day.
Back to food, people often overlook the little accessories like a cutting board, a can opener, and a corkscrew. Don’t make that mistake and spend an hour trying to open a wine bottle with your shoe! It’s a good idea to just make a small camp kitchen bag and store all of these essentials in it, so you never forget any of them. Throw in a couple of basic spices like salt and pepper, and you’ll always be ready.
Once you’ve cooked your delicious meal, you’ll have to clean up. Bringing a couple of plastic tubs is a great way to do dishes, we like a 2 tub system, one for soapy water and one to rinse. These tubs are good for holding and organizing all your camp cooking gear when not in use, too.
A big part of camping is being self reliant. It’s important to make sure you’ve got the gear to deal with equipment breaking, or other emergencies. Similar to your kitchen kit, it’s helpful to put together a small tool kit. The first thing to include is duct tape. It can patch a tent or jacket, or help in any number of situations. Similarly super glue takes up no space and can come in really handy. Everyone should also have a multitool with a knife, pliers, and screwdrivers, for any repairs, too.
A campfire will provide some light, but it’s still important to bring some more lighting. Make sure everyone has their own headlamp, and has spare batteries for it. Headlamps are far more convenient than flashlights. A communal lantern makes it easier to play games or hang out after dark, without shining your headlamp in your friends’ eyes, and you can notch up your campsite ambiance with some battery powered string lights.
One of the more overlooked pieces of gear is a small sewing kit. Just a few needles and thread can make repairing gear while you’re in the woods much easier. On that note, a few yards of paracord doesn’t take up much space, and is really handy for reinforcing shelters, or just making a clothesline. Even though you’re camping to get away from the distractions of life, it’s worth bringing a portable power pack. That way if there is an emergency you won’t get stuck with dead phones. Finally, a trusty hatchet. Sure, it helps chopping firewood, but it does so much more, from pounding in tent pegs to cutting down s’more sticks.
Any clothes can be camping clothes, but there are a couple of things to remember. It’s a good idea to avoid cotton, as soon as cotton gets wet, it doesn’t help you warm back up, it just keep you cold. So think about wool or synthetic layer you can pack. One downside of these more technical jackets is embers from the fire can melt holes in them, so if it’s not raining, it might be a good idea to throw on that cotton flannel.
No matter what season it is, it’s always worth bringing extra warm clothes just in case. Pack an extra puffy, pack some spare underwear and socks, and make sure they are somewhere dry. If it rains, you’ll really appreciate having some emergency rain gear, even a disposable poncho is much better than nothing. Gloves and a hat or beanie are always a good idea, too. Even if it’s warm during the day, it often gets shockingly cold at night.
Finally, a pair of camp shoes or sandals is a great call. Just make sure they’re easy to slip on and off. You don’t need to be able to hike in them, you just want something comfortable that you can wear around the camp, and slip on easily if nature calls when you’re in your tent.
These are the little things that can make or break a camping trip. There’s nothing worse than going to put on your reading glasses in the tent, only to realize they’re still on your bedside table. Aside from eyewear, there are a couple of essentials. Even if you’re camping somewhere with established toilets, bring you own TP. You never know when it could run out, and it’s also just handy to have around camp, and makes a great firestarter. Also, in a dirty camp environment, wet wipes are a godsend, helping everyone stay clean.
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