The Family Camping Checklist, Grouped and Printable

What to pack for family camping

Shelter

• Tent, sized at 20-25 sq ft per person (a family of four wants a 6-person)
• Poles and stakes, checked and counted before you leave
• Mallet or rubber hammer, and a few spare stakes
• Footprint or a cut groundsheet, sized slightly smaller than the tent floor
• Guy lines, and a tarp with cord if rain is likely
• Doormat or old towel for the tent door

Why: the stakes and mallet are the parts that get left behind, because they live in a separate bag. Keep them inside the tent bag. A tarp over the table is what turns a wet weekend from a disaster into an inconvenience.

Sleep

• Sleeping pad or airbed per person, with a pump if needed
• Sleeping bag per person, chosen on its comfort rating not its name
• Pillow each, or a stuff sack filled with clothing
• A blanket per child, for warmth and for familiarity
• Hat and dedicated dry sleeping socks per person
• Foam pad or blanket to go on top of any airbed or cot

Why: this group is where trips fail. Body weight crushes the insulation under a sleeping bag, so warmth comes from the pad. An airbed with no insulation on top of it is the coldest option there is — see air mattress vs pad vs cot.

Kitchen

• Two-burner stove and more fuel than you think (a spare cylinder)
• Cooler, pre-chilled, plus block ice or frozen water jugs
• Two 5-gallon water containers, one drinking and one washing
• One 10-12 in pan, one 4 qt pot with lid, kettle if you drink coffee
• Cutting board, a real knife in a sheath, long spoon, tongs, can opener
• Plates, bowls, mugs and cutlery: one set each, no spares
• Three wash bins, biodegradable soap, sponge, drying rack, tea towels
• Trash bags, foil, zip bags, paper towels, lighter and matches
• Table, unless the campground provides one

Why: the two water containers are the item most often missing and most often regretted. The full layout is in the camp kitchen setup guide, and keeping the cooler cold is in how to keep food cold camping.

Light and power

• One bright lantern for the cooking and eating area
• One small diffused light per tent
• One headlamp per person, children included
• Spare batteries, or a power station if you have one
• Car charger and cables

Why: lanterns are for staying still and headlamps are for moving. Sharing one light means somebody is always standing in the dark, which with children lasts about four minutes before it becomes a problem.

Clothing, per person

• Warm layer for evenings, plus one more than you think for children
• Rain jacket, regardless of the forecast
• Closed shoes for camp, plus sandals or crocs
• Two full changes per day for children
• Hat, and gloves in shoulder season
• Dry sleep clothes that are never worn during the day

Why: the sleep-only clothing rule is the cheapest warmth upgrade there is. Clothes worn all day are slightly damp by evening, and damp clothing in a sleeping bag makes you cold.

Safety and the boring essentials

• First aid kit: plasters, antiseptic, antihistamine, tweezers, pain relief
• Any regular medication, in its original packaging
• Sunscreen and insect repellent
• Whistle for each child, and an agreed rule about staying put if lost
• Paper map or downloaded offline map, plus campground details printed out
• Duct tape, cord, a multi-tool, and a repair sleeve for a tent pole
• Bucket or water container beside the fire before it is lit

Load it in reverse order of use

Tent, mallet and headlamps on top and reachable. Kitchen box and water in the middle. Chairs, table and day-two clothing deep in the trunk. The cooler travels in the cabin, not in a hot trunk. The full arrival sequence is in the car camping guide, and if this is a trip with children, read family camping with kids first.