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Camping LIst

My Camping List Part 10

Pets

  • Collar with ID Tags
  • Leashes
  • Tie Out
  • Food
  • Dishes
  • Toys
  • Crate or Bedding
  • Waste Baggies

Who wants to go on an adventure without their best friend? Dogs can make camping and hiking more fun. What would a hike be without my Freddy to help pull me up the hills? Watching them explore and smell and get excited about every new thing…letting the kids run around with their dog and knowing that the dog won’t let anything bad happen to their kid… You know you would hate to leave the dog behind. But it does take some planning to make the experience a good one.

Dogs are all about their people. If you have dogs, you know this. They want to be where their people are. But I will put one thought out there that some people don’t want to hear…Not every dog is appropriate for camping. I have had a friend join us who brought her dog. The dog was aggressive toward people and other dogs, nervous even with her person, and barked and cried all night in the tent. It was not a good experience for any of us, people or dogs. If you think your dog will be upset by going to a new place with new people you might want to make other arrangements for the dog while you are gone.

The first time out will still be very exciting for everyone. Routines are interrupted. Things can slip your mind. Your dog can slip its collar. Do make sure you have a collar or harness for your dog. Make sure you have tags with your name and contact info on your dog. Even better, make sure your dog is microchipped. our favorite dog was stolen from our front yard and was missing for 18 months, but when he was recovered clear across town his microchip led to a phone call and he came home. (Love our Bruno!) Leashes are a necessity. The kids don’t get to take the pup anywhere without one that they hold on to! Because you are in an unfamiliar environment your dog might not know what is a real threat and what is not. It’s best to make sure you can control the situation as much as possible.

A tie out can be as simple as a rope tied between trees, between your car and the picnic table, or anchored anywhere that allows your dog to be close to you without risk of tangling up with trouble. I like to use a cable tie out with clips on both ends and thread it through the loop of a 4′ nylon leash. I have put two dogs together on a single tie out, but it works better if they can have space to not tangle their leashes.

Bring your dog’s regular food. Measure out enough for the days you will be gone. I usually put it into a grocery bag, but be careful about leaving it out. Chipmunks and Jays like to steal dog food and can be surprisingly aggressive! It does make for good photo ops…but remember you are feeding your dog, not the local wildlife. Don’t forget to leave out water for whenever your dog is thirsty!

I would not recommend bringing a lot of dog toys. There are always sticks and such to chew and play fetch. Too many toys are too easy to misplace. I would probably limit dog toys to a good chewy and a floating toy if there is a lake. Our Bruno hated water at first, until he discovered that we could throw his toy into the lake for him to swim out to fetch over and over and over and over again. We finally had to put him in timeout because he was so exhausted we were worried he might not make it back out of the lake if we threw it again. He still wanted more.

Bruno’s first trip to the lake wasn’t his idea of fun. Fetch made a world of difference!

Crates… Everyone will have a different opinion on crates. I have found them to be useful. Our two older dogs came to us as puppies and we trained them in the same crate. I know that is not recommended, but it worked for us and them. I do like to bring a crate along. It makes a good place for them to relax where I know they are safe. I can put the crate in the tent overnight if I don’t want them on my bedding. I like to put something in there that is familiar to help calm them. Of course make sure they aren’t stuck in the sun to overheat and that they have water available while they are in there.

Bruno and Freddy share a crate to calm down from chipmunk patrol. Aug 2009

And finally, absolutely make sure to pick up after your pet. If you would hate to have it show up on your lawn or front porch, don’t leave it out for your camping neighbors. These days many campgrounds provide waste bags in case you forgot to bring your own. Be sure to have one or two available on every walk and teach your kids this important part of responsible pet ownership.

I think that does it for camping with pets. As always, feel free to comment if you feel like you can add something I forgot.

Camping LIst

My Camping List Part 9

Tools

  • Hammer
  • Duct Tape
  • Hatchet or Survival Knife
  • Rope/Clothesline and some Clothespins

It is easy to forget about tools until you need them. I have spent enough time trying to pound tent stakes into the ground with a rock to know that I need to keep a hammer in my camping bin.

Duct tape is useful for so many things. From fixing a damaged tent pole to securing a bandage on a wound, it is invaluable. I can promise that rope is equally useful.

The Survival Knife is something that surprised me with its usefulness. I guess that I should have known, but I thought it’s just a knife. I probably have only started to understand the uses, but the first time we forgot the hatchet and my son pulled out his knife to split kindling my eyes were opened. These things are great.

My son’s favorite knife. The sheath can be worn many ways, the little black pouch has a sharpening stone in it, and he has added a length of duct tape for just in case he needs to patch something away from the roll.

I’m sure everyone will have their own list of tools to add. A car tool kit is something that everyone should have. Ever try repairing the brakes 80 miles into the backwoods? Experience will teach you what you want to keep with you, but if you have anything worth adding, feel free to tell me.

Camping LIst

My Camping List Part 8

Personal Care and First Aid

Spending time away from your normal systems of support can be a dirty business. Getting hurt while far away from possible care can be frightening. This is probably the biggest reason that people are afraid to try it out. A little bit of preparation can help.

Personal Care Items

  • Hand Soap/Sanitizer
  • Baby Wipes
  • Toilet Paper
  • Comb or Hair Brush
  • Bug Repellent
  • Sunscreen
  • First Aid Kit

When my kids were little I was working in a coffee shop. So handwashing was ingrained in me as a habit. I set up a handwash station on the table during the day. Hand soap, a basin of water, and a towel were ready whenever I felt I needed them. But as time went on I relaxed my standards and the basin simplified into a bottle of hand sanitizer and a tub of baby wipes. Baby wipes are probably the best thing ever for basic cleanliness while camping. You can clean feet, hands, faces, or freshen up other areas when a shower is not an option. I bring toilet paper because you never want to be without it. Bathrooms may be provided, whether flush or vault toilets, but even the best kept facilities can run out of supplies between cleanings.

Bug repellent and sunscreen should be self explanatory. You will discover what works for your family if you don’t already know. I remember competing with my siblings over who had more mosquito bites and therefore was more miserable, but not everyone will want that to be the story of their campout. And as much as I personally dislike sunscreen, we made sure the kids got slathered with it. It only takes one time trying to wipe dirt off the toddler’s face, only to have a layer of skin slide off to make you dedicated to not letting the kids get burned again. She had only been sleeping in the shade for a half hour and the shade had moved, leaving her in full sun for a short time.

So yes, burns and bug bites and skinned knees are virtually guaranteed. That doesn’t mean they have to be catastrophic. Start with doing your best to pay attention to safety and common sense. Then have a decent First Aid Kit to patch up whatever happens. You could buy one or put it together yourself, but make sure it has what you need to deal with the most common problems that you’ll run into.

This box lives behind the seat of my truck. I chose what goes in it, but like everything in life it is a constantly evolving thing. FYI, paper tape degrades in the heat of a summer car. I couldn’t pull off a decent length last time I needed it. I will have to find a better adhesive tape to store in a vehicle.

First Aid Kit

  • Adhesive Bandages in various sizes
  • Gauze Pads and Rolls
  • Adhesive Tape
  • Wound Disinfectant
  • Gloves
  • Antibiotic Ointment
  • Burn Treatment
  • Anti Itch Cream
  • Sunburn Treatment
  • Benadryl, Ibuprophen, Acetaminophen
  • Butterfly Bandages
  • Elastic Ankle Wrap
  • Feminine Products

First Aid training would be a very good idea for everyone old enough to pay attention. But when it comes down to it, the most important thing anytime anyone gets hurt is to stay calm. If you are a parent that goes into panic mode over a skinned knee your child will be terrified over every bump and bruise. I would argue that a few bumps and bruises are good for kids and adults because they remind us that we have limits. Nothing teaches you what not to do faster than unexpected pain. We should be calm and accept the lesson, and make sure that we work around it in future.

Most of the items in the list above are self-explanatory. I almost forgot wound disinfectant because in my mind I also have hand soap and sanitizer. I would probably go to that and the baby wipes first, but it’s good to have disinfectant as well. I also remembered gloves when I looked into my existing kit. You never know when you might have to help out a stranger and blood-borne pathogens are no joke.

Butterfly bandages are in there because of a specific incident. I had put my kitchen knife into the cardboard box I was using and didn’t realize there were gaps along the edge, so when I lifted the box the next morning my arm rolled into the sharp edge, cutting a nice clean gash on my forearm. My boys, though nearly adults, freaked out. They didn’t know where we could get stitches so far from home. That was when I got to teach them when and how stitches can be avoided. A piece of paper tape was folded into a makeshift butterfly bandage and the trip was saved, though I had to be careful. Now my kit is ready and I am dedicated to keeping my sharp edges protected.

Watch out for those sharp things! injuries make camping less fun, but they do make stories for a lifetime.

Ladies will know why I added the last item. Make sure they are in a plastic baggie so they don’t get messed up. I even have told my boys to include those, and not really for first aid purposes. Just imagine how quickly your trip would be ruined if something so important was forgotten…having something on hand could save the day.

I have known people who think being prepared means they are afraid of what might happen. I even know a person who refused to carry more than a couple of bandaids because having more might jinx them. Then again, I remember listening to a podcaster (I’ve forgotten which one!) who told the story of being at an outdoor wedding when a small plane crashed into the field across the road and he was able to help save the pilot’s life because of his well-stocked first aid kit. Mine isn’t huge but is respectable and it lives in my truck. I might never need it for any big things, but whenever I do pull it out for little things I am glad it’s there.

My most recent little thing where my kit saved the day. This is when I learned that my paper tape wasn’t doing so good. Someone tried to take off my mirror. I was able to secure it until I could access duct tape.
Camping LIst

My Camping List Part 7

Clothing, for adults and for children

Camping means leaving the controlled environment of your own home and going out where there is no air conditioning or heater. It also often means leaving the city for the mountains where the weather and temperature is less predictable and more prone to extremes, even in summer. It is important to be prepared for the elements without overpacking. It is also important to make sure every person in your group is prepared, especially if your’re the parent. I got tired of packing for my kids while they ran around in excited distraction so from the time they were in grade school I made them get out their own backpack and handed them a list. Up until they were middle school age I would check the backpack when they were done, but by high school age they were on their own and learned from their mistakes…as life should be.

You have to be ready for sunny heat in the 90sF and overnight lows as chilly as 50F. You want to protect your legs from brush if you’re hiking and be ready to swim if there’s a lake. And with how much other gear you will likely bring, you don’t want to take up more space than a typical school backpack per person. So keep it simple, but bring extra socks.

Clothing For Adults

  • Grubby jeans and T-shirts
  • Shorts and Sleeveless shirts
  • Extra Socks and Undies
  • Warm Sweater or Coat
  • Comfy Sleep Sweats
  • Sturdy Shoes and Sandals
  • Swimwear and Towel
  • Hat
  • Bag for Dirty Laundry

For most adults one set of each type of clothing is enough, with maybe an extra shirt. You know what you like. And it is okay to get dirty when you are camping. Let me say it again. There is no need to be perfectly clean and put together when you are in the woods. Relax. If the jeans get dirt on them they are still okay to wear another day. Or wear your sweats or leggings. Or just set aside a clean outfit to wear on the way home. Wear your sandals around the campsite, slip them off to go into the tent, and clean feet with baby wipes before bed. Relax, it’s camping, not a fashion show.

Clothing for Children

  • Exactly the same as for adults, only twice as much.
  • Reserve one clean outfit for the trip home
  • Definitely a bag for dirty/wet laundry!

Children have an affinity for dirt. Some more than others, of course. My oldest could wear a white outfit at the age of two and still be spotless at the end of the day while his brother got the dark blue because he couldn’t stay clean for five minutes. One trip in particular taught me that for small children you have to pack more than you think you need and then double it. One day I will write the entire story of what we jokingly call the boat trip from hell. For now it’s enough to say that while my husband was making sure that our gear was properly stowed in the boat I was getting the almost 2 and 3 year olds into life jackets. The younger was supposed to go to Papa while I got his brother ready when I heard Papa yelling his name. My first horrified thought was that he was running down the dock to tumble into the water. Reality was both better and worse. The child was on his back in a puddle making mud angels, happy as a clam. That was one set of clothes ruined and we had barely gotten out of the truck. It went downhill from there.

Moral of the story is that kids are going to get their clothes wet and dirty and they should be allowed to do it. They will have fun and will learn from experience why it isn’t really the best idea, but you also have to be prepared to get the clothes dried or have another set so they can warm up as needed. I believe I have added a clothesline and clothespins in the list of tools. It is a good idea to string this up between a couple of trees (no nails!) so that you can let the really soppy clothes drip dry before throwing in the laundry bag. Also it gives a place for your swim suits and towels to hang so your tent floor doesn’t become a terrible mess. If you forget the clothesline you could throw things across the tent, but they do have a tendency to slide to the ground.

August 2005 Hideaway Lake near Mt Hood, Oregon.

I think that covers it. One thing that some people find fun is to have a designated camping sweatshirt that then shows up in every set of photos from every year. Papa had his vest. Another friend had a favorite jacket. Now when the kids look at the pictures they get a kick out of remembering. And isn’t making memories what camping is really about?

Camping LIst

My camping List part 6

Nothing says camping like a campfire. Even if it is simply a firepit in the back yard having a fire to sit around and talk, cook food on, and warm up by as the night cools down seems to satisfy a deep human need. I feel like being able to build and maintain a fire is a basic skill that everyone should have. Spending time by the fire can help build relationships and de-stress. Maybe it sounds overly romanticized, but don’t tell me it doesn’t work. Of course you do need to remember to bring a few things with you for your campfire.

Campfire

  • Matches or Lighter
  • Tinder (Newspaper or junk mail does fine)
  • Firewood
  • Hatchet or survival knife
  • Poker
  • Roasting Forks or Sticks

Developed campgrounds tend to come with a designated firepit. Use it. Fire season has to be extremely bad for campgrounds to ban fires in the sites. If you end up camping in an undeveloped area then pay attention to fire bans and use established fire rings if you find one. Make sure that the ring is not on top of tree roots or near flammable foliage. Any time you make a campfire be certain to tend it carefully and make sure that it is nothing but cold, dead ash before leaving or going to bed. Do everything in your power to NOT be the person who destroys your favorite retreat! And be sure that your kids absorb respect and healthy fear of the power of fire as they learn to tend your campfire.

Firewood can be bought in many places. You might see places along the highway where someone advertises bundles of camp wood for sale. Or the camp host usually can sell you a bundle. I have found that usually one bundle is enough for a night if you are cooking on the fire or two nights if you are just running the fire for a couple hours before bed.

If you have never laid a fire before I am sure there are a million tutorials on YouTube. Watch a few and experiment. Get the kids involved. This is a wonderful time for them to learn to handle tools. Yes, it is a terrifying thing to hand an 8-year-old a hatchet and tell him to chop some kindling. But if he (or she) has seen you do it already and you set them up safely then success and proficiency will come, along with the pride of being able to do something useful. Just be careful about letting them loose. Trees of any description around the campsite are not to be chopped on. Any brush that is gathered as tinder should already be dead and loose on the ground. There usually isn’t much around a well-used site. Roasting sticks are also better brought from home. It’s one thing for a single person to cut a branch, but another thing for dozens of people to do it every weekend. Your goal is to leave your campsite pristine, not wrecked when you go home.

Let me read by the fire while dessert packets roast on the grate…

I was going to leave the food for a later post, but no campfire is complete without something to cook over it. Every camping trip gets marshmallows and hot dogs put on the menu. Many people love the challenge of making the perfect s’more where the marshmallow is just the right shade of gold and the chocolate is on the brink of turning into a puddle…sweet sticky goodness! I prefer the challenge of trying to get the maximum rounds of toasting a marshmallow and pulling off the skin before it catches fire or falls into the coals. Hot dogs or spicy sausages are also great to roast over the fire, but my boys have found that thinly sliced carne asada meat, marinated in garlic, cumin, and lime is wonderful when threaded onto a long toasting fork and slowly smoked to perfection. These things need a good bed of coals with minimal flame. Again, I am sure there are plenty of videos where people explain how best to achieve this, but I have found that building up a large fire with a good amount of wood all at once is best. Then when it is halfway burned you knock it down with your poker and settle it into a bed of coals. The heat of coals will brown your marshmallow where the flames will quickly set it on fire.

I am a bit obsessed about fire safety. I was burned as a toddler and spent quite a few years terrified to work with fire as a result. I’m fine with it today, but I still hold a healthy level of fear and respect for the power of even a small fire. I strongly believe that children should be encouraged to help tend the fire. I also believe that any misbehaviour should be stopped immediately. My kids were allowed to poke the fire with their own sticks, but they were not supposed to hold their stick in the fire to burn. It’s one thing to catch the stick on fire and another to do it deliberately multiple times and wave it around throwing embers like a sparkler. They got one warning and if they did it again they would lose the stick…usually to the fire. Their tending privileges were gone with the stick.

Cuts and burns and splinters will happen. Running is forbidden close to the fire. My youngest learned at an early age that the metal of the firepit can be very hot even after the fire has been put out. My husband was packing up to leave one trip and the 4-year-old was running wild with his brothers and landed with his hands against the metal surround. He got to ride home with blisters on the palms of his hands. (There is a reason that burn cream and gauze is in the first aid kit.) But he and his older brothers were a lot more careful around the firepit after that. Minor burns heal, but the lessons remain and become memories and stories to be told to others. I have caught him cautioning his younger cousin to be careful around the fire and telling the story of how he got hurt as an example of what not to do.

Don’t be afraid of fire. Embrace the beauty and wildness of it. Use of fire is part of what makes us human. Stories and songs around the fire are more deeply embedded in the fiber of our being than we realize. This is why we camp. We reconnect to the wildness that has been shut out of our urbanized lives. Without a bit of wildness our souls wither. I would never advocate for a full abandonment of civilization. That wouldn’t work for most people. But I believe that everyone would be better off if they can find a way to get a dose of the wildness a few times a year.

Camping LIst

My camping List Part 5

I could call this the Chuck Box Extras, except that they aren’t really extras. You could probably prepare food and eat without needing seasoning or washing dishes. You might even have some really good food that way. But most people are going to need some basics.

Cooking Kit

  • Salt and Pepper
  • Cooking Oil
  • A few favorite Herbs and Spices
  • Sugar

This is what I bring. I could probably leave some of it behind. The sugar is for my coffee because I am a wimp, but I am trying to cut it out as much as I can. If you want to be a minimalist just bring salt and oil. But if you want to cook a bit, even just an omelette, everything gets better with extra flavoring.

Dishwashing Station

  • Two Dish Pans or Large Bowls
  • Small Bottle of Dish Detergent
  • Sponge and Scrubber
  • Drying Rack and Dish Towels
  • Kettle to heat water

I guess this could be optional too. You could easily scrub your pots out with a handful of sand and rinse them in the creek. But that tends to be frowned on in more developed campgrounds. The more people you have in your group, the more important it is to get the dishes washed after each meal. Also, the more hands are available to get the job done. I’m sure my family is not the only one where the rule exists that whoever didn’t cook gets to clean the kitchen.

Dishes rinse best in warm water, so as everyone sits down to eat, set a kettle on the stove or campfire to heat up. Then get the dishes done before the water gets cold. When it comes time to dispose of the dirty water it is possible to throw it into the bushes at the side of the campsite, but it is often considered rude. Better to pour it down the graywater drain that is usually located every few sites in a developed campground.

I think that’s all for today. There really isn’t much more to say on these topics. Of course if I missed something, be sure to let me know. Tomorrow I’ll go on about the campfire.

Camping LIst

My camping list Part 4

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The Chuck Box

No, this box has nothing to do with anyone named Charles or Norris. Neither is it a place to just chuck things in, though if you get a large enough bin that may happen. This is named for the old Chuck Wagons that followed along on cattle drives to cook for the cowboys. I came across the term in a YouTube video where a guy proudly shows off a very functional custom made version that could not only hold everything in an organized fashion, it turned into its own table and stove stand. I want one like that someday…

My Chuck Box is a plastic bin. I used to use a larger one, but the lid disappeared and the inside got disgusting so it was time for a fresh container. Here’s what goes inside:

Chuck Box

  • Stove and Propane
  • Matches or Lighter
  • Kettle and Skillet
  • Stovetop Coffeemaker (and coffee)
  • Large Bowls for mixing or serving
  • Spatula and Big Spoon
  • Knife and Cutting Board
  • Dishes, Mugs, and Flatware
  • Can Opener
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Paper Towels
  • Storage Baggies and Trash Bags
  • Tablecloth
All the basics to keep the family fed.

There are all kinds of camp stoves out there. The best one will vary by what kind of camping you want to do, but for my purposes a simple 2-burner propane stove that runs off of the small bottles of propane is just fine. For group camping we have had someone bring a big multi-burner stove with a griddle top, but if it’s just you and the kids, this one will do just fine. Don’t forget that you need to light it!

A lot of the other things can just be gathered from your own kitchen, or if you want to keep the box packed and ready then you can visit a thrift store. There is really no need to buy new and expensive items to use a couple of times a year. Although…if you want to invest in some cast iron, that could be a worthwhile decision. Especially if you learn to use it in more ways than camping. Dutch Ovens can be used outside of a campfire. There are even ways to control the temperature by how many charcoal briquettes you use. That’s worth looking up if only for an interesting read.

A kettle for cooking soups and heating water, a skillet for hashbrowns and eggs. Cooking utensils and things to eat with and out of. Make sure that you bring cups that can hold the heat. It’s hard to drink hot chocolate from a paper cup that sheds the wax into your hand. I’ve tried! Aluminum foil is useful for so many things. Making pouches to cook food in the fire is only one of them. Storage zipper baggies of various sizes are invaluable for holding leftovers that you can’t bear to throw out. Paper towels and paper plates can be stored clean by tying a plastic grocery bag around them…if the bags haven’t been banished in your area yet. A set of enamel dishes is a good investment, but often I decide I don’t want to wash dishes and just use paper instead. Flatware can be plastic or thrift store. A table cloth is another little luxury that takes up very little space but goes a long way to making your site look cozy. Plus, it removes the mystery of what the spot on the table might have been. Get a plastic flannel-backed one or just use a cotton flat sheet.

Enamel Percolator and Moka style espresso maker. Both okay over the fire, but the enamel is better.

I have two kinds of coffemakers. One makes espresso, the other is a percolator that makes more regular American style coffee. Both cost around $20 and both are perfectly fine for camping. I kind of prefer the enamel one. I like it because it makes more and there is less fighting for the last drop and because it can also be used to heat up water for dishwashing or hot chocolate. The enamel one lives in my bins. The moka lives in my kitchen. They usually both end up coming along with us.

Two kinds of kettles. One is better if you have to cook over a campfire.

I’m happy to be getting input from several people already. Rochelle reminded me yesterday that a grate to put over the fire can be a lifesaver when you forget the campstove. And my son who helped me assemble everything for the photoshoot last night made a very good observation about the kettle that lives in the camping bin. He wanted to completely reject it because of the handles and the non-stick. I kinda agree. If you are going to only cook on your campstove and this is all you have then you are perfectly fine. But plastic handles are not a good idea at all if you ever have to put that kettle on the campfire. He chose the stainless cookware with the longer handles so they could be more safely handled when hot. Just something to keep in mind. Also, add hot pads to the list!

One other safety note: in the photo at the top you will see two knives. One of them is out so you can see it, the other is wrapped in a kitchen towel. Make sure that when you aren’t using them your knives are kept safe. I learned that one the hard way a couple years ago and it is why butterfly bandages are on the first aid list. My boys panicked when I sliced my arm on an unsafe blade and I had to show them how to improvise when Urgent Care stitches aren’t an option. Fortunately it wasn’t deep, just stupid. Live and learn!

I almost feel like the categories of Cooking Kit and Dishes should go into the Chuck Box. A slightly larger bin would help them fit. But I’m running out of time for today so I’m going to leave them for tomorrow’s post. Here’s what the pile looks like once the cramologists have done their job:

Kitchen supplies ready to go!

I’ll have to find the link for that video that I found so inspirational. I might leave it in the comments. And I will warn you that since my son was so very opinionated about what should go in the box I told him I am going to make him write a post of his own. It may or may not show up soon. In fact, I’m very open to feedback and if anyone wants to give me their version of The Camping List I would be delighted to share.

Camping LIst

My camping list Part 3

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Sleep is a necessity

The biggest secret I have found to a successful camping trip is making sure you can sleep comfortably. Really, if Mama doesn’t sleep then nobody is going to have a good day. I know some people can sleep anywhere they close their eyes. People like that are probably fine with one of those thin sleeping pads. I get the feeling that those pads are primarily for insulation so that the ground doesn’t suck away your body heat. Other people are more like the Princess and the Pea. I was miserable on the floor at sleepovers when I was 14. It has only gotten worse over the last 30 years.

Sleep

  • Cot, Air Mattress, or Sleeping Pad
  • Sleeping Bag
  • Pillow, Blanket, and Sheet

Only you can know how far you need to go to get the right level of comfort. No matter how careful you are to clear your tent site of rocks and pinecones, there are always lumps and bumps under the floor. If you go ahead with the area rug, that helps for sleeping straight on the floor, but most adults end up needing something more. Air mattresses are very popular. Bring a pump or be prepared to do crazy things to get your kids to inflate the thing. And be prepared to patch it at some point because I guarantee it will spring a leak. I have given up on air mattresses because I hate waking up with the sensation of being eaten by the thing while laying on the ground. Others I know swear by them.

I have traveled with a twin mattress in the back of my truck. A friend brings the memory foam topper from her bed. Covered with a double layer of fitted sheets and folded in half it did a pretty good job of letting her get her rest.

Big cot on the left, smaller on the right. A table for phones, glasses, and water bottles. Plenty of room for luggage and the food box underneath.

Nowadays I use a folding cot. It’s TwinXL and works beautifully. I sleep well, it gives me storage space underneath, and I can make my bed in the morning so that my tent doesn’t look like a disaster zone. One drawback is that cots are not the best for couples. And although they do make cot/air mattress combos in a queen size they are squeaky enough to wake the dead.

I bring my own pillow from home. Even if it gets kicked to the floor it smells right and makes me comfortable. Same with the big fuzzy blanket. On cold nights having the fuzzy next to my skin makes me feel warmer. The sheet may seem odd, but if you camp someplace really hot it’s nice to have something to cover up with that doesn’t roast you. And then the other bedding is there for when it gets cold.

Yes, something to remember: camping exposes you to the elements. It gets surprisingly cold at night. It can be gloriously hot during the day. There is no heating or AC to regulate your environment and that is good for your body. You do need to prepare. For myself, I bought a sleeping bag that is good for freezing temperatures. If it is too hot, that is what the blanket and sheet are for. By 3am you will likely appreciate the heaviness of a good sleeping bag, unless you are one of those people who needs a window open and a fan on in the middle of an ice storm. I’ve bundled up and still shivered through the night.

But here’s the thing, when you’re camping you don’t have to worry about alarms. The sun will come up. Your bladder will drag you out of bed if the kids don’t. Somebody will need to make the coffee. Maybe you drag your blanket out to wrap up in your chair so you can sip that first cup by the fire while the world wakes up. Who cares if breakfast isn’t on schedule? The entire point of getting away is to let your body and soul rest and reset. Let it happen.

Camping LIst

My Camping List Part 2

Gimme Shelter

  • Tent
  • Groundcloth
  • Dining Canopy
  • Chairs
  • Table
  • Floor Mats
  • Broom and Dust Pan
  • Lantern/Flashlights and Batteries

One of the basic human needs is for shelter. We need somewhere to rest that will keep out the elements. When you leave your comfortable house full of modern conveniences for a while it makes you grateful for those conveniences when you return. The simplest form of shelter can be made from a sheet of plastic and twine. I got to practice that for a week in my Senior year of high school when all 39 of the people in my class went on our retreat at the beginning of the year. It rained all week, but my shelter stayed dry.

For more comfortable camping you will want a tent. A good tent treated well should last you many camping seasons, so it is worth putting some thought into what you need. For a young family it is worthwhile to get a fairly large tent that can fit everyone and still allow room to get to the door without stepping on anyone still asleep. Just keep in mind that some campsites have limited space. One of my favorite tents was 18′ long, which made it difficult to fit into some campsites. For singles or couples it is nice to fit a queen size air mattress into the tent and still have space to set your luggage or food at the end. I like being able to stand up when getting dressed, so a tent that is too low to the ground is not fun. As the kids get older they like having space of their own so having a tent for Mom and Dad and a couple of smaller tents for the kids allows everyone breathing room.

My camp setup last July. My canopy gave extra shade to keep the tent cooler inside.

I have found that a 10’x10′ tent is just about right for me. They have enough room for my cot and I can still stand up in the middle. There is room enough for a guest or two, the cooler, and luggage. I’m actually in the market for a new tent since my most recent purchase failed the first night. Those “easy up” claims might be right, but they seem to be weaker than I like. If you buy a tent with flexible fiberglass poles I would recommend a tent that runs them through sleeves to the top. That way they have extra support when the wind tries to flatten your tent and are less likely to shatter.

One night of heavy wind destroyed this pole. I had bought this tent the day before. I managed to make it survive a couple more trips before giving up on it.

One thing that tents do not come with is a groundcloth. Casual campers can probably get away with not using one, but the minute you need it you will either be glad it’s there or regret not having it. A groundcloth is simply a tarp or sheet of plastic that goes on the ground under the tent. It is very important not to let it extend past the edges of the tent! It serves three purposes: it protects the floor of the tent from wear against any rocks or roots under the tent, it prevents damp from seeping up from the ground, and if it rains, it gives an extra layer of protection against moisture. Rain or heavy dew is why you should never let the groundcloth go past the edges of the tent floor. Any moisture runoff needs to go to the ground under this tarp, not be funneled between tarp and tent floor. So buy a tarp as close to the size of your tent as you can and fold the edges under when you stake down the perimeter as you set up.

A dining canopy is a luxury that I have decided I need. Yes, you can easily camp without one, but when the sun is hot or it starts to rain, being able to prepare meals under cover is so much nicer. Last year I went ahead and bought one of those pop-up canopies. It was worth every dollar. I even used it to sleep under on the last trip of the season because my tent had died. I left the legs at their short position and placed my cot under. It rained all night but I stayed dry. In the morning we moved it to the picnic table and fixed breakfast without getting soaked.

It is entirely possible to go camping without chairs and a table. Most campgrounds provide a picnic table to cook and eat at. Often you can get close enough to enjoy the firepit from the bench of the picnic table, but having chairs is better. Let the kids each pick out a chair to claim and make them responsible for taking care of it. A folding table is another little luxury that can have a thousand uses. When you have a larger group it is nice to set up a cooking area at a spare table and leave the picnic table for eating and socializing.

The last three items on the list are mostly obvious. Yes, you will need at least one flashlight. A lantern is better. Multiple lanterns and flashlights are best, and if you forget the batteries you will kick yourself. The need for a broom and dust pan is also obvious. Being in the great outdoors is not clean and tidy. Sand and pine needles get tracked into the tent and I can’t stand the mess. Well, I can for a little while, but I hate packing up a dirty tent. I actually keep a broom in my truck for sweeping things out as needed. The handle broke off of it long ago, but it still works fine in my hand.

Then there is the one item that feels like the most luxury but is the one that I would never do without if I can help it. Floor mats. Area Rugs. Carpet. The first time I brought a spare area rug to the campground it felt like cheating. I just wanted something more comfortable in the middle of the tent than the plastic floor. A rug can take up a lot of space when you are packing, but I feel like it makes up for it. I currently use a 5’x7′ inside the tent and a 3’x5′ at the door. Shoes are always left on the mat outside the door. The rug inside protects the tent floor from wear, catches sand and pine needles, and makes it more comfortable when I’m inside. Both of the carpets I currently use were about $15 at Walmart so I’m not worried about them getting ruined. When the kids were little I brought their hot wheel rug to put in front of their tent so they’d have a place to play with their cars. Plus it caught most of the dirt before they went inside so their tent and blankets stayed cleaner.

That covers the first category. Tomorrow I’ll talk about sleep. Because if Mama doesn’t get her sleep, ain’t nobody gonna have fun.

Camping LIst

My Camping List

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This is a work in progress. It is a reflection of a lifetime of planning and packing, seeing what works and what isn’t so great. The list I’m about to share is my list. I have created it for the way I camp. I’ll go through it by category and item over the next few days and explain my choices and thinking. Anyone reading can then decide for themselves what might make sense for them. So here it is… Happy camping!

The camping list

Shelter

  • Tent
  • Groundcloth
  • Dining Canopy
  • Chairs
  • Table
  • Floor Mats
  • Broom and Dust Pan
  • Lantern/Flashlights and Batteries

Sleep

  • Cot, Air Mattress, or Sleeping Pad
  • Sleeping Bag
  • Pillow, Blanket, and Sheet

Chuck Box (General Kitchen Supplies)

  • Stove and Propane
  • Matches or Lighter
  • Kettle and Skillet
  • Stovetop Coffeemaker (and coffee)
  • Large bowls for mixing or serving
  • Spatula and Big Spoon
  • Knife and Cutting Board
  • Dishes, Mugs, and Flatware
  • Can Opener
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Paper Towels
  • Storage Baggies
  • Tablecloth

Cooking Kit

  • Salt and Pepper
  • Cooking Oil
  • Favorite Herbs and Spices
  • Sugar

Dishes

  • Two Dish Pans or Large Bowls
  • Small Bottle of Dish Detergent
  • Sponge and Scrubber
  • Drying Rack and Towels

Campfire

  • Matches or Lighter
  • Tinder (newspaper or junk mail is great)
  • Firewood
  • Roasting Forks or Sticks

Clothing – Adults

  • Grubby Jeans and Shirts
  • Shorts and Tanktops
  • Extra Socks and Undies
  • Sweater or Coat
  • Comfy Sleep Sweats
  • Sturdy Shoes and Sandals
  • Swimwear and Towel
  • Hat

Clothing – Children

  • Exactly the same as for adults, only twice as much
  • Reserve one clean outfit for going home

Personals

  • Hand Soap and Sanitizer
  • Baby Wipes
  • Toilet Paper
  • Bug Repellent
  • Sunscreen
  • First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit

  • Adhesive Bandages in multiple sizes
  • Gauze Pads and Rolls
  • Adhesive Tape
  • Antibiotic Ointment
  • Burn Treatment
  • Anti-Itch Cream
  • Sunburn Treatment
  • Benadryl, Ibuprophen, Acetaminophen
  • Butterfly Bandages
  • Elastic Ankle Wrap
  • Feminine Products

Tools

  • Hammer
  • Duct Tape
  • Hatchet
  • Rope/Clothesline (and a few clothespins)

Pets

  • Collars with ID tags
  • Leashes
  • Tie-Out
  • Food
  • Dishes
  • Toys

Entertainment

  • Cards
  • Dominoes
  • Jigsaw Puzzles
  • Water Toys and Life Jackets for Children
  • Bubbles
  • Sidewalk Chalk
  • Glow-in-the-dark Bracelets
  • Bikes, Scooters, or Skateboards (and helmets)
  • Frisbee or Balls

This is the list as it stands for now. I’ve run it past my household and a couple of friends and I think I have remembered all the necessities. I’m sure if I have forgotten anything I will be reminded as I go through the categories. If you see any glaring omissions, feel free to remind me of them. After all, the entire purpose of the exercise is to not forget the important things!