Okay, now that you've got your planning all finalized - it's time to put some items on that packing list! I figured this would be a tough post to write because there's just SO much out there. So many websites to buy gear, so many brands, weird "must have" items that you don't really know if you actually need? Do I need to buy that Yeti cooler?? Or the hiking shoes I'll wear 3 times a year? Oh, and there are actually sleeping bags for $400 + out there. Eep, no thank you. This is not a post about your ultimate camping gear list. This is a post about your gear list to start and maybe save for some day! I'll include what we have and use now plus some items we are saving for! It takes a lot of moola and time to feel like you've got it all. And then when you have it all it's still not enough right?
I'll also talk about the food. Arguably the best part of camping/fueling up after a long hike. I'll tell you our favorite camping recipes and must-have items on your grocery list. AND to sum it up, I'll add our ultimate packing list I use for every camping trip. Another great opportunity to buckle up now. 🌲
Let's start with camping gear. A lot of research and reading reviews went into each purchase we made. However, I do recommend buying higher quality brands with the peace of mind that your purchases are worth it and will last longer. It's important to know that your gear will be far from staying clean or in "good shape." When camping, you are surrounded by sap, dirt, and fire. Your things will get dirty and dented and that's just life outdoors! Another caveat with all things gear. Remember that you can always borrow items, find items on Facebook Marketplace, or a used gear shop. I repeat you do not have to buy new for each purchase.
Tent:
Josh and I were lucky to get ours from my grandparents! The tent we have is Marmot brand and it has been amazing to us. However, you can get reliable tents for a lot cheaper (check your FB marketplace). It's nice to have a 3 person tent while car camping, that way you have more room to store bags and other gear inside the tent while you're away or sleeping. We also bought this tent footprint to protect it from sap, sharp rocks, or potential water damage. Although our tent is not considered to be a backpacking tent, we still plan to use ours and use a stuff sack to make it more compact when we go on our first backpacking trip!
Sleeping Bag:
Again, we use the one my grandparents gave us which is a double thermal sleeping bag like this one and wowza it's so so good. It also takes up most of our car space but it has kept us very warm during a 35-40 degree night. If you're planning to camp in the spring or fall, a good sleeping bag is worth the investment. I wouldn't say you need a sleeping bag either when camping in the summer, just bring a bunch of comfy blankets you don't mind getting dirty or smelling like a campfire. Sleeping bags are just great for warmth when temps drop at night and the ability to pack up nicely in a bag. We both just bought sleeping bags similar to these at Sierra Trading Post! (STP is like a TJ Maxx but for outdoor/camping things and if that doesn't scream dream store, idk what does - find your nearest one and GO).
Sleeping Pad:
Another must have. In a perfect world, you'll find a lush, perfectly even spot on the ground to place your tent and it'll be oh-so comfy. But that's 100000% not gonna happen and you'll be wishing you had a sleeping pad when all you can feel is a tree root resting on your entire back at night. Josh and I bought this one for car camping with our double sleeping bag. And we recently both bought smaller ones for backpacking which we haven't used yet but can't wait to try! 💃
Kitchen Supplies:
This is the kitchen set we bought and we give it a 7/10. Solely because I think a few items in here are worthless and not great quality. However, we do use several of the items (most being the cutting board, tongs, scissors). We've replaced some items with other items like our handy dandy sporks or these spices for our gourmet camping meals, usually cooked in our cast iron skillet. When it comes to backpacking and packing light we use this lil stove. We use this for boiling water for our morning coffee or oatmeal. We've been saving up for a bigger one that can fit larger pots on and hope to get something like this set.
Headlamp:
Josh does this thing where he constantly looks at flashlights or head lamps wherever we go even though we already have so many (??). He also does this with hats....already has 105023x of them but needs another for any trip we go on. Hi Josh :) I do this with stickers, and t-shirts though so no judgy. But anyways, light is kinda a no-brainer. Especially when it hits dusk and ya gotta make the trek to go potty in the woods. Here is a cheaper option. But after Josh read this post, he was offended I'd pick such a cheapo and recommended investing in a $30-$60 one instead. A lantern is also a must have! You can find great lanterns at Target or Walmart but hopefully buying something like this soon!
Folding Chairs:
I've never been so excited about a folding chair but we just bought these cuties at REI. But you can find cheaper options on Amazon like these.
Table/(Storage):
Many campgrounds are already equipped with a picnic table, but if you find a more remote spot, say goodbye to your picnic table luxury. When car camping, we use a sturdy bin like this one to put our kitchen gear, pans, fire starter supplies, etc. in for easy organization and it also doubles as a little table for our drinks/food/cribbage! We're looking into getting something like this table for easy packing!
American Flag:
Just your average couple that loves America. Setting up the flag is usually one of the last steps to make our lil campsite complete. 🇺🇸
Games/Cribbage/Books:
Whatever you like to do, bring it along :) You'll have a lot of down time so bring a fun packable board game or your favorite book. You'll never go wrong with a deck of cards. Our go-to is cribbage! We bring a mini packable version everywhere. Found this fun little set similar to ours.
Hammock:
Just a basic must have in our opinion. We bring our hammock everywhere! Perfect for naps, reading, alllll the relaxing.
Duffels/Backpacks:
The things to carry the things. We both got a Patagonia backpack /duffel bags for our trip to Europe and they were perfect! This was a bit of an investment but I use mine any weekend I'm traveling and it still looks brand new. When it comes to backpacking (packing eVeRyThiNg in your bags), we both got around 45-50L bags for 3-5 day trips. I would recommend visiting your local Sierra Trading Post or REI (also check your FB marketplace). Ours are similar to this. I had a fitting done at REI recently and it was sooo helpful! Here are some tips they gave me:
1. The straps that go around your waist should sit right on your pelvic bones and you should buckle it at the belly button.
2. Your sleeping bag should be at the bottom of the pack, heavier things in the middle (cookware/boots), and things you'd want easily accessible at the top or outside pockets (snacks/sunscreen/bug spray/etc.)
3. Just because you have a 60-70L bag doesn't mean you should fill it completely. Fill it with all the things you think you'd need and go on a local hike before your trip to make sure you're comfortable and can carry the amount of weight you packed. It should weight 20% of your body weight at most.
Clothes:
Lol I'm horrible at packing...I'm the type to pack up until the last hour before we leave for anywhere and it drives Josh nuts. 😆 Sowwwyy...But when it comes to car camping, it's just so easy because I just throw a few things in my duffel and know I can wear it on repeat. My biggest advice is to pack LAYERS. You never know what the weather might look like. I constantly look at the weather which is a habit I'd like to break because it changes constantly and there's nothing we can do about it. Just know you gotta pack for anythinggg. My typical packing list for a weekend camping trip is:
-1-3 shirts for hiking/activity (usually have 2 tanks and 1 t-shirt)
- 1 long sleeve shirt
- 1 warm sweatshirt
-1 rain/wind jacket
-1 or 2 pairs of leggings
-1 pair of pants to wear over your leggings if it's cold. I have these and looooove them.
-1 or 2 pairs of shorts for day hiking/peak warmth temps
-3-4 socks (smartwool is my fav brand or REI is great too - look for Merino wool)
-good hiking shoes (I got a used pair of Merrells on FB marketplace) & my Chacos of course.
& if you have room, it's okay to over pack! it's so easy to do. but when it comes to backpack camping, that's gonna be a whole new ballgame where every. item. matters. Similarly, when Josh and I packed for Europe and brought only our backpacks we were so much more limited, my best advice is to pack what you think you need, let it sit for day to think about what do I reaaallly need? write down those thoughts. and then unpack everything later, and re-pack everything again. sounds annoying but I swear I removed quite a few things when I took the time to be more mindful of what I was re-packing. also, if there's anythingggg that I love most when packing it's packing bags. I don't know how I ever traveled before without them.
OKAY, AS IF THIS WASN'T LONG ENOUGH LET'S TALK FOOOOOOOD:
Food. Ahem, the best part? I'll try to make this short and sweet because food is always up to you. When it comes to car camping, you have endless options. Josh and I even packed steaks for one of our first camping trips (??!!). Get creative and bring food you enjoy!
Packing food for car camping is where a nicer cooler comes in, The less you have to pack in a cooler, the easier in my opinion! There are several brands like Yeti, that will do a great job. Maybe one day we'll make the investment, but for now, we're doing that thing where you save your money and pay off debt asap like I said in my previous post. We have been collecting the items in this post for years and it takes time + money + the urge to make it worth it and GO as often as you can.
It's kind of a game to see how cheap we can make our grocery trip? It's hard to know exactly how much to get, but again - writing things down will make it clearer. We usually plan our meals out knowing we'll have coffee and a small breakfast in the morning, snacks throughout the day, PB sandwiches for lunch (we're boring like that) and feast for dinner cause of all the hard work and hiking we put in the day. #EarnYourCals
Our go-to is Trader Joe's for things like trail mix, oatmeal packets (they have lil ones with flax seed & chia in em), dried fruit and instant coffee !! -seriously their instant coffee packets are so good. We also like to get a box of wine & a 6pk of new local beer to bring.
ALDI is another good cheaper option for getting veggies/fruit/bread - basics. Don't forget water too!!! Here's a good reusable one water jug.
One of our fav camping meals (camping casserole ??)
•olive oil (we buy the spray)
•1 pack of spicy chicken or turkey brats sliced
•10 mini potatos diced
•1 onion chopped
•1 zucchini chopped
•1 bag of pre-cooked rice to warm up
•+ literally anything else you think would be good (hot sauce/corn/beans)
Mix it all together and heat it over a low fire for about 15 mins. We use our cast iron pan and put aluminum foil over the top.
Eat and Enjoy!
Because you made it this far, as a lil reward...a PDF of our packing list !!!! We use this for just about every trip, modifying when needed depending on location, length of stay...yattah yattah. But this might be our most basic list of everything you might need. Hope you've enjoyed this second camping post! Josh and I are planning our first official backpacking trip out west for the end of August so I'm excited to share/plan out that adventure. Have any ideas or tips for us if you've done it?? & If you use any of these tips for planning a future camping trip, lemme know allll about it and if it was helpful for you! I love hearing about your adventures too. <3
