Camping as a Family
My family goes camping every summer and it is an enjoyable family activity, but we don’t travel far. My husband and I take our boys camping, but we usually camp very close to home. I mean really close to home, like only a couple of miles from our house. We love camping close to home because it feels like we went somewhere far away, but we didn’t have to make a long drive to get there. Plus we can bring our dogs home when we want to take the boys out tubing or go out on the boat. It’s super easy to buzz the dogs home for a few hours rather than make them stay in the hot tent while we are out on the boat. Our dogs are afraid of the lake or we would have the option to bring them on the boat with us.
Being close to home while camping has many other benefits. A few years ago we were camping with our kids and our dogs and one dog got sprayed by a skunk. I just droive her home to bathe her. I was so relieved we were close to home to deal with the catastrophe. Plus I can run home and take care of our back yard pool and guinea pigs each day and we don’t have to find care for the pool or the pigs.
The other benefit to camping close to home is if we forgot something, we can just run home and get it. I forgot the coffee pot one year, so I just ran home to get it. It was a no brainer, however, forgetting items is precisely why I need a list. It’s a bit crazy packing up at my house with three boys, two dogs, two guinea pigs, and a pool to care for so I need a comprehensive list. I’m sharing my Family Camping Checklist with all of my readers. Feel free to print this page or enter your name in the box to enable you to easily print it as a pdf. Signing up would allow you to receive all my family fun, recipes, diy, and travel posts by email.
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Family Camping Checklist:
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Tent and tarp, ensure poles and stakes are in tent bag
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Cell phone and charger
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Cash or credit card to buy ice, bonfire wood, and to pay for campsite
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Screen tent
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Lawn chair, one for each person
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Clothes
- shorts
- pants
- sweatshirts
- long sleeve t-shirts
- short sleeve t-shirts
- tank tops
- rain jackets
- socks
- underwear, long underwear if expecting extreme cold temps at night
- pajamas
- slip-on shoes
- tennis shoes
- water shoes
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For Weather and Nature
- umbrellas
- hat or visor
- sunglasses
- sunscreen: lotion, spray, stick
- bug spray (family and with deet) and stick with high percentage of deet
- swim suit
- beach towel
- goggles
- float toys
- sand toys
- rain boots
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Bedding
- pillows
- sleeping bags
- extra blankets
- fitted sheets
- air mattresses and pump (extra batteries if battery operated pump)
- picnic blanket
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Lighting
- lantern with a night light built in and glow in the dark buttons
- flashlights
- matches
- citronella candle
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Grilling and Bonfire Supplies
- grill
- lighter
- charcoal
- lighter fluid
- fire starter sticks
- newspaper for campfire
- matches
- flint
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Personal Care & Hygiene
- bath towel
- shampoo and conditioner
- bar soap or liquid soap
- deodorant
- toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, and mouthwash
- Q-tips
- Make-up
- Lotion
- Sunscreen for face
- Comb or brush
- Hairspray or other hair products
- Hair binder, ponytail holder, or clip
- Contact solution, case, extra contacts, glasses, glasses cleaner
- Hand sanitizer and hand wipes
- razor and shaving cream
- anti-itch cream
- bandaids
- antibiotic ointment
- ibuprofen
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Cleaning
- dish soap
- spray cleaner
- rags
- paper towel roll or two
- broom and dust pan to sweep up in tent
- indoor/outdoor carpet for just outside the tent door to leave shoes on to keep dirt out of the tent
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Food and Meal Supplies
- Cooler, ice packs, and ice
- tablecloth or flat bed sheet to act as a tablecloth
- meat and vegetables to grill
- Spices to season meat and vegetables to grill
- Spatula and tongs
- pre-made salads
- fruit
- breakfast food such donuts, bagels and cream cheese, muffins, cereal
- chips, pretzels, candy
- cookies
- smores stuff
- marshmallow roasting sticks
- coffee pot, coffee filters, coffee, creamer
- other treats
- coffee mugs or insulated mugs to keep drinks hot or cold
- Dutch oven and/or crock pot
- Sharp knife for cutting food
- Cutting board
- cups
- plastic silverware
- paper plates
- large serving spoon
- napkins
- dish soap in a spray bottle with water
- Gatorade bottles
- Juice bottles
- Ketchup
- Salt and pepper
- Mustard
- Mayo
- relish
- Bread or buns
- Pickles
- olives
- Cheese
- Sandwich meat
- Milk
- Soda pop
- Adult beverages (Bota Box Nighthawk Black is my favorite box wine to bring camping, the box has a spout for dispensing)
- Pitcher for water or lemonade, or water jug with spout from the store
- Water bottles, individual size
- Tin foil for grilling
- Press ‘n Seal or Saran wrap
- Containers to store leftovers
- Popcorn popper for over campfire +popcorn kernels +large popcorn bowl +butter
- Several garbage bags for garbage and recycle
We have this dutch oven and we are very pleased with its performance. This is an affiliate link.
Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven – 12 Inch / 8 Quart
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Dutch oven on bonfire pit for Onion Soup mix potatoes…so YUM! -
Stuff for Dogs
- food and treats
- water bowls
- dog blankets
- collars
- harnesses
- leashes
- toys
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Dogs lounging at campsite 
Kipper in the tent 
Frida snuggling in blanket in the tent -
Tools
- Hammer
- Ax or hatchet to split wood
- Screw driver
- Sharp knives
- Whittling or pocket knife
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Entertainment
- football, soccer ball, baseball/bat/ball/glove, frisbee
- bikes and helmets
- outdoor lawn games like bocce ball, lawn darts, bean bag toss, ladder golf
- card games and board games, Go Fish, Apples to Apples, Jenga, Uno
- boat, lifejackets, tube and tow rope, fishing gear
- floaties for swimming
- DVD player or electronic devices in case of rain and trapped in tent
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To Preserve Memories
- Camera
- Video camera
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Extras For a More Pleasant Camping Experience
- Rope for a clothesline
- Clock
- Radio or speaker for iPhone
- Extension cord for sites with power
- Fan
- Phone charger, iPad charger
- Card table and chairs
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Baby Stuff for families with babies
- bottles and formula
- baby food and snacks
- baby bedding and pack and play
- baby clothes and pajamas
- diapers
- diaper rash cream
- wipes
- swim diapers
- baby sunscreen
- nuk
- baby soap
- baby toys
- sippy cup
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Kipper lounging in lawn chair 
Adult relaxation: Glass of wine at the campsite. Tip: bring plastic wine glasses - I hope my list helps you pack for your family packing trip. Happy camping and enjoy!!
- If you liked this post, you might also like my mom’s getaway post
How to plan a cheap fun mom’s getaway weekend at a campground without a tent
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Such a great list! We are new to camping so adding your goodies to my list. We always forget something!
Thanks! I hope it is helpful to you! I always forget something, I need a list or I’m sure to forget an item.
The furthest we have gone from our house to camp is the backyard 🙂 so I appreciate this list as we hopefully will venture further this summer!
Yes! Camping is awesome family fun! Thanks!!
We took our girls camping for the first time a few weeks ago…we had everything except warm enough clothes for night-time! Who would have guessed it would get so cold in May?! We will definitely need to do it again this summer, closer to home.
Yes, it often gets way colder at night than expected. It’s nice to be close to home because it’s so easy to run home for extra items! Thanks and have fun!!
Such a great checklist. I often forget something during family trips–no matter how strictly I plan everything. I’ve collected and written some important points from your post. Thanks for sharing this list.
I need a list too or I forget things, especially with being a mom and kids are around while I pack. I’m so happy you like my list! I hope it helps you out!! Thanks!
I love this list. I am definitely going to download and use it in the future for our camping trips. Thank you for sharing.