Family Camping Packing List: What to Pack for Tent Camping?

Have you found that many of your friends around love to plan go camping, but that are just plannings, they have never taken the action. Why? In the traditional thoughts for most people, camping seems to be very troublesome. You need to prepare a lot, and worry about forgetting something important. What shall we do? Here is the camping gear checklist about what to pack for a camping trip. It is naturally important.

What do you need for camping? Here are the camping trip gear list. They are camping gear checklist of camping must haves, resting camping supplies, camping cooking gears, and amusement camping equipment.

Camping Must Haves Checklist

Table of Contents

Necessary camping gears checklist include tent, tarpaulin, and some lighting. Only bring all of these gears, can we build a complete home in the camp.

1. Tent

The first equipment for camping must have is tent. When we are putting up a tent, it is just like building up a warm house.

When we buying the house, we will consider the location, area, and prices. It is similar to a tent. We need to decide which type we are going to buy, according to the camping style, campsite, and members to take part in.

Various Tents

There are kinds types of tents on the camping gear market. Take the Double Room type for example. The tent has 5 parts. They are inner tent, outside part, supporting rods, ropes, and rivets.

Type 1: Dome Tent

After putting up the tent, the roof will be like a dome. Besides the big types, in general, most dome tents cross two rods in the shape of “X” to support the tents. This way is easy to operate. So it is recommended to the beginners. Dome tent camping manufactures keep desinging new styles. Therefore, we still have many choices.

Advantage:

  • It is the most common one in the camping gear checklist. Many new products are pushed out all the time. We have wide range to choose.
  • The way to build up is very simple. The beginners can easily grasp it.
  • Compared with other types, dome is relatively cheap. It is one of the cheap camping gears.

Disadvantages:

  • It only has one big inner space. There is no separated rooms.
  • The roof temperature is a bit low. And the heat in the summer is difficult to dissipate.

Notes for Purchase

For the height of the dome is a bit low, the heat is not easy to dissipate. It is needed to consider about the aeration, especially the summer. In summer, the dome maybe become a steamer. 

In order to solve this, we can buy the tent with mesh window in the side. Or you can also choose the tent with a front door and a back door. These doors can keep good ventilation.

Recommended Gear Brand

Coleman Widemaster 4S Dome 270
It is one of the best tent gear for camping. This one is convenient for coming in and going out.

Type 2: Double Room Tent

Dome tent just has one room. It will make you feel empty. While, the double room tent has a bedroom and a living room. It is just like the feeling at home. There are two separated rooms in one tent. The inner room can be used as the bedroom. And the other could be the living room.

Advantages:

  • It is one of the best camping gears for auto camping. And the number of campers who are using two room tents keeps increasing.
  • There are two rooms. They can make us full use of the space in the tent.
  • Most activities can be finished in the tent. It is suitable for the whole family to spend a warm and happy time together.

Disadvantages:

  • It is difficult to be put up in the narrow place.
  • Compared with other types, the methods of building it is a bit more complicate.
  • For the tent is heavy and big, the price is relatively expensive. It is essential but not cheap.

Notes for Gear Purchase

Consider the size of your camping gears, then choose the tent. The highlight of the two room tent is that it has enough space for you to use flexibly. So when buying the tent, you are better to know the size of the area of the living room in the tent.

Recommended Gear Brand

Snowpeak Living Shell
It is the classic product of the two room tent.

Type 3: Pop-up Tent

Pop-up tent is usually packed by people who don. It is like the mosquito net in summer. Only several seconds, it can be opened and supported from the folding state. This tent is put up with amazing speed. And it reduces the labor cost and time consuming.

However, just because the operation of it is too simple, its durability is not so good. There are some famous pop-up products, including Quechua and Kovea. Quechua’s tent can be built up in 2 seconds. And Kovea’s speed is more amazing. It is called “Wow”.

Advantage:

  • Cheaper than other types.
  • It can be simply and quickly put up. We can put little effort and time into it.
  • It will hardly make any noise. So this type tent will not affect other campers beside.

Disadvantages:

  • Most small size tent can’t meet the demands of a whole family, when camping.
  • The rod is a bit thin in the thickness. And it is not so durable.
  • The whole tent is big in the size after folding. It is not easy to store.

Notes for Gear Purchase

The tent is big in the size before opening. It is difficult to carry and store. So do not just look at the put-up tent, but also watch carefully over the situations before the opening.

Recommended Gear Brand

Kovea Wow Mega Dome
This one is big. It has two separate rooms inside.

Type 4: Cabin Tent

In 1980s’, one of the main tents was the type with angular roofs. The angular roofs left deep impression on us. It is high and big in the inner space. People can do many things inside.

When people find this tent, the symbol of time, most of them will sigh involuntarily. While, the host of the tent may be a bit embarrassed. But owning such a durable and superior tent should be a proud thing. We should be confident of this nostalgic and unique cabin tent.

Advantages:

  • High roof, and big space inside, bring the campers convenience for activities.
  • It is a unique tent gear in the style.

Disadvantages:

  • In recent time, there are no many plants to manufacture this type. So we have little choices in it.
  • And most cabin tent are high in the price in current time.
  • The broad inner space, means the matched gears are relatively bigger and heavier.

Notes for Gear Purchase

Please ensure the actual height of the tent.Although it is high, different brands differ in the height.Therefore, we need to consider about the height of the campers and the activity range in the tent.

Recommended Gear Brands

Kovea Smart Grand Cabin
The entrance can be fully opened. And we can also build a sunshade like the tarp.

Type 5: Cone-shaped Tent (Indian Tent)

When we think of the Mongolian yurt on the prairie, it maybe easier to imagine how the Indian tent is. It is favored by the camping fans who like chasing for the unique style in recent time.

Just put one high supporting rod in the center, then it is finished. It is very simple and easy. And the air circulation inside is also very nice. You can put stove inside. So far, this one is not common on the market. We have little choosing space. Besides, unluckily, it is a bit expensive.

Advantages:

  • High roof, and wide inner space. Easy for activities.
  • A rare and unique style.
  • The roof can be opened. So it is available to set stove inside.

Disadvantages:

  • Few products, and small choosing space.
  • High price, compared with others.
  • It needs a very big supporting rod and tent wall. The camping gears are big and heavy.
  • The tent will be supported by the rod in the center. Thus, it is difficult to full use the space of the tent.

Notes for Gear Purchase

For there is a rod in the center, so there will be some dead angles in the space. when you are purchasing, it is necessary to know how much space are the dead angles you can’t use.

Recommended Gear Brand

Nordisk Sioux
It is not the common triangle, but designed with the curve. So this product is very charming in the appearance.

Tent & Car

Nowadays, with more and more things needed to pack, camping car, caravan, RV, tent roof car and camping trailer are popular among people.

  1. Tent Roof Car

Someone may think loading and unloading the tent in the car is quite troublesome. You can try the car roof tent. Put up the tent on the roof of the car directly. It is very convenient.

You could put the tent in the car all the time. There is no need to get the tent out of the car. This type can get rid of many troubles of unloading the tent.

2. Tent Connecting to the Car

Connect the tent inner space with the inner space of the car. It will reduce the time of moving the gears from the car. It is quite convenient.

Most camping areas are not able to use the inner space of the car. This kind of tent can make the car full used. For the campers who drive to a remote place for camping, it will be a good choice.

3. Moving Home

Camping car, caravan, RV, and camping trailer are all belong to moving home. It means the house which can move at any time. Recently, more and more people have got this kind of moving homes. But limited by the expensive prices and traffic situations, there are only a small part of camping fans own them in current time. Some camping areas provide RVs for people to use. Anyone can use them.

First, put up the tent by the supporting rods. Cover it with the outside tent. Fix the ten by the ropes and rivets on the ground. Other types are similar. Different manufacturers and specifications may differ a bit.

But for the campers who are going camping frequently, how to choose a camping tent is not so easy for them, either.

Tips for how to choose a tent for camping?

The cost for tent is the biggest part in the whole camping equipment. So it is very necessary for us to be careful before choosing a tent. There are many tips we need to consider before buying a tent.

  • What is the style of campsite?
  • How many people are there in the camping?
  • How often do you use the tent?
  • Will you use the tent in winter?
  • How to set up the tent?
  • Is this tent easy for us to carry?
  • If your luggage is very big, the containing number for the tent you buy should be 1-2 people more than the number on the tent instruction.
  • If you are going to use the tent in summer, there is no need to buy high and big tent, for we may only use the tent for sleep.
  • It is not the bigger the better for the tent.
    The huge and complex tent may make you unnerved.
  • Get some knowledge of camping equipment brands.
  • Try to buy all the essential camping gears in one brand.

2. Tarpaulin

Camping is one kind of outdoor sport. If we spend most of our time under the sun, it is not camping, but extreme training. Then, what to pack in the outdoors? It is tarpaulin.

Tarp is one of the necessary things for camping. It is an essential gear for outdoor activities.

Although, most campsites have many trees which can offer cool shadows for us. But there are many places without it. Then we need to use our tarpaulin.

What is tarpaulin? Tarpaulin can also be shortly named tarp. It is in the packing list for camping. In general, the definition of tarp is one piece of waterproof cloth in order to keep us out of sun or rain. Usually, it is PVC tarpaulin.

Tarpaulin is very essential, just as the above we say, it is one of the must have camping gears, especially in summer. It can stop the UV light heating us, and make the storm of snow and rain away from us. Moreover, it will expand the private space for the campers.

The price of the tarp is not cheap. But if you hold the view that buying the tent is the end of the preparation for the camping, you have made a big mistake. Tarpaulin is very necessary when we are going camping. It is one of the necessities of things to bring on a camping trip.

Different Camping Tarp

Tarp is also various in the shape, as one of the bset gears.

Type 1: Hexa Tarp

Hexa means 6 in the Latin. The tarp will be in hexagon. So it is also called hexagon tarp. It is good-looking. There are two kinds. They are full symmetry of top and bottom, and imperfect symmetry.

Regarding to the terrain and wind direction, you can add or reduce the quantity of the rods. Then you will have different shapes of tarp. Compared with Rectangle Tarp, Hexa is lighter, but small space. It is not so convenient to go out or come in.

Recommended Gear Brand

MSR Outfitter Wing
Its unique wing design is very attractive. And it is safe and secure to resist to the strong wind.

Type 2: Rectangle Tarp

Japanese call them Lecta tarp. Rectangle shape will full use of the inner space. And it can be used with ropes, awning, side wall together. Recently, more and more people fall in love with rectangle tarp. The most essential thing to bring camping they prefer is not the tent, but rectangle tarp.

Notes for Gear Purchase

The tarp you buy should match the size and shape of your tent. And the tarp is bigger than tent. Besides considering the size and the shape of tarp,we need also ensure the waterproof pressure and UV resisting range.

Waterproof pressure means the degrees of ability resisting to the rain. The suitable waterproof pressure is smaller than 1500mm. If you are camping in big wind, you must check the mosquito net and the rivets,whether they are broken in the wind.


Therefore, it is very necessary to buy durable camping supplies. Generally, we recommend to use aluminium products.

Recommended Gear Brand

Coleman Weathermaster Square Tarp 2
It uses light aluminium made rods. It is light but very strong.

Auxiliary Camping Gears for Tarp

Tarp is very flexible, with broad space. It is one of the best things needed to pack for camping. However, it is weak in resisting to the strong wind. And it is difficult to protect our privacy. In order to improve these shorts, we could use some auxiliary gears.

Awning & Side Wall

These gears are designed to make up the lacking side of the tarp. They can stop the wind and protect our privacies. Awning is the extended edition of the sunshade. They are in the packing list for camping for many people. Recently, there are many similar side walls on the market.

Screen

Screen is set on the side of the tarp. It seems like the mosquito net or the screen window. And it can stop the wind from the side, and the insects as well. Many people put it in the camping trip checklist.

Front Wall

If the side wall belong to the exclusive gears for Rectangle Tarp, the front wall is exclusive for the Hexa Tarp.

Usually, most people will be attracted by the design charm of the Hexa tarp. However, after purchase, they will find the effect of sunshade is not so good, compared with Rectangle tarp. They may feel frustrated.

Don’t worry. Front wall can solve the problem of the Hexa tarp. It is the best gear partner for Hexa Tarp. Its shape can stop the wind and sunshine effectively.

3. Camping Lantern

Night activities is essential for camping. Therefore, the gear for night activities are essential. What is it? Table lantern.

When we come to the word camping, many lovely girls will imagine counting stars under the black sky with their lovers. To enjoy such a romantic scene, you cannot remove camping night lights out of our tent camping checklist.

When evenings come, how wonderful it is to have the camping night lights set in the tent. These lanterns outside for some easy camping meals are also best kids camping gears.

There are different fuels for lighting these camping lanterns. LED camping light is very popular at present. It has good illuminance, and it is energy saving.

Compared with the fuel camping lanterns, LED camping light is safer and securer. You are better to buy some, for these gears may be not enough.

What to bring camping? Camping Lanter

Type 1: Table Lantern

It is a cozy picture that everyone sit around the table, talking and sharing about their stories under the lntern. It has strong light and the wide light range.

Type 2: Tent Lantern

Lantern in the tent if uses the fossil fuel may have the risk to lead to the fire accidents and suffocating. Thus, it is better to use the battery lantern. In a small space, we don’t need too strong light, or it will make our eyes tired.

Type 3: Portable Camping Lantern

When we go to the toilet in the night or some situations we have to go out, we must buy a portable lantern. There are two types. They are hand type and head-mounted type. The advantage of head-mounted type is that it can free our hands. And it will be more convenient.

Notes for Gear Purchase

It is better to buy the lanterns basing on their functions. When buying them for table or the tent, you can choose the gear with some swinging rings. We can hang them on the branches or tent.

Recommended Gear Brand

Coleman Northstar
It is white gasoline lantern. This one gets small influence from the air temperature around and air pressure.

4. Portable Power Supply

Before camping, most of us will buy several chargers for our mobilephones. I mean one charger maybe not enough for us. Then make the mobilephones and phone chargers full charged in the camping preparation.

However, the weight for one phone charger is not light. You can imagine that you carry several phone chargers, it must be very heavy. Now what to pack? You need the gear of portable power supply.

Camping solar charger is the best choice for the camping. You don’t have to worry about if the power of the charger is used up. The charger get the power from the solar energy. So if you are going to buy the solar charger, you are better to choose the sunny days to start your trip.

Resting Camping Supplies Checklist

After introducing so many essential gears, let’s see the resting camping supplies. Most of us go camping is to have a relax in the nature. What to pack for camping cannot leave without resting camping gears. They are gears you needed for leisure

1. Camping Chairs.

If you just sit on the hard stones or the land while camping, I think you may not feel comfortable. You may plan to sit on the mattress of the tent. However, the mattress is in the tent. And you don’t want to miss the beautiful scenery outside of the tent. So usually, camping chair is listed in the essential camping gear checklist.

Type 1: Captain Chair

The seat and its back are in right angle. The captain chair before was one brand name of COLEMAN chair. Now chairs in this kind are all called of captain chair. It is suggested to use with table. It is the most basic type among the camping chairs.

Type 2: Short Chair

It is short in the height. So we can sit more comfortably. The more shortly we sit, closer we are to the nature. Therefore, this type chair is welcomed by many campers. Its main material is log.

Type 3: Luxury Chair

The back of the chair has some spare space. You can sit with a cozy position, and lean backward. It is not convenient to use with a table. It is the best choice for you to enjoy the sunshine or take a nap in leisure.

Type 4: BBQ Chair

It is a kind of chair without back. BBQ chair is portable and light for the backpack camping. Besides sitting, it can be used as the holder for the legs, when you are sitting on the luxury chair. Someone also use it to lay the icy bucket. When the height of the table is not so high, you can choose BBQ chair. It will be a good gear for backpacking.

Type 5: Ground Chair

It has no legs. We need to cross our legs when sitting. The main material of the ground chair is canvas. It adapts to use in the tent or on the mat. Some can be used as the mattress after unfolding.

Notes for Gear Purchase

The chairs needs to fit the table first, such as captain type and short type. Then consider of some luxury type or BBQ type.


It is necessary to fit the height of the table.While regarding to the luxury type, we are better to consider the characteristic of comfort first, whether the back is too narrow for our body, and if the waist is cozy to sit on?

Recommended Gear Brand

Coleman Slim Captain Chair
The structure is in four side folding. So it is easy to open and fold.

Blue Ridge Chair Works Caravan Chair
The log has the feeling of warm. So it is very nice to sit in.

Kovea Field Luxury Chair
It is ergonomic design. The angle for the back is very cozy.

Kovea Aluminum BBQ Chair
It is made of aluminum, light but strong.

Coleman Compact Ground Chair
This one has back, which will bring the sense of security to the users. And it is portable and convenient.

2. Hammocks

What is hammock? It is one kind of sleeping gears. It is generally bundled between the trees.

There are cloth hammock and camping hammock with mosquito net. The cloth hammock is using the canvas or the nylon cloth as the material. And the hammock with mosquito net is knitted by the cotton rope or the nylon rope.

Hammock with mosquito net is better to be used in the jungle or in the season of summer. And the cloth one has a wider application range, except the cold winter, it can be used in all the other seasons.

Camping hammock with mosquito net or the cloth type are both not cheap. So if you are going to start your first time camping, they are not your choice for cheap camping gears.

From the perspective of tree protection, it is not right to use the hammocks. However, most camping areas have the professional equipment to keep the trees out of the harm of the hammocks.

They will tie the protection belt on the body of the tree, so that people can indulge themselves in the pleasure brought by the hammocks. And they don’t have to worry about the trees.

But one thing I must note, hammock is a good kids camping gear, but you should ask your kids not to use the hammocks as the swings. The shaking pressure from the swing will make the trees hurt, even though there are the protection belts.

It is a net bed. Sometimes, even the hammock will be the reason for people to go camping. Lie in the hanging hammock between two trees. And read novels in leisure. Then you may never think of leaving the campsite.

Camper Saying

Setting a hammock may damage the trees. Thus, you are better to twist the towels around the trees. Then bind the rope. This can reduce the damage to the trees. If possible, you could buy the hammock shelf separately.

3. Sleeping Bag

Besides these gears to pack, sleeping place is also among the camping checklist. The problem of where to sleep is one thing the biginners worry about.

Although we have tent, tarp and hammock, they can not stop temperature declining greatly in night.

Camping life cannot compare with that at home, however, if we have packed all the gears, such as bringing the best camping gears, and best sleeping bags, we can still live warmly and comfortably, just as the home.

There are many kinds of sleeping bags, it is not easy to choose. We all know, you will get what you pay. But if you do not go to the forbidden areas or the dangerous mountains, there is no need to buy the sleeping bags with many functions.

In general, we will choose the warm spring, summer or the cool autumn to go camping. So the sleeping bag for the warm climate will be okay as one of the camping supplies.

If you are going to camp in the winter, you have to pack some winter camping gears. Just bring an electrical blanket or a warming stove. They are essential winter camping gears.

Or you can take a portable air conditioner. Someone will add a layer of cotton into the inside of sleeping bag, in order to enhance the warming performance.

Type 1: Mummy Sleeping Bag

Many people will pack mummy sleeping bag as the gear to fight the cold weather. The appearance of the mummy type just like the mummy in the Egypt. Thus, it is called mummy sleeping bag. Except the head, all the other parts of the body will be wrapped in it.

From the head to the feet, it is narrower and narrower. The heat preservation effect of the part on the neck and foot is very excellent. When you are purchasing, please pick it according to your own size.

Recommended Gear Brand

Coleman School Mummy 2
It is the sleeping bag for kids. This product is very convenient for use.

Type 2: Quadrilateral Sleeping Bag

After opening the bag, it will be in the shape of quadrilateral. There is a zip on the side. We can connect several sleeping bags together.

Compared with mummy type, it is big in the space. But the effect of heat preservation is not as good as mummy type. Its advantage is that it can be unfolded like a quilt for several people to use.

Notes for Gear Purchase

Sleeping bag is divided into several types, according to different seasons. There are two main kinds. They are 3 seasons sleeping bag for spring, summer and winter, the other is 4 seasons sleeping bag for all the seasons. Different types varies in the prices.

If you don’t want to camp in the cold winter, it is suggested buy the cheaper one, 3 seasons sleeping bag. The marks o the bag has the suitable temperature for use. So before purchase, please check it carefully.

Recommended Gear Brand

Easycamp Comic Quadrilateral Sleeping Bag
It has various colors. People can use it in the seasons from late spring to early autumn.

4. Mattress

What to pack for camping? Mattress. Mat is short for mattress. Don’t forget to bring camping mattress. It will bring us better sleeping quality.

In general, the mattress is 5 cm less than the size of the tent. So if your mattress is bigger than the tent, please fold the four corners inside the tent.

The mattress could stop the moisture from the ground. And it is one of the necessities to protect the tent from the stones and sharp things on the ground. Some campers will like to bring the air mattress to the camping, for the air mattress is very light and useful.

If you forget to get the professional mattress, you could also try to use the silver paper or the thick plastic mattress instead.

Many campers will find the mattresses are wet when they are organizing the mattresses. You dry it under the sun while you are organizing other camping gears.

Best air mattress for camping

5. Electric Blanket

Besides air mattress, what to pack for camping? Electric blanket belongs to the winter camping gear. Some guys may not agree to list the electric blanket into the camping checklist.

However, if you are going to take your wife and kids in cold weather, electric blanket is very necessary. As the kids camping gear, it will keep you and the kids warm when the night’s temperature drops too much in the outdoors.

The electric blanket in the professional camping sale stores is very expensive. Using memory foam mattress is also a good choice.

Recently, the best memory foam mattress may be the PU memory foam mat. The biggest feature of this mat is that it could feel the human temperature and keep warm.

When it feels the temperature from your body, the surface of the foam particles will turn soft, which makes the pressure area bigger. So that the pressure points will disappear, and your blood will get no pressure.

At the same time, the memory foam mattress has the advantages of good breath and high antimicrobial ability. Besides, it is soft with good elasticity.

However, if you are going camping in summer, the electric blanket may be useless. So buying a portable air conditioner for camping may be a wonderful choice for all the seasons.

6. Camping Toilet

after the mattress, the winter camping gear, and what to bring camping? We need to pack the things to solve our basic nature demands. So the portable camping toilet is one of the essential camping gears.

Portable toilet is designed for people who can’t tolerate the dirty public toilets. If you are so, it is true necesary to pack it for camping.

There are many sizes. One has the seat which is empty in the center part. And anther contains microbe decomposition function. It belongs to the environmental friendly product.

Yes, many people will feel embarrassed when we talk about the toilet. However, the toilet is more useful than other amusement camping supplies.

Most campsites have their own toilets. But if the campgrounds are remote and there are no toilets, portable camping toilet is one f the must have camping gears.

With the development of the camping industry, many big companies have designed advanced and convenient portable camping toilets.

These portable camping toilet seats are similar to the toilets at home. There is one container with water for the douching. The waste will be douched into one storage vessel below the container, making these things we are unhappy to see away from our eyes. And this detached storage vessel can be taken to the professional chemicals treatment places in the campsites.

What to Pack for Camping? Portable Toilet Seat.

Camping Cooking Gear Checklist

Among the tent camping checklist, don’t forget the most necessary thing . Camping cooking gears! Right, we need to solve the problem of how to do easy camping meals for family.

Nowadays, the car camping lovers become more and more. They will prepare kinds of cooking utensils and food. After arriving at the campground, they will start to set up the tent and prepare easy camping meals for large groups.

The cooking gears checklist are large. They portable gas stove, refrigerator, bucket, grill for barbecue, and so on.

1. Camping Stove

As we all know, there are many portable camping stoves, and kinds of gas fuel. In order to make the best camping meals, you must know what to pack for cooking.

And it is better to take two stoves. One is for cooking rice. The other is for the dishes or the soups.

For quite a long time, gasoline stove is very popular among the campers. You will find them in many fishing tool stores. It is because this kind of stove will be not affected by the temperature and the air pressure.

And it has strong firepower. Besides, the structure of the gas stove is simple, difficult to go wrong.

Nowadays, butane stove has got its place in the simple camping meals. Its price is far cheaper than gasoline stove. It has become one of the cheap cooking gears.

What is more, the using method of butane stove is simple. It is easy to take and store. While the gasoline stove is more suitable for winter, it is one of the essemtials for winter camping.

Type 1: For Walking and Backpack Camping

The features of this stove must be small in the size and light in the weight. And it can be put in the backpack. There is a kind of soft tube stove. It can connect the fuel container and the burner. And it can also set apart of these two. This one can be put on the table to stew or make easy camping food.

Type 2: For Auto Camping

Stove for auto camping is designed for the cool weather. It is not easy to carry, but convenient to use. It is as the true stove on the cooking bench.

Notes for Gear Purchase

When choosing the stove, you need to pay attention to the functions . And then it is if the stove can meet our hobbies. If it is a simple camping, you can pack one for backpack.

When camping with many people, you can bring the one for the auto camping. And you could use it to cook the main course. The stove for the backpack cook the rest dishes.

Recommended Gear Brand

MSR Whisper Lite International V2

2. Camping Fuel

Camping fuel is listed in the camping cooking gear checklist. You should decide which fuel you are going to use before camping.

When choosing them, it is necesary to consider about the safety and convenience. Besides, remember not to break the environment of the campsite.

Type 1: Gas Fuel

Put the gas fuel in a specific container in the state of liquid. Gas fuel is difficult to be used in winter. But for camping beginners, it is easier to operate.

  • Butane Gas

It is the fuel for portable stove. Butane gas suits camping beginners. And you can buy it anywhere easily. The price is not high. But its frozen temperature is high, so it is difficult to be used in the low temperature environment.

  • Isobutane Gas

The fuel is packed in the flat gas container. The connecting part of the container is in spiral shape. It mainly used for the BBQ roast. It is also called “camping gas” or “spiral gas”. As long as not use it in the bitter cold environment under the temperature of 10℃ below zero, it is available in any environment.

  • Propane Gas

Put it in the big gas container. And it is suitable for the camping with family, who need the continuous heating equipment. For the propane gas needs to fill it repeatedly when using, you must be careful when use it.

Type 2: Liquid Fuel

Compared to the gas, liquid is more stable. It gets less influence from the temperature. And you can use it in any season. The fire power is stronger. But it is a bit difficult to use it. So it is recommended for the experienced campers.

  • White Gasoline

It is also called no smoke gasoline. So it is cleaner than common gasoline. And it is purer, no black smoke produced when burning.

  • Kerosene, Diesel Oil, Gasoline

They are cheap, and easily bought in the gas station. They suits to the products cheaper than the white gasoline stoves. It is because sediments in these oil may shorten the service life of the products.

Type 3: Solid Fuel

Solid fuel gears are candle, wood charcoal, and firewood. Most of them can be found in the camping place. So they are suitable for the backpack camping and one person camping.

  • Wood Charcoal

It is difficult to kindle the fire. But once it is kindled, the fire can be lasted for a quite long time. It mainly suits to roasting the food and kindling the fire in the stove.

  • Firewood

Firewood is some withered branches around the camping place. The wet firewood is not easy to be ignited. And the wet firewood will produce many smoke. Therefore, it is not recommended for cooking.

Type 4: Other Fuels

Camping also cares for the green energy as other fields. Many green energies are developed to replace the fossil fuel.

  • Camping Battery

We need to buy related gears using batteries. These gears will be more portable, light and convenient than the gears using the liquid or gas fuel. And they will reduce the risk of fire accidents.

  • Generation Set

It is not charged through sockets, but solar energy or twisting the joystick. But the using ratio is relatively low. So it is suitable to charge for the lanterns or radios.

3. Camping Table

In the cooking gear checklist, table is essential. With table, can people enjoy a more colorful camping life. We could put the lantern and stove on it. And we could have the dinner, enjoy the tea, or read the book around it.

Many people love BBQ when camping. So you can pack the tables for roast, and for cook or washing. In the past, plastic table and iron table were popular. But recently, wood-made tables get greater popularity.

Type 1: BBQ Table

BBQ table’s center for putting the stove. We can finish the main dishes and side dishes at the same time. And when we don’t eat, we can close the lid of the table. Then it is as same as a common table.

Many auto camping campers will list it in the checklist for camping. There are various BBQ table, for it enjoys high popularity among camping fans.

Type 2: Kitchen Table

This one has a place for the stove, and it can also make the side dishes. Some kitchen table has equipped with washing sink. If people are too many, and there is no place for other gears, you can put the cookware on it.

Type 3: Side Table

If we make BBQ table and kitchen tale the subject. Side table is the supplement. It is small and portable. We can also use it for the resting space or putting on something else.

Type 4: IGT(Iron Grill Table)

IGT originates from SNOWPEAK. So other similar tables are also called IGT. There are many ways to realize the separation and assembling of it. And IGT can be used together with stove and BBQ.

What is more, IGT can decorate your camping life. The price is a bit high relatively. If you want to have cheap camping gears, IGT may be not suitable for you.

Notes for Gear Purchase

Choose the table according to its application and your style. And you should check if the material is strong enough and resistant to heat.

Besides, if it is available to carry when it is folded.
It is crucial to match the height of the chairs.
For the standing table, it needs to match our heights.

Recommended Gear Brand

Kovea Fire Camp Table
It is a BBQ table. Its material is aluminum, light and portable.
Coleman Compact Kitchen Table
Use it with a side table and shelf for two burners. It will be perfect and convenient.
Uniflame Side Table
It is the ancestor of side table. Many people are using it.
Snoepeak IGT Parts
Its material is bamboo. No finished product is sold. We need to buy the parts separately. And assemble them together to a IGT.

4. Brazier

Brazier is equipment to bring some fun and romantic feeling. It can not only be used for cooking camping meals, but also driving the cold.

Many guys love to sit around the brazier, enjoying the fun from the campfire. These leave many precious memories for people. Casually sitting around the fire in the dark night is a kind of unique pleasure.

Features of Brazier

It is made of stainless steel. So it is resistant to heating and melting. In order to make it convenient for collecting, many big brands push out folding braziers. SNOWPEAK pushes out folding brazier first, then many companies follow this design. So there are various products.

After the setting, if it is in four-corner shape when look down, it is called quadrilateral brazier. If it is in eight-corner shape, it is called octal brazier.

Notes for Gear Purchase

After folding, the size of the brazier is very small. It is easy to adjust.Brazier has many types. They are campfire type, cooking type, small type and huge type. The functions you need and the number of the campers are the factors to choose the brazier.

Recommended Gear Brand

Snowpeak Brazier
It is the ancestor of the brazier, strong and secure.

How to Put Up An Interim Braier?

Let’s see how to put up an interim brazier. We need to reduce the influence on the environment. And at the same time, keep the fire power strong enough.

  • Choose the place where there are no animals or plants.
  • Dig a small hole on the ground. It is better to be with 30 centimeters diameter, and 10 centimeters depth.
  • Fill the hole with stones. Put some firewood onto them. Finally, ignite the firewood.

If it is not easy to dig a hole and find the stones on the ground, we should make the brazier at the position where has the burnt scars. It is the method to reduce the damage to the environment.

If there is no brazier, we can put up one by the stones.

5. Dutch Oven

In the cooking gear checklist, Dutch oven is very helpful. It uses the iron pot. And it is made of elements of iron, silicon, and carbon. These elements are harmless to the human body.

Dutch immigrant in the American West Development age called them Dutch oven. Now it is still using the name.

It can be regarded as a pure cooking gear. But it has a special position in camping. Food made by Dutch oven is very delicious. So it is called “the flower of camping cooking”

Features of Dutch Oven

Though iron-made Dutch Oven is heavy, it does well in diathermancy. It can transmit the heat to the inside part of the food. Moreover, it can heat in any direction. You can boil or fry.

The heavy pot lid has the same function as the pressure cooker. Therefore, it is simple for Dutch Oven to make ginseng chicken soup. It has no chemical layer. And when we are enjoying the delicious food, we will get the iron element which is necessary for human body from Dutch Oven.

How to Clean and Maintain Dutch Oven?

Dutch Oven needs to be through the process of seasoning, either it is before the using or after. In order to avoid the rusting, the surface of the pot has painted with a layer of wax material.

If you don’t want the food stick to the pot, you should put some oil in it. Greasing is also important for stopping the pot lid rusting.

  • Pour warm water into the pot. Wash it with brush, or wood-made spatula, or sponge. Please don’t use detergent, for detergent will get into the material.
  • After cooking, there will be some food residue stick to the bottom of the pot. We need to heat the water to boiled. And get the food residue by the brush.
  • After washing, wipe off the moisture with a dry cloth or kitchen towel.
  • Grease the Dutch Oven with cooking oil by a kitchen towel or oil brush.
  • Put the greased Dutch Oven on the stove. Heat it by strong fire.
  • After the oil dried. It will produce some smoke. When the smoke is bigger, turn down the fire.
  • And pour green onions, onions, and garlic, some strong smelling vegetables into it, when the iron smell is heavy.
  • Stir fry them. Turn off the fire and make it natural cooling, when the smoke decreases gradually and disappears.

Notes for Gear Purchase

The size of dutch oven is decided by the number of the campers and the cooking food. The maintenance is a bit tedious.

Recommended Gear Brand

Lodge Dutch Oven
It is an enterprise with history of more than hundred years in manufacturing Dutch Oven. It is strong and firm. This brand is famous for its excellent durability.

Camper Saying

When there is no BBQ grills, I will use the lid of the Dutch Oven instead. Grease it carefully. Then put the pot lid on the stove for roast. You will get delicious pot lid BBQ.

6. Frying Pan

What to bring camping? Frying pan.

Easy camping meals for large groups must pack one camping pan. The quality of the frying pan will decide the stomach of yours.

And in order to easy to carry these cooking gears, it is better to pack the pan with folding handle, which will save a lot of space for you.

When you are purchasing the camping frying pan, you should make a careful inspection of the sealing. You need a good quality cooking method.

Besides, you should keep a fine maintaining of the camping pan set, for it is easy to go rusted. The main job for maintaining is to do the seasoning and cleaning.

We should not clean the camping frying pan directly with the metal-made cleaning tool, or the protective layer of the pan will be damaged by us.

7. Portable Camping Refrigerator

What do I need for camping: portable camping refrigerator.

What else to bring on a camping trip? A portable camping refrigerator is necessar as one of the cooking camping gears. You should take a portable refrigerator if you want to enjoy fresh food in the outdoors.

It can not only be used in the summer, but also in spring and autumn. The main function of the portable refrigerator for camping is to store the food, and keep them fresh.

It could be divided into two types, hard type and soft type. The hard type refrigerator for camping is hard in the outside. It does a good performance in the freezing. And you could also bring some other things on it.

However, the soft type can freeze the food, but the performance is not as good as the hard type. You need to fold it after taking the food out of the camping refrigerator.

If your family has 3 members, and the camping time is 2 days & 1 night, buying the size of 40-50 L refrigerator is okay. If the time is 3 days & 2 nights, you are better to choose the portable refrigerator for camping with the volume of 50-60 L.

Some campers think that choosing a suitable portable refrigerator is not easy for them. In fact, what we need to do is to confirm how many people going camping and how much food you need to bring. Then make a camping food checklist to make sure which size you need to pack for camping.

8. Camping Pot

Besides packing the refrigerator, don’t forget to bring the pot. You could list it in the checklist.

The camping pot has two types. One is folding pot and the other pot cannot be folded. The folding cooking pot is easy to take and cheap in the price. So this type is more welcomed by the campers. While the common pot will take much space, it is difficult to take.

The pot is used for boiling the drinking water for us in the outdoors. If you don’t think it is a good idea to bring camping pot, you can buy a bucket with a volume of 2 L or 500 ML. Then put drinking water directly in the bucket.

Next step is to make the drinking water freeze in our refrigerators to ice block. We bring the ice block to the campsite. And when you are thirsty, just melt the ice block.

Not all of you love drinking water, someones prefer the coffee. How to make coffee while camping will be a problem for you. Don’t worry. There is one kind of pot named camping coffee pot.

This kind of coffee pot is very hot among campers. You don’t need to worry about no coffee. Just enjoy the smell of nature and coffee!

how to make coffee camping
Cooking Gear Checklist: Camping Coffe Pot.

9. Assorted Kitchen Gear Checklist

If you have got the fuel and the food, next step is to prepare the kitchen gears for simple camping meals.

The best partner of gas stove is the assorted kitchen gears. Although we can bring some equipment from our own kitchen, the size of these pans need to fit the stove.

In general, the material of the kitchen appliance is aluminum. It is light and easy to organize. During the recent period, stainless steel made tools get popular, for the cheap price and lightweight.

Moreover, among the kitchen supplies you need, please don’t forget the knives, cutting board, scissors, soup ladle, spatula and so on.

  • Ice Bucket

Ice bag is easy for storing ice. But compared to the hard bucket, it is short in the retention time. Ice bucket has two types. They are plastic and steel types. Steel ice bucket has a better performance, but more dearer. The most frequently used type is plastic ice bucket.

  • Bowl

Plastic products are not good for the environment. And it is easy to be stained with oil. It is unhealthy. Therefore, we are better to choose stainless steel bowls.

  • Pail

Pail means a big and deep bowl with handles. And its material is stainless steel. It can contain enough food. At the same time, people can enjoy the pleasure from food sharing.

  • BBQ Grills

They are the necessary camping gears. Besides the grills on the fire, and they include the products connecting the stove.

  • Clamp

It is used for BBQ and some pasta.

  • Sissors

They are frequently used in the sissors. And we should avoid to leave some plastic products around.

  • Dish Barrel

It has perfect waterproofness. You could wash sporadic bowls in it. It is very convenient.

  • Air Curtain

No matter how strong the fire is, it can’t beat the heavy wind. You can set an air curtain beside the stove.

Amusement Camping Equipment Checklist

1. Windmill

When it is windy, colorful rotating windmill bring us back to our childhood. It is welcomed by many young camping people.

2. Colorful Ribbon

Band it on the tent or the tarp. And the twisting ribbon will rotate when there is wind. It will be very beautiful and full of funs.

3. Flag

Flag makes the tent different in the style. When it is connected on the rope, it will be very noticeable. So it can be used to remind people to watch out. Some kids can easily find their tents among many similar ones through the flags.

4. Daisy Chain

It is one of the professional climbing gears. However, it is also pretty as one accessories.

5. Music Instrument

Guitar, drum, percussion are all good as the instrument in the camping. They will bring us much fun. Putting it in the tent, the instrument is also a charming accessory.

6. Candle

Candle light sway in the wind. It is not as bight as the lamp, but it has some sentiment that can’t be replaced. And it will make the mood of the people surrounding brighter.

7. Portable Wireless Bluetooth Sound

Imagine you are in the hug of the nature, what are the things you need for camping? Music. It must be a very wonderful experience when we close our eye in the camping chair, and listening to the music from our sound.

Portable wireless Bluetooth sound has no need to connect the power supply. It is very convenient to us. We could charged it before the camping. So just play the sound and enjoy the music.

Someone may say that his mobile phone can play music too. Yes, our phones can play music for us. However, if you own a portable wireless Bluetooth sound, its superior sound effects will make your camping trip more comfortable.

Camping Checklist: Portable Bluetooth Sound.

Seasonal Camping Gear Checklist

Camping is an action for us to deep into the nature. Therefore, the gears you pack need to change with the environment.

When it is cold, we need to pcak the winter camping gears. We should bring the stove to keep us warm. When it is hot, the fan must be listed in the gear checklist. Only with these seasonal gears, can we have a good time in camping.

Spring & Autumn Camping Gear Checklist

In spring and autumn, the daytime is very warm. However, when the sunset arrives, the air temperature will decrease. The temperature variation is quite big in the forest. We should bring some clothes or blanket in reserve. Only by these, can we keep the body temperature and prevent against the cold.

Blanket

It can not only used to keep warm, but also as the picnic mat. The colorful blanket on the chair play s a good role as the accessory.

Summer Camping Gear Checklist

In summer, we have to fight against the hot weather and kinds of insects. Thus, it is necessary to pack cool camping gears and equipment to drive away insects.

Mosquito Coil & Insecticide

Mosquito coil can kill many insects. But if its function is not strong enough to against so many worms, you can wear some wristbands to drive bugs. And insecticide is also suggested.

Portable Fan

Besides the mosquito as the must have gear in summer, fan is also essential. Portable air fan is simple to use. It is one of the best cool gears. Its power supply is the batteries.

If you are auto camping, the electric power is convenient to use, you can use a bigger fan.

Winter Camping Gear Checklist

In winter, the most essential task is to fight against with the extreme cold. Thus, we must pay attention to keep warm by using our winter camping gear. Now let’s see what to pack for winter camping. The cheklist i below

Warm Paste & Hand warmer

They are cheap and easy bought in the stores.

Stove

In winter tent camping checklist, stove is one necessary camping gear. It can help to increase the temperature in the tent. And many people use it for cooking.

Important Camping Gear Checklist

Following is the upgrades for camping gears checklist. Although you have no big influence without them, you are better to pack them for emergency.

1. Collecting Box

In order to collect some small camping gears convenient, and move them quickly, you could buy some collecting boxes with wheels at the bottom. Or you could also buy some boxes able to carry on the shoulders.

2.Raincoat

Raincoat is prepared for the sudden rains. Especially, when you are assembling or uploading the camping gears, you can put on the raincoat.

3. Emergency Box

Accidents may happen frequently in the camping. And most the cases are that we can’t go to the hospital at once. Therefore, it is very important to bring the emergency box. Make it in your gear checklist from now on.

4. Leather Gloves

We may need leather gloves at any time in the campground. For example, building the tent, picking up the firewood, using the axe or hammer, touching something hot. Putting on a pair of leather gloves will solve many problems we can’t handled by bare hands.

5. Connecting Cable

When you are auto camping, you may need to connect the electrical appliances to the power supply in the car. So you are better to buy some connecting cables in the car. And the type with breaker inside is safer to use.

6. Axe

With an ax, you could cut firewood from the camping place. It will help you to save much cost for firewood. Self- sufficiency in fuel will bring us great satisfaction. Thus don’t forget to list it in your checklist.

7. Multi Tool Set

We could put it in the pocket, when in the emergency.

8. Blowtorch

Blowtorch, one of the cooking gears, is used to make the fire power stronger, when using butane gas or firewood to ignite.

9.Nylon Zip Ties

Nylon zip ties can be used for securing and assembling tents, organizing and bundling small items such as wires, ropes, and keys, and for temporary emergency repairs.

10. Camping Shower Tent

It is for the campsite without washing rooms and shower rooms. Most of them has a hole for installing tubes. With the shower tent, all of you can keep clean at any time while camping.

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