What To Take Camping: The No-Nonsense Camping Checklist

Is it your first time camping? Don’t have any idea what to bring? Are you currently in that state where a million items are floating around in your head but don’t exactly know which ones are important or not? Don’t panic. All you need to do is create a checklist on what to take camping to get you started.

When it comes to spending time outdoors, nothing beats being organized. You can’t afford to be sloppy or scatter-brained when out in the wild. Besides the fact you can easily lose things, you can end up not having fun at all.

This isn’t a warning. It’s more like a reminder, that in order for you to secure a successful, fun-filled camping trip, you have to prepare a checklist of what to take camping. Know which ones are camping staples, and which ones need to be left behind.

Keep on reading to find out.

Table of Contents

Tents And Beddings
Water
First Aid Kit
Appropriate Clothing
Hammer, Axe, And Spade
Pocket Knife/Swiss Knife
Cooking Tools And Utensils
Camping Food
Personals

Tents And Beddings

If you think that bringing with you your favorite pillow to the camping site is important, think again. Out in the woods, what you CAN’T live without are tents and air beds or sleeping bags. You absolutely have to make room for them, as these items are what’s going to protect you from the inclement weather, the mind-numbing cold at night, and the hard ground. It should always, ALWAYS be on top of every camping list.

Be sure that you leave home early so you can get to your camping site in the morning or around mid-day so you’ll have plenty of time to set up before darkness creeps in.

Water

This goes without saying. You can’t last a day without water. So be sure to bring plenty with you. If you can afford to bring big containers, then by all means, please do so. But if there’s a river or a strem nearby, you can also bring a water purifier and some purifying tablets to be sure it’s clean and safe to drink.

First Aid Kit

There are already pre-packaged first aid kits available for sale in your local pharmacies, but you can always put one together to customize to the needs of everybody in the group. But just to give you an idea on what to bring, it should include gauze pads, adhesive and butterfly bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, ointments for insect bites and blisters, and safety pins, among others. Other articles can be added depending on your needs.

Appropriate Clothing

When out camping, you have to be sure that you have everything you need to keep you comfortable during daylight and at night. When under the sun, be sure you’re wearing light clothing with you. At night, make sure you have a jacket thick enough to warm you as the temperature tends to drop drastically.

Hammer, Axe, And Spade

Just because you think you’re not an outdoorsy person doesn’t mean you don’t need these tools. You are going to need to set up your tent so a hammer is important in securing the stakes to the ground (unless your tent is one of those high tech ones that practically unfold and set up by itself). You are going to need to chop wood for the fire, and you are going to need a spade in case it rains or it snows and you need to do a bit of shovelling.

Pocket Knife/Swiss Knife

A pocket knife can wiggle you out of a lot of situations when out in the woods. It can cut up rope. It can open cans of food. It can slice and dice camping food ingredients. Now imagine a swiss armi knife which is considered to be good for at least a hundred different situations. That’s why you can’t go to camp without either one of them.

Cooking Tools And Utensils

A campfire has other uses besides roasting marshmallows and keeping you warm. It can also cook your food. But if you’re not outdoor-savvy, you should probably leave that to the experts. So don’t forget to pack a stove, a grill, a stand (if applicable), waterproof matches, lighters, and fuel. If you need wood, you won’t have a hard time gathering them up. You are also going to need coolers (to store food and refreshments in), paper plates and bowls, cups, plastic utensils, kitchen towels, and garbage bags.

Camping Food

It is important that you bring food that is easy to prep, cook, and eat. You are probably going to need a separate list for this as well, but if you’re planning to do some serious grilling at the campsite, or can’t live without fresh fruits and veggies, you are going to need to plan the menu a week or a few days before your camping trip. Place them in air-tight bags or containers, and put them in the fridge or the freezer (yes, especially marinated meats) to keep in the freshness longer.

Personals

One must never forget personal hygiene regardless of where they are, or how primitive they think their surroundings are. So don’t forget to pack your toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, lip balm, lotion, insect repellant, and sunscreen. Also, you are going to need fresh socks so don’t forget those. Stinky feet are not allowed at the campsite!

If you need to know what to take camping with you, we have just shown you the most important, most basic stuff that you are going to find handy when out in the wild. Of course you are going to want to add some more to the list, but as long as these remain to be the top priority, you can’t go wrong. Good luck!