Table Of Contents
Do I really need a camping checklist?
Yeah. You do. At least the first time you get organized. You’ll refine it as you go, everyone is a little different, but it’s a great starting point.
Perhaps you have seen our article on the benefits of Camping. If so, you know that here at Lone Loon Song we firmly believe that camping is not just a fantastic way to reconnect with nature, ditch the stress of everyday life, and create lasting memories with friends and family, but also a heck of a lot of fun. However, if you’re new to camping, the thought of packing for your trip can be a bit overwhelming. Don’t you worry even a smidge; we’ve got you covered with what we believe to be the ultimate camping checklist for beginners. Why, with this handy camping checklist in hand, you’ll have everything you need to enjoy a safe and comfortable camping experience. Now, we could have called this:
Top 7 Camping like loons mistakes that you should avoid like Poison Ivy
Or
Don’t go camping like the loons used to do
Well, those pencil-necks in marketing put the kibosh on that pretty quick. In fact, it made our heads spin.
We’re okay, now, though. So without further ado, here’s the list:
Shelter
Through independent, grantless research, and a great deal of debate, (replete with bad language and unnecessarily hurtful names which we deeply regret), we can confidently predict that you’re gonna need a tent.
We recommend that you choose a tent just a little bit bigger than you might think you need. For example, if we are going solo, we usually take a three-man tent. The extra space is great for your pack, your guitar, and just being able to stretch out. Whatever size you get, look for one with a rainfly for added protection.
A ground tarp or footprint is a really good idea to protect moisture and wear on the tent.
We know that camping doesn’t have to be uncomfortable and that with a little thought, you can be snug as a bug in a rug. First, you need something to lie on. A yoga mat will suffice, but any of those springy mats in the hardware store will really help to keep you comfortable. Most of the sleeping bags you find will match your local conditions, but a blanket is never a bad idea, and you can roll them up into a surprisingly small roll.
We like to take a plastic bag for your shoes or boots – and with that extra room in the tent, bring ’em on in. Keep them dry. You never know.
Some folks like to take a pillow. You can certainly do that, but you’ll probably find that it’s a little bulky and your wife won’t let you bring it back in the house, making it a de-facto “tent pillow” from thereon out. What we like to do is take those extra socks and underwear and stick ’em in a bag. Works for us. (Caveat: Clean socks and underwear. You’re welcome.)
Clothing
The local climate is going to vary from place to place, so we’re just going to recommend that whatever you wear, wear layers. If you get too hot, take some off. Cold? Put ’em on. Make sure to take more than you think you’re going to need, especially in the “shoulder seasons” (Spring and Autumn) when the nights are unpredictable. (If you don’t need ’em, put ’em in the pillow.)
You need a hat. You do. Nobody looks goofier in a hat than us, but we always have our lids.
Good, sturdy shoes or hiking boots. Don’t skimp. Non-negotiable. (Pro – tip – Always break them in first. Blisters can really put a wet blanket on an otherwise great camping trip. Actually, you should always try out almost everything at home first, including knots, and camping furniture. It just makes things go smoothly.)
Cooking and Food
Food! My favorite!
Apologies to Audrey from The little shop of Horrors.
Seriously, we believe that food is 80% of the fun, and the other half is the campfire.
First, you need a source of heat. There are lots of camping stoves – an astonishing variety. If you can’t have a campfire or barbeque – (because of dry weather or fire risk) they’ll do. Sometimes it’s too wet to have a fire. (Not for us, but it’s not unheard of.) So that’s a good thing to have.
Lots of folks like to take their spices and whatnot out to the campsite and do the whole Sous Chef of The Wild thing. Fine. Fill your boots. Go nuts.
We don’t do that. It’s just not for us.
What we like to do is prepare as much food as possible at home after planning the meals. Especially stuff like stew, curry, chili, or a hearty soup. Pour it out into a zip-lock bag and throw it in the freezer. Then, once we get set up at camp, we just throw it in the wok. Walla.
Okay, we might have over-simplified. It’s a little more complicated than that, but not much. (We go into this in a lot more detail in our article Camping Tips and Tricks.) Try it. If you’re not convinced, send us an email, and we’ll send you a video of us eating our ugliest camping hats.
One other thing – it’s really great to have some fire gloves. You don’t have to spend a lot. (see The Lone Loon Song Cheapskate article) We got ours at the hyaku en shop (dollar or loony store for you) and they’ve been a game changer. You can probably find ’em at the hardware store too. Or, you can just use oven mitts – but the mitts take up a lot more room in the pack.
We have a bunch of great tips like this in our Camping like Loons Tips and Tricks article. Seriously, it’s so easy. Even if you just plan to throw some steaks, chicken, pork, fish, or prawns on the barbie you can marinade them for a couple of days first. (We apologize. We have a lot of Australian friends.) Or season ’em right there in your kitchen and stuff ’em in a zip-lock bag. There are a lot of good reasons for doing this, we’ll just list a few:
- It often gets dark sooner than you think, and fooling around with spices and a cutting board in the dark is no fun.
- After a long day of swimming, or hiking, or what have you, it’s pretty nice to kick back with a beer and a guitar and just smell things warming up. Listen to the sizzle. Give it a stir every 6 or 7 minutes. (Caveat – If you’re barbecuing, you’ve got to pay a lot more attention – but anything like a stew, or chili, or even spaghetti is dead easy.)
Hydration
Don’t overlook this. If your campsite has a water source, Bob’s your mother’s brother. But, they don’t all have one. As a matter of fact, several of our favorite sites do not. One of the best tips in our Lone Loon Song Camping Tips and Tricks article is this one: Take the plastic water bottles you bought in the supermarket. Wash them. Fill them with your purified tap water from home. Don’t fill them up all the way, leave a little room for expansion. Put ’em in the freezer. Take at least one more than you think you’ll need. 500 ml, a litre, whatever. About an hour before you’re ready to go, put one of the frozen bottles in your cooler. That’ll pre-cool your cooler, which will keep everything cool longer. This also saves you the money you’d spend from buying ice, which all budget-conscious campers should be aware of. (So much so, that we have an article called “Camping on The Cheap“, which is exactly what you think it is. ) When you’re ready to go, put the others in with your food and drinks. Now you have ice to keep things cold until it’s water. I know, eh? (What? With a name like “Lone Loon Song” you had no idea we were Canadians? Shame on you. ;-))
Navigation and Safety
Yeah. We know. Not sexy. Too bad. We don’t want any of our friends ( and nothing would give us more pleasure than to imagine you to be our friends) to be a person in a news story. Just a couple of things and then we’ll give it up, and move on to more fun stuff.
- You need a compass. You can get away spending less than a six-pack of beer. It’s an investment, though, so think about it. (I hear you – “But,” you say, “There’s a compass on my phone.” Yessir. Yup. That’s true. How does it work when it runs out of juice? Or when you’re camping in a ravine where there are no bars on it? Give up? It doesn’t. Not a lick. A compass will keep you safe. Get one.)
- If you are swimming, do all the things you learned at summer camp when you were a kid. What! No summer camp? Okay, here’s the crash course: Don’t jump into water where you can’t see the rocks on the bottom. Explore it first to make sure it’s deep enough. You can always jump or even dive in later. If you are in a river or the ocean and you get caught in a current – swim with it but angle towards shore. Swim with a buddy unless you know the water really well. Seriously.
- Take extra batteries and candles. Did we mention the first-aid kit?
Okay. That’s it. Thanks. We’ll sleep better.
Other Useful Stuff (that doesn’t really fit anywhere else.)
This is just stuff that doesn’t really fit anywhere else, but if you need it, and you have it, it’s a great feeling. We have never felt like “Wow, we carried all this junk and we never used it.” Don’t think like that. Leave it in your pack for the next time and if you do think, think “Wow! We were pretty lucky this time!”
- First, you’re gonna need a backpack. I don’t know who needs to hear that, but we felt we should probably say it.
- Camping chairs or portable seating: Comfort around the campfire is a game changer.
- Rope or cord: Useful for securing items and setting up tarps, or even hanging wet swimsuits.
- Duct tape: Fixes a multitude of camping mishaps. You’ll be glad you have it, and you’ll curse its lack. Believe us.
- Trash bags: Leave no trace; pack out all trash. More than you think you’re gonna need. They can be pillows, too.
- A book, musical instruments. Some people like radios or portable speakers. We don’t. For us, getting away from screens, stereos and electricity is sort of the point. (But that’s just us.)
- Don’t be that guy. You know, the one who says “I wish I brought my camera! My phone’s out of juice!” Just put it in the backpack and be done with it. (The camera. Not the phone. Or the juice. Curse this English Language.)
- Binoculars, if you have ’em, are great. They don’t cost much, and they are endless fun.
- Campsite decorations: Truth be told, we always thought this was a bit of unnecessary luxury, but once we tried it, we found it to be pretty cool. There are these little solar lights or candles in clear plastic drinking cups – not the disposable ones – both are great. Or you can get creative on your own.
- Remember to leave no trace. Pack it in, pack it out. ‘Nuff said.
In closing: Relax. Camping is a journey, not a destination.
Of course you’re gonna forget stuff. That’s part of the deal. Just add it to the list and try not to forget it next time. Just don’t be like us and forget the list. I swear to God, the other day we wrote up this grocery list and we left it sitting on the table.
Luckily, you can print this out and pack everything. Then it doesn’t really matter if you have it or not.
We sure hope that you found this worthwhile. As always, if it’s useful – tell your friends. That’s all we can hope for. Well, that and we hope we have inspired you in some small way to “Get Out There!” .
Best of luck,
Y.E.L.P. (Your Ever Lovin’ Pals)
Lone Loon Song.