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.
Wow I have picked up several really useful tips, my husband and I are new to camping so we can use all the help we can get. I don’t know how we would have done it without Pinterest, I have learned a lot.
Solar lights
I’ve used glow sticks and solar lights before. Now I came across a new trick: paint a few rocks with glow in the dark paint and place them wherever needed (around the tent, to mark a path…). Definitely going to try it this year.
Solar showers. We use them to heat water for washing hands and dishes. it comes in handy for day two or three shower.
If you’re using the solar lights, you can put them in an upside down terra cotta potting plant instead of steaking them into the ground. This way they are easily movable!
1. You can get a pop up hamper at the dollar store and line it with a garbage bag for trash. Get one in a different color for you recyclables.
2. You can stuff toilet paper rolls with shredded paper or dryer lint and use it as a fire starter. Add dried sage and it will keep the bugs away too.
What about cooking over the open fire like a tripod or other open fire grills? We use and love the Tough Tripod grill. Nothing like cooking over an open campfire! 🙂
I always have my daughter wear her light up shoes – always know where she is at night. We also use the solar landscape lights for guy lines and other toe hazards!
I LOVE that idea!!! So simple.