Packing
Camping Checklist
Seven trip templates covering everything from a backpacking weekend to an RV trip. Tick items off as you pack, add your own, drop the sections you do not need, then print a clean sheet to check against before you close the boot.
Four steps
How to use the camping checklist
- 1
Pick a template
Seven trip types, from a backpacking weekend to an RV trip, each with its own item set.
- 2
Tick as you pack
Work through the list on screen, ticking items as they go in the bag.
- 3
Choose what prints
Hide packed items to print only what is still outstanding.
- 4
Print and check
Download the PDF and do a final pass against the sheet before leaving.
Pack in categories, not in order of thought
The reason checklists work is not that they remind you of individual items, it is that they remind you of whole categories. People rarely forget the tent; they forget that lighting exists as a category and therefore arrive with no torch, no lantern and no spare batteries.
Work down the categories in order and pack each completely before moving on. It is slower than grabbing things as they occur to you and it is the reason nothing gets missed.
What changes between trip types
| Template | Priority | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| General | Balance | A serviced site still needs a torch and a bin bag |
| Car camping | Comfort | Overpacking, weight is free but space is not |
| Family | Children | Spare clothes, entertainment, medication |
| Backpacking | Weight | Water treatment, navigation, emergency shelter |
| RV | The vehicle | Tanks, levelling, hook-up adapters, tyre pressures |
| Kids | Independence | Keep it short enough that they finish it |
| Beach | Sun and sand | Shade, fresh water, tides and pegs that hold |
The things people actually forget
- Head torch and spare batteries: the single most missed item.
- Bin bags: rubbish, wet clothes, emergency waterproofing, groundsheet.
- Something to sit on: a night on a groundsheet gets old fast.
- A working lighter: test it before you leave, not at the campsite.
- First aid: plasters, painkillers, antihistamine, any prescriptions.
- Power: a battery pack, because your phone is also your map and torch.
- Sun cream and insect repellent: trivial to pack, miserable to lack.
Two lists are better than one
Print the checklist twice. Use the first at home while packing, and leave the second in the car or at the top of a bag to check against when you pack up to leave. Tent pegs, phone chargers and children’s shoes are lost on the way home far more often than on the way out.
Related planning tools
For a custom list of your own items, the to-do list maker takes any text you paste and prints it with tick boxes. The meal planner handles camp catering and generates the shopping list, and the calendar is useful for booking and tide planning.
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