Camping Checklist Suggestions

[renodesertfox]

Howdy,

Camping Checklist

Don't get stressed if you're packing and it's your first time out. As with any other vacation, the key to remembering the items you need to take along is to make lists. Tailor your list to your trip; you can carry more in the back of a car or in a canoe than you can in a backpack.

You can add or subtract camping gear from your trip according to how much room you have or how much weight you want to carry. Camping from a car is very different from camping from a backpack.

However long your list, resist the temptation to bring useless gear; you won't need a portable iron, steam machine, hangers, shoe polish, or other "citified camping gear" for your encounter with the outdoors. Of course, an outdoor vacation does require some specialized equipment and supplies - you'll find information about that camping gear throughout our articles. Then, you can make informed choices as you decide which of the items described next you're going to need.

Nearly everyone has a friend, or at least an acquaintance, who's familiar with some of the camping gear needed for a basic camping trip. Call on these people to help you begin your list. Who knows—maybe your friend can lend you some camping equipment. The other option is to visit specialized camping stores and talk to those in the know. Explain what you're doing, what you think you need, and how long you expect to be outdoors. Good camping outlets hire salespeople who actually go hiking, camp, and vacation outdoors on the side. Consult these people for “insider's” advice on equipment and planning—they may even offer tips on good hiking and camping locations in your neck of the woods.
Camping Checklists

In the fullness of time, you'll develop your own way of organizing an outdoor camping vacation yourself. In the meantime, here are some camping checklists that you can add to and build on. As you consider bringing any of these items, always remember weight (especially if you expect to hike to a destination). Many of the items listed are nice to have, but in no way necessary for the success of a campingtrip. Some seasoned backpackers would consider a few of them downright gratuitous!

Wilderness guides, nature guides, and novels are some of the extras that campers may want to take along. Expect that something will be forgotten, and try to improvise.


The Basic Camping Gear Checklist (for a weekend outing):

• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping mattress
• Tent
• Food
• Water
• Pocketknife
• First aid kit
• Flashlight
• 50-foot lengths of rope or nylon parachute cord (in bear country)
• Waterproof matches and a butane cigarette lighter
• Camp stove
• Appropriate clothes
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Topographical map of area
• Compass
• Whistle
• Toilet paper

General Camp Clothing Checklist

• Chamois shirt
• Hat, bandana, or duck-billed cap
• Head netting (can be included as part of cap, above)
• Hiking boots
• Synthetic, wool, or silk long underwear
• Quick-drying synthetic pants
• Rainwear
• Running shoes or sandals
• Shorts (lightweight synthetics can double as bathing suit)
• T-shirts
• Waterproof utility bag for clothes
• Windproof jacket
• Hiking socks

Personal Effects Checklist

• Backpack
• Compass
• Extra flashlight batteries
• Extra pair of glasses or contact lenses (with solutions)
• Full-size knife
• Garbage bags
• Matches
• Self-sealing sandwich bags
• Sunglasses
• Water container (canteen)
• Water purifier

Kitchen Checklist

• Biodegradable dishwashing detergent (optional)
• Extra stove fuel
• Fireplace grill
• Food
• Pots and pans
• Spatula
• Water carrier

Personal Hygiene Checklist

• Comb or hairbrush
• Dental floss
• Gardening trowel (for burying waste if privies are not available)
• Towelettes
• Nail clipper
• Shaving supplies
• Soap
• Toilet paper
• Towel
• Washcloth

Good luck and happy camping!

[Scrib]

Great list!

[CamperAllen]

Great List! I have one that I put together in excel. I actually made it on one of our trips, just started keeping track of things we had forgotten and what do you know, our list was born. I ended up getting a rubbermaid tote and putting the list and some of the things we would always need in it. It's a timesaver!

[Sford13]

I have read a couple of places and would tend to agree that the whole checklist thing is really un-necessary. Especially with the low price of storage totes these days. I have a tote that has my tents and tarps for under the tent in it. Than I have a tote with all the camping stuff. And last but not least I have a tote with flashlights, lantern, first aid kit, and items like that. Don't need a list just need three totes and the sleeping bags and we are off.

I often too am amazed at what we have made camping into these days. I can remember when my parents would take us camping at a family reunion every July. There was a tent, sleeping bags, flash light, lawn chairs and food. Very simple and we survived. Now we take everything but the kitchen sink with us and sometimes we find a way to even take that.

When it comes down to it as long as you got fire, food, and shelter the rest is really non-essential. However in this day 'roughing it' has become alot more plush than it was. Of course now we have gourmet meals on our stoves when back in the day it was bologna and chips.

I hope to as a new father myself to not make camping too complicated. I want to show my daughters that you can have fun eating bologna and chips and don't need all the gadgets and a semi-trailer to haul your camping gear.

[renodesertfox]

Well put, Sford13. I too have a number of bags that stay loaded just for camping and are only used for camping. I use to use totes, but are bulky just by themselves. Now it's bags. Also I keep our WJ loaded with these bags. My wife has her car and I have mine. The jeep is for camping, hunting and fishing, although I recently cleaned her up after not washing her for a good 6 months. Camping doesn't have to be complicated, one just has to be prepared. Thanks for your opinions but there are plenty of families that would like to go camping but they don't know where to start. A camping list is like a kick in the pants to get people interested. If you don't use one that's okay too. We also always take way too much food because we never know what we are going to eat. But now my better half insists on a menu list and sticks to it every time we go so we aren't taking food like we use to. I miss those days.

[Sford13]

I am not saying that a list is necessarily a bad thing. But we tend to over kill on our list. If I was totally new to camping and saw some of the check list that are out there, I would never even consider camping. Just pointing out that a tent, sleeping bags, cooler, flashlight, and matches is really all that is needed for a successful camp. The other stuff is fluff that we have added over time. Camping would be much more appealing in my opinion if we presented it as a little less all in at the beginning.

Compare it to fishing. All you really need is a bamboo pole, line, hook, bobber and a worm to catch fish. But if I gave you my checklist you would think you need half of Bass Pro's inventory to start with.

I think lists are good, but I also think that we get a little carried away how we present them at times. Again just my opinion.

[AllPelican]

A Flashlight is a very important part of you camping check list

I agree a flashlight is a very important part of any camping checklist. It never fails you are out at night and have to look for something in a bag or worse have to use the restroom. It is nice to be prepared and have a durable flashlight on hand to help guide you. I particularity like pelican flashlight co their flashlights have a rugged abs molded cases that are very bright to illuminate your way through the darkness. Good luck with all of your camping adventures and be safe!