How to Pack For Your Next Camping Trip

Planning a family camping trip can be a time consuming project. Knowing what to pack and what you should leave at home can help to make things more organized.

When packing for your family campout, make sure you pack plenty of snacks that are pre-wrapped as well as other foods that are non-spoilable. It’s easy to forget that spoliable items like cheese, sandwiches made with butter and soft fruit won’t keep for longer than a few hours in a hot or damp camp field.

 

If you are camping in a place where you know that bears may be nearby (such as Yosemite), make sure you bring a plastic cooler which will stop the animals from smelling your food and coming to investigate!

 

You should also pack plenty of sunscreen for your camping trip along with insect repellent. Forgetting either can turn a great holiday into a nightmare in a matter of hours. If it’s likely to be very hot and sunny, be sure to bring hats for all the family to prevent sunburn.

 

Other basic items that should be packed for your camping trip include a water bottle for each person in the family as well as a first aid kit with any medications you may need. If you will be staying at a campground with public restrooms, it’s also a good idea to bring along some sandals and some extra toilet tissue, just in case.

Bring along identification for every member of the family that includes such info as telephone numbers for emergency contacts and any allergies you and your children may have in the event of an accident or emergency while you are camping.

 

Don’t forget a stove for preparing meals. Toss in a bag of marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars along with some wieners and hot-dog buns, and you are ready for a great camping experience with the entire family.

 

Finally, don’t forget to bring along camping basics such as sleeping bags, pillows and a groundmat each – the ground gets surprisingly hard and knobbly with just the tent floor and a sleeping bag!

 

When you’re packing for a camping trip, think ‘basics’ rather than luxuries. Items that should be left at home include any white clothing and dry-clean only clothes (for obvious reasons!), any type of game bigger and bulkier than a Frisbee or a baseball and bat (no tennis or Volleyball nets, believe us you won’t use them) and all forms of electronic devices such as handheld computer games and DVD players. You’re going camping to luxuriance nature, not to sit in it playing video games!

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