Saturday, July 31, 2010

Camping Checklist

Going camping? I couldn’t survive without my lists.

{Basic Shelter}

Tent
Tarp
Extra stakes
Hammer/Mallot
Small carpet (something to have outside your tent door to wipe off your feet)
Sleeping Bags
Pillows
Extra blanket

{Toiletries/Personal}

Bath Towels (I need 2 - 1 for my hair)
Washcloth
Soap
Shampoo & Conditioner (My hair would be impossible to brush out without conditioner. If you’re camping with your partner, I recommend leaving your big bottles at home. Instead, get a few travel sized shampoos, that way you can hit the showers at the same time.)
Toothbrush (To keep our toothbrushes clean, we keep the heads of them in empty film containers. All we did was cut a “+” into the cap so we can push the handle part through. Then, just snap the container on over the brush.)
Toothpaste (Again, if you’re going with your partner, I recommend picking up travel toothpastes so you each have one to take to the bathrooms.)
Deodorant
Brush
Toilet Paper (Most of my friends are guys – trust me, bring toilet paper. Even if you have bathrooms at your campsite, you never know where you might wander off to; bathrooms aren’t always available. Be prepared.)
Light makeup (Keep it simple while camping. I usually just stick with tinted moisturizer and waterproof mascara.)
Sunscreen (I bring SPF 45 for my face and shoulders – no matter how dark I am.)
Bug Spray (LOTS!)
Lip Balm
Beach Towel (If you’re going to be swimming)
Dirty Laundry Bag (You won’t want these clothes near your clean ones!)
Shower Basket/Caddy (We always have a hard time hauling everything to the camp bathrooms – a basket is a must next time.)
Extra Hair Ties (I ALWAYS keep an extra one on my wrist when I’m camping. What would I do if I was pulling my hair back and my only hair tie snapped on me?!)
Bobby Pins (You won’t want sweaty hair in your face.)
Sunglasses

{Clothes}

Sneakers (I usually wear flip flops, but I turn to sneakers when I’m sick of my feet getting dirty. You’ll need them anyways if you do any hiking or go on any long walks.)
Extra socks (Just do it.)
Hat (A hat comes in handy when you don’t want to do your hair or for the end of the day when the elements have had their way with your hair.)
Bandana (Ditto. Matt’s mom and brother found some really cool ones at REI that have bug repellent in the material. It seemed to work for me, and the repellent lasts through 70 washings!)
Jacket
Sweatshirt (Something you can throw over your clothes at night)
Swim Suit
Clothes for x number of days
Clothes for x number of nights (Things will happen – you’ll get wet, you’ll get dirty, you’ll get cold, and you’ll want to change.)
Pajamas (You can re-wear these, so don’t overdo it.)

{Food/Cooking}

Some people like to go nuts with cooking while camping. Not us; Matt and I like to keep it simple. We stick to cereal in the morning, sandwiches for lunch, and burgers/dogs for dinner. Bagels and cream cheese are also good for a quick and easy breakfast.

Bread
Lunch meat
Sliced Cheese
Cereal
Milk
Hamburgers
Hot Dogs
Hamburger Buns
Hot Dog Buns
Mayo
Ketchup
Mustard
Chips/Crackers
Clif Bars (These are magical and oh so delicious! My favorite is the cool mint chocolate.)
Drinks (Freeze bottled water before you go. You can use them to keep your food cold, then, of course, for drinks.)
Cooler
Plates
Utensils
Paper Towels
Trash Bags (Reuse those awful plastic grocery sacks that cashiers put your goods in even when you say you don't need a bag.)
Sandwich Bags
Rags
Grill (unless you’re cooking over a fire)

Matt likes to bring beer, and I bring stuff for mixed drinks.

{Miscellaneous}

Camera
Extra Batteries
Flashlight
Book/Magazine
First Aid Kit
Backpack
Chairs
Pocket Knife
Rope/Clothes Line

Clothes Pins (You'll find these handy for clothes as well as for food - chip bags, cereal bags, etc.)
Playing Cards
Duct Tape
Notepad/Pen
Hand Wipes
Frisbee
Football

Also, if your campsite has picnic tables, a vinyl table cloth would be helpful. It would allow for an easily washable surface for crafts : ) I made my niece's fabric banner while in the passenger seat of the car. Working on something like that outside at a big table would be wonderful!

Phew! So it looks like a lot, but I like to be comfortable. Do you bring anything else? Any cool camping tips/suggestions?

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