12 Aug The Ultimate Camping Packing List: Car Camping
One of the keys to a stress-free camping trip is the preparation you do ahead of time. Packing well will save you and your gals time and energy on your actual trip, and ensure you have everything you need to have the best possible adventure! Below, we have compiled lists of the gear, clothing, and food that we’re never caught in the woods without. We’ve also linked some of our favorite gear!
Essential Gear
- Sleeping Bag: check the weather where you are camping — you can get a temperature-specific bag (cheaper option)
- Personal Hygiene & Toiletries
- Dry Shampoo
- Hand Sanitizer
- Sunscreen
- Bugspray
- Phone Chargers (car-compatible and portable are especially helpful)
- Cell Phone
- Wallet
- Cash (for ice, firewood, etc.)
- A Book: for beach or hammock downtime
- Camp Chair: for around the campfire and the beach
- Car Keys
- Something to sleep on: air mattress (make sure you have a pump & electricity) or a sleeping pad
- Beach and/or Bath Towel
- Beach Bag: to haul your snacks to the beach (or better yet, a backpack chair)
- Travel Size Umbrella – always be prepared
- Pillow
- Small backpack/bag for trips to the bathroom & showers
- Waterproof Shoes (Tevas, Chacos, Crocs, etc.)
- Hammock and Straps
- Water Bottle: Preferably reusable (i.e. Hydroflask, Yeti, Nalgene)
- Thermos or Mug: for coffee, of course (one of our other faves)
- Koozie
More Essential Gear
- Tent & Rainfly
- Faves:
- Tarp (to put under the tent)
- First Aid Kit
- String Lights: scientifically proven to make your campsite 150% cuter
- Clothes Line & Pins / Drying Rack: ideal for wet clothes due to swimming or a rainy hike
- Hot Dog Sticks
- Hobo Pie Irons
- Dough Boy Sticks
- Camp Stove + Fuel: Eureka Camp Stove, Portable Coleman Stove, MSR PocketRocket Ultralight Stove
- Bottle Opener / Wine Opener (essential)
- Cutting Board
- Tin Foil
- Storage Bags
- Pans & Cookware (if bringing a stove)
- Coffee Maker or French Press or Collapsible Pour Over + coffee filters
- Camp Table (if there isn’t a picnic table provided at the campsite)
- Easy Up / Screen Tent
- Campsite reservation confirmation (if required by the campground)
- Games: bean bag toss, cards, spike ball, etc.
- Extension Cord(s): for you fan, cell phone charger, & of course, coffee pot
- Broom & Dustpan: great for brushing off your tent when you pack it up
- Hammer for tent stakes (the heel of a shoe will also work, but is slightly less effective)
- Hatchet: for looking official while you chop your firewood
- Tent-Safe Heater (if camping in chilly weather)
- Lighter / Matches
- Flashlight or Headlamp: always good not to rely on your cell phone!
- Lantern: for on the camp picnic table or in the tent
- Cooler
- Fire Starter: ideal for wet or humid weather
- Citronella Candle(s): essential for camping in the woods — keeps the bugs away!
- Beach Umbrella
- Fan
- Wet Wipes
- Paper towel
- Garbage Bags: for garbage (obviously) and wet clothes/gear
- Tablecloth – makes for a cute site and easy cleanup
- Sharp Knife
- Plasticware (or silverware and just plan to wash it!)
- Plates
- Bowls
- Cups
- Biodegradable Dish Soap & Bucket: to wash any reusable dishes
Clothing
Note: Check the weather – highs and lows for each day! This is all weather and activity dependent.
- Socks: one pair for each day + 1 extra
- Underwear & Sports Bras: one pair for each day + 1 extra
- Shorts: 2-3 pairs
- Pants: usually 1 pair in summer, 2-3 pairs for fall
- Leggings: 1-3 pairs
- Rain Jacket
- Jacket / Coat: for camping in chilly / windy weather
- Shoes: 1 pair of sandals (preferably you can wear to the beach and in the shower) and one pair of sneakers or hiking boots
- Bathing Suit
- PJ’s
- T-shirts: 1 for each day
- Long Sleeve Shirt or base layer: 1-2 shirts (if in chilly weather, then 2-3)
- Sweatshirt / Fleece: 1-2 (if in chilly weather, then 2-3)
Spots to find affordable gear:
> REI Used Gear: https://www.rei.com/used
> REI Garage: https://www.rei.com/rei-garage
> Moosejaw: https://www.moosejaw.com/
> Backcountry: https://www.backcountry.com/
> Steep and Cheap: https://www.steepandcheap.com/
> Rent gear at your local REI shop
Food
> Meal plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks/desserts
> Start by checking out these websites!
Food Ideas:
- Breakfast:
- Oatmeal
- Cereal
- Granola / Protein Bars
- Hand Fruit (apples, bananas, etc.) with nut butter
- Yogurt
- Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Overnight Oats in a mason jar
- Coffee + Tea
- Lunch:
- Sandwiches
- Pre-Cut Veggies with hummus
- Salad
- Deli Ham / Turkey
- Wraps
- Applesauce Cups
- String Cheese
- Chips
- Popcorn
- Camp Gal Drink Favorites:
- Sangria: Recipe
- Whiskey Lemonade: Recipe
- Oberon Beer
- Hot Toddy: Recipe
- Breakfast:
- Dinner
- Hobo Pies
- Foil packet dinner
- Hotdogs / Brats
- Dutch oven dinner
- Dessert / Snacks:
- Cookies
- S’mores
- Crackers
- Pretzels
- Trail Mix
- Banana Bread
- Dried fruit
- Charcuterie Board
- Dinner
- If you have a camp stove / grill:
- Pancakes
- Eggs
- Bacon
- Steak / Chicken / Pork
- Tacos
- Burgers
This isn’t a comprehensive list, but we’ve found it covers the basic car-camping needs, weather-dependent of course. To make packing less overwhelming, the Camp Gals like to split up the list — especially when it comes to the food. We recommend creating a Google doc or spreadsheet so everyone’s contributions are clear!
Happy packing 🙂
♡ Rach & Olivia
Pin For Later:
Linda Harre
Posted at 13:03h, 12 AugustWow, so much good content!
Rach
Posted at 00:07h, 18 AugustThank you! <3