• About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Disclaimer & Disclosure Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS

Mainely Katie

  • Travel
  • National Parks
  • Renovation & DIY
  • Lifestyle

My Essential Camping Gear List

in Lifestyle, Travel on 06/19/20

Pin
Share
Post
Every year growing up our family would pack up all of our stuff and head to southern Maine for a long weekend camping trip. Even though I was young, I still learned a lot on those trips. We don't go nearly as often now, but we recently purchased a small camper and we are so excited to use it! During my years of camping, I have developed a list of camping gear that will really come in handy. The key to a successful camping trip is to be prepared.

Every year growing up our family would pack up all of our stuff and head to southern Maine for a long weekend camping trip. Even though I was young, I still learned a lot on those trips. We don’t go nearly as often now, but we recently purchased a small camper and we are so excited to use it! (stay tuned for a full camper renovation project) We tried staying in a small tent once with our dog, and lets just say it wasn’t fun. During my years of camping, I have developed a list of camping gear that will really come in handy. The key to a successful camping trip is to be prepared.

camping in the mountains sunset

This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission when you shop through my link.

Campsite Gear

First off you will need a tent, sleeping bag and pillow. You also may want to consider and air mattress (and a way to blow it up) if sleeping on the ground isn’t appealing to you. A couple tarps also come in handy in case it rains. We use one under our tent (before assembling the tent) and then one over the roof of the tent.

To give your tent more cozy, you may want to consider some camping chairs, a table and a little door mat. Flashlights, lanterns and head lamps are also a must. If your site has a place for a camp fire, bring some fire wood and a lighter. Can you really go camping and not have a campfire?

Camping Gear for the Kitchen

Setting up the kitchen area ahead of time is important so that your meal prepping goes smoothly. You can be as simple or as extravagant as you want with your camp kitchen. I’ve seen people bring full on stainless steel kitchen setups with sinks and all. A picnic table also works. Last year we bought a pop up canopy to put over the table in case it rained. You can bring a small camp stove or cook your meals over the fire. They make really cool tools to cook things over the campfire like Bring pots or pans to cook things on the stove as well as cooking utensils. Don’t forget to bring plates and silverware to eat from. You can get mess kits that come as compact little kits for all your cooking needs.

You should definitely have a good cooler for anything that needs to be kept cold. Use bags of ice to keep it cool or we like to freeze a bunch of water bottles ahead of time and then you can just drink them as they thaw. This saves space and money. Bring larger water jugs for washing dishes and for drinking.

Other camping gear you may need…

  • Trash bags
  • Aluminum foil
  • Oven mitts
  • Table cloth
  • Cutting board
  • Storage containers

Camping Gear Tools

My dad was notorious for over packing tools, but they did come in handy more times than you would think. You should definitely pack a hammer, multitool, saw/axe, rope, clothes pins and duct tape. Having a broom is nice to clean up any dirt or leaves that may get into your tent. Look at the instructions on how to set up your tent ahead of time and see if there is anything else you may need.

bonfire camping

Clothing and Gear

Check the weather forecast beforehand, but be prepared for anything. On top of your regular clothes be sure to pack a rain jacket, sweatshirt, warm socks, moisture wicking clothing, a hat, sunglasses and closed toed shoes.

Other items you might need could include

  • Packpack
  • Binoculars
  • Sandals
  • Books
  • Dry bags
  • Playing cards
  • Map

Toiletries and Health

When packing my toiletries, I think about all the things I normally use for my morning routine and then I pack the mini version. Make sure you pack a first aid kit!

Camping gear you may not have thought about…

  • Toilet paper
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Towels
  • Sunscreen
  • Bug Spray
  • OTC meds (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, diphenhydramine, ect.)
  • Plastic bags
  • Baby wipes
  • Mirror

Keeping a list of all the things you will/may need is the best way to keep yourself organized. Use this post to check things off your list as you go!

Pin
Share
Post

2 Comments

Subscribe

« 10 Fun Things to do in Augusta, Maine
Easy Meal and Snack Ideas (Your Camping Food Checklist) »

Trackbacks

  1. Easy Meal and Snack Ideas (Your Camping Food Checklist) - Mainely Katie says:
    June 24, 2020 at 1:46 am

    […] My Essential Camping Gear List […]

    Reply
  2. Best Camping Dessert Recipes - Mainely Katie says:
    July 16, 2020 at 11:04 am

    […] other camping related posts, check out my essential camping gear list and my camping food […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

The Lara Casey Shop

Popular Posts

canyon zion national park

One Day at Zion National Park – Take a Day Trip from Las Vegas

canyon zion national park

The Perfect 4 Day Las Vegas Itinerary plus Day Trips

What to do in Death Valley In One Day

ultimate girls weekend Austin, TX

Girls’ Weekend in Austin, Texas

Join Us on Instagram

Open
He’s too cute to be mad at though 🐶
Open
This is your sign to visit the coast of Maine this summer 🌊🌲

There is no better place to spend the summer months!
Open
When I first visited Utah, i was in awe of the landscape. It’s like nothing I have ever seen before and nothing like Maine. Visiting Canyonlands National Park was high on my bucket list!

#nationalpark #visitutah #canyonlandsnationalpark #travelutah #travelblog #canyonlands
Open
Hi there, my name is Katie and I’m the girl behind Mainely Katie. My husband and I have developed a love for travel since college and are a planning a trip any chance we get. We have been to almost 20 countries together and have made a goal to visit every US National Park. 

My goal has never been to travel full time. I still work a full time job, but I am able to maximize my PTO to travel at least 4-6 times a year. 

My goal is to show people that travel is attainable for the average person. You don’t have to travel full time or quit your job to see the world! (But you totally could if you wanted to!)

We max out our PTO and help plan an ultimate family vacation every year (even at 32 years old)! We take advantage of long weekends, cheap flights and hotel points. Lots of people we work with always ask about our adventures, how we book them, how we find time. I started a blog to document all of our trips and I include lots of details. Traveling someplace new can be intimidating and I want people to feel confident when they plan their trips! 

Now we have a 5 month old and we can’t wait to take him on all our adventures. We have even decided to start over with our National Park bucket list so he can see them all too! 

Over the last few years, I have loved learning about photography and have documented all our trips. This has now turned into a love for content creation. With the help of TCP, I can level up my skills and more show people that travel is possible for everyone. Even with a full time job and a family! 

#tcpdream #tcp #travelblog #tcpchallenge
Open
It was worth it though!
Now I understand why they are called the Great Smoky Mountains 🏔️
Open
We actually started in Las Vegas and made our way to Salt Lake City, Utah 🚘 
Hours of driving and hundreds of miles out on the rental car, but we would do it all over again
Open
Our Italian roadtrip 🇮🇹 🚘 
Rome
Lake Como
Venice 
Cinque Terre
Pisa
Parma
Open
Tag a friend that will eat endless cheese fondue with you in Switzerland 🧀 

Cheese fondue was at the top of my list for things to eat in Switzerland. We order theee differnwt kinds and it did not disappoint 🤌🏼
Open
Can’t wait to take Bryce to all of our favorite places ✈️
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2025 · glam theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2025 · Glam Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in