Top Camping Items You Can’t Forget

My friend, LeAnn, is a mom of 2 kids ages 8 and 10.  I’m lucky in that she agreed to write a few guest posts for me. Enjoy!

Fall is in the air and so is camping.  My family and I go camping a few times a year.  We try to go at least once is the spring and once in the fall.  We typically group camp with some of my husband’s friends and their families.  

The adults are able to sit back, relax, and enjoy grown up conversations while the kids play Lord of the Flies in the woods. Of course everyone knows the essentials that are necessary for a weekend off the grid.  

A tent, food, first aid kit, bug spray, plenty for everyone to drink, and a way to start a fire are things that most people would be sure to think of if asked to make a list of what to bring.  Here are a few things

Top Camping Items You Can’t Forget

I have found to be helpful that you may not think of or know about.

Telescoping Roaster Forks – (These are similar to the ones we have.)

These are a must have for roasting weenies and marshmallows.  We use these to make hot dogs for dinner and smores for dessert.  This is a quick and simple dinner that doesn’t require a ton of supplies or take much time.

When we were camping this weekend, one of our friends even stuck a whole steak on one of ours and roasted it over the fire! The best thing about these forks is that that they retract for easy storage.  Regular roasting forks are too long to fit in our camp cooking storage tub but we just slide these back down and pop them in the tub.

Towels 

This is is probably a no brainer for most people, but I left ours at home by mistake this time and it would have been much nicer to have them, so they are making the list!  

We have a tub of towels that is stored with our camping gear.  I use them to line the outer edge of the inside of our tent to help catch water if it rains.  One goes at the door for us to wipe our feet on when we enter the tent, and then of course we have them if we need to take showers.  

My husband asked if we could leave this tub behind this time and I said yes because there was no rain on the forecast and we were trying to cut back on what we were taking.  I realized the first night that this was a big mistake when my daughter came out of the woods looking more like dirt than girl and I had to clean her up with paper towels.  

I really wish I had taken a picture of her!  She took her clothes off in the bathroom when we got home and there was a dust cloud hanging around for 10 minutes!

2.5 Gallon Water Jug and Reusable Water Bottles – (Here is what the jug looks like.)  

You can find these at the grocery store.  They are so much better than having 24 plastic water bottles filling up your cooler and littered all over the campsite that have to be picked up before you leave.  

We took one of these this time and it worked so well that I wanted to add it to the list.  Just fill up everyone’s favorite reusable bottle and pop them in the cooler until you are ready to drink.  Refill them when they are empty and put them back in the cooler.  It only took about 30 minutes in the cooler for the water to get ice cold.

A Mini Pharmacy 

Everyone thinks of a first aid kit, but have you ever really looked at the contents of one of these?  They are good for bandages and antibiotic creams but what if someone gets a cough from the smoke of the camp fire?  What if someone gets a sting or bite?  (Hey- Holly here.  I can’t live with out this stuff!) The kit may have a dose or two of benedryl, but that won’t last the whole trip if you are staying for a few days and someone gets stung right after you arrive.

 I keep most of my medicines in a zip lock in the cabinet so that I can just pull it out and pack it whenever we are going anywhere.  Here are the things I like to make sure I have:  a cough medicine, a nightime cold and cough medicine, a daytime cold and cough medicine, a decongestant, a fever reducer, a pain reliever, eye drops for the occasional ash from the fire, a diaper rash cream, an antihistamine, antibiotic cream, a pain relieving antibiotic spray and a spare inhaler for my son.  

I know it seems like a lot of stuff, but having these things can keep you from having to end your trip early or make a trip into the nearest town for supplies.  Also make sure you have all the medicines that everyone takes on a daily basis.  And of course, don’t be like my husband and forget to actually use your asthma medicine that your wife packed for you!

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Smacos