Camping Trip Packing List
Planning an epic backpacking or camping trip soon? It's essential to pack the right gear to have the best possible trip, as we have learned during our many outdoor adventures. In this post, we will share our camping trip packing list with recommendations on specific gear we’ve used on previous trips. This is the packing list that we've used to equip ourselves for a week-long backpacking trip to Glacier National Park, and most recently, a weekend backpacking trip to Eightmile Lake in Washington State.
If you have other ideas, we’d love to hear them. Please share your backpacking and camping packing list advice in the comments below!
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Camping trip packing list
Backpacks and Daypacks
If you are car camping, you can get away with using a suitcase or duffel bag. But if you plan on hiking in to a campsite, you will need a proper backpacking backpack. A 65-liter backpack is generally the best size for a couple nights’ trip. REI and Osprey are the preferred bag brands we have used before. Some backpacking bags have detachable daypacks. If not, consider bringing a packable daypack so you can make day trips from your campsite without carrying all of your gear.
Campsite Gear
The exact type of camping gear you need will vary according to your preferences, as well as the weather you will be camping in. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we bring gear suitable for somewhat cold, yet not snowy cold, conditions. Below are some of our specific favorites.
Tent or Bivy
First off, you' need shelter. Tents come in all different sizes and can hold a single person or a group of people. If you travel with a pet or like having extra room, you may want to consider getting a slightly larger tent than you think you need. When traveling very lightweight, we opt for a bivy. These are super minimalist tents made to shelter just you and your sleeping bag. A bivy packs down into a very small size and is easy to set up in just a few minutes. There are insulating bivvies for cold weather or light bivvies for insect protection in warm weather.
Sleeping Bag and Pad
Like tents, your sleeping bag choices are aplenty. To choose the best one for you, consider the climate you will be camping in the most. Choose a sleeping bag with a temperature rating that best fits that environment. Here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s generally good to have a 3-season sleeping bag that covers you from +15° to +30° Fahrenheit. If you camp in colder months, get a winter sleeping bag, or a summer bag for warmer months. This sleeping bag for women by Big Agnes is Suzi’s current favorite. It is water repellent and comes in petite sizes and the option of having a left zip or right zip. For men, Martin like this Big Agnes sleeping bag. No matter which sleeping bag you get, also get a silk liner to prevent from sweating in your sleeping bag and making it less prone to getting dirty from the inside.
To get maximum comfort, we also recommend getting a sleeping pad to go under your sleeping bag. Many Big Agnes sleeping bags come with compartments to easily slip a sleeping pad down below so they stay under you all night long. Thermarest makes some of the best sleeping pads on the market. Suzi prefers this old school, very simple sleeping pad. Meanwhile, Martin prefers this self-inflating sleeping pad.
Other Sleeping Comforts
For years, we used bunched up down jackets as pillows. That’s still a good solution, especially if you’re on a budget or don’t have space. But if you can, get this Thermarest pillow. It compresses down into a small size, yet poofs up into a surprisingly comfortable pillow. The small size works well for Suzi, and Martin prefers the pillow in size medium. If you sleep cold, a lightweight blanket will keep you warm — it’s also great for cuddling by a campfire outside. Finally, don’t forget earplugs, an eye mask, and a beanie — you lose the most heat from your head, so wearing a beanie can help you sleep better in cold conditions.
Lights and a Chair
After taking care of sleeping essentials like a tent and sleeping bag, start thinking of other items that will make your camping stay more comfortable. Some campsites will have benches or picnic tables, but in others, you’ll have to fend for yourself. This is when a compact chair comes in handy. Portable lights are great to have such as this bright and compact lantern that can sit flat or hang from the top of your tent. Also, pack a headlamp so that you can use a light hands-free while navigating around the campsite or to the bathroom at night.
Personal Hygiene
Not all campsites will have running water. This is one of many reasons why it's vital to include a personal hygiene kit on your camping trip packing list. We put all of our hygiene products into this ultra-light toiletry bag that we also bring on work trips and vacations. The bag can be hung from a towel rack or hanger and it also comes with a mirror.
Be sure to pack hand sanitizer and biodegradable soap to use whenever you find running water. Toilet paper is also good to have, just in case. Some campsites will have normal flushing toilets while others may have non-flushing outhouses. Showers are also hit or miss, so bring these body wipes to keep yourself refreshed. Don’t forget a microfiber towel, good for bathing, and also taking a dip in a river or lake if there’s one nearby.
The final items to stash in your hygiene kit are a first aid kit, sunscreen, and lip balm. If traveling to an insect-heavy area, bring insect repellent. We use Herbal Armor whenever possible, and we also bring DEET as a backup. Also good to have is After Bite to relieve itchiness if you get bitten.
Cooking Gear
Camp food has come a long way from trail mix and PB&J sandwiches. You can still bring that sort of food, but you can also enjoy warm and hearty meals if you invest in a camping stove and cookware. This MSR PocketRocket is the most minimal camping stove you can get, and it’s the one we first started out with. Recently, we upgraded to the MSR Windburner that includes a cooking canister and can be lit in the windiest of conditions. A slightly cheaper option to the Windburner is the Jet Boil, but it has less flexibility in that it can’t be used in windy conditions. No matter which cooking stove you get, note that you will need to buy the isobutane-propane separately and supply fire via matches or a lighter.
In terms of plates and bowls, we love this personal cooker set. The pieces can be used to boil water or cook, and they can also double as bowls or plates to eat out of. All pieces store inside of each other, packing into one compact set. Don’t forget eating utensils, such as this spork, a knife or multi-tool, and a can opener in case you need to open food packets.
Research the place you are going to determine if there will be fresh water there. If not, pack as much water as you can hold. When car camping, we travel with 64oz Hydroflask bottles, which keep water nice and cool for 24 hours. For backpacking trips, we trade the Hydroflask for a plastic Nalgene bottle that weighs significantly less. An insulated thermos or mug is also good to have for drinking tea or coffee. Speaking of coffee, we always camp with an Aeropress Go Travel Kit and bring our own ground coffee so that we can enjoy hot coffee every morning. We also travel with our own Life Straws, a handy personal water filter.
Best Camping Food
When it comes to camping food, you have quite a few options these days. You can keep your meals basic by sticking to trail mix and peanut butter jelly sandwiches. Or you can invest in a rather affordable and portable camping stove to make some pretty tasty meals. In particular, we are big fans of Mountain House meals. Just add boiling water and you can have hearty beef stroganoff at your campsite in just a few minutes. Our favorite Mountain House meals are beef stroganoff and biscuits and gravy.
Don’t forget a trash bag.
Instant coffee, tea or cocoa
Trail Mix
Bread or Bagels
Peanut Butter and Jelly Packets
Dried Fruit
Meat Jerky or Vegan Jerky
Freeze-Dried Meals
Marshmallows
Crackers or Cookies
Hiking Clothes and Gear
The key to hiking clothes is layering, especially when in cool weather climates. Moisture-wicking materials are essential since they are lightweight and dry quickly. Even underwear comes in quick-dry material, and we especially love Exofficio underwear. We love Patagonia’s Capilene Cool material and have them in short-sleeved and long-sleeved t-shirts that we use as base layers. If camping during the winter months, we get Merino wool baselayers instead, since they are warmer. Next, we wear a mid-layer such as a hoodie, fleece, or technical shirt. If needed, we top it off with a shell such as a rain jacket or our current favorite, the Arcteryx Atom.
For bottoms, we love Marmot hiking pants. They are available in slim sizes and short cuts and also come in moisture-wicking and water-repelling materials. You may also want to pack silk long johns for layering on cold nights and comfy sweatpants for lounging around.
Solid footwear is also a must. We recommend hiking boots by Salomon, particularly the GTX line. Altra also makes slim, lightweight hiking shoes — Altra Superior is our favorite. Be sure to wear hiking socks that are padded and tall enough to avoid getting rocks in your shoes. Trekking poles are also very handy, especially if you've got a lot of gear in your backpack or need extra support. These lightweight, foldable hiking poles are supportive yet easy to stow when you don’t need them.
Pack a hat — a beanie for cold weather, or a hat with a brim for blocking the sun. For sunny locations, don’t forget sunscreen and perhaps these sun sleeves for shielding your arms from the sun yet not overheating. Sunglasses are also essential. Polarized sunglasses increase the vibrancy of your surroundings, helping you see photo compositions better. These polarized sunglasses by Pepper's are lightweight, not too expensive, and they come with some of the best-polarized lenses (better than Ray-Ban!).
Other Things
You'll have a decent amount of downtime at your campsite, so entertainment is important. Bringing a book or Kindle, or your cellphone loaded with Audiobooks. Don’t forget to bring headphones and an external battery charger. Bring a Bluetooth speaker if that’s your style.
Opt to go tech-free and stick with portable board games or field guides that are fun, educational, and engaging. Throw in some binoculars and observe wildlife and birds in the wild. A physical map or atlas of the region you are in is also helpful in case your phone can’t load a map.
If you bring a smartphone, get this safety tether to clip your phone to your bag. This is our most-used item and it has prevented us from accidentally losing our phones many times. Another key item new to our kits is this Timbuk2 Phone Holder. It lets you stow your phone on a backpack shoulder strap where it can be easily accessed. This carrier has become essential for us since we take quite a few photos with our phones while hiking. The large size is perfect for holding our Samsung Galaxy S10.
Just in case…
Finally, don’t forget to bring an emergency whistle, a print-out of copy of your camping permit and write down any important phone numbers or emergency information, just in case. Before leaving, be sure to tell your friends and loved ones where you are going and ask them to check in with you the day you are due to arrive home. Camping in the outdoors, especially if you hike into the backcountry, can be dangerous. It’s not unusual for people to go missing or have accidents while hiking or camping, so it’s best to come prepared.
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