Camping Checklist – Essentials & Printable PDF

Have you ever struggled with packing for a camping trip and forgotten the torch batteries or worse, the insect spray? It’s a familiar frustration. The ‘what to pack’ puzzle can leave us in knots, and forgetting the smallest thing can be a real dampener.

But fret not! I’ve curated a camping essentials checklist to ensure you’re perfectly kitted out for your next outdoor adventure.

Ready to shed the packing stress and embrace the camping thrill? Check out our interactive packing list below or click the download button to see our printable PDF.

Shelter and Bedding

Essentials

Make sure to check your sleeping bag has the right temperature rating for the weather you will be camping in.

Non-Essentials

Cooking and Eating

Essentials

Pack more food and water than you’ll think you need.

Non-Essentials

Basic Clothing To Pack

Essentials

Non-Essentials

Spare clothes are must-haves just in case the temperature drops or your clothes get wet.

Seasonal Clothing for Cold Weather or Summer

These are a mixture of essentials and non-essentials depending on what conditions you will be camping in.

Personal and Hygiene

Essentials

Non-Essentials

Family Items

I’ve purposefully not marked any of the below as essential, “must bring” items as it can vary so much from family to family and depending on whether you’re wild camping or on a glamping trip.

Leisure Items

Everything below is non-essential, although perhaps useful if you still want to get along after the camping trip is over!

Navigation, Lighting and Tools

Essentials

Non-Essentials

Packing List For more Advanced Campers

Some of you might be planning a more intense wild camping adventure. Here is a list of a few extra bits of gear that you might want to consider.

Let’s Make the Best Camping Checklist in the World!

Folks, if you’ve read this far, I need your help. Each year, many people are put off from taking their first camping trip because of that same feeling of anxiety in the pit of their stomach that you’re feeling right now.

You know the feeling – it’s the voice saying “you’ve definitely forgotten to pack something!”.

Let’s fight against that voice so that we all know what to take camping. If you find something that isn’t in the list above, please drop me a comment in the discussion section below. Thank you!

Alternative Ways to Download The Camping Checklist

You can view our downloadable camping checklist pdf here.

Useful Resources

Family Camping Checklist – Essentials & Printable PDF

It’s no picnic preparing for a group adventure but we can help with our comprehensive UK-centric family camping essentials checklist. Check it out!

Camping Essentials For Women [Girls’ Checklist + PDF]

Packing the right camping essentials for women can feel a tad overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be! Find out what to take with our checklist.

Backpacking Checklist 3 Day (Printable PDF & Editable)

Here’s our checklist of things we think you’ll need for a weekends backpacking along with hints, tips & hacks for the first-timer who might need a bit of guidance.

Camping First Aid Kit Checklist (Printable PDF & Editable)

No matter if you are camping, hiking, or backpacking a first aid kit that you paid for or created is a must for making the trip safer and more comfortable.