Camping Checklist
Preparation is essential for any outdoor adventure. Having the necessary supplies and equipment can make a difference in your overall enjoyment and experience. Checklists are a great tool to help with your organization. Your camping list will vary according to the type of camping and activities you have planned, the places you are going, the time of year and the length of your trip. Add or remove items to suit your individual needs. Please email us with any other items that you would include in your camping checklist.
By popular request, we’re now offering a printer friendly camping checklist!
Shelter
__Tent
__Ground cloth/tarp
__Extra stakes
__Shade tarp/poles/rope/stakes
__Axe or hammer
__Mat for tent entrance
__Dust pan/brush
Bedding
__Sleeping bag
__Sheets/blankets
__Pillow
__Air mattress/sleeping pad/cot/tarp
__Air pump
__Repair kit for air mattress
__Utility bags for storage
Cooking
__Large water jug & water bucket
__Coolers/ice
__Thermos
__Stove with fuel/propane
__Matches/lighter
__Charcoal/firewood/buddy burner
__Dutch oven/tin can stove/box oven/etc
__Campfire grill/BBQ grill
__Fire starters/newspaper
__Tablecloth/thumb tacks/clips
__Plates & bowls/paper plates & bowls
__Silverware/plastic silverware
__Measuring cups
__Heavy-duty aluminum foil
__Paper towels
__Trash bags
__Dish soap
__Clothes pins
__Cooking oil/Pam spray
__Containers for food storage
__Potholders/oven mitts
__Pots and frying pans with lids
__Soap for outside of pots and pans
__Cook utensils-spatula, knife, spoon
__Tongs
__Skewers/grill forks
__Can opener/bottle opener
__Folding table
__Dutch oven
__Pie irons
__Mugs/paper cups
__Mixing bowl
__Cutting board
__Ziplock bags
__Napkins
__Dish pan
__Dish rags/towels
__Scrub pad/brillo
__Seasonings/sugar/condiments
__Potato peeler
Clothes
__Shoes/boots
__Jeans/pant/belt
__Shorts
__T-shirts
__Socks/extra socks
__Hat
__Bandana
__Sweatshirt/jacket
__Underwear
__Sleep clothes
__Rain gear
__Swim suit/towel
__Laundry bag
Personal
__Shower shoes/flip flops
__Towels/washcloth
__Soap in plastic case/shampoo
__Tooth brush/tooth paste
__Deodorant
__Comb/brush
__Razor
__Feminine products
__Toilet paper
__Shower bag or 5 gallon bucket
__Camping shower/shower pump
__Other personal items
__Personal medications – take extra
Miscellaneous
__Sunscreen/chapstick
__Lantern with fuel/mantles
__Extra batteries/bulbs
__Compass/GPS
__Bug repellant/candles
__Whistle
__Water filters/purification/treatment
__Camera/battery/film/video (see photo jigsaw puzzles)
__Books/magazines (a Kindle would be better)
__Candles
__Maps/directions
__Misc. tools
__Backpack/fanny pack
__Fishing gear/license/bait
__Radio
__Musical instruments/song books
__Camp chairs
__Sunglasses
__Hammock
__First aid kit
__Tissues
__Saw/axe
__Park map/guidebooks/trail maps
__Lantern pole or hanger
__Collapsible drying rack
__Popcorn
__Marshmallows, Graham crackers, Hershey bars (Smores)
__Flashlight/batteries
__Pocket knife
__Plastic grocery bags
__Binoculars
__Rope/clothes line
__Canteen/water bottle/coffee pot
__Bungi cords/straps
__Cards/games/toys/golf
__Duct tape/electrical tape
__Notepad/pen
__Reservations info./confirmation
__Cell phone/charger & 2-way radios/walkie talkies
__Small shovel
__Safety pins
__Money/ID/credit card/quarters
__Bikes/helmets
__Travel alarm clock
__Work gloves
__Umbrella
__Hand wipes
__Drinks/snacks
__Small sewing kit
__Fire extinguisher
__Hot chocolate/tea bags/coffee
__Scissors
__Watch
Tell someone of your plans – give details of where you are going and when you expect to return, give directions and possible alternative roads that you may take, provide cell phone numbers, vehicle description and license plate numbers, hand-held radio channel and codes that you will use, and provide local authority phone numbers (State Police, Game & Fish Commission, Sheriff Dept, etc.) for the county or area that you will be in.
Basic First Aid Kit
__Personal medications
__Roll bandages
__Adhesive tape
__Antiseptic wipes
__Sterile gauze pads
__Cotton swabs
__Tweezers
__Safety pins
__Scissors
__Bee sting kit
__Sinus medications
__Tissues
__Bug repellant
__Sunscreen
__Notepad/pen
__Sterile compresses
__Splinting materials
__Personal information/contact person
__Feminine products
__Ipecac
__Razor blades
__Plastic bags
__Small bottle of water
__Blanket
__Other personal needs
__Small mirror
__Triangular bandages
__Misc. Band Aides/bandages
__Anti-acids (Tums, Rolaides)
__Antibiotic cream
__Aspirin/Ibuprofen/Tylenol/Naproxin
__Hydrogen Peroxide
__Ace bandages
__Sunburn lotion
__Burn ointment
__Snake bit kit
__Eye drops
__Poison ivy cream/cleansers
__Heat/cold packs
__Small flashlight
__Latex gloves
__Antibacterial soap
__Thermometer
__Coins for emergency phone calls
__Antibiotic soap
__Butterfly bandages
__Twine
__Mole skin for blisters
__Road flares
__First aid manual
__Nail clippers
Additional First Aid Tips
- Take a First Aid class and a CPR class – keep current on this information
- Keep supplies in a well marked, durable, waterproof container
- Keep the contents organized
- Know how to use everything in your first aid kit
- Inspect content often, re-supply as needed
- Keep readily available at all times
Need more tips and ideas for camping? Check out the ultimate guide to family camping
Thank you!
I was just wondering the basics im 13 and im going cmping today and i wanted to make sure i hade all the basic stuff u need for a camping trip these people must think we are going out in the middle of know where.
This is a great list. Obviously you wouldn’t take everything on it, but it was sure handy for me to check through it and make sure that I had everything I (personally) would require for camping. Thanks so much, I’ve been consulting it all week as I’ve been preparing!
for a two week camp this list is fab – i had most on my list already but this identified some gaps – thanks
cool list, i know i cant take it all but get to take all i need.
Thanks for the list. We are leaving tomorrow and I was missing a few items. 3 boys and the hubby. One thing to add would be long sticks for marshmallows. If you have to buy them at the campsite, they can be expensive and sometimes you can’t find good ones in the woods if it is a popular site. We usually tent but this year, we got the cabin-the baby can’t do 100 degree weather.
I don’t agree with most haters on here, when my one son was 4 yrs. old, he accidentally drank some lake water at yogi bear and got really really sick.The camp store ONLY had alka seltzer for his upset stomach(vomit and diarrhea), we only gave him a tiny bit and didn’t know it had aspirin in it, he ended up having an allergic reaction- his face swelled up and he couldn’t breathe, ended up having the ranger ambulance him to the nearest ER in the middle of the night-they hit a deer on the way-luckily he was ok in the end after several shots and fluids but we packed up and went home with him vomiting in the car all the way. Better to be prepared for ANY emergency. With kids, you have to remember their meds(like children’s tylenol) and your own.
Oh and the great thing about camping…….
It keeps my boys unplugged from the video games and television!!!! In the age of technology, yes, even with all that stuff on the list, it is camping. When you sit with your kids around a fire at night in the woods and tell each other stories, that is family time you can’t get at any hotel.
Great list! I will be using it this weekend. I noticed however that maybe Life jackets and water shoes should be added.
We really needed these when we went camping last week for the kids!
FYI-Kindle is the electronic e-book device. Kindling is what is used to start a fire. Thought I’d clarify…
BTW-GREAT LIST!
what is feminine products
Great reference for anyone going camping!
Thank you! Oh, and Alex…if you have to ask
Then you don’t need to know.
this list if very good it covers all kids of camping trips… i look at it every time i go
Wow! that was some amazing list! that totally made my day! thank you so much!
Alex: Pads and tampons for if a woman is menstruating.
The more you know…
This list sucks. May as well stay at the Holiday Inn Express!! Do yourself a favor. Pack light and enjoy improvising.
For those camping in bear country you should have:
Bear spray (required),
Bear bangers,
Electric fence.
Very, very comprehensive list, it’s great!!!
(I never got the most of those items, even, for home!!!)
It helps a lot, when you organize a trip to check what things could you take, what you already have and what are you able to buy before departure
It would also be a good idea to have a firearm with you as well–you can never be to safe
Great list! It is very complete and will help if going on a long trip or short trip…you can just cross off stuff you don’t need. I appreciate having this list because it makes camping trips much easier.
The last trip we used the camper after our nephew and he used up all the paper products. If I would have had this list…my life would have been much easier! Thanks
I suggest bringing your Bible. It’s nice to get in touch with the Creator who made your awesome camping surroundings and the people you share it with!
This list was so amazing guys. Totally awesome. Cant wait for the trip of a life time. Gosh you made my day!!!!!
Don’t forgett the herbs!
Angie – buy sticks? You are camping. Bring a pocketknife, find a stick and whittle the end to a point. Now, if you were doing kebobs, then I’d say yes, bring your own skewers (metal)…but not for marshmallows.
Hey I like the list, quite comprehensive – marshmallows IS essential indeed.
But I have to say, hikers and campers need to remember to hydrate! I had a dehydration issue last year when I was in the Sierra Nevada and could not find potable water under a burning sun. Needless to say, water bladders, hydration packs are important if you are serious about hitting up the wilderness right. I know that http://sourceoutdoor.com is known for their hydration systems, pretty much every other trekker I meet has their water pack.
List is very helpful, thanks a lot!!
Just wanted to added that mosquito spray is very useful as well!!
Erika, bug repellant IS on the list, you animal… Thanks for the list, it makes me feel very …listy.