Camping – Family Packing List

I believe that, as a whole, we’ve lost sight of our fundamental and innate connection with nature. It is easier to stay indoors on the weekend, watching Netflix and putting our kiddos in front of their own screens than it is to get outside with them and explore. It’s not our fault. It’s what’s easy, and we are all burdened and overtired from having a million different responsibilities and schedules that are bursting at the seams. And yet, there is something about nature that brings us back to the root of who we are and the beauty of this life we get to call ours. Camping sounds whimsical, right?

A family getaway weekend buried in the mountains, no cell service, reconnecting with each other and the planet….*cue happy sigh*

But then you’re like… wait, I don’t have a tent. I don’t know what to bring. I don’t like bugs. And none of us are sleeping at home much less in the middle of nowhere without all of the luxuries we’ve come to rely on.

Listen, it’s okay. Take a deep breath. Bug spray exists.

My kid sleeps better camping than at home, I wish I was kidding.

Here, in this post, you will find a comprehensive list for the family including for mom and dad (or mom and mom or dad and dad, you get the idea), kitchen basics, gear, and even for the dog. You will have to decide for yourself what food you would like to bring, but I’ll recommend something easy for your first time. Like, vegan hot dogs. Or a carry out veggie pizza.

So without further ado, here’s your family’s camping packing list as well as some packing tips below that!

If you scroll down, you’ll find a downloadable PDF with cute little check boxes to print and check off items as you pack 🙂 Also, you will notice specific products that we use are linked in the bullet points below!

Mom

• 1 set of pajamas
• 1 set of clothes/day 
• Toothbrush (yes, you still brush teeth when you camp)
• Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Body lotion 
• Face moisturizer
• Family-friendly sunscreen
• Ball cap 
• Sun hat (optional)
• Sunglasses
• Phone charger
• Sleeping pad
• Sleeping bag
• Pillow (optional)
• Breast pad (shout out to breast feeding)
• Vitamins
• Glasses
• Contacts
• Dirty clothes bag
• Light jacket
• Heavy jacket (I’m in Colorado, anything can happen. In Texas, maybe just a wind breaker)
• Water bottle
• Blanket
• Chap stick
• Tylenol
• Kindle or book
• Hair brush
• Day pack
• Water bladder
• Slips 
• Apple watch
• Watch charger
• Fanny pack
• Beanie (optional for cold weather)
• Buff (optional for cold weather)

Dad

• 1 set of pajamas
• 1 set of clothes/day
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Sunglasses
• Phone charger
• Ball cap
• Sunglasses
• Glasses
• Contacts
• Light jacket 
• Heavy jacket
• Sleeping pad
• Sleeping bag
• Pillow (optional)
• Blanket
• Day pack
• Water bladder
• Slips
• Water bottle
• Apple watch
• Watch charger
• Beanie (optional for cold weather)
• Buff (optional for cold weather)

Dog

• Pet waste bags
• Lunge line to anchor to tree or in ground
• Dog food
• Dog treats
• Dog water
• Dog food bowl
• Dog water bowl
• Dog towels (2)
• Glow collar
• Dog sweater
• Dog vest for hiking
• Leash
• Dog first aid kit

Gear + Misc Essentials

• 3-person tent (and all accessories to put together)
• Tarp to use as liner under tent in case of rain
• Comforter for base layer under sleeping pads (optional)
• Eno hammock (optional)
• Flashlight
• Head lamp X 2 (for each adult at night)
• Camping chairs X 2
• Matches (I keep this in kitchen container, notes on that below)
• Lighter (I keep this in kitchen container, notes on that below)
• Toilet paper
• First aid kit 
• Towel X 2 (you never know…)
• Bluetooth speaker
• Coozies for cold ones

Cold Food Basics

• Beer
• Fruit 
• Ice 
• Jelly
• Coffee creamer
• Butter 
• Breakfast burritos
• Pico 
• Salad
• Salad dressings
• Fruit squeezes for Theo
• Hobo packs for dinners

Showering (optional)

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Body wash
• Towels 
• Slips 

*We generally don’t shower on 1-3 night camping trips. Pack a shower bag separately, so you can just grab the bag and go if you decide to rather than shuffling through all your things for bathing items.

Not-Cold Food Basics

• Water (in water jug)
• Peanut butter crackers
• Fig bars
• Chips 
• Instant oatmeal
• Coffee
• Bread 
• Peanut butter
• Croutons
• Baby snacks

Kitchen items

• Water jug with water
• Paper towels
• Plates
• Silverware
• Bowls
• Tongs 
• Coffee mugs
• French press for coffee
• Water bottles
• Cutting board
• Camp stove
• Kettle 
• Recycle bag
• Trash bag
• Seasoning bag (notes on this below)

PACKING TIPS

1. As mentioned above, pack your shower things in one bag. When it’s time to go to the camp bathrooms, if you go at all, you can just grab that one bag and go instead of shuffling through everything to find your things!
2. Use 1 hard-sided bin to pack your kitchen items in. I leave all of the items on the list of ‘kitchen items’ in this camping kitchen bin. Well, I drain the water jug after each trip but you know what I mean. Everything is already there, and it doesn’t have to be repacked each time.
3. Seasoning bag: if you want to cook a full-blown meal, I recommend making a DIY seasoning bag. I ordered small, plastic spice containers from Amazon and travel with all my favorite spices. I generally prep food ahead of time, but I keep that in the kitchen bin in case we need to cook something after all. Simple things like salt and pepper live in this bag.
4. Use 1 hard-sided bin that contains your tent, tent accessories, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, tarp for under tent, hammock, etc. Same idea as the kitchen container, all the stuff that can just stay in there for camping should just live there so it doesn’t have to be repacked each time.
5. Dog has his own small, travel bag with all his things inside.
6. Try to contain all of your cold kitchen items to one cooler. Make sure you have plenty of ice! On our most recent camping trip in the desert, we stopped to get some extra ice at the station by our campgrounds just in case. They were completely sold out within 20-30 miles either direction due to the high volume of travelers coming through. Prepare ahead of time!
7. When you are thinking about what food to pack, pack the foods that can be eaten in a variety of ways. Like we always bring a loaf of bread, butter, peanut butter, and jelly. That makes us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and also toast for breakfast. It’s filling, easy, and yummy!

If you have a baby or toddler, here is my packing list for them! Make sure to use both of these when getting your family’s things together. The baby list has important items that you won’t want to miss!

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