Things to Pack for Camping: A List You Reuse Every Trip

Things to pack for camping: the main groups

Every campsite and every family is different, so treat this as a starting point and cross out what you don't need.

• Shelter. Tent, tent pegs and a mallet, groundsheet or footprint, spare guy ropes, a small repair kit.
• Sleep. Sleeping bags, sleeping mats or an air bed with its pump, pillows, an extra blanket for cold nights.
• Cooking. Stove and fuel, lighter and matches, a pan and a kettle, plates, cups and cutlery, a sharp knife, tongs, a can and bottle opener, a cool box, washing-up liquid, a sponge, a tea towel, rubbish bags.
• Food and water. Meals planned for each day, snacks, coffee or tea, water bottles or a large water container.
• Clothing. Layers, a waterproof jacket, a warm hat, spare socks, sturdy shoes, something comfortable to sleep in.
• Light and power. Head torches, a lantern, spare batteries, a power bank and charging cables.
• Wash and comfort. Toothbrushes and toothpaste, toilet paper, wet wipes, a towel, sun cream, insect repellent, a basic first aid kit and any everyday medicines your household takes.
• Camp extras. Camping chairs, a table, a tarp, a washing line and pegs, a folding bowl for washing up.

Staying in a cabin? The cabin camping checklist is shorter: you can usually drop the tent and mats, but check what the cabin provides — bedding, towels, cookware — before you cross anything off. Packing a suitcase rather than a tent? See our packing list for vacation.

The small things that get forgotten

Ask people what they left at home and the answers are rarely the tent. It's the small things: the can opener, the lighter, spare batteries for the head torch, toilet paper, toothbrushes, a phone charger. Big gear gets noticed because it takes up space; small items don't.

Two habits help:

• Keep a separate “small things” section at the end of the list. Reading it last, just before you close the boot, gives those items their own moment.
• Add to the list at the campsite. When you notice something missing on the trip, add it to your list right then. Next time it's already there.

Keep one camping list you reuse

A camping packing list is worth writing once and improving after each trip. In Family Errands you can keep it as a note and use it as a template.

1. Write the note

   Create a note called “Camping” and add a checklist with everything from the groups above that fits your household. Already have a list in a chat or another app? Copy it, and in Notes the app offers to create a new note from the copied text, with each line as a separate checklist item. Bullets like “-” or “1.” are removed for you.

2. Create an errand before each trip

   A few days before you leave, open the note and create an errand from it: a new errand for today appears with the same title and checklist, while the note stays as it is for next time.

3. Set the date

   Move the errand to the day you leave. Add either a time reminder or the leave-home reminder below: an errand with a place has no time reminders.

4. Add this trip's extras

   A birthday cake for the campsite, wellies for a wet forecast — add them to this trip's errand without touching the template.

After the trip, open the note and add whatever you missed. Each time, the list gets a little closer to your family's real one.

Packing together from one list

Packing for camping is often a job for two: one person in the house gathering kitchen things, the other at the car loading bags.

1. Invite your partner or family

   In the family section, the app creates an invitation link with a 6-digit code that you send through any messenger. A family in Family Errands has up to 5 people in total.

2. Share the trip's errand

   Open the errand and tap the avatars of the people packing with you. Everyone it's shared with can see and edit the list.

3. Tick items off as they go in

   Each checklist item can be ticked separately, and changes show up on the other phones automatically while you're online. Whoever is at the car can see what's already packed, and whoever is in the house can see what's still missing.

If the list is long, you can also share a single checklist item with someone — for example, “pick up gas for the stove” with whoever is passing the shop.

For bigger jobs with lots of boxes, the same shared-checklist idea is covered in our moving checklist. And for the food shop before the trip, see how to share a grocery list.

A reminder as you leave home

The moment you lock the front door is a good moment for one last check. Add your home as a place on the errand and ask to be reminded when you leave it: the notification shows the checklist, so you can glance over what's still unticked before you drive off.

Questions