Camping Checklist
Recommended Prep
From our experience, we'd recommend the following things to prepare before camping.
Test New Gear
Test and install any new equipment or gear ahead of time, i.e. make sure you know how to setup tents, etc.
This really sounds like a no-brainer, right? But kids and work and chores eat up all our time, and this gets shoved to the bottom of the list. However, there's nothing more frustrating than going into the middle of the wilderness, realizing you don't know how to use your new gear, that you left the manual/instructions at home, and spending half the day trying to figure it out :D
Check Batteries/Fuel/Expiration of Gear
Check the batteries or fuel for any gear and charge any devices.
- Cell phones
- Cameras
- Lanterns
- Flashlights
- Head lamps
- Stove
- External batteries
- Walkie talkies
In addition, check the expiration dates / life span for any chemicals, sprays, filters, etc.
- Insect repellent sprays
- Water purifier solutions
- Water filter
- Cleansing wipes
- Packaged foods
Set Walkie Talkie Channel
There is usually no cell phone signal in the wilderness area, so walkie talkies are useful to have if people split off from the main group and need to communicate, or for use in emergencies.
If you have walkie talkies, bring them and set to Channel 9, Subcode 5.
Download Driving Directions
Depending on where you're going, there might or might not be cellular signal. We'd suggest downloading or printing destination address/location info and driving directions ahead of time. Or download offline maps onto your smartphone ahead of time. Here is where walkie-talkies are useful to communicate between cars while driving in areas with no cellular signal, provided we keep the cars close together.
Check Car
Check the following things for your car:
- Pump up gas
- Check tire pressure
- Clean windshield
Camping Items
Following are items we find useful for camping, not all of which are required, but might make for a nicer experience :)
For car camping, you can pretty much bring anything and everything as long as your car can haul it.
For backpacking, though, weight matters since you'll be carrying everything on your back. If we can afford it, we shell out the money for lighter-weight camping gear that can be used for both backpacking or car camping instead of having different sets of gear. For backpacking, pack only the essentials. You need to be able to carry everything in your pack and leave your hands free, in case we need to climb over boulders, etc.
We've only ever gone "pseudo" backpacking, where we hike less than half a mile to where we plan to camp :P So most of the equipment that we purchased or recommend below is geared for that purpose, not necessarily for hardcore or thru backpacking :)
Backpacks (for Backpacking)
If you're backpacking instead of car camping, everything has to fit in or on your backpack, and the total can weigh anywhere from 30-50 lbs depending on what you put in it. So, it's important to get one that fits right. There are external frame backpacks and internal frame backpacks, each with its pros and cons. Which one is best depends on where you're going, how long you're trekking, the terrain, and how heavy your load is. For more detailed comparison:
Flash Tactical: Internal vs. External Frame Backpack Guide
It's important that the backpack shoulder straps sit on your shoulders without gaps, has a chest strap, and the waist strap sits on your hips to carry most of the weight (otherwise you'll end up with aching shoulders). Best is to go in the store to try out different backpacks for the right fit, preferably with weight in it.
It's important that the backpack shoulder straps sit on your shoulders without gaps, has a chest strap, and the waist strap sits on your hips to carry most of the weight (otherwise you'll end up with aching shoulders). Best is to go in the store to try out different backpacks for the right fit, preferably with weight in it.
More than a decade ago, we just started out with cheap external frame backpacks that we picked up at the Salvation Army store. Now that we can actually afford better packs and need to carry more stuff with the kids, we decided to plunk down money to get better backpacks.
These are the backpacks that we ended up buying:
- Osprey Men's Xenith 75
- Osprey Women's Aura AG 65
- REI Co-op Tarn 65 Kids Pack
- REI Co-op Tarn 18 Kids Pack
- Deuter Fox 40 Kids Pack
Tents & Accessories
Over the years, we've upgraded our tents and gathered more accessories to make the backpacking and camping experience nicer :p
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Tents & Poles
For car camping, the type of tent doesn't matter as much. For backpacking, though, the weight matters a lot. Tents with hubs connecting the poles and clips to attach the tent are much faster and easier to set up than tents with sleeves and separate poles. Hubby wanted to carry a tent as light as possible, so we shelled out money to get backpacking tents weighing under 4lbs. Either your back hurts or your wallet hurts, haha ;) Since we have five people, we bought 2 tents, one for 3 persons and one for 2 persons so that we can split carrying the tents between Hubby and me, and each tent is lighter than a 5-person tent. Hubby snores when tired, so as a bonus I can sleep separately with Little J for a quiet night :D
The backpacking tents we purchased:
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Stakes
Don't forget the stakes! They are needed to keep the tent from blowing away when windy. Some tents don't come with all the stakes needed for both the tent and the guy lines, so you might want to purchase additional stakes for very windy days.
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Tent Footprint (recommended)
Consider also getting the corresponding footprint for your tent (usually expensive and thin) or just a general-purpose tarp (much cheaper but heavier and bulkier) to serve as a barrier between the tent and the ground so that your tent doesn't get damaged or absorb moisture. Another option is to get an all-weather space/emergency blanket. It has a reflective surface to reflect heat back to your body in very cold conditions, can be used as a ground cloth, or as a tent footprint (which will actually reflect heat back to the tent).
General Purpose Tarps:
Space / Emergency Blankets:
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Hammer (optional)
We originally bought a heavy hammer for hammering the stakes for when we went car camping:
For backpacking, we originally didn't bring a hammer. if it's not windy we don't stake the tent, or if we need to, we try to find a rock to do the hammering. However, there were windy days when we wished we had a hammer, so we ended up buying a lighter weight hammer: -
Hand Brush (optional)
We bring a brush if going car camping to use for cleaning off the ground tarp or tent bottom. When the ground is moist or wet, it's quite dirty to pack up without cleaning it off. For backpacking, we might or might not bring it depending on whether we want to carry the extra weight.
Sleeping Bags & Pads
We started our camping days with $15 sleeping bags from Wal-Mart, and quickly found that we froze our butts (and other body parts) when camping in colder temperatures. So, of course, over the years we chose to have our wallets hurt more than our bodies and uprgaded our sleeping bags and accessories :D
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Sleeping Bag (rated to at least 30F)
We originally started with cheapie sleeping bags from Wal-Mart, and ended up freezing at night. We then upgraded to sleeping bags sold at Costco, which were plenty warm but very bulky and heavy. We couldn't hack it when having to backpack with the kids and their stuff. So, we finally just bit the bullet and got lighter smaller sleeping bags. Unless you anticipate growing, get the smallest sleeping bag that fits you. It'll be more compact and lighter weight to carry, not to mention warmer at night. I actually fit a youth size bag (yes yes, I'm petite), which is less expensive than an adult size. Mummy shape bags are more compact, lighter, and warmer than rectangular shape, and ones with a relaxed foot box still allow plenty of room for legs to move and breathe. We've camped in places that hit temperatures of 30s at night, so get a bag that's temperature-rated accordingly.
Sleeping bags that we purchased:
- Marmot Ultra Elite 20
- REI Radiant Kids 20 (I got this for me since I'm short anyway)
- Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 Sleeping Bag - Men's
- REI Lumen Kids 25
- Kelty Woobie Kids 30
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Sleeping Pad / Mat
The ground is hard and cold. Unless you want to stay up the entire night looking at the stars instead of sleeping, I'd suggest getting a pad to put underneath the sleeping bag. Mats have different R values for insulation, with higher values providing more insulation. Since we're not camping in extreme weather, and we have decent sleeping bags, we got inflatable sleeping pads with a lower R value that pack up lighter and smaller.
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Pillow (optional)
We originally didn't bother carrying extra pillows since we liked sleeping without pillows anyway. As we got older, however, we found we needed pillows or our backs would complain. We tried to stuff extra clothes into the sleeping bag stuff sack, and that served as a decent pillow without any extra weight. Eventually, though, we caved and splurged on inflatable pillows. These are the ones we ended up purchasing:
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Space Blanket (optional)
These are thin lightweight foil blankets that reflect body heat. Not necessary in mild weather, but good to have around in case of sudden cold or weather change. Can use these in lieu of sleeping bag liners. Sturdier ones also double as a ground cloth or tent footprint.
Lighting
Our lighting equipment has also changed and been upgraded over the years :P
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General Lighting
For general lighting around the campsite, use a brighter lantern or use multiple ones scattered across the campsite area.
Following are various types of lanterns we've used:
- Propane - We used to use propane lanterns, which meant bringing matches, mantles, and propane fuel. The lanterns are bright, but heavy with the propane. They are also a possible fire hazard if tipped over and would not be safe to leave unattended, or with rowdy kids.
- LED - There are now many types of LED lanterns, some of which run on standard cell batteries, some of which can be recharged via a USB cable, some of which are solar. The solar / USB charging kind are nice because they're bright enough, lighter, don't need to carry additional batteries of the right size, and I can bring an external battery/charger that can be used to charge a variety of devices, not just the lantern, or we can charge via solar as well. They even sell solar LED lanterns that are inflatable, so they pack up small. Eventually, we intend to invest in a solar charger, then we don't need to worry about running out of juice. Following are solar inflatable lanterns that we've purchased:
- Mosquito Repeller Lantern - Thermacell makes a lantern that is also a mosquito/bug repellent, keeping a bug-free zone within a 15' feet radius. It takes some time for the repellent to permeate the surrounding area, but once it does it works quite well.
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Tent Interior Lighting
For use inside the tent, either a small lantern or a headlamp/flashlight can usually be hung from the top of the tent. Some tents even come with built-in LEDs.
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Travel/Task Lighting
For use while trekking hands-free around the forest at night, a headlamp works best. If hands-free is not needed, then a lantern or hanging a small flashlight around your neck works fine. When walking around at night, you can certainly carry the lanterns around, but in a group where some people are remaining at the campsite, it's not nice to steal their light :) Plus, it requires one hand to carry. We initially carried small flashlights and hung them on a string around our necks. Later when we could afford it, we bought headlamps, and those are definitely much more convenient, leaving our hands completely free while the light swivels in whatever direction we're looking.
Headlamps usually have different brightness levels, and some have a red light mode that won't blind your camping buddies when talking to them.
We purchased these headlamps:
Water
Water is heavy to carry, but we need water to drink, possibly cook, wash dishes, etc. Initially we just brought 1 gallon containers of water and made multiple trips to the car to carry all the stuff. Later, while we still brought plenty of water for drinking, we also bought a water filter to filter lake water to use for cooking and washing stuff to reduce the amount of water to carry. We even started lugging a water cooler filled with ice to have ice cold water for drinking on very hot days. Eventually, we invested in a water container/shower that we could use to store filtered water and to make it easier to pump out water for washing dishes, and possibly even showering.
Following is an article that sums it up better than I can:
Items we purchased:
- MSR SweetWater Micro Water Filter
- Stanley Adventure Fast Flow Water Jug 2G - It's heavy, but we can fit it inside an empty backpack for carrying, or in later camping trips we dumped it in the boat to row to the campsite.
- NEMO Helio LX Pressure Shower - 22 Liters
Food
Depends on how minimalist or fancy you want to get with food. The fancier the food, the heavier it is and the more gear you have to carry to prepare and cook it. They are listed below in order from least amount of weight and hassle to the most.
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Requires no gear
- Granola / Protein bars
- Jerky
- Dried fruits
- Fresh fruits
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Requires utensils, hot water:
These food require a spoon/fork and hot water, which means a minimum of a pot to heat the water over a campfire or bringing a small stove and fuel.
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Freeze-dried food
These usually come in pouches, and you can just add hot water and eat straight out of the pouches. They come in many different meal varieties. We usually get Mountain House brands, i.e.:
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Instant noodles
With the kind that comes in a bag, you can dump it in the same pot that heats the water, but that works well only if you have 1 or 2 people who can take turns eating. Or you can carry additional bowls to eat the noodles in. Otherwise, instant noodles in a cup is easier for a group of people and lighter than carrying extra bowls.
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Requires food be kept cold
These food require something to keep the food cold until ready to eat. For foods that can be frozen (i.e. sausages, peas, etc.), we freeze them and use them as "ice packs", and then they defrost and are usually ready by dinner time, so no need to carry ice packs. These food also require plates to eat on, but doesn't require any cooking gear. This is basically any pre-cooked food or food that can be cooked/heated over/in a campfire or on a rock sitting over the fire. Long straight branches can serve as sticks to put food on the end and cook in the campfire. Food wrapped in aluminum foil can be placed in/near the fire to "bake". For cooking with a rock, we basically take a big flattish rock, preferably with an overhang which can sit over the fire or can lie flat over the fire with rocks propping up the ends. Alternative is a smaller flat rock laid next to the fire. Just make sure to find a dry rock and not a waterlogged one which might explode due to pressure from built-up steam :) Scrub it clean, rinse off with some water, heat it up to get rid of bacteria, let it get hot enough for cooking, squirt a bit of oil on it if needed, then lay food on it to cook.
- Salad / Lettuce
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Pasta - Cook at home
- Aluminum foil-wrapped - Onions, potatoes, corn, etc.
- Sausages - Find a long branch, stick a sausage on the end, and roast over a campfire, yum.
- Koaren BBQ ribs - Works well to cook on a flat rock
- Steak - If you want to save cooking time can sous vide the steaks at home and just sear at the campsite
- Your imagination's the limit :)
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Requires food be kept cold, gear to cook it, plates to eat on
- Raw eggs - To make scrambled eggs, fried eggs, etc.
- Stir fry dishes
- etc.
Cookware
The type of cookware that's needed is all dependent on what food you bring above :)
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Stove
We bought a lightweight compact single burner stove that screws onto a fuel can. We originally wanted to get a stove that uses propane fuel as well so that we could just carry one kind of fuel for stove and lantern, but this one was so lightweight and efficient we decided to go ahead and buy it anyway (over a decade ago). Later, with kids, we realized that having a second stove would be more efficient, and we decided to buy an even smaller lightweight one.
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Fuel
Don't forget to carry the right kind and enough fuel for your stove :)
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Collapsible Water Containers
We purchased collapsible water containers to hold filtered water. They make nice ones now that have taps for dispensing.
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Wind Screen
When it's very windy, it's hard to keep a good flame going with the stoves. My brother purchased a small multi-panel rectangular aluminum wind screen to help block wind.
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Pan
We originally bought a cheapie small non-stick 4.7" frying pan for cooking eggs or pan frying whatever else. However, it had a handle sticking out that was hard to pack and the non-stick coating started coming off. Later we upgraded to a stainless steel pan with a folding handle:
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Coffee Pot
We don't drink coffee, but we originally bought a discounted one to boil water for instant noodles, hot chocolate, tea, or cook soup, and just left the coffee filter part at home.
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Pot / Pan Set
After more than a decade of using the cheapie pan and coffee pot which eventually got worn out, we replaced it with a lightweight titanium pot and pan set that's more compact and can fit the fuel canister, stove, and utensils inside to save space when backpacking:
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Spatula
Regular spatulas take up too much space, and I don't like plastic ones. Eventually I found a small folding metal spatula that fits inside our cookware set:
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Water Bucket/Sink
A collapsible water bucket/sink is nice for washing/rinsing dishes.
- Sea to Summit Kitchen Sink - 20 Liters - The E's family bought this one
- Naturehike 15/18L Large Food-Grade Foldable Packable Collapsible Water Bucket - We ended up buying this one because the above was out of stock
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Dishwashing Liquid
We purchased eco-friendly cleansing liquid that can be used for showering or dishwashing:
Dinnerware & Flatware
The type of dinnerware and utensils that are needed is all dependent on what food you bring above :)
As far as plates and cups, we used to use disposable ones, but we're trying to avoid that now. We'd have to make sure we pack enough, and we always think we'd only use one plate per meal, but plates blow away in the wind or we think we're done eating then want to eat more. It's also not a good idea to throw them in the fire to burn because there are usually chemical coatings on them that are toxic to inhale when burnt, unless you buy the special ones that don't have such chemicals.
We ended up purchasing stainless steel dinnerware and flatware because they're easy to clean and durable, albeit on the heavy side. Aluminum is a lighter weight alternative.
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Plates
We purchased small stainless steel round dishes that works well for car camping, but was kinda heavy for backpacking. So for backpacking, we ended up getting lighter weight titanium plates and bowls (and the bowls double as cups).
- Nizzco Stainless Steel 7.9 inch Round Plates - Good for car camping, heavy for backpacking
- Snow Peak Trek Titanium Plate - Lighter for backpacking
- Snow Peak Trek Titanium Bowl - Lighter for backpacking
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Utensils
We purchased stainless steel utensil sets in different color cases so we'd know which one is whose, and they can double for use when packing lunch to school/work or travelling. They work well for car camping, but not so well for backpacking. For backpacking, we ended up getting lightweight titanium sporks in different colors for the kids and us.
- VICBAY Stainless Steel Flatware Set in Neoprene Case - Good for car camping or travelling, heavy for backpacking
- Snow Peak Titanium Spork - Lighter for backpacking
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Cups
We purchased stainless steel cups with different color lids and cup sleeves so we'd know which one is whose. Nice for car camping, but we found it to be unnecessary for backpacking since we can use bowls or water bottles instead of carrying additional cups:
Apparel & Accesories
Wear comfortable / layered clothing to accommodate changes in weather and temperature between day and night. When hiking in the wilderness, best to wear long sleeves and long pants tucked into your socks/shoes to avoid ticks, etc.
- Hiking shoes or shoes with good traction
- Hat / Cap for shade in sun
- Fleece hat for warmth
- Sunglasses
- Mosquito head net
- Layered clothing
- Sun/arm sleeves - If you want to save weight, you can pack short-sleeve shirts and sun/arm sleeves instead of both short-sleeve and long-sleeve shirts.
Electronic Gear
We're supposed to be escaping to nature and foregoing electronics, but nah. Electronics are still useful when used appropriately :D
- Cell phone, extra battery
- Camera, extra battery, memory card (optional)
- Walkie talkie (recommended), remote speaker (optional)
There is often no cell phone signal in the wilderness, so walkie talkie is good to have for communication both amongst the group and in emergencies. We use ours for skiing and biking as well, so we purchased long-range waterproof ones with remote speaker microphones that make it easier to operate when skiing or biking.
- External battery charger / solar charger (optional)
- Generator (optional)
- Speakers for music (optional)
We bought the following portable bluetooth speaker:
Toiletries
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Sunscreen
We prefer to use physical sunscreens rather than chemical ones, and found Thinksport brand to be good. You can also check EWG's Guide to Sunscreens for objective evaluations on different sunscreens.
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Insect Repellent
The mosquitoes and bugs love to come out at night, especially if we're near water, and especially flocking to our lanterns and headlamps :) We don't like strong chemicals like DEET, so we use natural repellent and combine with mosquito head nets and mosquito repeller lanterns.
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Cat Hole Shovel
For backpacking, there are no restrooms. This means digging a 6"x6" hole, so we carry a small shovel for this purpose, and doubles as a sand toy for the kids, hahaha.
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Biodegradable Soap
We bring biodegradable soap that's safe for the environment to wash dishes.
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Cleansing Wipes
If it's just 1 or 2 nights, we don't bother showering. Instead we just use wipes - extra baby wipes, or camping-specific wipes:
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Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Floss
When backpacking, it's best to leave no trace in the environment, including spitting out toothpaste. Options are: using just water and brushing, using a tiny amount of natural toothpaste and swallow it, using bakng soda in lieu of toothpaste, etc.
First Aid Kit
It's the wilderness, and the kids are bound to get cuts or minor injuries running around and climbing over rocks and boulders.
- Antihistamines (allergy medication)
- Insect sting medication
- Tylenol / Advil / Alleve
- Bandaids
- Antibiotic ointment
- Anti-itch cream
- Tweezers
Miscellaneous
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Matches
Waterproof matches for lighting fires
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Rope (optional)
Useful for hanging up bag of food in tree (to avoid bears) or hanging laundry
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Empty Bags
For trash, dirty laundry, hanging food up, etc.
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Dry Sack (optional)
Useful for putting food in the lake to keep cold at night and out or bears' reach
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Utility Knife (optional)
For cutting branches, etc.
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Gloves (optional)
For gathering logs, branches, climbing rocks, etc.
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Paper Towels (optional)
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Wipes (optional)
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Hand Sanitizier