If you are camping for the first time, it may be a bit daunting when considering what to take camping, where to camp and how to make camping easy for you and your family.
Luckily you have us to help you with tips and tricks for everything you need to make your first camping trip enjoyable and stress free!
The top 7 things that you need to consider when packing for your first camping trip;
- Camping Sleeping Equipment Checklist
- Camping Kitchen Equipment Checklist
- Camping Furniture Equipment Checklist
- Camping Light Equipment Checklist
- Camping Shade & Rain Protection Checklist
- Camping Esky / Camping Fridge Equipment Checklist
- Other Equipment For Comfortable Camping
What To Pack For Your First Camping Trip
It is always difficult to decide what to pack to take camping, especially if you have never been camping before (or have found that you keep forgetting things at home when you go camping!). We have compiled a list of what to pack for camping and also included some links to some of these items to help you find what you may be looking for!
1. Camping Sleeping Equipment Checklist
Tent/Swag
First time campers generally prefer to camp in a tent or a swag as this is an affordable camping sleeping solution for both singles, couples and families.
You get so many types of tents and swags, but some of my favourites include the pop-up tents, 3-compartment family tents, basic 4-man tent and double swags.
One of our favourite swags is the Kings Big Daddy Deluxe Double Dome Swag as it’s so easy to setup, is extremely comfortable & made of very durable waterproof canvas material.
A pop up tent that we absolutely love is the Melamoo Pop Up Tent as it pops up within seconds and is extremely easy to fold up. We also really like the additional storage space at the front of this tent for your luggage or boardgames!
If you prefer a large tent for families, you’ll soon realise that there are many different options for you to explore such as the Coleman 8 Person Montana Tent (if you prefer a large open spaced tent) or even large family tents split into different areas by dividers.
Remember to also ensure that you have tent pegs & a camping hammer/peg remover packed in to secure your tent/swag.
Mattress
If you buy a swag, you generally won’t need to buy a mattress as these are normally included as a part of the swag. If you are buying a tent, you will need to consider what mattress to buy for comfortable sleeping.
Most commonly people will opt to buy the blow up mattresses for camping which range in size & thickness. The other mattress which is very popular is the self-inflating foam mattress as it’s self-inflatable and has the extra comfort of the foam when camping on harder surfaces.
Sleeping Bag / Blankets
Sleeping bags are practical for camping as they can fold up small and keep you warm in different climates. It also provides the flexibility to either sleep within the sleeping bag, or to unzip it and use it as a blanket. If you prefer to use actual blankets and not sleeping bags, you can also buy a doona for camping or take one from home if you want to save some cash!
Linen
Remember to take your pillow & linen along for your mattress and pillow! We like to keep things easy and have a designated camping linen set that we store for our camping trips. This makes it easy when packing as you don’t need to remove the linen from your bed or linen closet at home.
2. Camping Kitchen Equipment Checklist
Camp Kitchen Table & Storage
There are countless options available for camping kitchens to buy for your camping trips, but not all of them are practical. You need to think about what you truly need in your camping kitchen and how much space you will need in your camp kitchen.
One option is to buy a camping kitchen that combines the table, storage and possibly even a sink into one item such as the GCI Outdoor Mastercook Portable Folding Camp Kitchen.
Another option is to buy a trestle table and storage containers that you can store underneath the trestle table. The reason why we love this is because it is an easy and affordable camping kitchen, as well as making packing for camping extremely easy!
The reason why the storage container option makes packing for camping easy is because you can leave your cutlery and camping essentials inside these containers without needing to remove them or repack them every time you go camping. If you decide to go with this option, make sure you invest in durable heavy duty storage containers that can last the test of time! Make sure that you measure the space that you have available in your car to ensure that when you are packing for your camping trip, these will fit!
Camping Stove & Gas Bottle
One essential camping item to remember is your camping stove & gas bottle to ensure you can eat yummy warm meals & make coffee or hot chocolate on those cooler camping mornings.
Camping Cooking Equipment
- Camping Kettle
- Camping Pan / Pot
- Cooking Utensils (Spatula, Tongs, Wooden Spoon)
- Wand Gas Lighter
- Water Container (you can either buy a designated water container, or buy a 20L plastic petrol can to use for water)
Camping Cutlery
- Forks, Knives, Big Spoons & Tea Spoons
- Sharp Cutting/Steak Knives
- Plates & Bowls
- Cups & Mugs
- Salad/Chips Bowl
- Foil Trays (to use as disposable meat trays when barbecuing)
- Bottle Opener
Camping Cleaning Equipment
Wet wipes! (You will use these constantly, whether it’s wiping down the table, your hands or anything else dirty!)
Kitchen Sink or compatible multi-purpose tub
Dish Soap
Washing cloth / sponge / scrubber
Dish Drying Towels
Other Camping Cooking Equipment Essentials
- Foil (to store leftovers in overnight, to keep food warm or to cook food in the fire)
- Zip Lock Bags (to store any leftover snacks)
- Plastic / Glass Food Storage Containers
3. Camping Furniture Equipment Checklist
Camping Chair
There are so many different options for camping chairs available these days, that it makes it hard when having to choose a chair for your camping trip.
You have the classic camping chair that folds up nice & easily. This chair is fantastic for packing your equipment in your car and also for setting up at your campsite. You will also get a large variety of options ranging from the affordable range to the luxury range.
Other camping chairs that are similar, but that have a bit more of a luxury camping chair feel to them include the camping director’s chair & the camping reclining chair.
If you are looking for a compact, versatile & light camping chair, you should be considering to buy the hiking camping chairs. These are perfect to use at a campground, on the beach, to take with when hiking, or simply if you prefer sitting closer to the ground with your legs stretched out.
Camping Table
A smaller camping table is convenient for placing your drinks on, playing boardgames or cards on, or even for using as a table to eat on (depending on the size you get!).
The table we love to use is the smaller compact trestle table as you can adjust the height depending on what purpose you use it for & it’s also great for packing as it folds in half.
Other great options for camping tables includes those that fold up similar to a camping chair, or those that are perfect for placing smaller items on (such as your drinks or deck of cards).
4. Camping Light Equipment Checklist
Camping lights can either make or break your camping trip as there is nothing worse than sitting in a pitch black campsite trying to cook your food or find an item.
The typical “go to” item that people generally buy for camping is a torch, but we would suggest looking into other lighting options as well as it will make your camping trip so much more comfortable.
Some affordable portable options for camping items includes the rechargeable battery operated camping lanterns. These are a great option for lighting as you can move the light around your campsite & also use it in your tent if needed.
Our favourite lighting option includes the LED Bar Lighting Kits. The reason these lighting kits are so popular is because they light up your campsite completely, is waterproof, has different lighting options (colour and dimability) & can plug into your car to power up with an adaptor. A great lighting kit to check out is the Adventure Kings Bar Lighting Kit.
If you don’t have a torch already, you should also look into buying one for when you are walking around the campsite at night or wanting to search for some wildlife at night (such as those cute possums climbing the trees!). Alternatively you could also use the torch function on your phone, but you run the risk of your battery power running out & being left without light.
5. Camping Shade & Rain Protection Equipment Checklist
When you are camping the last thing you want is to be drenched in the rain or baking in the sun. Luckily there are simple solutions for camping shade and rain protection that you can buy for your camping trip.
The most simple & cost effective solution is to buy a gazebo (whether that be a 3m gazebo or a 6m gazebo). For securing the gazebo we would highly recommend buying pegs or sand pegs. If you also want added protection from the sun, wind or rain, buying sides for the gazebo is also an excellent idea to make your camping trip more enjoyable.
Other options for shade & rain protection that you can consider are buying large tarps that you can erect over your campsite, or buying a dome sun shelter.
6. Camping Esky & Camping Fridge Equipment Checklist
The question of how to keep food cold when camping comes up again and again when talking to campers. This is such an important question as you need to plan ahead to ensure that any cold foods do not go off in the heat.
The easiest & most cost effective way to keep your food cold is to buy an esky/cooler & to fill it with ice. You can pick and choose the size of your esky depending on how many people you generally go camping with. This versatility is great whether you are camping alone or camping with your family.
If you would like to buy a more long-term solution for keeping your camping food cold, we would suggest you consider buying a camping fridge. Although this option initially costs a bit more than an esky, it will guarantee that your food is kept nice & cold as long as it is plugged into your car (second battery recommended) and/or plugged into a powered campsite.
7. Other Equipment For Comfortable Camping
There are a few other items that are not “must-haves” for beginner campers, but that will definitely make your camping experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
1. Camping Ground Mesh
Our number one suggestion for a comfort camping item would be to buy camping ground mesh as this helps to ensure that your campground is kept clean & that you aren’t sitting directly on dirt, grass or sticks when camping. Make sure that when purchasing this ground mesh that you consider how big an area you would like covered. Also ensure that you buy pegs for your ground mesh to keep it secure.
2. Food Storage Container
Rather than packing your camping food into bags, an option for camping food storage is to simply keep it in a plastic storage container. This is such a simple yet effective way of storing your food when camping as it makes packing easy and it also makes finding your food at the campground easy.
3. Bluetooth Speaker
Who doesn’t love some great music when camping?! If you’re like us and you like listening to some great tunes around the campfire, you may want to consider buying a bluetooth speaker for your camping trip. Think about downloading some music to your phone prior to the camping trip if you know there will be minimal reception & access to music streaming applications.
4. Wood Chopping Axe
Campfires are the definition of a good camping trip (as long as there are no fire bans in place!). Sometimes when you are camping you simply need a good axe to cut your wood into smaller pieces. Trust us when we say it solves a lot of frustration when you can easily chop your wood at the campground!
5. Marshmallow Sticks
Camping wouldn’t be camping without marshmallow sticks around the fire, and for that you need marshmallow sticks! There’s a large variety of marshmallow sticks available, from the basic steel sticks to the retractable marshmallow sticks. Just don’t forget to pack your marshmallows when you go camping!