Camping Checklist, Preparing for Camping
I love camping! Ever since I was a little girl my family held a week long family camp out with my mom’s sisters and their families. It was always my favorite time of the year. Now I’m grown with kids of my own, and thankfully my family still goes camping once a year, and I get to join them with my own little family! Many may not know but a lot goes into preparing for a week long camping trip in the mountains of Wyoming and Idaho. There are no showers, electricity, cabins, running water, outhouses, nothing! We have to take up everything we will need for the entire week, including drinking water! So in order to remember everything we need, we rely greatly on camping checklists!
Camping Checklist: Be prepared for Camp.
Sometimes I can be a little OCD, so I usually organize my camping checklist to ensure I don’t miss anything. Maybe our list will help you when you prepare for your next camping trip.
Camping Checklist-Shelter:
- Tents- you want to be sure you have a shelter which can withstand wind and rain. Always check your tents before you go to ensure they have not sustained any holes over the year in storage.
- Ground cloth or tarp to protect the tent from the rough ground.
- Stakes
- Door mat to help prevent tracking of dirt and mud into the tent
- Broom and dustpan to clean out the tent throughout the week.
Camping Checklist-Bedding:
- Sleeping bags for each family member
- pillows
- Extra blankets (it always gets extremely cold in the mountains, our mountains is normal to be around 15 degrees at night even in the summer)
- air mattress/sleeping pads
- air pump
Camping Checklist-Clothing:
- Shoes, good hiking shoes are a must. Also pack extra shoes that can get wet. We always spend time in the water while camping.
- Jeans. You want long pants with a durable texture for the times you are hiking, to protect your legs from brush, poison ivy, and bugs.
- Shorts, even though it gets cold at night, it still gets hot in the day, You want cooler clothes for while you are hanging around the campsite.
- t-shirts and 1-2 long sleeved shirts
- Socks and extra socks,
- Hat
- jacket
- underwear
- sleep clothes
- rain gear
- swimming suit/towel
- laundry bag
Camping Checklist-Personal:
- towels, wash clothes
- soap in plastic case or zip lock bag
- toothbrush/tooth paste
- deodorant
- Comb/brush
- Toilet paper
- Personal Medications
- Allergy medication
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Contact solution, carrying case, etc
- Eye glasses
Camping Checklist-Misc:
- First Aid kit
- Lantern/flash light
- batteries, lots of batteries
- whistles
- Water, lots of drinking water. Average 8 cups of water a day per person, and multiply by the number of days you will be gone and that is your drinking water.
- Water- for cleaning, first aid, running of camp, etc. This is extra water you need to transport up that will be used for washing dishes, washing hands, face, etc.
- camera, camera bag, extra batteries, extra SD card for plenty of room for pictures
- Books for down time
- Hobby equipment, camping is the perfect time to enjoy hobbies, so bring them along. Musical instruments, crafts, crochet, knitting, etc.
- Games! Camping is always all about spending time with family playing games. We always have a large array of card games we all play in between meals.
- camp chairs
- sun glasses
- fold up tables for meals
- Shade Canopy
- Tissues and paper towels
- pocket knife
- Trash bags. Whatever trash we take up, we always bring back down, so having extra trash bags is a must.
- rope- this is used for a vast array of uses, but also very handy for make shifting a clothes line to dry wet clothes on.
- Clothes pins.
- paper and Pen, to record your thoughts, experiences, or make notes of what you can bring next year to make the camping experience even better.
Camping Checklist-Cooking:
This section varies rather dramatically because it all depends on the type of camping you are doing, how long you will be camping and if you will be camping with other people or on your own. Since we always go camping with my large extended family, we don’t have to worry about every little thing because different family members have different cooking utensils and we all share. So since my dad has the 3 burner propane camping stove, I don’t have to worry about bringing something to cook on. But here is a basic list which you can expand if needed.
- Cooler, you need something to keep your cool foods cold, so coolers are a very important part of cooking utensils
- Frozen water. We always recycle water bottles, or Soda Pop bottles we’ve gathered for a few weeks before we leave camping, wash them out, fill them 3/4 with water and freeze them. Then we use these as the ice in our coolers to keep the food cold, but also as they melt we then have cold drinking water to use while we are camping.
- Stove for cooking, or utensils for campfire cooking.
- Dutch oven and utilities-always a favorite camping meal
- Matches, lighter or fire starter. If you are in a place that allows camp fires, you need something to start the fire. Plus these come in handy when starting your propane ran cooking utilities.
- Paper cups, plates, bowels, plastic silverware, etc. Disposable eating is usually my favorite way to go when camping, it means less water we have to carry up for washing dishes, and less work we have to do while up there.
- cooking utensils, stirring spoon, spatula, etc.
- Pots and pans for cooking
- Ziplock bags
- napkins
- seasonings
- potato peeler
- Anything else specifically needed for the meals you plan.
- Food, all the food you have planned for you camping trip.
Now that you have a great camping checklist, you can start packing and going through all the camp preparations. Happy Camping!
Great checklist! Thanks!! It will be very helpful for me when I go camping!!!
What a helpful checklist you created! We haven’t been recently, but this is a great guide for when we go again!
We went camping 2 weeks ago and forgot seasonings (but remembered the salt) and forgot playing cards. It was just the two of us so we spent one day just staring at each other! Luckily our section was shaded so we would go for walks
My husband and I are going to follow your check list. Much more organized then mine. LOL
looks like fun
Great checklist…so thorough, thanks!
Great checklist! I make lists for everything lol.
Thanks for sharing this list! I was planning a camping trip this summer for my kids.
I love camping! We’re going this summer, i’ll have to Pin this checklist so I can find it easily!
I’m not a camper, but I’m going to hang onto this checklist just in case! Some great things here that, as someone who’s never really camped before, I’d totally overlook or not even think of!
Love this checklist. We are going camping for a week this summer. This will come in handy. Thank you.
I do not camp but this is a great list for my guys. I’ll be sure to share it with them!
Some of those Matches that always light even when wet are worth bringing.
Great list and tips. I went on my first trip last year and was surprised how much stuff I needed
What a great list and tips!!! I have never been camping, so this would be great for when we decide to go
I love it!!! We go camping a lot and this is a super great list. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Great post! We went camping with the kids last September and I was amazed at how much we had to bring for the two of them.
Thanks for the comprehensive list!
This checklist is awesome! I printed it and put it with our camping gear. Woohoo! I can’t wait to go camping one day and NOT forget anything! I’m so awful like that and totally needed this list.
My brother and his fiancee are all about camping!! I’m sending this post over to them right now 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I am more of a “glamping” gal myself. In Canada, they have these fantastic “tent” called hutopia’s with 2 king size beds, an indoor table and chairs, a fridge and an outdoor gas stove. We still needed to go elsewhere for the bathroom. Great list though.
Great check list! I’m not a big fan of camping. I have OCD to cleanliness and the thought of sleeping outside grosses me out! And don’t get me started on bugs! eek! I am planning on camping this summer so my kids don’t miss out! i’ll definitely refer to this list!
What a comprehensive post! I need to go camping with the kids. I am scared,lol!
I am not a big outdoors kind of girl. Think of the Parent Trap (The original) and I’m the future step mom. I like my luxuries! However, I too am a big list writer. I love the list! I’m sharing it with a girlfriend who is a big camper. Thank you for the share!
Woo Hooo. We camp a lot and this is a fantastic list. Thanks so much!
My daughter is using my tent next weekend to go camping with some friends. I am definitely going to tell her your idea about using a mat to keep from tracking stuff in. We always have that problem and I have never thought of using a mat. Thanks for the suggestion!
This is a really great list for camping. Definitely takes the guesswork out of it!
My family just moved to Minnesota, and we are so excited to go camping this year! Thanks for the amazing camping tips!
what a great checklist you provided! our family use to go camping all the time when i was little but its been 10+ years since i last went.
Great checklist! Lots of ideas and very helpful as I am currently (as in, right now!) coming up with a list we can use each time we go camping, as we are planning on going next weekend! We love camping and we’re pretty extreme about it. As in doing our dishes on site, tenting it, and not using a real potty! That’s all okay in my book. It’s amazing to be in the middle of nowhere with family.
I would add: (which I may have overlooked on your list!)
Different types of coats (light jacket, coat, and hoodie – which is comfy to wear to bed when really cold)
Duct tape
A million pairs of sock – it always seems to rain and your socks and shoes get soaked!
Extra underwear – to always feel “fresh”
Axe or firewood
A mixture of already prepared meals and those that require actual cooking
Citronella candle and fly swatter!
Aloe vera – to soothe those sunburns that always seem to happen regardless of the times you put on sunscreen
Oven mitts
Good knife for preparing food, along with steak knives – don’t need to be high quality. I like keeping a cheap set just for camping
Small tote to use as wash basin along with tea kettle to warm up water for washing
2 totes to put all the stuff in!
2 coolers – one for drinks and one for food! We always run out of room even if we are only going for a couple days (and it’s even just my husband and I!)
..thanks for posting 🙂 I’m here via Pinterest
Pinchin-Pennies.blogspot.com
Tylenol or other pain reliever
I am definitely bookmarking this! My 3-year old has been asking to go camping for weeks and I plan on taking her later this month (if it actually warms up!). Thanks for the great list!
I highly recommend a hot water bottle for getting everyone’s feet warm on cold nights. Once you’re cold it’s almost impossible to get warm. Cold feet will make you miserable and keep you awake. You only need one to share. I felt so guitly on my last trip, when I found out the next morning other people in their tents were freezing. Whilst my family and I were all cozy. It’s a good idea for early or late season camping.
Been camping my whole life. Love it, but it really is so much work.
Great, thorough list. We have packing lists for the kids’ clothes and stuff, but we really need a more comprehensive list like this. I’ll forget the hot chocolate, or the cooking spray, or garbage bags. Maybe I just need a list of things to always keep stocked in our food tub…
I have my own camping check list but your is more complete. Thank you.
Awesome list! One thing I would add to it is battery operated string lights to put around your camp site. I had gotten some for our wedding next summer and decided to take them along last weekend when we camped at the lake, and they were great! I got a lot of compliments on them and everyone thought it was a great idea. They were really nice for lining the path and having back light at our spot. Also, a good pair of tongs is a must.
Hi, A pretty comprehensive list. I may have missed it but depending on the type of camping you do you may need a portable loo and chemicals, or the tools to dig a pit and a tent/screens. Every one likes a little privacy.
My family camped when I was a child, while we didn’t need to carry all our food or water (both are never too far away in the UK) getting two adults, two kids and all the equipment for a three week camping trip into a very small three wheel car (Reliant Robin) was a feat of extreme packing.
Happy camping everyone 🙂
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When I go to the beach to camp in little cabins in the woods I take an old dishpan, fill it with water, and keep it by the door to rinse off sandy feet. I also take a mini brush and dustpan to brush off shoes. (snakes!)All the cabins have screened in porches, and the front door is in the porch. I use a trick I learned in India to keep the airflow going in the cabin, hang an opaque but gauzy curtain about 4-6 inches from the top of the door and about 12 inches off the floor. You have privacy and a nice little breeze coming in. I use a tension rod I bot at Walmart for about $1.00 to hang the curtain from, and just set it in the door frame. Curtains also at Walmart. Also nice to have, a visit to the Dollar Store for placemats, napkins, a rug at the door for sand, cute little pails for silk flowers on the table. Cheap and darling. Home away from home. I also bring all my floor fans from home. Its hot!