10 Must Have Camping Supplies You’ll Want to Get Your Hands On
Camping Must Haves | 10 must-have camping supplies & camping gear
Oh man, do I love camping. When M and M were toddlers, camping was really hard, exhausting, and overwhelming. (We have a couple of runners and apparently, they don’t have a stopping point. We learned that after taking turns chasing a 2-year-old Big M for two days straight.)
Now that they’ve gotten older camping has become so much more fun. It’s time to start gathering some camping must haves.
You’ll also want to pack some hilarious camping jokes and camping puns along with your camping supplies for kids.
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This list of camping must-haves includes things we love, things we want, and things the readers have suggested in the comments. Enjoy! (Once you’ve finished: print, cut, and pack up these Camping Jokes.)
#1 The Big Camping Must Have. First up is always a tent! We love our Coleman 6-Person Tent
#2 We must sleep! Each kiddo gets their own special color sleeping bag. We love them for special nights on the floor, sleepovers, and especially for last year’s FREEZING camping trip. They were warm… hubby and I were too cold to sleep (see #5).
#3 The Best Traveling Cups EVER! To say I like these Thermos Funtainer Cups is an understatement. Ours lasted for about 7 years (I’m not kidding!) They are a camping must-have because we refilled them constantly and didn’t have to worry about a bunch of wasted, unidentified plastic water bottles.
Update: Because the kids have had these cups since they were little, we tried out a few different brands. Nothing even comes close… we’ll be going for the more “grown-up” version now.
#4 Games That Travel Easily. We love family games around here. Some of our favorites to take camping are Mancala, Uno Flip (I think this might be my favorite version of Uno, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Update: Bocce Ball is a new family favorite. This set Bocce Set
#5 Extra Warm Adult Sleeping Bags. Our sleeping bags are okay, but Hubs and I really need to get some that will keep us warm on cold nights. These Coleman Sleeping Bags
#6 Somewhere to Sit. I have a cute pink chair. After sitting in my brother in laws Rocker Chair
#7 A Camping Table for Eating and Playing. We always bring throw-away table cloths for the tables provided but a Pack-Away Table
#8 Camping Stove. We fell in love with my brother in laws camping stove last camping trip but we may have to settle for the newer version of Coleman Camp Propane Grill/Stove
#9 Camping Lights! This camping must have come from the comments. It’s so smart and will become a regular part of our camping supplies for sure. Solar-Powered Lights
Alrighty, that’s nine must-have camping supplies. What would you add for #10?
*Update – I just had an idea! There are so many awesome ideas in the comments. SERIOUSLY BRILLIANT camping must-haves!
I suppose I could make it even easier for you by moving some of those camping supplies for kids and families here and giving you clickable links. So here are camping tips and tricks all of you readers think are camping must haves.
Keep in mind these are just product links, reading the comments will help give you a better idea of why the readers love these things so much and how they use them.
- Glow Light Stick Bracelets
- Lantern Flashlight
- First Aid Kit
- Coffee Percolator
- Reflective Cord
- Chimney Starter
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- Hammock
- Cot Bunk Beds
- HotHands Hand Warmers
- Solar Shower
Want even more camping ideas? How about tips for camping with kids? (Of course, you should read the comments before you go… there is a lot of great info there!)
This post contains affiliate links.
I primitive camp with my horses a lot. I have washed out a laundry detergent bottle- the ones with the spigots on them, to use for hand washing water. I actually have a few of them depending on how many days I will be camping. When it is going to be cold, I actually take a sheet with me, unzip the sleeping bag leaving the foot section still zipped ( I sleep on a memory foam camping mattress) and use the sheet and the sleeping bag. I also will wear a hat or put a hoodie on, and take two “hot hands” put one in the pillow case of my pillow about where the back of my head will be and throw one down in the foot area of my bed and I stay very cozy. The hot hands can be very hot! so I try and make sure my face will not hit the hot hand in my pillow case, and near my feet but not where my feet are. (I also wear socks!)
What are hot hands? Thank you for so many great tips!!!
I wonder if the “hot hand” are the little heating pads that you can put in your Gloves and shoes. Not sure where you live Jillian, but they sell them at Scheels, here in South Dakota!
You can also get the hot hands at wal-mart or any sporting good stores. I love them.
We have two sets of sturdy metal cot bunk beds that we set up in our large tent. You are off the ground for sleeping and it is so much easier to set up and put away than crawling on the floor with air mattresses and sleeping bags and leaves more open space in the tent for getting dressed or in case of rain. They are heavy but pack nice and flat.
We string a strand of solar lights around the inside of the tent. They have an on and off switch that you can use each time you come into the tent or leave it on all night if you have little ones and just recharge it the next day (we just put the charger on the top of the tent during the day). We also put a glow in the dark bracelet (or larger) on the dogs at night as a collar so we can see where they are.
The things I take car camping that I don’t go with out any more are.
3 Burner Camp Chef Stove with griddle.
Dutch Ovens. Wonderful for cobblers, apple crisps and just about anything else.
Charcoal Chimney for starting the charcoal for the dutch ovens with lighter fluid. I place the dutch oven on the stove on low and put the coals on top and it works great.
Hammock. Great for naps or lounging around. When I backpack, I use a hammock and a tarp instead of packing a tent and sleeping pad.
You can also get glow sticks that have batteries and are on cords for the kids the batteries last for several camping trips as long as you turn them off.
I also took a 5gl bucket with kitchen trash bag in it and a little cat sand 100% clay for a need to pee at night for the kids then twist the bag closed and put the TP in a separate trash then you can dump the cat sand around a tree at the end of the weekend and the used cat sand helps the trees or bushes. Then dispose of the rest of your trash in the dumpsters.
I think a 30′ travel trailer (or at least a pop up!) is a must have camping supply. Sleeping on the ground, even with an air mattress sucks. And I know people will say it costs too much, but we bought an old pop up for a hundred bucks and fixed it up, sold that for more than we paid for it, wash, rinse repeat until we finally moved up to the super nice 30′ travel trailer we have. It took us years and a lot of work, but what it saved us in money and bad backs and late night potty trips made it well worth it.
Katie… you have gotten the wheels a turnin’. Hubby is going to thank you very much for this comment. ‘;)
I too feel I have earned the right to be “off ” the ground. LOL
We started camping in a 2-man tent… worked our way up to a 4 person tent, then purchased a 20 yr old pop-up, which was great!..Then invested in a new pop-up, then moved up to a 26ft. travel trailer.
In our old age (well… we both turned 60!!) we invested in our “retirement” project… a 31 ft. Jayco Class C Motorhome…
but I still carry a tent… just in case – you just never know who will show up… maybe one day grandkids!
Life’s too short.. so Camp on!
Katie, I love that Idea! My husband and I want to get a camper, He loves the tent camping experience but I am more about the Glamping experience. I still like the outdoor-ness, but when it comes to sleeping with a 3 year old and cooking, I am going to need a camper! I will have to share this idea with my husband!
I agree! I tented for years, but now that I’m older my $600 pop up is like a little piece of heaven! So much nicer when you get a wet weekend! Everything stays dry! I’m doing some decorating this year with new curtains, cushions, paint and flooring. It shouldn’t cost me more than $100, and I’m going to love it even more! Maybe 1 of these years I can upgrade, but no more tents for my old butt, and this will do for now!
I take a few solar lawn lights that stake in the ground and we take them along for bathroom strolls during the night. They charge all day and we sit them by the tent doors at night. I love to take my griddle to make panckes also.
That is a fantastic tip Kathy! I will be getting solar lawn lights before our next trip.
Glow sticks typically last one night. If they are still glowing in the morning, put them in the cooler and you might get some extra out of them.
I’m just wondering how long do the glow sticks last? Just for one night or do they regenerate for the next night?
That’s a good question Becky! I’ll ask the reader who suggested glow sticks.
They only last a few hours. For the tent gut lines use Nite Ize Reflective Guy Lines, since most people use a light when they go out at night, they work great.
take a large party coffee pot without the guts and keep it plugged in for a hot water heater ready for dishes washing up cocoa
Great idea!
um, where would you plug it in?
I would guess that would be for people who have trailers.
If you tent camp at a campground and use an electric site with an extension cord. We don’t back pack into the wild, and we have rope lights that go around the inside of our dining canopy, so we usually hook up to an electrical outlet.
Great tip Melinda!