Car Camping Checklist
Tent & Sleepin'
- tent
- if the tent has piddly little plastic stakes, buy some metal stakes online
- foamgrid (yoga foam grid makes the floor less pointy, optional)
- inflatable mattress, cots, or sleeping pads
- sleeping bags
- pillows
- clothing
- rain coat
- portable battery pack (for recharging devices, lights) with lots of usb-C and usb-micro cables
- little broom (tidy up that tent, it’s gonna get dusty in there)
- toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
- disposable pocket cloth & sanitizer
Setting Up a Chill Zone
- canopy
- you should stake down the canopy as well, this is another reason why a small bag of your own stakes is handy
- folding chairs
- lights
- it’s nice to have one lamp per person, plus a hanging lamp for the inside of your tent, and a few lights to hang at the periphery of your canopy or put on your picnic table
- these are a lot less necessary if you’re not night owls and you’re camping in the summer when it’s not dark until 9PM anyways
The Cooking Matrix
putting a “complete” camp-kitchen set together is one of the harder parts, I built a big disorganized-but-complete plastic tub that I keep in storage you can buy elaborate camping cookware sets online for too much money but I just tossed some kitchen extras and spares in a big tub, heavier but cheaper
- propane & stove
- paper towel roll
- aluminum foil roll
- kitchen garbage bags
- plates
- cups
- a pot
- a pan
- tongs
- spatula
- a cooking knife (use one of your shittiest at home knives, pack carefully)
- a cutting board
- soap, dishrack, sponge & basin
- oil
- salt & pepper
- sugar
- a l’il extra fold-up side table
- water jug (bring water from home, camp water may not be potable)
- kettle
- coffee & tea bags
Kitchen Zone Doesn’t Mean Nothin’ Without
- a cooler, full of food
- I fill mine with reusable ice packs rather than loose ice, which is less good at maintaining chill but more convenient
- vegetables & fruits (I have an insulated bag that I use for these, they don’t need to stay SO COOL but keeping them from roasting in the heat is probably good)
- snacks & dry goods in a tub
What Do You Do While Camping (I Mostly Do Stuff I Would Do Indoors)
- book
- games
- notepad?
- small bluetooth speaker to play at a reasonable volume from 9 to 11
Utility
- hatchet
- tarps
- clamps
- rope
- duct tape
- lighter (long-neck)
- first aid kit
- can of bug spray
- fire-roastin’ stick
Further Nerdery
- this can be logistically complicated to get together - prepare a pre-launch checklist that includes steps like “fill water jug”, “charge lamps”, “pack food”, etc..
This Seems like a Lot Of Stuff
It is.