The Ultimate Camping Packing Checklist (Plus the Items Everyone Forgets)
It was April 2025. We were scouting Williams Grove group site in Humboldt Redwoods, a spot we'd booked for fifty people over Fourth of July weekend but had never actually seen. Our older girls, 16, 14, and 12, had their own weekend plans. So it was just Justin, me, and our 4-year-old Eliza making the four-hour drive.
We left late on a Friday. Full work day. Full preschool day. We picked up Eliza, got her settled in the van, and started frantically loading gear. Normally we tow our utility trailer with everything already packed in there, ready to go. But for just the three of us? We didn't bother. Which meant packing from scratch, in a rush, without our usual fail-safes.
The next morning, I pulled out the pancake mix. Justin grabbed our Lodge cast iron griddle. Then he looked around.
"Where's the stove?"
Sitting in our garage. Four hours away.
We had left our beloved Napoleon grill at home. The one with the dual burners you can control separately, so you can cook two things at different temps or use indirect heat to warm things up. We love that grill.
Here's the thing about camping with kids: you will forget something. Every single time. The question isn't if, it's whether you let it ruin the trip or turn it into a story.
What we did have was an Ignik fire can we'd been testing, a little rectangular can with fire pit rocks that burns big and hot. Justin balanced the griddle on top, turned the flame to its lowest setting. Still way too hot in the middle.
So we cooked pancakes on the ends of the griddle, the parts hanging off the edges of the can. Each pancake had to be rotated in a slow circle, half cooking hot, half cooking not-so-hot, around and around until it was done.
It took forever. Eliza thought it was hilarious.
Camp as it comes.
But also? A good checklist helps.
The Checklist That Changed How We Pack
After that trip, I got serious about packing systems. I'm a handwritten list, sticky note, pile everything on the bed kind of person. And honestly? That still works for me. But for the shared stuff, the gear that lives in the garage and the trailer, we needed something better.
We built our own interactive camping checklist, and it's become the thing we open first when planning any trip.
Here's why it actually works:
It's organized by category, not by chaos. Shelter. Cooking. Safety. First aid. Clothing. You can see at a glance what you've packed and what's missing.
It saves your progress. Close the browser, come back tomorrow, your checkmarks are still there. Log in, and it syncs across devices. Justin checks things off on his phone while loading the van. I check off the kitchen and food on mine. No more "I thought YOU packed it."
It has "essentials only" mode. For quick trips or last-minute departures, filter down to just the must-haves.
You can print it. Old school? Same. I like a physical list stuffed in the glovebox for that final driveway check.
Try the free camping packing checklist →
What Everyone Forgets (Learned the Hard Way)
After hundreds of camping trips with kids, without, in winter, at the beach, in the backcountry, here's what consistently gets left behind:
Trash bags. We used to forget these constantly. Critters are everywhere, squirrels, raccoons, birds, bears, and your trash is their treasure. Pack more than you think you need.
Tent stakes. They fall out of tent bags. They roll under car seats. Someone forgets to put them back. Check twice.
Dish towels. The ones that need washing after every trip? They get lost in the laundry shuffle at home and never make it back to the bins. With four kids and endless loads of laundry, those towels disappear.
Biodegradable soap. It's always the last thing packed. We use it to wash hands and faces right before leaving the campsite. Then it ends up in random places, or we forget it's empty. Most campground bathrooms don't have soap. Bring your own.
Toilet paper. Especially with a family of girls. Even campgrounds with bathrooms can run low. We bring extra, always.
Bug repellent. In California, we camp year-round, and honestly? Winter and coastal trips don't have bugs. So we don't always pack it. Then we end up at a mountain lake in June and the mosquitoes are relentless. We've eaten entire meals in the car because we forgot repellent. Now we keep a whole kit: permethrin for clothing, repellent for skin, and Thermacell units for around camp.
The trick? Don't rely on your memory. Rely on a list.
What You're Probably Overpacking
The opposite problem is just as real. Here's what we've stopped bringing:
Giant air mattresses. They're a pain to blow up, they take up massive space, and they always develop a slow leak by night two. We switched to sleeping cots. More comfortable, easier to get up and down (especially as you get older), and you can slide bags underneath. Game changer.
Heavy cotton hoodies. We see these everywhere at California campgrounds. Big, bulky hoodies that never get worn. They get damp and stay damp. Pack a base layer and an insulated outer layer instead. Skip the cotton.
Too many shoes. This is our family's weakness. We have an entire massive duffel bag of shoes: hiking boots, camp shoes, sandals, shower sandals. For six people, it stacks up. Every few trips, Justin has to clear it out and make everyone choose. You probably don't need five footwear options per person.
Excessive lighting. Headlamps are essential. String lights are lovely. But those massive lanterns with harsh white light in the middle of the darkness? Too much. A headlamp per person plus some string lights is the perfect combo.
How We Actually Use the Checklist
A few days before a trip, we pull up the packing list on our phones. As we load gear, we check things off. Because it syncs, we're not duplicating efforts or assuming the other person grabbed something.
The morning of departure, one final scroll. Anything unchecked? Either it's intentional or it's a problem to solve before we pull out of the driveway.
We have a little tradition: as we leave, we say "Off on another adventure!" with the kids. The goal is excitement and joy, not stress and panic. Having a system helps us actually feel that way when we leave.
Because here's the thing: it's never going to be perfect. You're never leaving soon enough. Traffic is building somewhere. The sun is setting somewhere. But you can take some of the stress out. A good packing list is a big part of that.
The Mantras Behind the List
At Outdoorithm, we have a few sayings that guide how we camp:
Camp as it comes. You're going to forget something. The weather won't cooperate. A raccoon might steal your kid's mac and cheese straight out of the van (true story, Justin chased it into the woods). You improvise. You figure it out. That's camping.
Leave anyway. It's never going to be the perfect time. You're never fully prepared. The packing isn't done, work is piling up, the forecast looks questionable. Leave anyway. The hardest part of camping isn't the camping. It's the leaving.
For First-Timers
If you've never camped before, a 100+ item checklist feels overwhelming. I get it.
Start with Essentials Only mode. It filters to what you genuinely can't do without: shelter, sleep system, water, food basics, safety gear. Add the "nice to haves" after a few trips.
And remember: your first trip doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to happen.
We took our daughter to Pinnacles National Park when she was three. She packed a dozen stuffies into a tiny backpack and lined every single one around her sleeping bag, tucked into the hood. Around 1 AM, she said, "Daddy, Daddy, I don't feel good," and proceeded to throw up all over all of them. We bagged the stuffies, cleaned up the tent, and made it through.
She doesn't remember the cleanup. She remembers the adventure.
The stories you tell later are never about the trips where everything went perfectly. They're about the pancakes cooked on the ends of a griddle balanced on a fire can. The stuffies in the barf bag. The toenails we both lost on our first backpacking trip in Georgia because our packs were too heavy (2005, we still camp).
You're not going to remember the gear. You're going to remember how it felt to be outside, together, figuring it out.
The Complete Checklist
Our interactive camping checklist includes:
- Shelter and Sleep: Tent, stakes, rainfly, sleeping bags, pads, cots, pillows
- Camp Kitchen: Stove (don't forget it), fuel, cookware, utensils, cooler, water containers
- Food and Drinks: Meal planning, snacks, beverages, condiments
- Safety and Navigation: First aid, headlamps, maps, emergency contacts
- Clothing: Layers, rain gear, camp shoes, sun protection
- Hygiene: Biodegradable soap, towels, toilet paper, hand sanitizer
- Comfort and Entertainment: Camp chairs, games, books, hammock
- Kids' Gear: Extra clothes, comfort items (yes, the stuffies), activities
Six templates, from beach camping to winter trips to van life, so you can customize for how you camp.
Camp as it comes. But pack before you go.
