List of things to Bring Camping with Kids

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Last year we went camping for the first time with our five kids. I put together this list of things to bring and used AI to help me figure out if I was missing anything. The only essential thing we forgot was utensils! Our original list had a butter knife and camping knife but we had an uh-oh in the morning when we pulled out the breakfast cereal and saw we only had one spoon. So we had the kids take turns using it and then later found some plastic spoons at a store.

Another unexpected thing that happened to us is that one of our kids got sick and puked in the back of our van. Thankfully the campsite store had cleaning supplies that we could purchase. But those extra trash bags came in handy.

This list is for four nights of camping with two adults and five children under the age of eight. We went camping at the end of the summer when there are cool nights, so temperatures ranged from 5 degrees at night to 30 degrees during the day.

The camping checklist

Clothing and Footwear

  • Rain Gear:

    • Rain jackets

    • Rain pants

  • Warm Layers:

    • Extra fleece or thermal layers

    • Gloves and hats for warmth

  • Kids' Clothing:

    • 3 shirts

    • 3 shorts

    • 2 pants

    • 2 sweaters

    • 4 socks

    • 4 underwear

  • Adults' Clothing:

    • 4 shirts

    • 2 shorts

    • 2 pants

    • 1 sweater

    • 4 socks

    • 4 underwear

  • Footwear:

    • Trail shoes

    • Rubber boots

    • Flip flops

    • Water shoes

  • Swimwear:

    • Swimwear

    • Towels

Camping Gear and Essentials

  • Tent

  • Sleeping bags

  • Sleeping pads

  • Pillows

  • Flashlights

  • Rope for clothes line

  • Clothespins

  • Hatchet

  • Sharp knife

  • Utensils

  • Matches and fire starter

  • Bug spray

  • Tic tweezers

  • Additional Gear:

    • Tarps (for under the tent or as a rain cover)

    • Camping chairs

    • Extra tent stakes and repair kit

    • Flashlights

Toiletries

  • Hand sanitizer

  • Toothbrush

  • Toilet paper

  • Soap

  • Towels

  • Health Items:

    • First aid kit

    • Sunscreen

Kitchen and Cooking

  • Frying pan

  • Pot

  • Grill brush

  • Knife and cutting board

  • Kitchen sink

  • Dish rag

  • Oil

  • Foil

  • Water bottles

  • Additional Kitchen Items:

    • Cooler with ice packs

    • Coffee or tea, and portable coffee maker or kettle

    • Cooking fuel

    • Dish soap (biodegradable)

Food (Meals)

Suppers

  1. Sausage and buns, cantaloupe, pepper

  2. Chili and garlic bread

  3. Foil with zucchini, cooked chicken, instant rice, and paneer

  4. Instant noodle with salmon and tomato

Campfire Snacks

  1. S’mores

  2. Chips

  3. Pineapple skewers

  4. Paneer skewers

Breakfasts

  1. Peameal and potatoes

  2. Eggs in wrap or Nutella

  3. Instant oatmeal and cereal

  4. Pancakes with blueberry jam and maple syrup

Lunches

  1. Pepperettes, focaccia, cucumbers

  2. Naan, pepperettes, carrots

  3. Kraft Dinner, summer sausage, apple

  4. Summer sausage and naan pizzas

Other Items

  • Books

  • Cards

  • Cell phone

  • Charging cables

  • Portable battery pack

  • Hiking gear (daypack, map, GPS)

  • Insect repellent (citronella candles or a mosquito net)

Miscellaneous

  • Food Storage:

    • Weather-appropriate food storage (bear-proof containers or hanging bag system)

  • Trash Bags:

    • Extra trash bags

lifestyleGerhard Freundorfer