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
Sausage and buns, cantaloupe, pepper
Chili and garlic bread
Foil with zucchini, cooked chicken, instant rice, and paneer
Instant noodle with salmon and tomato
Campfire Snacks
S’mores
Chips
Pineapple skewers
Paneer skewers
Breakfasts
Peameal and potatoes
Eggs in wrap or Nutella
Instant oatmeal and cereal
Pancakes with blueberry jam and maple syrup
Lunches
Pepperettes, focaccia, cucumbers
Naan, pepperettes, carrots
Kraft Dinner, summer sausage, apple
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