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
For some things, we also had a collapsible hot/cold insulated bag. It’s good for going to and from the store, but not quite enough to refrigerate meat for more than a couple hours.
Thanks a lot for posting this. Good post.
My thought is what is good camping food that can last a 3 day trip with little refrigeration (in ice in a cooler) and is simple to fix- besides smores?
great list really helped!!
Really great list. Helped alot!!!
Good list now I now what to bring tomorrow because u going camping
Really good list now I know what to bring tomorrow because I am going camping
Katy Nay, try packing a few pounds of dry ice in the bottom of your cooler topped by ice and your frozen food items. Between prefreezing items and the dry ice keeping the regular ice cold and from melting, we had to dump ice out of our cooler after our return from a 3 day camping trip. All the food, including the eggs (don’t freeze those! 🙂 ) held up quite well.
Great information glad I have weeks to get ready for my trip.
This is a great comprehensive checklist. Thank you for sharing.
Thing that you might need just in case
Great list , but in my food ice chest , I prefreeze my water bottles of water and put them around my my food , just like ice and saves room to bring more drinks
This was not helpful at all. We’re not supposed to take our whole house for one night under the stars!
have you ever thought about little things like lighters,poket knifes,bottle openers,hot pads
I’m ashamed of myself. Whenever I go camping, I just bring a tent and some clothes. I always bring a nylon string and a fishing hook and a lighter. That’s it. But I think I’ll try to follow this list. It makes my life better.
I’m going to copper cannon camp and i am hoping at least that i go because i love that camp it s really fun and a lot of funny people that go to that camp. and it is really relacing and quiet.
This is a great list for anyone who is planning on going camping ! We are going in a camper and in tents. We will probably need everything.
I would like to add to bring a life jacket and water socks or shoes to the list
What a great post
bring your house on the campsites if gonna bring all that things on the list whay should go to camping your in the concrete ground why you gonna get back to the mountain im tired of that BY THE WAY HAPPY FATHERS DAY !!!!! just kidding!!!!
I agree that this is overkill but some comments are unnecessary – sure for one person it can be minimal, but try camping with 2 adults and 3 kids for 3 nights and see how far that gets you before you want to rip your hair out and drink all of your whiskey on the first night.
Thanks for the list we are going camping as a family with small kids and I didn’t think of about 20 things on the list thanks again. The kikels SLC Utah
We are a family of 8 and to the family of 5, well that would be nice to have just 5… This is our 3rd year with his, mine and ours and we are going for 9 days this time! Yes tent camping in a 10 man tent with dividers. Probable will be bald when we get back, but it is all about the childhood memories… I can always grow some more hair. LOL
Big help for a first timer,
Thanks!!!
Some of these comments are unnecessary and rude. I don’t see it as a list that you HAVE to bring all these things, but they think of all the little things we might have forgotten. It also depends on the kind of camping you are planning. Thanks for the great post! It helped us out a lot.
Great help, but why have the razor?
A lot of these comments are rude! If you don’t need it don’t take it! But if you are alone in the wilderness many of these things could save your damn life!!! And for people with large families like mine, this list is great!!
this was very helpful as me and my family are leaving to go camping tomorrow
great post, thanks this will be my first time camping and this list helped me allot
this is a very long list but it helps to make sure we do not forget any thing
Thank you so much for this great checklist! I’ll pick and choose what suits me, and I’ll be thanking you again in my mind when I’m using the thumbtacks to hold my tablecloth on the picnic table!!
Thanks for sharing. I love the ideal of having extra stuff “just in case” lol. We have 3 week to prepare so this list is helpful. Me and my boyfriend has never done this before and is look for some new adventures!!
All of this information is very helpful. My boyfriend and I are looking for some new adventures and this will be great! we have 3 weeks to prepare so now it looks like we will be prepared!!
UM
Does anyone know how much this will cost I’m going camping for 2-3 days
This list is AWESOME!! It has everything you need. We had a camping list for 40+ years and lost it. I asked everyone I knew if they had a copy of my camping list and no one had one. I found you and lo and behold you have my camping list that I needed so much. Thank you from all of our hearts… we will enjoy our camping trip now. Yay
Helpful list!Thanks! Getting ready to camp on the beach Freeman Park which is in Carolina Beach, NC.
We’ve been camping before, but printed out your checklist so we wouldn’t forget anything. Your list is very inclusive and very detailed. However, it seems you missed packing items for pets, bed, food, leash, etc. Otherwise your list is great.
Goodness! I have two days to load up the car and head out – thanks for the checklist! What is so great, I have most of the suggested items in the house. I am following the list like a treasure hunt, finding things and throwing them in a bucket to go. The one thing I never leave home without – a trusty roll of toilet paper. Many thanks!
No one said you had to take all on the list, the list is to help you. This is very good for first timers and even those who are experts , sometimes we do need a reminder! Great job
Very helpful….thank you!
Not on the list but what I hate when camping is to wake up in the middle of the dark night to empty my bladder. Good thing I found this camping seat cover that fits on top of a bucket. I put in a garbage bag so all I need to do in the morning is carry out this garbage bag in a nicer little bag to where I empty the bag. If you’re away from
a public toilet you can also bring a folded huge box for a little privacy when you use this mini toilet.
to all the negative people ,this is a running list of things you might not think of. It does not say you need to take it all !!!! IF you knew what to bring you wouldnt have looked up this list.HAPPY CAMPING YALL
This is a great checklist, like it says pick and choose the items you need for your camping trip. For some they will need everything and others not as much. Depending how long your trip is. If it’s just one day pack lite if your going for a weekend you will need most of the items if your tenting it.