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Outdoor Enthusiasts are awesome!
We have several friends who are expert campers. They plan their camping trips months (even years – if they are going to a popular National Park) in advance, and their trips last for weeks at a time. They have spreadsheets used for meal planning and the itinerary is mapped out to the quarter-hour, staying no more than 2 nights at each site. Wow, that’s amazing!
Kyle’s parents purchased an RV last year, and recently took a 30-day trip exploring Yellowstone National Park from Wisconsin trekking through Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota.
They said it’s been an incredible journey, and I can’t wait to hear more about their trip!
If this is your idea of camping – go for it! But I probably won’t be able to offer you any advice here. Instead, if you are taking a look at this weekend’s forecast, it’s perfect fall weather, and you want to take a short camping trip, but you’re not sure where to start – read on ‘cause I can help you get out and explore nature!
Check the Weather
Weather forecasts are not necessarily accurate – especially in the remote, small towns where local, state and even national parks are located. But it’s still recommended to check the forecast to have an idea of what you may need to prepare for. I like to check several of the neighboring towns as well. And I typically look a few days before I’m planning to leave and watch for a day or so after the dates of my trip. It depends, but sometimes the weather comes faster than what’s expected so what may be predicted for Monday may come early on Sunday instead …
Either way, once you check the weather (and check it again right before you leave just to make sure nothing has changed), you’ll be better prepared for what to bring.
If it’s showing nothing but rain, it may be a good idea to bail and try it again another weekend.
True story: Kyle & I were planning a scouting trip to harbor towns up the eastern coast of Lake Michigan in mid-April. The whole week prior, the forecast showed rain in every town and park we were going to stay at, so we eventually decided not to go. Around 5 pm, the night before we were originally scheduled to go, I checked the weather, and the rain chances cleared up! I booked the sites at the state parks (we could wait to book the sites because they were not busy since it was mid-April) and we kicked it into high-gear to pack up – using the suggestions below. We had a wonderful time camping – even though it was a bit cold, and it only rained on the last day on our drive home!
What to Pack
Part of the joy of camping is to get away from the day-to-day grind of our ‘normal’ lives, to live simply, and to be a part of nature. For me, this means also forgoing some of the creature comforts as well – so we try to pack light and be realistic about what we actually want to cook & eat.
Supplies
Below you’ll find our basic camping supply list. We usually keep this organized in bins in our garage storage shelves so we can quickly find and pack things last minute:
- Tent – preferably something that is big enough to hold the number of people (or pets) sleeping in it – plus a little extra room. Our tent is big enough to hold us, our sleeping area, our clothes and Zeke’s crate. Now, when we camp without Zeke, it feels huge!
- Pillows & Sleeping Bags – I just bought a new sleeping bag because during our scouting trip that I referenced above, I double-bagged (used 2 old sleeping bags), slept in all of my clothes, winter coat and hat and I was still freezing). One of my sleeping bags was from when I was in college and backpacked in Australia and New Zealand – I guess it’s time for a new one! 🙂
- Blow up Mattress & Pump – we once forgot the pump and had to blow it up manually – Kyle was pretty tired after that, so we try not to forget the hand pump. When we were camping in multiple places but staying for only 1 night at each place, we decided not to bring the blow up mattress, but our 40+ year old bodies were very sore the next morning, so now it’s worth it to bring and blow up all the time.
- Sleeping Mats – yes, we still bring these even though we use a blow up mattress; re: 40+ years old!
- Percolator & Travel Coffee Mugs – must have coffee in the morning (Bonus: most travel coffee mugs also keep drinks cold, so these are good for cold beverages too!)
- Cooktop Stove & Propane – primarily used for making coffee, but we usually bring 2 – 1 lb. propane tanks just in case we need to cook or heat up leftovers.
- Paper Towels, Paper Plates, Plastic Silverware & empty paint bucket with plastic bags for trash
- 1 large Pan – usually used to heat up leftovers or, if extra motivated, for making eggs for breakfast
- Wood – depending on where we are going we may be able to bring our own wood or we’ll just plan to buy some at a gas station or on the road, but we pack an empty plastic bin so our vehicle doesn’t get dirty with the wood.
- Flashlight & Bug Spray
- Cooler – with ice for the food listed below
Food
Kyle & I are not gourmet chefs cooking over a fire. We’ll bring a few things to eat, but if we plan to stay more than 2 nights, we look for a local restaurant or craft brewery to eat out. With this list below, there’s usually more than enough food to eat:
- Coffee Filters & Grounds – of course, we must have coffee in the morning!
- Jugs of Water – we plan about 1 gallon per day for 2 people; and more if we are camping and hiking in the summer.
- Snacks – licorice, nuts, nature valley bars (perfect for breakfast), supplies for s’mores
- Raw veggies – carrots, celery, etc. plus ranch / dill dip is nice too
- Apples or Clementines – these are easy to eat on hikes
- Yogurt & Granola for breakfast or we’ll bring eggs if we’re really motivated to cook over a fire
- Bread, Cheese, Deli Meat, Mayo and Mustard – to pack for lunches
- Dinners – sometimes we’ll just go out or we’ll cook hot dogs over the fire with buns and ketchup and chips, but you can only eat so many hot dogs before you need something else. We’ve also had premade pulled pork to heat up over the stove with bbq sauce and baked beans, but our camping dinners are usually pretty basic.
- Drinks – sparkling water (b/c sometimes you need a little fizz) and beer – usually a 4-pack from a local craft brewery that we pass along the way.
Clothes
Typically, we overpack and never use all of the clothes. But since everything gets dirty, we try to limit what we bring. It can be difficult because you also want to be prepared for any type of weather – especially cold and rain. If it’s early spring or fall, I’d recommend a winter coat, hat & gloves – just in case. If it’s summer, a light jacket is still nice in case it gets cool at night or rains.
- 1 pair of pants for every few days
- 1 pair of undies for every day – even if I don’t shower, it’s nice to be fresh
- 1 sweatshirt, flannel shirt, and several t-shirts and bras
- 1 pair of socks for every few days
- Hiking shoes and flip flops (if you want to shower)
- Towel – you may need it to dry off things even if you don’t plan to shower
- Toiletries
I try to save a fresh pair of pants, undies, bra, shirt and socks to wear in the car on the way home. Even if I haven’t showered for several days, and I feel gross, at least my clothes are clean. And maybe I won’t smell too bad … well, you (and anything you bring) will smell like smoke from the campfires … so you will smell.
Where to Go
There are thousands of places to explore – across the world, across the US! You can book local and private camping sites, Kyle & I are most familiar with state parks, but we have also camped in a few national parks too. Typically, you need to book national parks with further time in advance, but this may also be the case for state parks if you are booking on the weekends and during popular camping seasons (early spring and fall). I shared several of our favorite camping sites in the October 2022 Zeke Life newsletter, but if you need ideas go to the state park site of your state or try some of our faves:
What If …
As with many of our projects and adventures, something will inevitably go wrong. But that’s ok, it provides an opportunity for character growth. If you have an open mind, and you prepare yourself that something may not go according to your ideal plans; hopefully, you can overcome whatever happens!
… It’s Raining
You checked the weather, and there was only ~20% chance of rain, but somehow that cloud is just staying right above you, and it’s a downpour. Depending on when this is in your weekend plans, you could bail and come home.
Or, if it’s at the end of a beautiful weekend, you can pack up by throwing stuff in the back of the vehicle to open it up and dry it out at home. Either way, once you’re home, take a nice long, hot shower and get some comfy warm clothes on while you do laundry, clean up the food and supplies for the next time, and prepare for your week ahead.
… We Forgot Something
Oh no, we forgot …
- Toothpaste – just brush your teeth with water and use gum all weekend.
- Coffee – let’s hit the nearest gas station in the morning or buy some grounds. We can’t wake up without coffee!!!
- Flashlight – use your phone instead or let your eyes adjust and enjoy the dark.
- [Fill in the blank] – Most of the time, you can still make the most of your camping trip without worrying about what you forgot. But if you absolutely can’t live without it, there’s usually a Walmart, Fleet Farm, Farm & Fleet or something similar in the small towns near camping sites where you can pretty much find anything you may need.
… There’s a Snake
I got nothing to help you here; I’m deathly afraid of snakes. If I were you, I’d pack up as fast as I can, run to the truck and wait for Kyle to get the rest of our stuff. Then we’d leave and come home … or if it’s in the middle of the night, I’d sleep in the truck!
If it’s another insect, animal or critter, just leave it alone and it will probably leave you alone. Just be sure to clean up your campsite and put away your food prior to going to bed to reduce the prospect of wild run-ins.
What do you Think?
I’d love to hear your camping stories. What do you pack? Where do you like to go? How do you get your tent clean for the next time? (I still haven’t figured that one out!) Please share your feedback in the comments below or I’d love to learn from you!
– Kara from Zeke Life
Live like Zeke
You’re such a good boy!
