CHN Camping Checklist
Imagine
yourself at the campground, and consider the ages and special needs
of every family member, and pack for comfort.
What will everyone need?
Plan for comfort, and know that you’ll see every style of camping from the
Spartan Backpack Camper to the Hilton Camper, and everything in between!
Your Home Away from
Home
Tent with tarp to go underneath it (protects the tent and keeps the floor
dry)
Metal tent stakes and hammer. Skip the cheap plastic stakes.
Old throw rugs for outside tent opening (optional, but will keep things cleaner)
Cot, air mattress, or padding
Sleeping bag or sheets with warm comforter/blankets and pillow
Flashlight for each camper. A battery lantern is nice to share, but everyone should have a flashlight
by their bed.
Bedroom Closet
One complete set of clothes for every day (more if you know your kids will
need them).
Extra socks. Long pants for night, shorts for day.
Swim suit and beach towel.
Jacket or sweatshirt for the cool evenings.
Sweats or long underwear, gloves and hat if the weather looks chillier than
you are accustomed to.
Rain gear just in case.
Dirty clothes bag.
The Kitchen
Propane stove (if it’s your first time camping and you don’t have one, bring
propane and share a stove with a neighbor or borrow one from a friend) and matches to light it.
Propane canisters (one per day)
Paper towels, Ziplock bags/baggies, foil, small and large garbage bags
Lantern
Fry pan and pot with lid, depending on what food you plan to prepare and pot
holders
Cutting board and knife.
Dishwashing stuff (soap, scrubber, washcloth, towels, water bucket, etc.) You can bring your water back and wash at your table, wash at the camp faucets,
or at the bathrooms (most camps have an outside sink to use).
Plates, bowls, cups, and silverware
Cooking utensils - a few long spoons,
turner, can opener
Tablecloth (optional, but some tables are well used and you might want one)
Campfire cooking utensils, like a marshmallow roasting stick. (If you really
want yours back, mark with your name and watch them. These tend to get shared around the campfire at
night).
Coolers for your refrigerated food. One for the non-refrigerated food might
keep critters out.
Plastic tubs for food so that everything is tucked away at night.
Plastic pull out drawers work nicely too.
The Pantry
Bottled water, both jug and individual bottles (optional, since water will
be potable)
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner fixings for every day. Write the menu out and then bring the kitchen gear needed to make it.
Freeze some food and put in your cooler and it will help preserve it and keep
other items cool too.
Salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup, mustard and oil, if you’ll need them
Plenty of snacks, whatever your family likes. Being outdoors makes everyone
hungrier.
Consider a few extra cans of food, maybe soup, beans or canned fruit that
you don’t expect to use
and have as contingency food in case something happens to your planned meal.
The Living Room
Folding chair for each family member. You’ll use it at your site, and carry
it to other sites when you visit.
Lantern. Battery is convenient, propane is brighter.
Small table. Very optional, but if you like to have a place to set your coffee
cup, you might want one.
The Bathroom
Bring lots of quarters for the showers, and flip flops to wear there.
Bring your toiletries, but leave the electric gadgets at home. Not all camps
have a plug for a hairdryer.
Most people don’t need much more than soap, shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant.
Need a good look at yourself, maybe for putting in contacts? Bring a mirror.
Most campsites use non-breakable
metal mirrors that aren’t good for close ups.
Toilet paper is provided, but no paper towels and no soap. Most will have an air dryer.
Bring old bath towels and wash cloths, and a clothesline to dry them on. Using
different colored towels, or otherwise distinguishing them on the line will make it easier to reuse (a clip with
the person’s name works). But bring plenty of extras anyway because someone will forget, or theirs will
fall in the dirt.
The Medicine Chest
Bring any medicines your family needs or might possibly need and put them
in a little insulated lunch bag because tents and cars (keep it locked there if you have little ones) get
hot during the day, and it could makeyour medicines deteriorate in quality.
Bring sunscreen, lip balm, and hand lotion, and eye drops if your eyes are
sensitive.
Hat and sunglasses
First aid kit, or a few bandages for scrapes.
Tweezers, fingernail clipper, dental floss.
Recreation
Bikes with helmets
Books or magazines
Crochet and knitting supplies – work on a project, or learn how to knit or
crochet!
Camera to record it all
Sand toys for the beach
Craft or educational project to share with the children.
Cards and games (bring inside to protect from moisture at night)
Wagon (use to pull gear to your site too)
Day pack for hike
Whistle and compass
Kite, frisbee, binoculars and wildlife pocket guide books
Musical instruments and your favorite song books
Hot chocolate mix, S'mores supplies - (marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate
- Yum!), or your special blend of spiced tea to share at the campfire!
Bring your homeschooling questions and worries to the daily homeschool chats!
Housekeeping Supplies
Broom and dustpan. Some people have a no shoes rule for their tents, and others just sweep it
out.
Having a throw rug outside helps catch a lot of twigs, dirt, and sand.
A degreaser/solvent of some sort to get tar, pitch, or an unknown sticky substance
out.
Hammer, screw driver, hatchet, wrench, pliers, utility knife, jump start kit, air mattress pump, shovel, duct tape, newspaper. (Only bring what you know how to use, and don’t worry, others will have some of these items!)
Extras
An extra folding table is a nice option, but not necessary because campgrounds
come with tables
A pop-up for extra shade is also very optional, but many enjoy theirs.
Firewood to add to the community pile. We will have one group campfire in
a designated location.
You won’t need everything on this list,
but we hope it will help you customize your own camping list,
and empower you to try camping with your children!