A family camping trip may not always be the idyllic, relaxing holiday that you picture in your head – we get it. You’ve got a million-and-one things to think about before you leave, all while you have excited children running around and asking questions…kids love asking more questions when you need to concentrate, don’t they?!
Packing for a camping trip is different to most other holidays – you need everything to keep your family happy, safe and comfortable. This is where we can help, and hopefully save you a bit of stress. Our Family Camping Checklist is here to ensure you have everything you need for a stress-free, and most importantly, fun trip – all your camping essentials.
Set Up Camp
The most important items first – your family home for the next few days. Make sure you have everything you need, and you are familiar with how it all works.
Tent
Even if you have used the tent on plenty of camping trips before, make time to have a trial run to put up your tent well in advance of your trip. This works on two fronts – first of all, you can make sure you have everything you need and secondly, it can take away a little bit of anxiety when it comes to pitching your tent on the campsite. Camping with kids can be stressful – they will be very excited when you arrive, so if you know what you are doing with the tent, you can save time and a lot of stress.
Tent Stakes or Pegs
Even if you have successfully erected your tent before you leave, make sure you have plenty of stakes/pegs. They can often bend on hard ground, so you may need to call upon some backups.
Camping Mallet
A classic camping essential – make sure you can hammer in those pesky pegs well enough so your kids aren’t tripping over them every two minutes!
Tent Repair Kit
Definitely one of your family camping essentials – a tent repair kit could save you an awful lot of hassle on your camping trip. A good kit will include some waterproof tape, duct tape, glue, patches, cord as well as maybe some spare poles and pegs. Most of this isn’t just for your camping gear, but it can work on other equipment that you have taken with you.
Tent Carpet or Rug
Not one of our ‘must haves’, but a tent carpet can add an extra layer of comfort to your camping experience. Not only will it help to provide extra warmth, but it also reduces the noise when you walk in – ideal if you need to tiptoe into bed a few hours after the children have gone down.
Tent Awning
Not only does this give you some extra cover from the weather, but it’s an extra space for you at night, after the kids have gone to bed, to sit outside with a drink. Maybe have some friends over to your pitch – one of the true joys of camping.
Doormat for your Tent
A doormat is essential to keep your tent clean after a long day outdoors. Kids love getting muddy, which is great – just make sure the mud stays outside the tent!
Getting a Good Night’s Sleep – Sleeping Gear
Nobody is going to have a good time camping if they aren’t getting enough sleep. Add the following sleeping gear to your camping checklist:
Sleeping bags
It’s an obvious one, but make sure you invest in a good quality sleeping bag for every member of your family. Sleeping bags can make or break an entire trip – don’t skimp on them!
Air mattress
Just because you’re in The Great Outdoors, it doesn’t mean you should be uncomfortable. Air mattresses bring a bit of home comfort, and come in all shapes and sizes – so make sure your kids have one too.
Pillows
Again – you need to be comfortable, so why wouldn’t you bring your favourite pillow from home? There is a misconception about camping, that you need to be exposed to all manner of discomfort in order to do it ‘properly’. It’s nonsense – make sure you are comfortable.
Air Pump
To blow up your air mattress – don’t think you can do it with your lungs alone!
Your mobile kitchen
I don’t know about your family, but we tend to base most of our days around meals. Who needs to be fed when dictates a lot of our plans! As any experienced camper knows, food is a huge part of camping. And it doesn’t have to be tins of beans and soup for every meal either. Camp meals can be delicious and nutritious if you plan ahead. Here are some food related items for your camping checklist:
Camp Stove and Fuel
Having a camp stove will give you a lot of flexibility on your camping trip. While it is probably possible to have a successful trip without one, it’s much better to have this classic camping equipment. On top of cooking, you can boil up some water for a cup of tea every morning. Just double check that you have enough fuel to keep you going for the entire trip, although most campsites will have a shop that should be able to help you out on that front.
Water carrier
One of the most-forgotten essentials on a campsite. Your water source may be a distance away from your tent, so to save you having to walk 10 minutes every time you want a drink, take a large container that you can fill up and keep at hand.
Cooking Oil & Seasoning/Spices
Whatever you want to cook, it’s likely you’ll need plenty of cooking oil for the duration of your camping trip, plus take little pots of seasoning and spices to make your meals that little bit more delicious.
Thermal flask
Rather than waiting 20 minutes for the water to boil every time you want a cuppa, do one big batch at the start of the day and keep it in the flask.
Cooking Utensils
Pots and frying pans, yes, but don’t forget kitchen knives, a wooden spoon, a peeler, a chopping board and serving bowls to help you prepare and eat your food.
Can opener & Bottle opener
We maybe could have included this under the previous heading, but we felt these deserved their own! You can probably cover both basis without buying two utensils – but do consider a corkscrew as well if you fancy a glass of wine.
Camping Dinnerware
Get yourself a good set of dinnerware for your family – enough so that you each have a plate, bowl, knife, fork, spoon and cup each – but try not to pack more than you’ll need. It’s better to keep doing washing up than it is having tons of plates and bowls.
Washing Up Bowl
Even though most campsites will provide a washing up bowl in the sink area, having your own will help you carry everything that you are washing over there – saves your dropping your forks all over the site!
Tea Towels & Scourers/Cloths
Queues can quickly build up at the sinks, so speed up your time there by having all the equipment you need. One of our Top Tips is to soak any tricky pans in boiling water before you head over to wash them up.
Cool box
It’s your portable fridge! Storing food (and drink) in a safe and secure way is very important – not just for your family, but for the site as a whole. When you are packing, make sure you organise it in a sensible fashion so you don’t have to empty the entire thing to get the item you need.
Tea bags and Coffee
It would be inhumane to have to go without these!
Camping Furniture
Not all camping gear is about survival – there is plenty out there that is designed to make your family camping trip that little bit more comfortable. Make sure these items are on your camping checklist:
Camping Chairs
Chairs are something you take for granted until you don’t have one! Whether it’s first thing in the morning and you’re enjoying a cup of tea as the sun rises, or watching it set with a glass of wine, a good camping chair makes the difference between being in the moment, and being worried about your knees and back!
Picnic Table
This will become the focal point of your camping trip – great for eating on, playing games on, resting your drinks on, putting snacks on. Don’t go away without a decent picnic table.
Portable Kitchen
These handy little units are widely available for under £100 and will make the process of cooking and preparing food so much easier. They will come with storage for your dinnerware and utensils, plus plenty of space to set up your stove and prepare your food. Well worth the investment.
Extra Camping Equipment
Some general items that should be on your family camping checklist:
Bin Bags
These are essential to keeping your pitch, and the campsite in general, clean and tidy.
Torches
Try and have one each, and sleep with them next to your bed in case you wake up in the night.
Spare Batteries
Make sure you have spare batteries to back up all of your devices.
Portable phone charger
I know part of the point of going on a camping trip is to get away from things like phones, but it is sensible to have one charged up in case you need it.
Pack of Cards
Whether you are finding things to do on rainy days or relaxing with a game in an evening, a pack of cards gives you so many games, and takes up very little packing space.
Washing Line and Clothes Pegs
Even if you don’t get to do any washing, you’ll probably have wet clothes at some point during the trip. having these will mean you’re not packing a load of damp items at the end of the holiday.
First Aid Kit
Because you never know. Cuts and bumps are common when you’re out and about, so make sure you’re prepared.
Umbrella
If you’re camping in the UK, there is always the risk of rain.
Water bottle
Important all day long – take it with you when you are out and about, and have it next to your bed at night. Hydration is always important, but especially when you are sleeping in a tent.
Hand Sanitiser/Baby Wipes
Always good to have to hand to save you having to traipse over to the toilet block every time you need to wash your hands.
Insect Repellent
Don’t let little bugs ruin your trip.
A Good Book
A great advantage of a family camping trip is that there are no screens to distract everyone – so make sure each member of the family has a good book to read.
Clothing
We won’t tell you exactly what to wear, but there are some items that you’ll find are incredibly useful here, so make sure they are on your camping checklist. Another of our Top Tips – just make sure you have plenty of clothes. Pack more than you think you’ll need.
Boots/Wellies
There will be mud! Make sure you’re not ruining your trainers when you are out and about, and that you have clean footwear to change into when you are back at the camp.
Waterproof Coats
This is to keep your clothing dry as much as it is to keep you dry. Pack for bad weather regardless of the forecast.
Flip Flops
These are ideal for walking over to the toilets in the middle of the night, or the shower in the morning – something that you can quickly slip on and that it doesn’t matter if they get wet.
Sun Hat, Sun Cream & Sunglasses
You’ll be outside for long periods, so make sure you are well protected – especially the children.
Pyjamas
Getting into your bed should be a comfortable and cosy moment – having loose fitting, comfy pyjamas can help your kids drift off to sleep that little bit easier.
Final Word
This is by no means a definitive packing list, every family will be different and have slightly different packing needs – the idea here is that you use this to create your own family camping checklist, we just wanted to help you out so that your next camping trip is a successful one.
Just remember not to panic or worry – there will most likely be a campsite shop that can help you with anything you forget, and ultimately, as long as you have your tent and your sleeping bags you should be able to last a night pretty much anywhere!
Happy Camping!