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Camping is an excellent way for friends to unwind and strengthen their bonds. A weekend in the woods with the people you care about might be the mental therapy or deep relaxation you need.
But unlike engaging in other outdoor activities like hiking, you’ll need to pack a couple of camping essentials to have a blast. Without a good guide, you might find camp packing stressful.
But you don’t have to do it all by yourself. We’ve created the complete camping checklist for a weekend in the woods with friends and family. Ready? Set? Let’s get into it things to bring camping.
First Things First
Location
You have to decide where you’re camping at. Your camping location determines the gear you’d need to pack.
Usually, there are two types of camping locations. There’s the primitive campground that’s devoid of electricity.
It would most likely be out of network coverage. Then, there’s the regular campground with electricity and other facilities.
Whatever your choice is, you’ll have to pack differently for the camp locations.
Also Read: Things To Do While Camping Trip
Activities
Camping with friends requires more than just setting up a tent and sitting by the fire to roast marshmallows or grill chicken.
The activities strengthen your friendship or family bond. It’s also a way to loosen up. So, make a list of activities you’d like to engage in at the camp.
If you want to have a karaoke night, you know you’ll need a karaoke machine or something similar.
You’ll have to camp at a site with electricity to actualize your Karaoke dream. Now that we’ve gotten the essentials out of the way, let’s dive into the camping checklist.
Also Read: Best Camping Spots on the Texas Coast
Things You Need For Camping – Complete Checklist
1. Outfits Important Things To Bring Camping
There’s no limit to the type of clothes you should pack. The reason is that are several factors to consider when deciding on the clothes that’ll accompany you to the camp.
First, you’re going into the woods where the unexpected can happen. A tree could put a hole in your dress, or they could get soiled somehow.
When that happens, you’ll need a change of clothing. So, it’s nice to have extra outfits. You’ll also need to consider possible changes in the weather and the type of activities you would engage in.
Thinking about these factors would help diversify the clothes to bring to a camp ground. Below is the clothing necessary things for camping I developed for you.
- Hiking essentials: If you plan to go hiking with your friends and family, you must come prepared. On that note, you’ll need hiking pants/ shorts and socks. Comfortable hiking boots also come in handy. You can pair the hiking shorts with any breathable top sleeveless or long sleeve. Sunglasses and face caps would come in handy for when the sun comes up while you’re hiking.
- Shirts: Whatever you do, ditch the cotton shirts. You’ll most likely be under the sun or around where the food grilling happens. It’d help if you packed light, breathable and comfortable clothing instead.
- Jackets: When night falls, there could be a dramatic change in the evening weather. It’s a great idea to have a jacket to keep you from catching a cold.
- Sandals: This is useful for casually chilling moments on the campsite, like resting in a hammock, sitting on a bench, or around a campfire. You might also want to take a short walk into the woods to clear your mind.
- Thermal Baselayers: This clothing sticks to your skin to regulate your temperature at night. When the weather gets cold, it keeps you warm and vice versa.
- Rain Gear: This includes a light raincoat, rain boots, and umbrellas. While it might not necessarily rain on your camping weekend, packing rain essentials is not bad. You might want to pack one hoodie to keep you warm if it rains.
- Swimsuit and Bathing essentials: You’ll need your swimsuit if the campground has a pool or river and you want to go for a swim. Two swimsuits should be enough.
Other clothing things to pack for camping:
- Hats
- Bandanas
- Jeans
- Quick-dry underwear
- Sweatshirt
- Laundry bag.
2. Personal Items
You’ll need to pack your personal prepping items too. Some of these are:
- Sunscreen: Do not forget to take your sunscreen. You’ll need it to protect your skin from the sun.
- Skincare and body kit: Do not leave your kit at home if you’re religious about your skincare routine. It deserves a place in your packing bag. You’ll also need to take your body wash, hair shampoo, etc.
Other personal things to bring to camping:
- Body spray, perfume, and deodorant
- Sanitary pad (especially if you suspect your period might pop in during the trip)
- Camping shower
- Toilet paper
- Hair comb
- Toothpaste and toothbrush.
- Bathing soap and towel.
Also Read: Hampta Pass Trek
3. Camping Kit Important Things To Bring Camping
You’ll need to pack for the camp too. Below are some of the camping kits and things to bring when camping.
- Tent: If you’re camping in summer, it would probably not rain. So, you can get a tent type that’s great for the summer season. But if you’re planning your camping weekend during winter, think about shopping for tents framed to withstand the snow, etc. To get hands-on tent reviews, recommendations we prefer TheTrueWilderness.com as the best source.
- Hammocks: Hammocks come in handy, especially if you’re going to pack the tent when it’s daytime. Hang your hammock to nap or chill.
Other essentials things to bring on a camping trip:
- Sleeping bags or pads
- Pillows
- Tarps (depending on where you’ll pitch the tent)
- Camp chairs
- Water bottle
- Blanket
- Torchlight
- Windbreak
- Repair kit for your tent
- Air pump (if you’re using air beds)
- Matches, lighters, and firestarters
- Roasting forks.
4. Kitchen Supplies
This part of the camping checklist handles feeding in camp. You’ll need the following to create your kitchen.
- Camp stove
- Fuel
- Box or Dutch oven
- Tables and Table cloths
- Plates, bowls, spoons, forks, and cups
- Containers or coolers for food storage.
- Foodstuff (cereal, potatoes, etc.)
- Cookware
- Coffee Maker
- Cooking Utensils
- Paper towels
- Can openers
- Seasonings and Cooking oils.
- Potato Peelers
- Marshmallows
- Napkins
- Dish soap.
- BBQ/ Campfire grill.
- Light bulbs/ Lanterns
- Water containers
Also Read: Triund Trek Guide
5. Fun and Games
To keep the camp spirit alive, here are some fun things to bring camping.
- Board games
- Musical instrument
- Hiking guides
- Binoculars
- Fishing gears.
- Bluetooth speakers and Karaoke mic.
Conclusion
There you have it; the complete checklist to have a perfect camping experience.
While you’ll likely forget some things needed for camping, keeping a note of the items you’ve packed and haven’t packed is one way to be thorough.
With our most important things to bring camping or complete camping checklist for a weekend in the woods, you’ll never forget anything. Have fun camping.
