Camping Gear List

Camping Gear List & Checklist of Necessary Things + Nice To Have

Camping Gear List

When you go camping, what gear do you take with you?

I know that some of your camping gear list choices will vary depending on what kind of camping you’re doing (self contained multi-day hiking excursion vs. ‘base camp’). But that’s okay.

I’m curious to put together a general camping gear list, including necessary things (and also things that may not be ‘necessary’ but nice to have!).

Plus, regardless of whether you’re tent camping or ‘roughing it’ in a trailer ;) there are lots of common items to take along.

When all suggestions are in, I’ll make a camping gear list checklist of items to consider bringing along on a trip.

I recall Mrs.J and I making a camping gear list when we began getting into it. We ended up with an Excel spreadsheet so that we could easily tweak it. It was always reassuring to review that checklist while packing and before heading out the door!

 
To get things started, I’ll throw out a few random suggestions. Then lets hear from you with your own camping gear suggestions. After that, I’ll build a new spreadsheet and put a list together for your consumption. I’ll post it in PDF format too for download.

Remember, the gear list isn’t limited to just items that you may consider to be ‘necessary’. Creature comforts are good too! But lets try not to forget the essentials either…

First Aid Kit
Flashlight
Headlamp
Lantern
Batteries
Rope
Knife
Backpack
Rain gear
Tent
Tent footprint
Tarp
Sleeping bags
Sleeping pads
Folding chair
Water filter
Water container
Water bottles
Camp stove
Fuel bottles, fuel
Cook pots
Plates, bowls
Cups
Spatula
Utensils
Pot scrubber, sponge
Soap
Towels
Trash bags
Lighter, matches
Firestarter / FireSteel rod
Food! (a category itself)
Coffee! (is coffee a food?)
Cooler
Toilet paper
Insect repellent
Toothbrush, toiletry kit
Maps
Compass
GPS receiver
2 way radios
Binoculars
Camera
Fishing gear
Notebook, pen/pencil
Radio
Book to read

 
Okay, did I whet your appetite of ideas? Let’s hear from you:

More: Small Cooking Pot for Camping

96 Comments

  1. Gin (is Gin a food?)
    Extra Clothing / Boots
    Personal Protection aka Firearm for the four legged and two lagged vermin
    Hat and Gloves
    More TP and a shovel
    GHB, Vehicle Bag

    1. NRP,
      OLIVES , don’t forget the OLIVES, pimento stuffed olives are undoubtedly packed full of extra vitamins, heh heh .

      1. Bluesman;
        Olives are NOT a food source, they are a Health Medicine in my book HAHAHAHA
        I do like some of the ‘off’ olives at times, like Garlic stuffed or Jalapeno stuffed…. even had some Blue Cheese stuffed, but hard to find anymore.

      1. Poorman;
        That would be Vodka……
        Actually it used to be, now it’s just a mix of processed sugar alcohol and flavoring.

        1. As my Russian friends would say peel those potatoes THICK as we have Vodka to make :-)

        2. NH Michael;
          Like your thinking, I mean if ya have 5000 pounds of Taters, what’s a few hundred pounds in a Fermenter :-)

        3. Juniper berries ( which we have a plethora of) is a main ingredient in gin

    2. Don’t know about Gin, I like bourbon :-)
      But there’s a sandwich in every beer, or as the germans say – liquid bread.
      regarding first aid, a real blowout kit with Israeli bandage, tourniquet, & chest seals!
      Stay Safe!

      1. rick;
        Right you are, if the limit on “stuff to bring” Homebrew would be at the top of the list.
        Not only does it have the calories to keep ya going, but the Fermented gran and yeast are actually good for the Body and Soul.

        Unfortunately it’s (beer) not very light and will load down even the best of F-350s quickly, on the other hand, what is sitting around a nice Camp-Fire without a good beverage?

        Speaking of Beer, and Camping, how many here know the way to brew without the local Brew Shop? can you actually find the “stuff” while camping or on a hike?

        How many even know the essential 4 ingredients for Beer? or making Shine/Gasoline if you need to?

    3. NRP,
      Gin is part of your first aid kit ! Remember the Boy Scout Motto, ALWAYS be prepared.

      1. Blackjack22;
        Ahhhh heck yeah…. gata be ready, might het thirsty ya know LOLOL

    4. NRP
      Now I am truly amazed that your TP stash was not the first item on your have to have list….then your mint juleps so you can pick on Beach’n. Youzzz a slippin in the TP department…lol

      1. Antique Collector;
        Ken already had it on the list….. BUTT a few extra rolls migjt be in order though 🚽

        1. Beach’n;
          Your still around YEAH!!!!!!!!
          Have not heard from ya much, you ok?

        2. NRP,
          I’ve just been lurking a lot lately. Still recovering from inner ear “issues”. Maybe Meniere’s Disease. Really stinks! Puts a real damper on any target practicing!
          Staying on topic – I love camping. I haven’t seen hotdog forks yet. Hotdogs on an open fire! yummy
          I’ll update on Saturday. Kiss Blue for me :D
          Luv ya’ll, Beach’n

  2. For us, when we camp it means hitching up the trailer and everything above is in it except for the radios. Thanks for reminding me and yes, coffee is a food. We do carry a small tent and inflatable mattress and bags for guests.

  3. Good list Ken,
    Im partial to the outfitter cabin tents and cots personally,
    We grew up camping, we had cabins all over the place too that we stayed in, some were old CCC cabins, others were ranch work cabins, some were fishing shacks, the cabins and shacks were by far the most relaxing, have tried to work it out to build a few here but people want you to build it then you never get to use it, did that twice, never happen again here.
    A portable loo and enclosure are nice to have, nothing like stumbling around in the rain at night trying to take a dump in the weeds,,,,

  4. Whistle
    Strobe Flashlight/Flare in case of emergency
    Cough Candies (there may be an instance when one has a throat tickle and best not to cough)

  5. We take a pop-up privy tent, no floor, for showering for those occasions where facilities are not available. We also have a black 5 gallon pail that sits in the sun for warming water. It has a spigot in the bottom, but isn’t necessary.

    1. This coming season we will add a cassette potty for the pop up, perhaps. It depends upon destinations. A portable water filter also, capable of filtering a gallon of murky water. Better hiking boots.

  6. I’m afraid I would take a motor home, complete with all the amenities.

  7. Yes, Ken, coffee is a food. It is one of the four basic food groups. M & M’s is another food group. Actually, someone once told me that M & M’s is TWO of the food groups. He was a doctor, so he outta know.

  8. We haven’t camped in about 30 years. The one thing I remember most, is that it was nice to be able to have a tall glass of iced tea at the end of the day. So I would say lots of ice. This was when we were clearing the land by hand before we built our house. We would come out to work on the weekend and camp all weekend. Yeah, a nice cold one at the end of the day.

  9. Camping? You mean Glamping, right? Our RV is stocked but the GHB is packed in the truck, too.
    I haven’t been on a trip since 2009. My hubby goes to his shooting events all the time, though. I stay home and tend the homestead.
    If current event things go well, we’re planning a long trip out west in 2019, after he retires. We’ll pack in extra water, cases of home-canned foods, some FD/DH foods, plus commercially canned foods to last the trip, plus ‘extra’ because you just never know. And both GHB will be coming along, as will the volcano stove, some extra fire power, and our fly rods. If the balloon goes up and we’re in Wyoming, we’d probably settle in up there because that’s a long walk to get home to Virginia.

  10. This might be a crazy thought – why not live where you would like to camp – much easier than packing that 200 lbs in and the garbage out. Okay, maybe the Parks are out, but there is a heck of a lot of country out there that many only dream about. Find it, live it, keep it. The Hermit.

    1. hermit us;
      I do and I still like to get to those ‘special’ places, aka Yosemite national park, Grand Tetons, Brice Canyon, Navajo Lake to cry over lost firearms, a LOT of great places to explore, and don’t forget Ken’s place June 2020.

      1. NRP
        I have been to many places that are all beautiful if they are not crowded and littered with big mac wrappers. BUT, trees, hills, mountains, streams, lakes, water falls, … look mostly the same from the other side as this side. Last year I decided to go to Arizona and Nevada – you know the Canyon looks about the same from both sides – nice colors the desert is not really my thing. Guess I just do not have that travel fever.

    2. Hermit
      Heres one you will love.
      So over here, you need to get a permit to camp, there are only a half dozen spots, the best part is, you get to camp with all the homeless who have taken over these spots, you used to be able to camp and fish all along the coastline everywhere, and we did, now you can only pull that off in the real remote areas, and now even there the DLNR enforcement goons want to ruffle you if you are, yet the homeless get a pass……
      The national park you can also “camp”
      If you dont mind overflowing outhouses and stoned kids,,,,,
      101 reasons to find it elsewhere

      1. Oh yea, and camping at the national parks here, involves setting up and trying to not get pissed on or trampled by the thousands of tourist,,, just aint worth it.

        On a side note, the real remote camping and fishing spots,,, try to not leave your stuff unattended, it will grow legs

        1. “You call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye”
          Hotel California – The Eagles

    3. Our place is the kind where people actually look for to camp BUT the reason we go is, if we stay here there is always work that needs to be done. Went we go places we can relax and not worry about all the stuff that needs to be done.

  11. The question is, when does camping become suburbing? You go from tent camping to pop-up to RV to motorhome with TV cable, air, etc.

    1. Old Chevy
      “pop-up to RV to motorhome with TV cable, air” TO house – see my post above.

      1. But homesteading isn’t camping, and there are a lot of places where I like to go camping that I wouldn’t want to live.

    2. OC
      is staying in an RV park with a thousand other friendly people really “camping”. wifi, laundry, pools, dog park, restaurant ….???

      1. hermit us;
        There is a “campground” at the base of Wolf Creek (south side), that’s tucked away in the trees, they have a Stable there, for $40 you can hire a Horse and Guild (usually 10 people/horses per guild) and do an all day trip up the pass to a very secluded area with Hot-Springs there. Lunch at to top overlooking the entire, thousands and thousands of acres, do an hour in the Springs and return dead tired and so relaxed you just want to stay there for weeks.
        So yes at times there is a need for “others” at a Campground, but knowing what to do once there is the key.

      2. We once set up in a campground that had an open area big enough for several dozen campsites and all were empty. So we picked out a nice spot and that evening someone drove in and from all the empty sites they setup their campsite right next to us.

        1. I notice that, even when you are boondocking and there are no sites, when someone comes they have to park right on top of your camp.

  12. – Might consider it a cook-pot (yes, COFFEE is a food), but I tend to take a percolator along even for a fishing trip. DW says I am more likely to remember it than the tackle-box.

    -Papa S.

  13. Personally I am a Boat Camper myself. A small cabin sharpie fits my utility trailer and my budget well and I can dry camp as a trailer or go sailing-puttering around the shallows.

    The sort of evil fun is to go sailing in “Heavy Dew” when PWC try to use your sailboat as a racing pylon. They suck up mud and die in the middle of the lake :-). Works well with those semi-drunk ski boats. They assume sailboats draw a lot of water I suppose. Puddle Duck draws almost 5 inches with the lee boards up. With some dock fenders used I can portage it into and out of any decent pond.

    A pop up tent fits well over the cockpit and thus sleeps 4 friendly folks or us and the dog.

  14. I have to say I am one of the “RV” campers myself…..hehehehe…….gotta have my creature comforts. I also do NOT like mosquitoes. And Texas has them the size of birds….we also have to take our little furbabies with us. Coffee is number 1 on the list of course.

    1. Nothing wrong with “RV” camping, it has a lot of advantages over primitive tent camping, such as being pre-packed. But ‘roughing it’ requires a different skill set that tests one in fulfilling ‘I can do it’ need.

      1. Old Chevy;
        Agreed on the “I can do it” hence the “Lights Out” weekends and at times a week, BUT if ya find a flaw ya can always go back in the house and get that nice warm shower :-) And honestly, Camping in my own south forty is pretty dang nice :-) :-)

        1. Recently viewed a camping video where a young couple was horrified to find they were without a wifi connection. At first I thought they were joking, no they weren’t. for them it was shtf.
          Once we camped in a state park and on an evening stroll were amazed at how many were watching TV on 50″ screens in their mobile suburban homes. Had a large diesel RV pull alongside us and they got out to adjust their TV antennae and never saw them again over the weekend.
          Where we go, close to the Canadian border, there is nothing. The only gas station in the entire _____ closes at 3p.m. One road in, one road out. Miles and miles from the closest state hiway. The evening sky is totally black and the stars are not hindered by faraway city lights. A midnight piss is a possible encounter with a bear, a raccoon. Coyotes howl, wild beast sounds in the night, large black crows cawing at dawn. Birch bark kindling, cold spring water, moss sponges. Fresh black coffee in the morning under a dew-soaked green canopy. And life is good.

        2. When i was a kid we used to stay at one of our ranch cabins a lot, one night i went outside to take a leak and was standing there and something started snorting at me,,,
          Fumbled around trying not to pee in myself while attempting to turn on the flashlight i had in my back pocket and when i got it on there were about two dozen mouflon sheep standing in front of me with a couple big rams obviously not real pleased that i was there,,,

  15. We are prohibited from being wood into most of the campsites we frequent. Also all alcohol, fireworks, and firearms are unlawful. Know before you go.
    We’ve backpacked it all in, up to RV for 6. I’ve got about 5 notebook pages of both essential and nonessential items. Lol! I prefer a lot of comfort. I’m always pushing the edge of weight limits.

    1. Added first aid kits for the camping critters, too. Dogs and horses.
      Yes coffee is a food group, as is beer and ice. Don’t forget the Bailey’s for that coffee.
      Axe, hatchet, extra lantern oil makes a good firestarter on wet days.
      I also like to take a detailed state map (ORV) and look at alt. routes back home….just in case.

    2. – Fireworks aren’t much of a necessity, and I can live without alchohol if I must. On the subject of firearms, I must defer to a lawyer I once knew, who told me that it was illegal to get caught with one.

      If you needed it, the possession of same was going to be one of the least of your problems. So long as you didn’t wave it about, however, no LEO was going to bother you about it if he didn’t see it.

      Just always remember every shot fired goes downrange with a lawyer attached. Wish I could remember who told me that last part.

      – Papa S.

    3. Hmmm … It’s lawful even in Commiefornia to have a firearm in your place of domicile, which includes a hotel, motel, or campground.

  16. I think a Kelly Kettle is great for that quick cup of coffee. In my GHB I just added a pillowcase. It can be used for bandages, tourniquets, and arm slings. Cut off the top, safety pin it to the bag like shoulder straps and you have a neat little front pack. Cut some eyeholes and breathing holes in it and you can pull it over your head to keep the bugs off. Great to carry when you are gathering kindling. Oh, I almost forgot. You can also use it as a pillowcase.

    1. Skeezix;

      “Cut some eyeholes and breathing holes in it and you can pull it over your head to keep the bugs off”
      I would be very careful what neighborhood I’d do that in… hehehehe Just make DANG sure you’re NOT carrying a Torch when you do that!!!!! :-)

      1. NRP
        Lol
        Thank goodness for you and that heads up!
        Leave it to you to think past the possible beyond!
        Also extra Tupperware or sandwich bags for berry pickin’ off the trail.

    1. Skeezix;
      Can ya say “emergency TP?” cut it into squares and there ya go…. literally :-)

  17. I would only add a police whistle (for kid control) and a fire arm. Besides target practice, I’ve only had to use the fire arm twice while camping. ( for 4 legged intruders . . .)

  18. I do have to say that what concerns me about the public camp grounds are the kids. I love kids and have no problem with them. However…. Dress them appropriately for getting lost in the woods. Whistle, mylar blanket, small flashlight, water bottle and candy bar. Bright clothing, no camo! Can you imagine describing your missing child to the rangers as he was dressed in real-tree? They are so going to roll their eyes at you while politely refraining from telling you you are an idiot.

    1. A little off topic, but I wish school buses carried kits. So should the children. This is especially important in rural areas.

  19. As I found out this weekend by way of a ‘glamping’ fiasco……if you have gone through the cataract ‘fix’ and only need ‘readers’, take an extra pair…..or two…….or three. My optometrist made glasses were missing a nose piece on the morning of day two. I found the little beggar, but…….how do you SEE the danged glasses good enough to reinstall the nose piece when you have to have the glasses OFF to reinstall it??? I was not a ‘happy camper’, so to speak. After way too long of trial and error trying to get the damned nosed piece back on, I finally succeeded. First thing on the agenda when arriving back at the homestead……..the Dollar Store! Picked up a pair of ‘readers’ for EVERY vehicle, GHB, BOB, shop, tool shed, and two extra hanging off the lamp on the desk. For too many years I couldn’t see past the end of my nose. Now, after getting the cataract problem solved, I can’t see squat closer than about 5 ft. But now I can see like an eagle from arms length out to infinity. I’ll take that trade! Me thinks I’m gonna go back to the dollar store and get a dozen more pairs. Doesn’t hurt a thing to be prepared!!!

  20. Oh BOY, when I go camping, I’m ready for BEAR. 1/2 gallon Crown Royal, AR10 with 40 mags, TP, and jerky. Tent? We don’t need no stinkin tent, Dose passing out on the ground count as sleeping? Just find some old rotten stump, and light the whole forest on fire. OH, forgot, aspirin for hangover, then some more Crown.!

  21. I carry an axe and small shovel and machete in a bag for campfire tasks. The shovel clears out all the glass and broken bottles and half melted beer cans from the previous slobs. The machete is good for whisking off some twigs for kindling, the axe for splitting. A pint of kerosene is my firestarter, it only takes a few ounces for each fire. Aluminum roasting tins with coals in them serve as throwaway grills. I have a tarp and ropes and stakes to cover the fire pit in the event of rain. For the two of us two 2 quart dutch ovens are light enough to take and very convenient for setting up a dinner at lunch time and having it ready to eat after an afternoon on the trail.

    1. Old Chevy your experiences with campfire slobs as well as mine from LOUD Rv’ers is why I like to Boat Camp. Seldom does a homeless person or a loud drunk have a boat and with my shallow draft I can move easily into places they cannot.

      You should SEE the faces of kayakers when Puddle Duck sails by in shallow waters. They generally enjoy sharing some BBQ and maybe a cold one from my solar powered ice chest. A folding bicycle and trailer allow me to go far for supplies as needed. Twice Puddle Duck served as refuge for a group of kayakers in a squall. Meet the neatest folks on the water.

      Camping is a excellent skill for SHTF and for developing the soul. Fishing and crabbing are fun! Just have the equipment and (sigh) license.

      1. I have a friend that is a big fan of the camping boat “Yukon-Delta”. It fits on a small trailer and can double as a camper, just leave it on the trailer at your campsite, or put it in the water as a boat camper.

        1. Old Chevy I looked them up no longer being built various sizes and states of repair/cost. As my Dad used to say the Free Boat is the most expensive :-)

          All of them much bigger than Puddle Duck. If someone wanted to build a cousin of Puddle Duck look up the 16 foot Triloboat. Fit’s well on a utility trailer with an extended tongue and is surprisingly well mannered in squalls.

  22. Knife, gun, fire starter, water filter, sleeping bag, change of clothes, food (mountain house) three days worth, tarp.

  23. Having lived and worked in the woods, I developed my packing system into a series of “kits”. I also come from a background of backpacking and travel by kayak, canoe and pack mules. The one that was most associated with work was – camping by truck.

    When leaving the truck behind, most of our firefighting duties meant that our packs contained enough food and water for: 48 to 72 hrs. rations were either MREs or canned rations. Since I was part of an elite unit, the US.Gov would drop me by helo into areas where we were resupplied about 2x/week. SHTF when the resupply choppers stop flying. When having to travel cross country in territory not my own backyard, I like to have my Suunto forester compass along with a current map of the area.

    My cooking kit always contained at least 2 small sturdy metal pots in which to boil water for the times the water filter gets clogged like in the Havasu region of the Grand Canyon or the sulphur rich waters in Colorado. My secret to staying healthy in the backcountry was to drink treated water – always either boiled or filtered. Nothing slows you down like an intestinal bug.

    I have seen enough of men and critters behaving badly that I do carry a firearm into the woods these days. I have mentioned my face-off with four guys that were hungry and wanted my food and the only thing I had with me was my 5 shot Chief’s Special ( and my flat badge ) that day. I could see the wheels turning in their head when I mentioned gut shooting them more than 18 miles from the nearest road. I have since upgraded to a high capacity 9 mm when facing the possibility of multiple assailants with that experience in mind.

    On the topic of guns in the backcountry, do not forget the other reason you would like to have a gun around: obtaining food on the 2nd day after a bear broke into your food cache. A coworker took an extended trip in the arctic circle one year and he brought along a little 410 shotgun. When his freeze dried food ran out, he would pop a ptarmigan and eat it with rice that was his food stash. Remember that you cannot bring handguns through Canada. I have done much the same with blue grouse and tree squirrels in the early season except I used a 22 rifle. Jim loved the 410 and said: “I’m not as good a rifle shot so the small shotgun serves me well” My emergency food stash at the time was ramen noodles, white rice and dried beans with soup starter to make broth.

    Love my coffee but in the interest of weight reduction, I substituted English Breakfast tea for my caffeine jolt to make me feel human in the am. When going fast and light, I carried scotch in a flask. when I had a pack mule that was calm, a large cargo canoe or going by truck, I will bring along a bottle of good wine to go with the steaks I am cooking (red wine) or the chicken I am roasting (white wine) As a mid hike pick me up, I would bring along powdered gatorade mix to cover the bad taste of treated water. Breakfast was granola with raisins and chocolate chips added for the sweet treat. This was broken down into serving size portions separated into ziplock bags to help me keep track of the days on trail away from roads or trailheads. I would eat from the plastic bag as I walked before fully waking up.

    Dinner was usually a hot meal of some type of thick, rich soup or stew. I supplemented meals with rice or pasta in the soup and, if need be, you can add meat from critters shot along the way.

    If I carry a radio in the backcountry, I will only use it to listen in on traffic at 8, 12, 4 and 8 on the watch dial. and I will check in at predesignated times. I try to save battery life because batteries are heavy and I did not have a solar charging kit (yet) A replacement battery for the Motorola’s we used to carry weigh in as much as a box of 410 shot shells or over 200 rounds of 22 long rifle rounds.

    I carry a small nalgene bottle of Castile soap which washes everything in my kit to include dishes, flatware, feet, hair and crotch. clean yes butt not very luxurious. And to make washing things easier in the dark, I use LED headlamps from REI so I can see and I do not need a hand to hold my flashlight. Back up to the headlamps are LED Minimag flashlights.

    I bring along 2 extra pair of briefs, t shirts and socks. beyond 72 hrs in the field: you guessed it, I wash my garments in the Castile soap I mentioned earlier. I hang my garments on the outside of my pack so it can dry as I hike.

    If I have enough time and energy to Haul a book into the backcountry, I would rather pack: a small set of quality binoculars, a small, bound journal and a digital camera. Having lived in a number of tents over the years, try to find one that is roomy and has bright colors on the interior because living inside of a small, dark tent during storm or blizzard or storm can be like living in a dark cave. I actually like living under a tarp unless the mosquitoes are thick.

  24. sleeping kit: down sleeping bag and closed cell foam pad that is full length. I am bald so I also wear a fleece watch cap. I also bring inside the bag my water filter and canteen to prevent them from freezing at night. I have also brought in an old, empty but intact water bottle in order to pee into in the middle of the night to prevent exiting the sleeping bag in order to relieve myself. No fun exiting a warm sleeping bag in sub zero weather to answer nature’s call. .

  25. If it hasn’t been mentioned, a good walking stick, bear spray.
    Some very excellent ideas here on this topic.

  26. Ken, it’s been a long time since I went tent camping, but you might want to add a few fun/necessary things to your list that I always tried to remember back when I did camp. A Boom Box with extra batteries (to share some tunes with the other campers), small dirt bike (to give the grand kids something to do), extra stocked beer cooler (in case your BIL and his drinking buddy show up after they close down the bars), small paper targets (in case someone needs to sight in a new pistol), and a big bag of dry horse manure (to feed into the fire to keep the skeeters away).

    CD in Oklahoma

    1. I forgot to mention another item for the check list. Make sure to have a full tank of gas in the pickup when you head out for the campground. If getting there the first night after work like we always did, you’ll probably have to leave the motor running while setting up camp using the headlights. It always seems like it takes longer to pitch camp in the dark, especially if you have to squeeze your camp in between a couple of others. Also, some of the older kids that are only a few years away from getting their driver’s license may want to practice their driving skills on the roads around in the campground. They can use up more fuel than a person would think, driving around and around all weekend.

      CD in Oklahoma

    1. NRP
      Definitely,
      A couple decks od cards and an old cribbage board with match sticks for the pins and a checker board with old pokerhips were permanent fixtures in the cook house at our cabin,
      Lots of good memories

      1. Nailbender;
        You got that right, many MANY good memories sitting under a Dinning Fly at night playing 5¢ Poker with the family and a few good friends.

        Me Father was good friends with the Park Ranger in Port-Smith Ohio, he would often join in and clean house…. HAHAHAH of course once he indulged in a few shots of Jack Daniels Black Label the tides turned hehehehe

        Good memories for sure.

  27. I’ll repost this when ‘camping trip food’ topic is made. Eggs in a baggy are a favorite for some, pie-irons are good too. I make a sausage patty out of pork sausage, potatoes buds. You get your potatoes and pork sausage all in one.

  28. If we are car camping or travel trailer camping we take the cast iron fry pan and camp dutch oven with the tools to handle them.
    Don’t forget the mixing bowl, vegetable peeler, whisk, measuring cup and spoons, grater, can opener, tongs and oven mitts . Don’t forget the foil and paper towels

  29. 550 Para-cord seems to come in handy every time my Tribe goes out. Also, I’m not sure if it was mentioned above, but my EDC of Sabre Pepper Gel is a great 4 legged deterrent in hopes of not having to use lethal force.

    1. Serenabit;
      Para-Cord, great stuff, ya can even soak it in a little CH3NO2 and use it for tree removal HAHAHAHA

      JUST KIDDING NSA, just kidding, sheeeesh :-)

  30. I take a cordless drill with. Why? With various bits and sockets you can fix anything. This drill is one of those that has a battery that fits a variety of tools, such as a chainsaw!

  31. The items mentioned above cover things pretty well, just make the decision to get out and use them. Even if it’s in the back yard you can still enjoy and learn and have some fun along the way.

    I have been a tent camper since I was a kid, I love tent camping. In fact I camped for 3.5 months in the back yard last Summer as we had a house fire. I have lots of guns, silver, ham radios and didn’t want them to walk off during the rebuild Everyone thought I was nuts to camp all Summer long in a tent in the back yard but I loved it. USAA (the ins. co) paid for a motel for the whole time (My dad stayed in it.) but other then the first 3-weeks I camped the whole time.

    My dad was a fireman for 41years, my brother is a fireman, many friends are on the fire department. They did us a big favor by not cutting utilities to the house. Normally with a fire they cut them off. But we still had water (after I fixed the melted pipes) and electricity. This made it nice to have a fan in the tent, net access in the tent and water running to the outdoor shower.

    I had a pop up dinning fly, a large tent, a homemade shower stall I made years ago out of an old dinning fly. It was the best Summer I can ever remember.

    For years I have told people (Preppers) interested on getting prepared for bad times that tent camping is a great thing to do. You figure out how to deal with bugs, rain, hot days, cold nights. Get out of your ac / heated comfort zone and you will find life more fulfilling.

    As nuts as everyone said I was for camping all Summer when we had a motel to live in I noticed everyone was very willing to come by and sit around the camp fire and enjoy time outdoors.

    1. That’s great advice, Chuck. Even pitching a tent in the backyard for a weekend – lots can be learned!

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