A few years ago, we started an annual tradition of going camping with a small group of friends over 4th of July weekend. Rocio and I came up with the idea shortly after we both adopted our dogs, and discovered that Independence Day (and the regular explosions of illegal firecrackers in our urban neighborhoods) drive them (and us!) absolutely nuts. We raised the idea of fleeing to the forest, where the anti-firework laws are actually enforced.
Though it started as a way to calm our pets, this trip has turned into one of my most loved annual traditions. I look forward to getting our families together and the opportunity to spend a few days together, before we go back to our busy lives and independent travels.
One of the things that I look forward to the most is spending time cooking together. Our meals are incredible! We spend the first part of each day cooking massive breakfasts as a group. After cleanup, we spend the middle of the day out at the river or lake, returning for a late lunch, a nap or hike, and then another big dinner with drinks and s’mores by the fire late into the night.
Consequently, we pack a fair amount of gear to turn these public campgrounds into a mobile kitchen capable of feeding seven voracious eaters. I shared a post last year with 8 handy things we always pack on camping trips, but I never actually shared our full packing list — I regretted it this year when it came time to pack up once again!
So this year, I kept a list.
Here’s our summer camping checklist:
Cooking Gear:
- Coolers with ice — We have this one that keeps food cold for 2 days without adding ice.
- Plastic plates
- Silverware
- Mugs (one for each person)
- Water bottle (one for each)
- Paper towels
- Kitchen towels
- Pots and pans (1 small, 1 medium — or check out this camping set)
- Potholder
- Small colander (my friend brings this collapsible colander which I love!)
- Small mixing bowl
- A large tea kettle (for heating water for coffee and for washing dishes)
- French press (this one is not glass, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking)
- A set of packable cutting boards
- Knife (my friend has a set like this which is nice because they they include covers to make them more packable)
- Spatula
- BBQ tongs
- Telescoping forks (for cooking s’mores, hot dogs over the fire)
- Can opener
- Corkscrew
- Scissors
- Ziplock bags
- Garbage bags
- Aluminum foil
- Dishwashing pan — like this one. Check out #1 in this post for a trick to make camp dishwashing even easier
- Dish soap
- Sponge
- Plastic tablecloth
- Camp stove — we have this one
- Extra propane tanks
- Grill
- Lighter
- Cash for buying firewood at the park
- All your food and beverages — that could be a post in itself!
Sleeping Area:
- Tent: We have this one and love it! It is very easy to set up!
- Plastic tarp
- Sleeping bags
- Air mattress
- Battery operated air pump (and spare batteries)
Miscellaneous:
- Flashlight/headlamp (one for each person)
- Camp chairs (one for each person)
- Duct tape
- Citronella candle
- Travel clothesline — I have this one and usually can string it between two trees.
- Lantern
- Folding card table (extra food prep area/food storage)
- Mini USB backup device charger (to charge cell phone/camera) — I have this one.
- Travel speaker for listening to music or podcasts at the campsite or beach. I have the Altec Lansing Mini H2O, which is great for camping because it’s waterproof and shockproof.
- Campsite reservation info and direction, printed out — in case you do not have cellular service.
Personal Care:
- A small bottle of all-purpose/biodegradable soap like this one
- Shampoo (or dry shampoo, if you won’t have a shower facility)
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Makeup-removing facial cleansing wipes (for washing face and removing sunscreen)
- Basic first aid kit (antibiotic ointment, anti-itch cream, ibuprofen, Benedryl, bandages, tweezers)
- Hand sanitizer
Dogs:
- Dog tie out — We have one like this that we loop around a tree.
- Dog food
- Water/food bowl
- Dog blanket
- Extra dog waste bags
- Dog collar LED lights (so we don’t trip over them at night)
Want to save this post for your next camping trip? Click below to pin it on Pinterest:
What’s on your summer camping checklist?
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Oh what a great idea! Would so love to do this sadly there is no place that I can even do this in my hometown so very jealous 😛
Hi Aggy, I’m sorry to hear that! Camping is a pretty common vacation choice here in North America. It’s easy to do it on a budget — that is, after you get a few key pieces of gear! 🙂
Cassie, What a great tradition! We love camping as well. We planned to do quite a bit on our States road trip, but we haven’t had the best weather! What a list!
Thanks, Corinne! It’s such a fun way to reconnect, if the weather works out. You need to get over to California! That’s the only upside of our epic drought–no need to worry about rain 🙂
Camping and dogs just go together! I remember we took our dog (maysherestinpeace) on a road trip to a farm. Not quite under canvas, but it was fabulous – she really enjoyed it.
Just being outside late at night, and the chance to see the stars–what pooch (or person!) could complain about that? 🙂
This is one super useful list!! Mr. JA and I started camping last year, and there is lots of equipment in the storage… My head is already spinning.
Preparing meals must be my favorite part of camping, especially doing so by the fire at night… Here’s to more trips!
Here here! 🙂
Nice, comprehensive list! We’re a camping family, heading out on our first trip of the year next week. I never thought of going over 4th of July, though. That’s a great idea to escape the endless barrage of fireworks that lasts almost week (can you tell I hate fireworks?!).
Haha, I always think I’m the only one who hates fireworks — I mean, I love PHOTOS of fireworks 🙂 Sorry you have to deal with it in your neighborhood, too!
Your list looks very similar to my own. The two things we always take that you didn’t mention is TARPS for under the tent or as quick cover tie ups to trees for make shift rain shelters. And we now always take 1 extra chair because we had the unfortunate experience of having only 1 per person, 1 broke, and we spent the week playing musical chairs or last man gets the up-ended log. Read your other blog and we also take a hatchet, not to cut wood, but it is also handy for making kindling, firestarters from twigs, and putting in tent stakes without a separate tool. Love your idea of using the time as foodie outdoor times. There is one more thing that you don’t mention, but that I highly recommend – a first aid kit. You can decide what is mandatory depending upon how far you are from local ER. I have sting allergies so must always take at least 1 Epi-pen and strong antihistimines for drive to hospital. With kids, one must always have antibiotic cream, hydrogen peroxide and band-aids.
Thanks for this, Suzi! We definitely had the first aid kit and tarp, but taking an extra chair is a great idea–we had one break a few years ago right at the beginning of the trip. We were able to patch it temporarily with the duct tape, but it wasn’t very comfortable.
Great list! My boyfriend and I are going camping for the weekend and I’ve been stressing about making sure I don’t forget anything! One thing I have discovered is that if there is no available toilet I use a big 10 gallon plastic paint bucket with a layer of dirt then sawdust and about a cup of fabuloso with a 2×4 across the top for a seat. The dirt, sawdust, and fabuloso combo keep the odor down and the seat is big enough that I can sit comfortably but small enough that a guy can aim around it. Thanks for helping me double check everything!
Wow, that’s some MacGyver camping there, Callie 🙂 Thanks for sharing this camping potty solution!
Thanks for the camping tips! I also have a couple of dogs and several kids and have been intimidated by packing for extended trips in the wilderness with them. I notice that you list a citronella candle. I’m not sure what the purpose of this is, could you explain further?
Hi Eliza, the citronella candle provides some light around the table and helps to keep the bugs away at night. The dogs are really easy for camping, actually! Just bring them a good long tie so you can tie them up on your site.
Ok great, thanks for the tips!