The ultimate camping checklist

Going car camping for the first time? Figuring out what to pack can be daunting. Even long-time campers find remembering all the required bits and pieces a challenge.

When my husband and I were first married, I never followed a list when packing for a camping trip. But as our family grew, so did our list of camping "essentials" until it seemed that we were leaving something important behind on nearly every trip.Eventually, after we managed to forget the tent, I compiled a camping checklist.

On our list, poles, tent pegs and tent fly are listed separately, since we once arrived at our destination only to discover that the family member responsible for stowing the tent in the car did not consider the pegs, poles and fly to be part of said "tent." Other items we also learned – the hard way – to itemize specifically were passports, spare set of car keys and boat keys.

I’ve included our family’s basic list here in hopes that it will help you in planning your next camping vacation. Of course, your final list may be very different and will reflect the unique needs of your family – but this will give you a good place to start.

Basic essentials

Tent

Tent poles

Tent pegs and hammer

Tent fly

Tarp (to hang over tent in case of rain)

Ground tarp (to keep moisture from seeping through the tent floor)

Sleeping bags

Inflatable mattresses or camp cots

Small pillows

Folding chairs

Small folding table

Coolers (plus raccoon-proof straps)

Drinking water

Water containers (Fetching water is a job where kids can help. Bring containers small enough for your kids to carry when full.)

Ropes (for hanging the tarp and use as a laundry line)

Flashlights and batteries

Spare set of car keys

Boat keys or keys to any vehicles or equipment you’ll need to access

Passports and birth certificates (for cross-border camping)

Matches/butane lighter and newspaper

Hatchet

Road and trail maps

Hot water bottle and thermos (These are good to have on hand while camping or boating to warm up the kids after a chilly swim or if they should fall overboard. It happens!)

Accommodation guide (If your campground turns out to be less than ideal or you’re tired of camping in the rain, this can help you find other options in the area.)

Mealtime fixin’s

Camp stove

Camp stove fuel

Pots and frying pans

Strainer

Folding camp toaster

Plates, bowls, cups, cutlery

Knives – carving, bread, paring

Cooking and serving spoons

Tongs

Can opener

Scissors

Chopping board

Lightweight mixing bowls

Plastic tablecloth

Salt and pepper shakers

Food containers for leftovers

Plastic wrap

Ziploc plastic bags

Tinfoil

Cooking oil

Twist ties

Note: All food not stored in your critter-proofed coolers must be stored in your car overnight and whenever you leave your campsite for long periods of time. This will keep your food safe and keep bears away from your camp.

Cleanup

Old towels (for mopping up rain, muddy footprints or condensation inside the tent)

Wet wipes (I try to minimize use of disposables at home, but these are incredibly convenient when camping)

Paper towels

Garbage bags

Large plastic dish tub

Biodegradable dish detergent

Pot scouring pad/sponge

Tea towels

Hand towels

Biodegradable laundry detergent (for handwashing clothing)

Personals

Bibles and devotional material

Reading glasses

Wallet

Cash/U.S. currency

Spare contact lenses or glasses

Toiletries

Tissues

Toilet paper

Camera and batteries

Extra batteries

Binoculars

Mosquito repellent and anti-itch cream

Sunblock and after-sun lotion

Sunglasses

Sun hat

Beach towels

Swimsuits

Wetsuits

Life jackets

Warm jacket

Hiking boots,

Personal water bottles

Small backpack (for carrying water, sweaters and snacks on day hikes)

Medications

First aid kit

"Nasties" bag (for storing dirty clothes; packing them back in our travel bags makes clean clothes less than fresh)

Optional luxury items

Smaller tarp and towel (serves as a doorstep to reduce mess inside the tent)

Shade canopy with mosquito netting for picnic table

Small brush and shovel to sweep out the tent

Clothes pegs for laundry line

Rubber boots

Solar-heated camp shower

Small sewing kit (for minor repairs)

GPS

Extras for kids

Mosquito netting for stroller and crib

Waterproof rain pants

Star chart

Nature guides

Fishing rods and kit

Kid-sized fishing nets and buckets (for exploring swamp and pond life)

Books

Board games

Sand/beach toys

Water shoes

That’s our family’s list of "basics" as it stands at present. While I’ve done my best to compile a complete packing list, there may be additional items your family will want or need. I’ll leave you to figure out how to get all that in your vehicle!

For future trips, it’s a good idea to keep your list stored with your camping gear or on your computer so you’ll have a copy to refer to without having to create the list from scratch each time. But even if you used a checklist and you happen to leave something important behind, chances are, you’ll laugh about it later or have fun "improvising" with whatever’s at hand. Enjoy your trip!

Catherine Wilson is an associate editor at Focus on the Family Canada.