Car Camping Checklist: The Essentials for a First Trip

Before you pack, check three things for your campground: the weather forecast for the nights you'll be there, whether campfires are allowed right now, and its food storage rules. Those answers shape the rest of this list.

How to use it: lay everything out at home, check it off, and set up your tent once in the backyard or living room before the trip. You don't need everything here, and you don't need anything fancy. Borrowing gear for a first trip is a smart move.

Shelter and sleep

• Tent, with poles, stakes and rainfly. Count the stakes before you leave.
• Ground cloth or footprint that doesn't stick out past the tent floor, so rain doesn't collect on it and run underneath.
• Sleeping pad or air mattress, plus a pump if it needs one. The ground pulls heat from your body, so insulation underneath matters as much as the bag on top.
• Sleeping bag suited to the lowest temperature in the forecast, or blankets from home for a mild night.
• Pillow.
• Small mallet or rock for stakes, and a few spare stakes.

Kitchen and water

• Camp stove and fuel, plus a lighter or matches. Test the stove at home, outside, before the trip.
• Pot or pan, and a kettle if you want hot drinks.
• Plates, bowls, mugs and utensils, plus a spatula, serving spoon and knife.
• Cutting board.
• Cooler and ice, with raw meat sealed and kept away from ready-to-eat food.
• Food for every meal, plus snacks and one extra meal in case of delays.
• Water, carried from home or filled at the campground if it has potable water. Check ahead, because not every campground does.
• Water container or jug, and a way to treat water if you'll use natural sources.
• Dish kit: a basin or collapsible tub, a little biodegradable soap, a sponge, a small strainer for food scraps, and a towel.
• Trash and recycling bags. Plan to pack out everything you bring in.

Light and power

• Headlamp for each person. The NPS Ten Essentials list favors headlamps because they leave your hands free. Bring spare batteries.
• Battery-powered lantern for the picnic table or inside the tent.
• Phone charger or power bank, since you may not have a signal or an outlet.

Clothing layers

Even summer nights can turn cold, and weather changes fast. The NPS Ten Essentials includes extra clothing, such as a jacket, hat, gloves and rain shell, for exactly that reason.

• Base layer you can sleep in, kept dry.
• Warm mid layer, like a fleece or puffy jacket.
• Rain jacket.
• Warm hat and light gloves.
• Extra socks. Dry socks at bedtime are one of the easiest comforts in camp.
• Sturdy shoes, plus camp shoes or sandals.
• Sun hat and sunglasses.

Safety

• First aid kit, stocked for your group and your trip. The NPS Ten Essentials list says to customize your kit for your trip and keep it up to date.
• Prescription medications and any personal medical items.
• Sunscreen and insect repellent. Store these with your food where bears are present, because the NPS notes bears treat toiletries, sunscreen and bug spray as food.
• Map of the area, paper or downloaded, since cell coverage is often limited.
• Knife or multi-tool and a little duct tape for repairs.
• Fire tools, if fires are allowed: a lighter, fire starter, a bucket or jug of water and a small shovel for putting the fire out completely.
• Firewood bought near the campground. The NPS recommends buying firewood near where you'll burn it so you don't spread invasive pests.

Fuel-burning gear stays outside

Camp stoves, propane or fuel heaters, fuel lanterns and grills all produce carbon monoxide. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns never to use fuel-burning heaters or lanterns while sleeping in enclosed areas such as tents, campers and vehicles. It also names camp stoves as a carbon monoxide source when they're used inside. The risk is higher at high altitude.

• Cook and run any fuel-burning appliance outdoors in open air, never inside a tent, a vestibule or your car.
• Stay warm with your sleeping bag, pad and layers, not a heater.
• Know the warning signs the CPSC lists: headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness and confusion. The CPSC notes that flu-like symptoms while camping may be carbon monoxide poisoning. Get the person into fresh air and get medical help.

Campsite extras

These make camp more comfortable:

• Camp chairs.
• Tablecloth or clips for the picnic table.
• Tarp and cord for rain shade.
• Small broom or brush for sweeping out the tent.
• Clothesline and clips for damp towels.
• Bags or bins to keep the car organized, and a separate one for food and scented items.
• Toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
• A book or a deck of cards.

Before you leave camp

Do a last walk-around. Make sure your fire is cold to the touch, pack out every bit of trash, and leave extra firewood at the campsite or with the camp host instead of taking it home. Then write down what you wished you'd brought. That note will be the best checklist for your next trip.

Sources

• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Portable Heaters & Camping Equipment
• NPS: Ten Essentials
• NPS: Bears, Storing Food
• NPS: I Didn't Know That! Don't Move Firewood
• USDA Forest Service: Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Campfires

Last verified: November 1, 2026.