Set up for comfort using our printable checklist
From time to time, you may have an urge to get out of the city and experience an outdoor adventure. Putting together a camping gear checklist can be daunting. whether you’re headed to a national forest for tent camping or in a camper trailer. If this is your first time camping, then don’t despair. We are here to help you with our camping for beginners tips below to survive your first camping trip and camp comfortably too!
Table of contents
Camping Gear Checklist
Download your Printable camping gear checklist
No need to go gangbusters, on your first camping trip. Indeed, save money and rent what you can. Certainly, find someone experienced in the outdoors to show you the ropes.
Look for these instructors (and sales associates) at REI for camping advice. We recommend asking around and find a friend with gear they are willing to lend. The camping community is bigger than you think and they might just join you!
Moreover, they will have plenty of camping tips for the beginner camper from where to save money on the right gear, free camping sites, and outdoor activities. No need to write this down, print off our camping gear list so you can be prepared for your camping trip.
You can choose car camping as a way to ease into sleeping in the outdoors. I don’t recommend you go on a 3 day backpacking trip, although it’s possible to do it on your own, a lot can go wrong if you are a newbie. You just need both gear and a place to go. If you are intimated with equipping yourself with gear, then it’s best to start with car camping.
It’s easier to have a successful camping trip when you start with an overnighter first. But certainly stick with the camping basics:
Camping for Beginners Tips
- Rent or borrow expensive gear, don’t buy equipment until you are committed to tent camping frequently. This not only saves you money but garage space as well.
- To keep comfortable, pack layers and camping clothes for rain or cold.
- Meal plan. There are fantastic camping meals that you can make that won’t leave you feeling hungry. On that note, bring coffee.
- Start with camping close by and choose a campsite with amenities. What’s more, you won’t need as much gear for camping. That said, you will have more options if things go wrong. If you aren’t having a good time, then its easy to pack up and go.
- Check the weather forecast. To ensure you have a pleasant first camping experience, postpone your trip in case of bad weather.
- Take care of Mother Nature by following the principles of Leave No Trace when you head into your favorite hiking spots.
- Camping is like what you imagine, your home is a tent, not a cabin or RV. Basically, pack as if there will be no place to sleep, nowhere to store your food, and all you may have is a picnic table. But don’t bring anything that needs electricity (yes, leave the fridge at home).
- Some campsites may have picnic tables or grills (if not, bring one), a place to park a car and set up your tent. Car camping is a great way for beginners to dip their toes.
- It’s best to either rent or borrow these – the camping tent, sleeping bags, and pads for your first few trips. Moosejaw offers great camping equipment rentals to help here. Also, if you decide to buy, we don’t recommend going cheap on gear since they may not last your first or next camping trip.
- Reserve your campsite far in advance since spots can be hard to secure. Sites like TheDyrt.com, Recreation.gov (national park), Reserve America (state parks)
However, if you’re ready to purchase the best camping gear on the market, here are a few tips for beginners to help you decide what to buy.
Recommended Reading: 21 Best Camping Games for Adults, Essential Tips for Hiking Beginners for a Successful Hike
What to Bring Camping
Rent a Camping Tent
Rent a tent if you are starting out and are not sure what size tent you need for your gear. This will allow you to try different camp tents before settling on the one you like. Often, camping lovers will have several backpacking tents to car camping tents, based on their adventures.
As a beginner, size up with your tent when camping, if you have the money for it, otherwise space will be tight! A 3-person tent is ideal for a couple because you’ll want to stash your gear with you. If you have your dogs with you, or a family of four camping, then pick a tent that accommodates up to six people.
Look for a high tent peak so you can stand up so that you don’t have to hunch over to dress or look for items.
Furthermore, pick a camping tent with a vestibule (door). This comes in handy when you need to take off your dirty hiking shoes outside. Also, choose two doors to avoid climbing over one another when you need to make a late night bathroom run.
To learn more about tent camping, read The 10 Tent Types Buying Guide to camping
Coleman Sundome Camping Tent
Use a Tent Footprint to Avoid Sleeping on Wet Ground
Choose a groundsheet or tent footprint that is the proper size. Too big and it will collect rainwater. This also means your tent floor will be wet. Too small, and your tent floor won’t be protected. Beginners camping for the first few times make this mistake.
Hack: Do a practice run and lay your tent out in the backyard. Also, make sure your groundsheet is the proper size before camping. Stake your tent pegs and assemble the tent poles.
If you need help on what size groundsheet to buy, then read our article on How to Choose a Tent Footprint.
Amazon Basics Waterproof Camping Tarp
Choose a Sleeping bag Rated for the Weather
When choosing a sleeping bag, the temperature rating is an important factor. A summer sleeping bag will be appropriate for camping during the spring and summer months, but 4-season sleeping bags will provide more flexibility for unpredictable weather. This is referred to as a Three Season or Four Season Sleeping Bag.
For a beginner, keeping warm when camping, is important. Certainly, read up on temperature ratings and how to stay warm in a sleeping bag, before choosing your style.
If you feel cold all the time, or if you like to keep yourself warm at night, then pick accordingly. If you aren’t sure whether you need a rectangular sleeping bag, spoon-style sleeping bag or mummy-style sleeping bag, read Best 3 season sleeping bags for camping
Hyke & Byke Eolus 0 F Hiking & Backpacking Sleeping Bag – 4 Season
Nemo Disco Insulated Down Sleeping Bag
Use a Sleeping pad- don’t sleep on hard ground
A good sleeping pad is like a mattress. It has insulation to prevent heat loss on cold ground. If you’re camping in cold weather, then look for an insulated sleeping pad with a high R-value, which creates more heat. You might be tempted to use an inflatable air mattress but these often lack insulation, which will prevent you from having a good night’s sleep.
First-time campers or if you’re a light sleeper, may not want to use sleeping pads and instead, choose camping cots vs air mattress. While cots do weigh more than pads , they keep you off the ground which means you will be warmer and drier (if that tent footprint wasn’t set up properly).
For more advice, read How to Choose the Best Sleeping Pad
Camping for Beginner tips: You should set up your tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad before it gets dark.
Klymit Static V Inflatable Sleeping Pad for Camping
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite Camping and Backpacking Sleeping Pad
Rest your Head on a Camp Pillow
A camp pillow is an essential piece of gear for any beginners camping and want to get a good night’s sleep. It is a small, light pillow and easily packed into a backpack. Additionally, the are plenty of pillow options that include memory foam, inflatable, and hybrid, which is a combination of the two.
That said, find the right pillow for camping by reading more details in our article: Best Pillows for Camping– Maximize Your Adventure and Sleep!
Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Inflatable Travel Pillow
Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Camping Travel Pillow – ALUFT 2.0
Light Up Your Campsite with Solar Lanterns
Solar lanterns and headlamps help you to find your way to the bathroom at night, avoid tripping over gear, eating, uncooked meat and navigating around your campsite. What’s more, a solar lantern will create lighting for camp tasks to free up your hands, great for inside the tent, around the camp site, and eating meals.
It’s helpful to have both when you are a beginner camping for the first time.
You also want to consider buying a headlamp, which lights the way for walks to the toilets or cooking meals. The article The Best Camping Headlamps and Best Solar Camping Lanterns will provide you with buying advice.
LuminAID Solar Inflatable Lanterns
LE LED Camping Lantern, Battery Powered LED with 1000LM
Cook with Camp Stove
These are great backups should your campground amenities lack a grill. Even novices can cook because camp cooking doesn’t have to be elaborate to make tasty meals and coffee. That said, you can use a mess kit that contains most of your cooking essentials, so you won’t need to add more kitchen supplies to all your gear.
Also, camping stoves are inexpensive and require only a couple of butane or propane canisters, and a lighter. A popular and reliable option is the two burner propane gas stove since propane is usually available at Home Depot stores.
Camping for beginners tip: Choose a camping stove that has two burners. Otherwise, you will need to cook items separately and wait longer to eat.
Before you leave, fire it up once at home to be sure you know how it works. Our article How to Choose the Best Camping Stoves will have some shopping tips.
Camp Chef Everest 2 Burner Stove
Gas One GS-3400P Propane or Butane Stove Dual Fuel
Keep Food Safe to Eat with Camp Coolers
Make sure your cooler is insulated with large enough store meals, beers, and desserts. Also, it helps to prevent food poisoning or drinking warm beer. However, if you want the latest in coolers that you can use at home or on camping trips, go for brands such as RTIC 45 Cooler or Yeti 45 Cooler.
For more details, read RTIC Cooler Review and Best Alternatives to Yeti Cooler
RTIC Ultra-Light 52 Quart Hard Cooler Insulated Portable Ice Chest Box
Yeti 45 qt Ice Cooler
Wear Camping Clothing with Insect Repellant
Camp clothes to bring are base layers, an insulated jacket or rain jacket, rain pants, wool hiking socks, hiking boots, a wide-brim hiking hat, breathable hiking pants, camp mules, and sun protection shirt. Avoid flip-flops and wear hiking sandals such as Teva Hurricane, which protect your feet and provide traction.
What to wear camping rule for beginners, is to wear things that you don’t mind getting dirty and avoid cotton. Usually, the mistakes beginner campers make are choosing clothes that are not sweat-wicking and jeans.
That said, opt for hiking clothing with materials meant for the trails. Lululemon Hike outfits are quite cute and for men, the North Face offers many styles and options of sun protective shirts, rain pants, and hiking shorts.
For more details on camping outfits, read our articles Women’s Hiking Outfits to Try and Waterproof Pants for Hiking
Camping Hack: Bug spray your clothing with insect repellent before heading into the woods. Ticks hang out on thick shrubs and high grassy areas, so to avoid getting bitten, read our article How to Prevent Tick Bites.
Skechers Women’s On-The-go 600-Brilliancy Sport Sandal
TEVA Men’s Hurricane Xlt2 Sandals
Cook with Camping Cookware – Leave Breakables at Home
Utensils, pots, plates, cups, sporks, and dinner ware are camping essentials. Bring everything except the kitchen sink. Joking aside, pack items that serve double duty. Cookware such as dutch ovens, cast iron skillets, and muffin tins can make egg cups, quesadillas, to cinnamon rolls. You can also use mess kits to make meals on this essential camping food list.
However, leave anything breakable at home, like glass ware. You will also need biodegradable soap, a scrubber, and towels, two wash tubs, to clean any mess you make while cooking or eating outside.
Camping for Beginners Cooking Hack: Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer next to your cooking station.
Learn more on The Best Mess Kits for Camping and Backpacking
Stanley Base Camp Cook Set for 4 | 21 Pcs Nesting Cookware Made from Stainless Steel
MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit for Backpacking Gear – Camping Cooking Set
Sit in Comfortable Camping Chairs
Avoid hard ground, boulders, or tree stumps if possible when you need to relax after a hard day of hiking. An experienced camper will know that place to recline is crucial to fully enjoy the camping experience.
Camp Chairs are perfect for sitting around the campfire, eating s’mores, and swapping tales. If you want to make your weekend camping trip in the great outdoors fun, then a hammock can be especially relaxing in the afternoon when you want to read or nap.
Our article Best Camping Chairs for the Outdoors has shopping details.
Helinox Chair Zero Ultralight Compact Camping Chair
Kelty Low-Love Seat Camping Chair
Store Food in a Bear Canister to Keep Bears Away
Stash all food or any items with the scent of food in them and hang them properly. Our article on How to Keep Bears Out of Your Food has lists of canisters and tips so that you don’t go hungry. And yes, bears can rip through a car’s trunk, which can ruin your camping trip.
Bears can break into cars, so whether you are on summer camping trips or winter camping in bear country, make sure that all of your food is properly stored in bear vault EVERY time. Yes, we already mentioned this above.
But, if you encounter a bear, spray and don’t run. As beginners camping for the first few times, you might not think you will run into a bear, but it happens more often than you think. Get to know the camping area so you are prepared with spray and what to do.
Some camp sites have food lockers to store your food when you are not at camp. Also, check for snacks or food left in your pockets (camping with kids, anyone?), otherwise, you might find your tent ripped apart with a bear eating crackers on what was your sleeping bag.
Hack: Store your camping gear in a clear plastic bin with a lid and it will be easy to find next time you go.
BearVault Bear Canister for Backpacking
SABRE Frontiersman Bear Safe Food Storage Container
Pack Camp Outfits in Plastic Storage Bins
Remember those plastic storage bins for washing dishes? Pack your clothes in the bins, which serve double duty as dish tubs.
Bring Bio-degradable Camping Toiletries
It’s obvious, but to point out, don’t forget to bring any medications, toothbrush and toothpaste, hygiene essentials, and toilet paper to bathroom facilities at most campgrounds. They often run out so have soap and toilet paper. Keep a hand sanitizer next to our camp stove.
Sunscreen is a must and bug repellent should be part of your kit. If there isn’t a shower facility, then bring full body wipes.
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Meal Plan in Advance
The best camping food list for beginners is delicious camp meals that are easy to make with a bit of meal planning before your trip. For the first trip, we recommend dining out, so it’s one less meal you have to pack, prepare, and wash up afterward. To point out, it will be a busy day of traveling and packing, cooking dinner when it’s your first time camping won’t be fun.
If your skills rival Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen, then take on camp chef cooking duty. However, opt for one-pot meals that don’t require too many perishable ingredients and save space in the hard cooler for meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy. Premade items like refrigerated biscuit dough, cubed chicken, and chili can be the foundation of many meals.
A great idea is to bring both fresh food, snacks, and prepackaged food, as well as a list of all the extras you will need for s’mores. Dehydrated meals means have evolved and are much better tasting if you want to make your first camping trip stress free.
Right on Trek makes Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) in self-contained rations. See our adventure meal reviews, which caters to dietary preferences by the day. Certainly, the ultimate is easy camp meals that don’t require chopping or prepping. Who said delicious meal planning had to be difficult?
Caffeinate on the Trail
Need coffee to be coherent? Yes, you can make great camp coffee on the trail or boil water on your camp stove for tea.
Primula Brew Buddy Portable Pour Over
Stanley Adventure All-in-One Boil + Brew French Press
Pack a First Aid-Kit
Without a doubt, injuries happen can happen anytime, anywhere. Anything from burns, cuts, tick bites, falls. snake bites and more.
To help you find the best first aid kit for your needs, we have written a few details in the Best Camping First Aid Kits. Always have this and a first aid manual on you, for camping, beginners, or experts.
Choose a location with Toilets for Your First Camping Trip
The best tips on a new campsite are the location and location. As a beginner camper, with amenities like showers or toilet. When planning your first trip to the campsite, consider everything you can, before you book your stay.
There are many campsites from national parks to state parks, but it’s best to book a campground reservation early. Some books as far as one year in advance! There are several Campsite Finder Apps list different campground amenities and availability for each location.
Also, you can use Hipcamp or theDyrt, which offers unique and private campgrounds across the U.S., as well as worldwide. Whether its tent camping or glamorous camping, being a beginner camper doesn’t mean you have to rough it 100% of the time
If you don’t want to spend months securing a campsite, then some offer a first-come, first-served option. Beginners camping sometimes assume site are easy to reserve. However, it’s best to call and book at least a year in advance for the popular campgrounds. Checking online or call to find out how busy they are for the particular day you plan to arrive.
Purify, Filter, and Sanitize Your Water
Clean water isn’t a guarantee, so choose a developed campsite. As a beginner camper, it may be tempting to drink water from a stream, when there isn’t any running water. Don’t do this, unless you use either a Lifestraw or Sawyer Mini for water purification and filtration for camping system to treat your water.
It’s best to avoid primitive sites and dispersed camping (no facilities= no toilets or showers) for your first time camping. Your camping experience will be much better since they provide water treatment, bathrooms, and running water among other amenities.
Hack: Bring a Sawyer Life Straw or Sawyer Mini to treat your water. If your water source (we mean lake or stream) comes out of a spigot, better treat it than be the unwilling host to the Giardia or N. fowleri parasite. For an overview of camping water treatment, read How to Purify Water While Camping.
Sawyer Products SP160 One Gallon Gravity Water Filtration System w/Dual-Threaded Mini Filter
LifeStraw Family 1.0 Portable Gravity Powered Water Purifier
Prepare with a Camping Gear Checklist
Certainly, use a camping checklist to choose camping gear to bring. As a camping novice, what you bring will depend on the season, type of camping and site amenities. Winter camping means more sleeping gear, such as a four seaon sleeping bags, insulated sleeping pads, and base layers to keep you warm.
This handy reference guide is the camping trip packing list for all your camping essentials.
Final Thoughts
Indeed, the camping lifestyle is a great way to get outside, enjoy nature, and bond with friends or family. And it doesn’t have to be either expensive or difficult! With a little planning and preparation, anyone can go camping.
We hope our beginner’s guide and camping tips has given you the information and confidence to take a camping trip. And don’t forget to check out our website for more tips, hacks, and gear advice for your next adventure!
Leave us a comment below on any other camping for beginners’ tips!
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Last update on 2024-10-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API