Priority 3 items
□ Screen room / canopy ‐ Unlike tarps, these have their own support structure and set up and pack away with
little effort.
□ Cot ‐ This is a level of comfort above an air mattress. While it will elevate you off the ground, it is bulkier to
store.
□ Blankets or old comforter ‐ Beyond the basic bedding you pack, you may want to take an extra blanket or
comforter. They can be used for extra warmth at night, for a picnic, or to lay on the ground for stargazing.
□ Broom ‐ Use to keep the inside of your tent clean.
□ Lantern pole / hanger ‐ You can easily set your lantern on top of your picnic table. But if you want to
illuminate more of your campsite, this will do the job.
□ Silicone spray ‐ This is used as a water repellent. You can bring it along if you like, but you should have already
treated your tent and/or rain gear at home before your trip.
Kitchen Gear
Priority 1 items
□ Cooler / ice ‐ It is important to keep foods at their proper temperature to prevent spoilage and sickness.
□ Cooking grate ‐ This one item will allow you to heat water or cook over a wood fire. Many campgrounds have
them on their campsites. You can call ahead to where you will be camping to confirm if they have one, so you
know if you need to bring one with you.
□ Lighter / waterproof matches ‐ These are important for lighting your cook stove, campfire, and/or propane
lanterns. Take enough for your whole trip.
□ Firewood / charcoal ‐ These are the most basic fuels you can use for cooking or keeping warm.
□ Fire starters / newspaper / kindling ‐ To start wood fires, you'll need dry newspaper and kindling. You may
want to bring some with you in case it rains during your camping trip, or if your camping location has been
thoroughly picked through and doesn't have anything to work with.
□ Paper plates / bowls / cups or washable plates / bowls / cups ‐ You will need something to eat your meals on.
Paper products are very convenient, but are wasteful and generate trash. Washable products simply need to
be cleaned, and can be reused, making them a better choice for the environment.
□ Plastic ware / silverware (spoons, knives, forks) ‐ You will need to use something to eat your meals. Plastic
ware products are very convenient, but are wasteful and generate trash. Washable silverware simply needs to
be cleaned, and can be reused, making them a better choice for the environment.
□ Heavy duty aluminum foil ‐ This comes in handy for covering cooking grates, making aluminum foil dinners,
and for storing leftovers.
□ Paper towels ‐ These can be used for cooking, and cleaning up your camp meals. Squeeze flat for compact
storage.
□ Trash bags ‐ Bring plenty to bag any and all of the trash you generate. If you generate small amounts of trash,
you can use plastic grocery bags. Make yourself familiar with each campground's trash policies. Some will
collect it from your site, while others require you to take it to a central dumpster.
□ Biodegradable dish soap ‐ Needed to clean all of your dinnerware and cookware.
□ Pot holders ‐ No matter which method of camp cooking you use, these are invaluable. Pots and pans heated
on a campfire or propane/gas stove tend to get hotter than they would cooking at home on a range.
□ Skewers / grill forks ‐ These are great for basic camp cooking to include hot dogs over the campfire.
□ Can opener / bottle opener ‐ This is really dependent on what types of foods you bring along to cook/eat, but
you really don't want to be without them if you need them.
□ Insulated paper cups / mugs ‐ Use for your hot beverages. Washable mugs are better for the environment.
□ Dish pans / wash tubs ‐ Use to wash and rinse your pots, pans, and dishes.
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