We go camping twice a year, and every year, we take many families camping who have never been camping before. We can tell you exactly what gear to get if you want to stay overnight, but we also choose places 45-60 minutes away so we make it easy if you want to stay for the activities and dinner and leave after the campfire.
Purchasing Gear
We wrote this guide (“Tents, Sleeping Bags, and Mattress Pads”) which is how to buy tents, sleeping bags, and mattress pads. The biggest takeaway from camping with many families over the years is that adults generally need a foam mattress pad instead of an inflatable one, so we recommend buying the foam mattress pad in the guide. We also have some gear that we can loan to families.
Packing List
Basics: (see “Tents, Sleeping Bags, and Mattress Pads”)
- Tent and ground cover (plus “tent footprint” for inside tent)
- Mattress pad (I recommend foam and there is a particular recommendation in the doc)
- Sleeping Bag (rated to at least 25 degrees)
- Pillow (you can buy a camp pillow or just bring a pillow)
- Backpack (anything is fine since we will be close to our cars)
(We recommend REI to purchase most of these things)
Clothes / Toiletries
- Clothes to sleep in
- Clothes to change into next day
- Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap)
- Rain jacket
- Rainboots (if it may rain)
Utilities:
- Flashlight / headlamp
- Insect repellent
- Hat / sunscreen
- Water bottle
- Camp chair (optional)
- Trash Bag (optional, but useful)
- Toilet Paper
In the winter:
- Sleeping bag needs to be rated for zero degrees
- Coat, hat, thermal underwear
- Snow shoes