How to Plan a Camping Trip, Part Two
A deep dive into what to pack
Welcome back to Between A Mossy Rock And A Hard Place, the fortnightly advice column for all your outdoorsy conundrums!
It’s time for Part Two of How to Plan a Camping Trip and this week I’m focusing on packing lists to ensure you have everything needed to be safe and comfortable in the woods!
Missed the first installment? Start here:
At the end of this series, I hope you will be able to confidently take the reins and start planning a camping trip instead of waiting for an invitation from a more experienced friend. I’ve included prompts at the bottom of each section to guide you through the planning process, so grab some paper and a pencil and let’s continue!
Source Affordable Camping Gear
Once you have your campsite booked, it’s time to think about gear. This is often a hurdle for new campers because camping equipment can be pricy and there are a lot of options out there—not everyone wants to spend their time learning the difference between silpoly and silnylon tents! Camping is supposed to be a budget vacation, not a luxury one, so let’s talk affordable options.
Throughout this discussion, keep the following in mind: You can do all the research in the world, but you will not be able to buy the perfect camping set up until you actually have some experience camping. Let that be a freeing thought for you! Your first camping trip doesn’t need to have the best or more expensive gear and you don’t need to have everything figured out—trial and error is part of every camper’s experience. An item could be highly rated by gear reviewers and still not be a good fit for you.
So what are the alternatives to buying a pricy kit of brand new gear?
Check your closets. A regular pillow is going to be more comfortable than an inflatable camping pillow. For warm weather trips, sheets and several blankets can be a substitute for a sleeping bag. Your camp kitchen can be stocked with utensils, plates, and cups from your regular kitchen. Get creative and look at the stuff you already own in a new light!
Ask your network. Put out a request on social media or send a mass email (BCC of course) to see if any of your local friends (or distant acquaintances) can lend you the bare bones of gear. You would be surprised by how many people have tents or Coleman stoves collecting dust in the basement!
Rent gear. Check with your local outdoor stores, universities, tool libraries, or county parks system. Unfortunately, many REI locations have stopped their gear rental programs, so that option is more limited than in the past.
Buy used gear. Browse Facebook Marketplace, visit used sporting goods stores and thrift shops, reach out to the organizers of local hiking or backpacking groups to see if they host gear swaps, and stop by garage sales. I recommend doing a bit of research ahead of time so that you don’t overpay for old gear and so that you know what questions to ask to ensure your new-to-you tent has all the necessary poles and stakes in the bag.
Simplify your set up. If it’s proving too difficult to find a cheap camping stove, plan a menu that can be eaten cold or just warmed up over a campfire. Skip any optional items that you don’t already own.
If you acquire gear that hasn’t been used for awhile, test it at home to avoid disappointment when you get it into the field. Set up the tent (always good to practice!) and spray it with a hose to check the waterproofing. If in doubt, waterproofing sprays are easy to apply. Blow up your sleeping pad and then let it sit overnight make sure it holds the air. Small holes can be patched with adhesive or gear repair tape. Ensure you have the correct type of fuel for your stove and turn it on to look for leaks. It’s better to find out that there is a problem with your gear in your backyard (or neighborhood green space) rather than in a campground several hours from home.
Over time, you will figure out your gear preferences. Features like two doors in a tent may seem unnecessary to a novice (or solo) camper, but can become a must-have after a weekend of trying to step over a sleeping companion for midnight bathroom breaks. After you get a few nights under your belt, you’ll have opinions about what items will make the experience more comfortable for the way you like to camp!
Planning Prompt: Who do you know that might have camping gear you could borrow? What options are nearby for rentals or used gear? As you go through the subsequent checklists, make a note about which items you can find in your closet, which you might be able to borrow or rent, and which ones you’d prefer to buy new.
Create a Gear Packing List
On your first few camping trips, you will both overpack and forget something—that’s just part of the learning curve! If you have a small car and/or are carpooling with a lot of passengers, be especially thoughtful about how much stuff is on your packing list. It’s tempting to put all your gear into hard-sided plastic totes, but I’ve had more success with soft packing cubes that can take advantage of all the nooks and crannies of my car’s trunk.
Assuming you are tent camping1, here’s a basic gear list:
Basic Gear
For sleeping:
Tent with stakes, poles, footprint, and rainfly
Sleeping pad
Sleeping bag or quilt
Pillow
For around camp:
Headlamp and/or battery-powered camp lantern
Camp chair
Umbrella
Microfiber camp towel (or regular hand towel)
For cooking:
Cooler
Camp stove or backpacking stove
Pot and/or frying pan (sized for your stove)
Lighter or waterproof matches
Water jug(s)
Metal tongs
Silicone spatula
Can opener
Chip clips
Dish sponge
Small bucket or tub for washing dishes (a 2 gallon bucket from a home improvement store is sufficient for most groups)
Dish towel(s)
For eating:
Coffee mug (an insulated travel mug works great on cool mornings!)
Plastic or metal cup (no glass!)
Fork, spoon, & knife
Plate
For the unexpected:
Swiss Army or utility knife
First aid kit
Campsite reservation confirmation (either printed out or saved as an offline copy on your phone)
A few tips for ensuring that the basic items you've sourced will be a good fit for your trip:
For newer campers, look for a freestanding tent2 that is sized for double the people that you plan to have sleeping in it. Sure, six people could technically squeeze into a 6-person tent, but you will feel like sardines and have no room to store your clothes or extra gear.
Ensure that you pack enough for everyone in your party. While an entire group can share a camping stove, only having one headlamp to pass around will soon become very annoying.
On the topic of lighting, I recommend a headlamp for every person PLUS a camp lantern for the picnic table.
While the Coleman propane lanterns are an iconic piece of camping gear, go with battery powered instead. A battery powered lantern can be brought into your tent without worrying about the fire risk.
A good night’s sleep will make a huge difference in your camping experience, so if you only splurge on one item, make it your sleeping pad. My preference is for a wide sleeping pad (between 28-32”) with an r-value of at least 6.
The items that help to make your camping trip special will vary from person to person and from trip to trip, but here’s some optional gear that you may want to bring along:
Optional Gear
To make set up easier:
Tent stake mallet or hammer
For tending a campfire:
Leather work gloves
Travel-sized metal snow shovel
For entertainment:
Lawn dice
Watercolors or colored pencils and sketchbook
Headphones
Battery bank and charging cable for your phone
For ambience:
Battery-powered string lights
Glow sticks
Tablecloth sized to fit a picnic table
Outdoor rug or doormat
Hammock
For extra warmth:
Nalgene, or other hard-sided water bottle that can safely hold hot water
HotHands or other chemical hand warmers
Sleeping bag liner and/or extra blanket(s)
To combat bugs and sun:
Citronella candles or Thermacell mosquito repellent
Bug net (these vary from personal head nets to rectangular nets to screen tents)
Canopy tent or sun shade
Battery-powered portable fan
If you’re planning to hike:
Day pack
Trekking poles
If there’s swimming nearby:
Clothesline
Clothespins
Beach towel
If problem bears are in the area:
Bear spray
Bear-resistant food storage
Planning Prompt: Refer back to your notes from part one—what parts of the camping trip were you most excited about? Does your packing list include the gear needed to make that happen as envisioned? What were you nervous about? Is there anything you can add to your list to help alleviate some of the concern?
Choose Clothes for All Weather
The key to bringing the right clothes for a camping trip is to think in terms of weather and activities rather than number of days. Whether I am camping for one night or one week, I’m pretty much bringing the same stuff:
Clothing
Basics:
A pair of merino wool hiking socks for each day of the trip
A pair of underwear for each day of the trip
Two sports bras (one for hiking, one for lounging—you don’t want sweaty fabric close to your body when temperatures drop in the evening)
Laundry bag for dirty clothes
One outfit to sleep in:
Long sleeved base layer top
Base layer bottoms (or running shorts during heat waves)
Loose-fitting, chunky socks or down booties
One outfit to hike in:
Hiking pants
Sunshirt
Fleece midlayer
Hiking boots or trail runners
Hat
Sunglasses
One outfit to lounge around camp in:
Comfortable pants
Short and/or long-sleeved tee (depending on the temperature)
Sweatshirt or wool sweater
Sandals
Rain gear:
Rain coat or poncho
Rain pants (optional)
Rain boots or muck boots (optional)
Extra layers for warmth:
Hat or fleece ear band
Gloves or lightweight glove liners
Down puffy jacket
If you run cold, you should err on the side of packing more layers—including long underwear—so that you have plenty of options. Retreating to your sleeping bag in the middle of the afternoon because you can’t get warm is not the way to make fun camping memories! Even if the weather forecast shows no chance of rain and warm overnight temperatures, I still bring my rain poncho and extra layers. Getting wet or chilled can be dangerous if you aren’t prepared to get yourself warm and dry quickly.
I also treat my hiking and camp clothes and my laundry bag with permethrin to minimize the chance of getting a tick bite. However, I do not treat my sleep clothes or underwear with permethrin.
I bring a small bag of toiletry items on camping trips, though I try to avoid strong scents. When your site is in a busy campground with shower facilities, you may want to bring more toiletries and when you are in a quiet, dispersed spot, you may forego most or all of them. Just remember that even unscented toiletries can attract wildlife, so store them with your food and other smellables.
Optional Toiletries & Personal Items
If you wear glasses:
Hard-sided glasses case (trust me, you will want a safe place to store your glasses in your tent that will protect them if you roll over in the night)
Microfiber glasses cleaning cloth
For hygiene & comfort:
Hand sanitizer
Pre-diluted hand soap in a pump bottle
Sunscreen
Anti-itch bug bite cream
Tweezers or tick remover key
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Lip balm
Tissues
Hairbrush
Dry shampoo
Unscented hand cream
Unscented deodorant
Sleep mask (in case of late sunsets or lights from other campsites)
If there are shower facilities:
3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, & body wash
Washcloth or loofah
Towel
Shower shoes
Planning Prompt: Refer back to your notes from part one where you looked up the average temperatures. Is your clothing sufficient for that temperature range? What about for a range 15 degrees warmer AND colder? You can check the forecast right before your trip and make last minute adjustments, but your base packing list should cover most of the eventualities.
Plan a Menu & Grocery List
Some people love making extravagant meals while they are camping. I am not one of those people because being the camp chef is a lot of work! For your first few trips, I recommend keeping things simple by relying on pre-cooked foods that can be served warm or cold and enjoying a burger or pizza in a nearby town for one of the meals.
Also, many of the extravagant camping meals I see showcased on social media break some common park rules, so let’s get on the same page about some dos and don’ts related to cooking and eating:
Don’t move firewood. Invasive species, like emerald ash borer, can be transported in firewood. Each state will have their own regulations, but generally you need to either buy firewood close (10 or so miles) to where you will be burning it or get firewood that has been certified by the state as pest-free (typically through an aging or heating process). This means that if your neighbor cuts down a tree and offers you some firewood from it, you should not transport it to a campground on the other side of the state (or even another county).
Don’t bring glass. You know how hard it is to sweep up all the broken shards of glass at home on your kitchen floor, so now imagine the impossible task at a dirt campsite. Choose beer in cans instead of bottles and decant ingredients like olive oil into smaller plastic jars instead of bringing the large glass containers.
Clean up food spills and don’t rely on your campfire to incinerate your trash. It never burns as well as you think it will and then the next camper has to clean out the food debris from the fire ring and/or the dirt around the picnic table to avoid attracting wildlife to the site.
Don’t leave fish guts near camping areas. Most parks that allow fishing will have protocols for where you should be gutting your fish and disposing of the waste.
Don’t wash your dishes in the bathroom sink. This is a very common sign in campground bathrooms, but you will still see people washing dishes there. Some campgrounds will have a dishwashing station, but don’t rely on that amenity being available.
Bring more food when it is cold outside. Even if you’re just sitting around camp and reading, your body benefits from extra calories to stay warm. A hearty dinner, plenty of snacks, and warm drinks will make shoulder season (or winter) camping much more enjoyable.
Regardless of what menu you decide on, there are some general consumables that are helpful to have on your grocery list.
Consumables
Firewood
Firestarters (or make your own)
Fuel for camp stove
Ice
Garbage bags
Paper towels
Ziploc bags
Tin foil
Then I like to plan out the rest of my grocery list by meal. In my ideal world, my entire camp menu only requires my backpacking stove to boil water and a campfire to warm up pre-cooked food. Though that sounds limiting, there are quite a few options that work within those parameters.
Easy Menu Options
Breakfast:
Instant oatmeal or instant cream of wheat
Granola with powdered milk
Quiche (pre-cooked and kept in a cooler; can be warmed up over a campfire)
Dried or fresh fruit
Lunch:
Camp charcuterie: crackers, cheese, salami or summer sausage, pickles, nuts or trail mix, and dried fruit (can also heat up a round of brie in a small cast iron skillet over the campfire)
PB&J sandwiches
Foil packet tuna fish in a tortilla with mayo or mustard
Snacks:
Potato chips or pretzels
Candy
Dried or fresh fruit
Trail mix
Dinner:
Foil packet meals: fully-cooked sausage, onions, peppers, spices, and olive oil wrapped in foil and warmed up in the coals of the campfire
Hot dogs and potato salad
Loaded baked potato: wrap the potato in foil with butter and cook in the coals of the campfire and then top with more butter, cheese, sour cream, green onions, and/or chili from a can
Dessert:
S’mores
Candy bars
Cookies or other baked goods
Beverages:
Water
Instant coffee
Instant hot chocolate
Herbal or black tea
Instant hot apple cider
Hot toddies
Electrolyte mix
Soda
Beer
Planning Prompt: Visualize cooking and making each of your meals. What utensils or kitchen items do you need? Think about the basics that you take for granted in your kitchen, like olive oil and salt. Did all of those items make it onto your list?
Make a Safety Plan
One more list that is helpful to create is a safety plan. Not only will the preparation ensure that you have important information at your fingertips in an emergency situation, but I always find that I can relax more easily knowing that I’ve done that planning.
Safety Plan Checklist
Write down the phone number and address of the park office or ranger station
Check the park website for alerts, closures, and campground rules
Check cell phone coverage map for the area and note the closest spot for reliable service
Check the weather forecast, including historical averages and precipitation
Make note of sunrise, sunset, and civil twilight times
Save offline maps of the area on phone with Google Maps and/or print out directions from the campground to the nearest town with an urgent care or hospital
Update the American Red Cross First Aid app
Replace any used items in first aid kit and add in seasonal items (such as allergy medication)
Look at the campground map to locate the bathrooms or pit toilets—these buildings are often the designated storm shelter
Share a document containing your planned itinerary, campsite location, and the phone number to the park office or ranger station with your emergency contact
Planning Prompt: Who would be a good emergency contact for this trip?
The third (and final) installment of this series will cover:
Setting up camp
Cooking at camp
Getting a good night’s sleep in a tent
Camp entertainment
Staying clean
When reality doesn’t meet expectations
Tips for after the camping trip
I want your questions!
Do you need a pep talk to go on your first solo camping trip?
Perhaps you’re unsure how to tell your longtime hiking partner that your ideas of what makes an ideal trip have diverged?
Other shelter options include hammocks, tarps, campers, converted vans, and sleeping in your car (by putting the seats down to make a wide, flat backseat area).
Freestanding tents are easier to pitch because they don’t need to be staked out in order to be structurally sound. The stakes and guy lines keep the tent from blowing away in the wind, but aren’t not required to maintain the shape of the tent. Semi-freestanding tents, trekking pole pole tents, and tarps require more skill and practice to pitch well (and the ground at many established campsites can be quite hard, which can make it difficult to pound in the stakes).
EBay and GearTrade are good places to find used gear at a significant discount. Setting up your tent at home is a great idea. I have seen people roll up after dark and try to set up an unfamiliar tent. Seldom goes well. It's also way better to discover a pole is missing when you're still in a place to adjust. Repair tape, cord, and a sewing kit can be invaluable. Don't forget an extra lighter.
I’m a list maker, so you’re definitely speaking my language. You are very thorough!