Posted by Ryanc | May 14, 2015 | http://www.beyondthetent.com/simple-family-camping-checklist/
Packing up for a camping trip can be stressful. Often times my family will have the goal of leaving our house by 8 am only to find ourselves pulling out of the driveway around lunch time.
Our late departures are usually due to not being packed ahead of time, forgetting and remembering camping items, and questioning what to bring.
Only once we fully embraced our camping check lists did we find ourselves leaving on time and with a bit more peace of mind.
ABOUT THIS CAMPING CHECKLIST
We have organized this checklist to be easy to read, show the importance of each item, where to buy it and any other info that we can provide.
Importance Ranking: After each item you will see a number which indicates the level of importance for that item. Importance was calculated based on average park camping during the peak camping months of June-August. So if you are camping in a more secluded area or during Fall, Winter or Spring, adjust our importance rankings accordingly.
THE COMPLETE FAMILY CAMPING CHECKLIST
SHELTER
Shelter is your most important gear for any camping trip. Investing in a high quality tent is the single most important investment investment in camping. A high quality tent will be durable, easy to set up and take down, weather proof and able to withstand high winds.
- Tent – 10
- Tent Repair Kit – 9
- Tent Footprint – 9
- Extra Stakes – 5
- Stake Hammer – 6
- Tent Fan – 7
- Dust Pan/Brush – 2
- Tent Rug – 2
SLEEPING
Proper sleeping gear is essential to an enjoyable camping trip. If you are cold, uncomfortable or hot while sleeping, you will be tired and find your camping trip going sour rather quick.
- Sleeping Bag – 10
- Sleeping Pad – 8
- Pillow – 7
- Sleeping Cot – 9
- Air Mattress – 5
- Extra Blankets -2
- Ear Plugs – 2
CLOTHING
We recommend purchasing your family camping clothing from either Cabela’s or REI as both have a wide selection of camp clothing for men, women and kids as well as a wide range of sizes. Here is a post we did last fall about some of our favorite camping clothing.
- Long Pants – 10
- T-Shirts – 10
- Sweat Shirt – 10
- Long Sleeve Shirt – 10
- Socks – 10
- Undies – 10+
- Hat – 9
- Thermal Underwear – 8
- Hiking Boots – 8
- Shorts – 8
- Rain Jacket – 7
- Bandana – 6
- Water Shoes / Sandles – 6
- Bathing Suit – 5
- Beach Towel – 4
- Dirty Clothes Bag – 3
GEAR
Without the right gear, camping can become rather miserable rather quick. Here is our essential gear with recommendations.
- Back Pack – 10
- Water Filter – 10
- Flashlight – 10
- Lantern – 10
- Thermacell – 10
- Bug Spray – 9
- Pocket Knife – 9
- Camp Chairs – 9
- Rope – 9
- Duct Tape – 9
- Drysacks – 9
- Solar Charger – 8
- Hydration Pack – 8
- Day Pack – 8
- Head Lamp – 8
- Compass – 7
- Cooling Towel – 6
- GPS – 6
- Hammock – 5
- Screen Tent – 5
- Clothes Wash Bag – 4
- Fire Knife – 4
- Binoculars – 4
- Folding Table – 4
- Lantern Pole – 3
- Large Umbrella – 3
- Child Carrier – 3
PERSONAL
Personally I try to go rather minimal on personal items while camping. I never bring deodorant and try to go minimal on soaps as well.
- Toiletries – 10
- Water Bottle – 10
- Sunscreen – 10
- Glasses – 9
- Soap/Shampoo – 3
SAFETY
- First Aid Kit – 10
- Emergency Water Filter – 10
- Bug Sting Ointment – 9
- Aloe Lotion – 8
COOKING
- Cooler – 10
- Cookware – 10
- Utensils – 10
- Cups/Bowels – 10
- Coffee Pot – IR: 9
- Camp Kitchen – 8
- Portable Grill – 8
- Fuel – 8
- Charcoal – 8
- Water Jug – 7
- Trash Bags – 6
- Table Cloth – 5
- Aluminum Foil – 5
- Cooking Oil – 5
- Dutch Oven – 5
- Paper Towels – 4
- Dish Soap – 4
- Skewers – 4
- Pie Irons – 4
- Zip Lock Baggies – 4
FIRE
- Water Proof Matches – 10
- Fire Starting Kit – 10
- Firewood – Purchase at campground, DO NOT bring your own.
FUN
We didn’t feel the need to give our fun items a IR (Importance Ranking).
- Camera
- Memory Cards
- Water Toys
- Footballs & Frisbees
- Ice Cream Ball
- Disc Golf
- Geo Caching
- Glow Sticks
- Cards
- Books
LUXURY / OPTIONAL
We did not feel that giving our luxury camping items an IR ranking was necessary.
- Camp Shower
- Water Heater