Free Camping & Recreation

Getting ready to go camping in the great outdoors requires a lot of good preparation whether it is your first time camping or your 100th time camping. And to be well prepared and make sure that you have all the essential supplies and equipment for your trip and to ensure that you have a great experience you should use a camping checklist to help you get organized.

A camping checklist is a great way to help you and your organization of all the things you are going to need for your outdoor adventure. All camping lists of course are going to vary because they will be organized around the kind of camping and activities that you plan on participating in, where you are going, the amount of time you will be gone and the time of year that you plan on going camping.

Just to get you started and to help you see what kinds of things might be included on a camping list:

Shelter – Tent, ground cloth or a tarp, some extra stakes for the tent, a shade tarp with poles, rope and stakes, a hammer or ax or both, a mat to put in front of the entrance to your ten, a dust pan and brush or broom.

Bedding – Sleeping bags, sheets, blankets, pillows, air mattress, sleeping pad, cot and tarp. Air pump for mattresses, repair kit for air mattresses, utility bags for storing things.

Cooking Items – Large water jug and bucket, coolers and ice, thermos, stove with fuel, matches or lighter, charcoal, firewood, Dutch oven, tin can stove, box oven, campfire grill or a BBQ grill, fire starters, newspapers for starting fires, tablecloth and some thumb tacks, plates, bowls, paper plates and bowls, silverware ad plastic silverware, measuring cups, heavy duty foil, paper towels, trash bags, dish soap, cooking oil or Pam spray, food storage containers, potholders, pots, pans and skillets, cooking utensils like spoons, knives and spatula, tongs, grill forks or skewers, can opener, folding table, mugs and paper cups, mixing bowl, cutting board, dish pan for washing dirty items in, dish rags, dish towels, scrub pads, seasonings, condiments and sugar.

Clothing Items – Shoes and boots, jeans, shorts, T-shirts, extra socks, hats, bandanas, sweatshirts, jacket, underwear, sleeping clothes, rain gear, swim suits, and a laundry bag for all the dirty clothes.

Personal Items – Flip flops, wash cloths, soap in a plastic container or zip-lock baggie, tooth brush and tooth paste, deodorant, comb and brush, razor, toilet products, feminine products, shower bag or a five gallon bucket, camp shower or shower pump if going where there are no facilities, personal medications.

Miscellaneous Items – Sunscreen and chapstick, lanterns with extra mantles and fuel, extra batteries, compass or GPS, bug repellant, whistles, water filters, camera, books, magazines, candles, maps and directions, miscellaneous tools, backpack, fishing gear and bait, radio, camp chairs, sunglasses, hammock, first aid kit, tissues, park map, guide books, trail maps, popcorn, marshmallows, graham crackers, Hershey bars for the traditional Smores, flashlight and batteries, pocket knife, trash bags, binoculars, rope for a clothes line, canteen, water bottles, coffee pot, bungee cords, cards, games, toys, duct tape or electrical tape, notepad and pens, cell phone charger, walkie talkies, small shovel, safety pins, bikes, travel alarm, work gloves, hand wipes, drinks and snacks, small sewing kit, fire extinguisher, hot chocolate, tea, coffee, scissors, watch. You will also want to have a complete list of all the food items you will be bringing with you for meals and what items you will buy as you get closer to your camping destination. It is also very important that you tell someone you know of your camping plans. Make sure to give them as much details about where you are going and when you will be returning. Make sure to give them directions along with any possible alternative roads that you might end up taking. Give them cell phone numbers, your vehicles description and license plate number. If you have a hand held radio give them the channel and the codes you might be using.

Here are some items you might want to consider putting in your first aid kit:

• Medications
• Roll bandages
• Adhesive tape
• Antiseptic
• Gauze pads
• Cotton swabs
• Tweezers
• Bee sting kit
• Tissues
• Sterile compresses
• Splinting materials
• Ipecac
• Razor blades
• Small bottle of water
• Small blanket
• Triangular bandages
• Band Aides
• Anti-acids
• Aspirin, Tylenol and Ibuprofen
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Ace bandages
• Lotion for sunburns
• Snake bite kit
• Latex gloves
• Antibacterial soap
• Thermometer
• Butterfly bandages
• Road flares
• Nail clippers