A handy family camping checklist printable of essentials for those just getting started out with camping and some great beginner camping tips.
If you’ve never been camping before – or at least not with kids – the prospect of gearing up for the experience can be a little daunting. Which items are essential and what can you do without? Is there any way to help reign in the costs? The beginning family camping checklist below is a great start. But before you take a peek at the list, we have some tips to help determine your family’s camping needs.
1. Do you have time for a “trial run” at camping in the backyard?
Backyard camping can help you test out your gear to see what might be missing. Plus, it’s a great way for kids to get a sense of what “real” camping will be like. If you can, make time for it before the ‘real’ thing.
2. Can you borrow supplies from friends or family?
Before we purchased our tent, we borrowed two different ones from friends to find out which would be best for our family. It’s also how I learned that unless I wanted to wake up with severe back pain, I’d need to purchase an air mattress. You might like to check out our list of family camping essentials.
3. What is your camping style?
Do you prefer car camping, RV’ing or backpacking? Do you intend to camp during warm weather, cold or both? The answers to these questions will impact what supplies you will bring along.
4. Can you recycle any of your pre-kid camping gear?
If you’ve camped before, you might be able to put your former gear to use (think: sleeping bags, sleeping pads and camp kitchen equipment). Re-using a couple more items here and there makes it less expensive than buying all new.
Beginning Family Camping Checklist
This is our family’s fairly basic family camping checklist. Pick and choose from (and add to) the list to meet your family’s specific needs – there is a printable copy of the checklist below so you can print and check off supplies to make sure you have everything you need.
The Basics
These items are your “must-have’s” – and usually your big ticket items as well. Borrow or invest as needed.
- Tent
- Ground cover/tarp
- Sleeping bags (or sheets & blankets)
- Sleeping pads or air mattresses
- Portable crib for younger kids
- Pillows & kids’ favorite items for sleep time
Clothing & Helpful Equipment
This list will obviously differ depending on when you camp, the resources available on-site (bathrooms, water, etc.) and how long you go.
- Clothing (plus plenty of extras for the kids!)
- Pajamas
- Jackets, hats & gloves (it gets cold at night)
- Diapers/nappies (if applicable)
- Camp chairs
- Beach blanket
- Baby wipes (they’re good for just about everything)
- Basic first aid kit
- Toiletries (for each member of the family)
- Toilet paper
- Camp towels (one per person)
- Flashlights/headlamps (one per person) Fire starting tinder, kindling & firewood for the fire pit
- Matches or lighter
- Insect repellant
Camp Kitchen
We prefer to keep our camp meals simple, so our camp kitchen is pretty minimal. You can add on as needed.
- Camp stove & propane/butane
- Plates, cups & utensils (plastic utensils help to keep it simple)
- Cooking utensils, pots & pans
- Cooler with ice
- Reusable water bottles for everyone
- Portable high chair or booster seat for younger kids
- Food items for meals, plus plenty of snacks
- S’mores supplies (graham crackers, marshmallows & chocolate)
- Water & other drinks of choice
- Formula or baby food for infants as needed
- Paper towel
- Trash bags
RELATED: 9 Easy (and Delicious) Family Camping Meals
Fun & Games
Most kids don’t need much in the way of entertainment. Being active and outdoors is usually plenty enough excitement but these items may come in handy:
- Bubbles
- Glow sticks
- Scavenger hunt list or camping bingo
- Play tent
- Favorite games, coloring books & crayons
- Deck of cards
- Field journal and writing/drawing implements
- Books for bed time
- Camera
- Binoculars (for stargazing & wildlife spotting)
- Fishing gear/license and bait
Printing Your Family Camping Checklist
Click here to download: Family Camping Checklist. Save the PDF to your computer. Open the PDF and print the page you require. When printing, select “Fit to printable area” (or similar) to ensure the page fits with your printer type and local paper size (these have been created at A4 size).
Having trouble accessing or downloading the file? Please try a different internet browser.
Please note: All Childhood 101 printables are for personal use only, you may not use any part of this content for commercial purposes-that includes selling the document, giving it away to promote your business or website, or printing the file to sell. You may not share, loan or redistribute these documents. Teachers may use multiple copies for students in their own classroom.
What’s on your family camping checklist?
Debi Huang is a Los Angeles, CA-based wife, mom and adventure guide for two young boys. She writes about connecting kids and families with nature in the backyard and beyond.
Read the comments or scroll down to add your own: