Camping Checklist
To me, camping checklists (especially the printable ones) are by far the most fun ones to tick. They often have enough items to fill up multiple pages, and the sheer amount of those must- and should-bring items builds up the anticipation of the adventure, leading to a crescendo when we finally step out the door.
Now, this is where checklists get a tiny bit complicated – not all camping enthusiasts spend the night in the backcountry in the same way. Some prefer sleeping under the stars, some love the sound of the rain hitting the tent fabric, some prefer a comfortable airbed with a breathtaking view, while others enjoy the freedom that “home-on-wheels” provide.
Feel free to add or remove items to and from the camping checklist to your preference.
Finally, consider the “Optional” items as “Nice to haves.” Without further ado, let’s have a look at our camping checklists:
Tent Camping Checklist
The basic tent camping checklist includes all sorts of camping goodies, no matter where you pitch your tent and is intended to cover different aspects of camping. Still, depending on your experience as a camper, the weather conditions, and the camping trip duration, some items may seem excessive.
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Tent Camping Items:
Tent Camping Shelter:
Tent Camping Tools:
Tent Camping Kits:
Tent Camping Clothing: Tent camping clothing should be comfortable and lightweight. It should keep you warm and weatherproof, no matter if you sleep in a tent, or under the open night sky.
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Tent Camping Food And Drinks:
Tent Camping Cooking:
Tent Camping Entertainment
Tent Camping Health And Hygiene:
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Family Camping Checklist
Spending the night or two outdoors with kids is an entirely different game as the camping trip requires way more planning and way less room for error. But don’t worry – the family camping checklist is here to help! It covers all the essentials as well as some suggestions that might improve the experience. Note that depending on the weather, season, and the camping trip duration, you might have to mix and match items from this checklist and the ones above.
Consider all the items from the Basic Tent Camping Checklist, and the following:
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Family Camping Essentials:
Family Camping Food And Drinks: From my experience, it’s always more fun if the kids help with planning the menu! They are experts when it comes to making custom trail mix snacks.
Family Camping Entertainment: Be sure to download our camping coloring page for kids in case the weather turns for the worse or phone battery runs out! Available in both JPG and PDF!
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Family Camping Clothing:
Family Camping Health & Hygiene:
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Car Camping Checklist
The great thing about car camping checklists is that, depending on the duration of your trip, time of the year, and comfort and luxury preferences, they can be both brief or broad. You can car camp with very little gear and effort, but of course, it requires the same amount of preparation as any other camping trip.
The car camping checklist below considers that you will be sleeping in your car while on the road or campsite. If that’s not the case for your camping trip, don’t worry! ‘Optional’ items include all the things you need.
Consider all the items from the Basic Tent Camping Checklist, and the following:
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Car Camping Essentials:
Car Camping Sleep & Shelter: When sleeping in your car, you must consider the temperature when packing and planning your camping trip.
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Car Camping Clothing: Car camping clothing should be comfortable enough for travel and durable enough for rugged outdoor adventures. Clothes made from soft and comfortable materials with stretch are an excellent choice for car travel. The limited number of items you can carry on your car camping trip means that you must consider everything when packing clothes – weather, altitude, season, and trip duration.
Car Camping Cooking: Here are the basic car camping cooking essentials if you bring your food on the road.
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RV Camping Checklist
You know, I’m something of an RV camping enthusiast myself (meme intended). It all started back when I was a kid, and my uncle took me on a fishing trip to a national park lake. It was a multi-day trip, and that’s when he showed me the ropes of efficient RV packing.
Even though he’s a bit of an essentialist, he allowed me to take a bunch of toys and unnecessary items I never actually used while we were camping. Here’s an RV camping checklist, so you don’t make the same mistake I did!
Consider all the items from the Basic Tent Camping Checklist, and the following:
RV Camping Essentials:
RV Campground Essentials:
RV Camping Safety and Maintenance Items:
RV Camping Clothing:
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RV Camping Kitchen & Cooking:
RV Camping Food & Drinks: Tweak the food and drink items to your personal needs and diet — these only serve as a reminder.
RV Camping Entertainment:
RV Camping Health & Hygiene:
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