Camping Packing List (For Beginners, by an Outdoor Guide!)

Looking for a quick and easy packing list to help you decide what you need to bring camping? Read on for a beginner-friendly camping packing list!

why this blog? Hi there! My name is Maddy and I’m an outdoor guide and freelance writer based up on the shores of Lake Superior. I’ve been helping people dip their toes into the outdoors since 2018 and am stoked to help show you around!

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Camping Packing List & A Beginner’s Guide To Camping

From sleeping systems to what to pack for your camping kitchen, here’s a quick guide to what to bring camping:

Sleep Systems & Shelter for Camping:

• Sleeping Pad: you need some sort of sleeping pad or air mattress for insulation & comfort.
• Sleeping Bag or blanket
• Pillow
• Tent: check out a guide to how to choose a tent.
• Headlamp
• Tarp: a tarp, bug awing, or some sort of additional tent attachment you can hook to your car
• Camp Chairs: backpacker-friendly, car-camping friendly, or luxury
• Camp Table: probably, your campsite has a picnic table, so this may not be necessary. I only use a camp table when basecamping somewhere more remote for a long period of time.
• Hammock

READ: Ultimate guide to solo car camping

Kitchen:

• Camp Stove: check out camp stove options and easy camping meal ideas!
• Fuel: will vary based on stove type
• Pots & Pans
• Cooking Equipment: spatula, something to mix with, good knives, a serving spoon, tongs! This shouldn’t vary too much from what you might need at home, so if you’re car camping, you can just bring things from home!
• Fork/Spork
• Lighter/Fire-starter
• Plate/bowl or a mess kit
• Cutting board
• Mug
• French press/coffee pour over
• Cooler & ice packs
• Soap, sink, scrubbies: Honestly for some car camping trips I literally bring lysol wipes and a washcloth and clean my dishes with that and call it a day. For backpacking, I’ll do my best to eat everything completely clean.
• Water container: dromedary or container
• Water filter: many campsites have a fresh potable water source, but if you’re backcountry camping you may need a water filter.
• Dutch oven: these can be super fun for baking over the fire!
• Fire-proof gloves
• A good menu: check out 13 camping meal ideas here, and how to adapt meals to group size + dietary restrictions!

READ: Check out the 9 Best Camping Stoves & How to Choose

What to wear camping:

I get a lot of people who asks what they should wear camping! For the most part, if you’re car camping you can often dress just similarly to how you would at home. Beyond that, here are some things to consider packing:

• Pants to sleep in: just something cozy from home, or maybe a long underware baselayer.
• A shirt to sleep in: something cozy from home is great here!
• A fleece pullover for warmth
• A thin but warm jacket
• Rain coat & pants: can be a game-changer if there is rain in the forecast.
• Pants for camping/hiking: depending on where you’re camping, you may want to consider changing out of the clothes you cooked in before bed to minimize chances of a bear encounter.
• Shirt for camping/hiking: a lot of people will tell you that you need to buy new clothes for camping; this isn’t always true! While cotton is often a poor choice for outdoor sports, if you are car camping and going on short hikes, it’s pretty likely you have clothes at home you can wear on the trail. Find loose-fitting pants or shorts, and consider wearing a long-sleeves for sun protection. If possible, opt for synthetic, wool or hemp-based fabrics rather than cotton.
• Hiking boots or hiking sandals
• Socks: Darn Tough or bust baby
• Hat for sun protection
• Sunglasses
• Quick-dry towel
• Swimsuit

READ: Beginner Backpacking Checklist

MISC Things to bring camping:

• first aid kit
• bug spray
• sunscreen
• multi-tool
• paracord (for a line for drying things)
• knife
• repair kit: tent pole splint, repair tape, air mattress patch
• hand sanitizer
• toilet paper or kula cloth
• personal toiletries and medications
• way to call for help: cell phone, radio, whistle, flare

Fun camping add-ons to pack:

• Camp blanket:
• Luxury sleeping pad:
• Double sleeping bag
• Air mattress/ camping bed
• Camping cot
• Solar string lights
• Outdoor kitchen
• Pizza oven
• Portable grill
• Power bank
• Heater
• Camping loveseat

Beginner camping tips:

Camping can be intimidating for the first time, but I promise you it is often easier and more fun than you might realize! Here is a quick list of beginner tips to help you come for your first camping trip prepared:

Don’t stress too much about packing

As long as you have food, a way to cook it, water, and shelter, there is pretty much nothing you can forget that you can’t live without for a night. In guiding overnight backcountry camping trips sine 2018, I’ve forgotten a lot of things on trips. You always forget something. But you know what? One of my favorite things has become the fun challenge of figuring out how to make due.

Be bear and wildlife smart

Bears are extremely unlikely to come into your tent at night, so sleep easy! However, it’s important to lock up all food or hang it at night, and keep a totally clean camp. That means picking up all food that you drop, and never feeding the wildlife. You may also want to change out of the clothes you cooked in before bed, especially in grizzly bear country. Never store food in your tent, and consider moving all “smellables” — toothpaste, bug spray, perfumes, deodorant — to your car, bear locker, or bear hang overnight.

Campfire tips

Be campfire smart! If you’re out west especially, consider skipping the campfire as wildfire risk is often high. If there are burn restrictions, do not have a campfire. Maybe sure your fire is cold to the touch when you leave and never leave a campfire unattended. You can either smother your campfire, or douse it with water.

Start small

I recommend starting off camping at state parks near home. This way, you can reserve a spot in advance, and depending on the site that you book you may have access to showers and even electricity. This can be a great way to ease into camping. The other benefit of state parks is that you can find great hiking usually directly in the state park.

From a local state park, you can then work up to longer drives to destinations and car camping in more remote areas before you build to backpacking. That said, backpacking doesn’t necessarily need to be intimidating! Many backpacking routes are perfectly possible for well-researched beginners.

Don’t buy everything all at once!

When you’re starting off, it can be really tempting to purchase a handful of camping gear all in one sitting. But you don’t need to buy everything new right away. First, start off with what you can find at home. Additionally, consider trying to find gear used before buying new.

READ: How to find used camping gear

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