

This list stays relatively the same whether we’re going on a weekend or multi-week trip, so it can apply to most backpacking trips.Īdditionally, we offer suggestions for a mix of gear including budget items, lightweight and ultralight options, as well as the tried and true gear that makes it into our own packs.Įvery successful backpacking trip starts with finding the right backpack. In this post, you’ll find our complete backpacking gear list. Michael and I have been backpacking together for over a decade and even hiked the JMT for our honeymoon in 2019, so we’ve had a lot of time to work out the kinks in our backpacking checklist. I hiked the John Muir Trail in 2012, and that required me to think through what I was carrying and make some investments in quality items – many of which I’m still using today!

Since then, I’ve made some big changes to my backpacking gear list. And, hey, everyone has to start somewhere, right? It was a rough hike, to say the least, but I loved it. I bought a backpack in the wrong size for $20 on Craigslist, loaded it up with my camping gear (like, my car camping gear), and hiked up into the San Gabriel mountains near my home. In the summer of 2007, I decided to go on my first backpacking trip. Don’t forget a deck of cards, because no camping trip is complete without a headlamp-lit game of spit in the tent! If you have a long drive to the campsite check out this list of road trip essentials to prep for time spent in the car.What gear should you pack for a backpacking trip? We share our complete backpacking checklist with all of our lightweight backpacking essentials! On the chance that you end up at a primitive campsite, baby wipes and hand sanitizer are a must!Īfter packing all the essentials, use that extra room in your car to pack the fun stuff! Get your creative juices flowing by bringing along a camera and a journal to document the trip. The toiletries you pack will definitely depend on whether or not you will have access to running water. If you plan on using the camp showers, make sure to pack a pair of sandals! Make sure to bring the right clothing for the weather, and try to anticipate any cold nights-even if it’s 90 during the day, it could easily get below 50 degrees at night. The clothes you include on your car camping checklist will be dependent both on the season and your activities.

Since you’ll be car camping, you have the flexibility to make the tent as cozy as you want so pack a second pillow or ditch your z-pad for a luxurious air mattress. These shelter items are your very basics for a camping trip.
#Rei camping checklist for family pdf#
I like to keep essentials like my headlamp, water bottle, and my portable charger in my center console so I don’t have to go digging every time I need them!ĭownload The Printable PDF Checklist Here Shelter I like to do this by storing each category of gear in separate bins and making sure everything has a place in my car. With the amount of gear on list, it’s important to keep your car organized. Want to make sure you have the essentials? Here’s our car camping checklist go over when planning your next adventure.

With countless options for extras to bring, it’s important to have a baseline understanding of what you’ll need to make your camping trip *functional* as well as fun. Setting up camp while car camping is like setting up an outdoor house complete with a bed, kitchen, and a multitude of places to lounge. This is the time for all the bells and whistles, whether that means gourmet camp meals, campground decor or that cornhole set. One of the great benefits of car camping is the (nearly) limitless amount of gear you can bring on your trip. This article was brought to you by RovR, whose bear-proof rolling cooler is the perfect addition to your car camping checklist!
