How to Pack For a Camping Trip

Camping is a fun way to spend time with your family and friends outdoors. It can be quite troublesome if you forget to pack any items that you need. I remember getting burnt to a crisp from not remembering to pack the sun block. I also remember have to sit in the dark because I forgot to pack lantern mantles. You should always remember to print out a list of items that you will need so you will be able to check them off as you pack them. There are some categories of items that I will go over today to help you have the most enjoyable camping trip ever.

It is very important to know where you will be staying, whether it is a tent or a cabin. If you are staying in a tent, you need to bring extra tent stakes, which can be purchased at your local Wal-Mart and a hammer to drive in the stakes. Depending on where you are going to sleep, you may or may not need some items. If you plan on sleeping under the stars you will need a tent fully equipped with a rain fly for those unexpected weather changes. You will also need some type of padding for the tent floor, such as a foam pad, cot, or an air mattress. If you are bringing an air mattress you need to remember to pack an air pump, such as a manual, battery operated, or a cigarette lighter type. The thicker the padding is the better it will work. You will also need your bedding, which make sure you always pack an extra blanket, just in case it is colder than you expect.

The next category of items is types of medical items that you might need. Like I mentioned before sun block is extremely important to remember to bring. You should also pack a first aid kit that includes items for bee stings, spider bites, snake bites, and plenty of Band-Aids. I would also include some type of over-the-counter pain reliever, such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Included in this section is also bug repellant. This is important to remember because of mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks. If you have ever been bitten by any of the insects, you know why I say to bring bug repellant.

Anyone can see why I have included the next category, which is entitled personal care items. You have your basics that you should remember to bring, such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, razor, shaving cream, toothpaste, toothbrush, hair brush or comb, lotion, and any other personal care products that you use in your daily routine. You should also pack toilet paper; some campgrounds do not have great toilet paper. Also they might be out or you might be off in the woods and need it. Towels are also included in this section because if you take a shower in the bath houses at the campgrounds or in the river or lake for that matter, or you plan on going swimming, you will need more than one.

You will have to obviously have to cook away from home, so we will call the next items section the kitchen away from home category. If you are planning on camping in a remote location, you should bring a small, but portable barbecue grill, a gas camp stove, and possibly a gas camp oven. You will also need plenty of charcoal and gas canisters for cooking fuel. You will still need most of the above items if you are camping in a camping ground because there is a usually a provided in ground grill of some sorts. You may also need firewood and newspaper to start a campfire. Don't forget to bring lighter fluid, matches, and spare lighters or else you won't be able to start a fire to cook with. You will also need to bring the following items: spatula, tongs, pots, pans, knifes, plastic forks, plastic spoons, paper plates, plastic cups, napkins, paper towels, aluminum foil, trash bags, Ziploc bags, dishwashing soap, sponge, bowls, can opener, and of course coolers with lots of ice. You may also want to bring a cutting board and pot holders.

Unless you want to sit in the dark at night, you will need some source of light. You should always bring at least one good flashlight and one good lantern. You should also pack extra mantles for the lanterns, extra batteries, and extra bulbs for the flashlights. You should have already packed plenty of gas bottles when we packed for the kitchen away from home, but make sure you have plenty of extra fuel for both the lantern and kitchen stoves.

Depending on the weather, you will pack different types of clothes. Even if it is in the middle of summer, you should always pack some warmer clothes. You should pack a jacket, sweatshirt, rainwear, jeans and shorts, t-shirts, shoes and sandals, hiking boots, socks, flip flops, bathing suit, pajamas, caps, sunglasses, and gloves (for getting firewood). I suggest wearing flip flops into the camping showers because you may get a fungus from someone who has already showered before you. I would also pack water shoes, which come in really handy if you are planning on wading in a river with sharp rocks and also swimming in a lake because there might be broken glass or fishing hooks.

There are many other items that you will need. I will suggest some for you, but you should fill in the gaps with any other things you think you would like to bring for fun or usefulness. Chairs, pocketknife, rope, citronella candles, backpack or fanny pack, fishing poles with tackle, Frisbee, football or any other sports gear, beach toys, bikes, bungee cords, duct tape, umbrella, camera with extra film and batteries, and binoculars. Each of these items is useful in one way or another. You may also want to bring a table, weather report, and life jacket. You are sure to have fun with your family, just remember to pack correctly because you don't want to be left out of the fun because you forgot one item. Always remember to be as safe as possible, but always have fun.