Pack What You Need for Your Summer Camping Trip

Every time I go camping, I make a list of things I absolutely need to pack. And every year, I forget something that ends up making a big difference. Now I want to be absolutely clear here. While RVs are nice as far as portable living rooms go, when I say camping, I mean the old-fashioned way. You know—in a tent. Camping isn’t really about getting back to nature unless you pitch a tent, sleep on the ground, and cook over a campfire. Whether you pitch your tent in the deep wilderness or on a lot in a state park, camping exposes you to the elements and you need certain things to make your camping trip successful. Here are ten things to put on your packing list that you don’t want to forget.

1. Hammer

In order to successfully pitch your tent, you need to pound the tent stakes into the ground with something. That’s where your trusty hammer comes in. If you forget your hammer, expect to spend way too much time stomping repeatedly on your tent stakes with your flip-flops, then ransacking your car for a heavy book.

2. Sturdy rope

Chances are, you chose your camping spot because of its proximity to a beach. Every time you go swimming, take a shower, or rinse your clothes out, you’re going to need to do something with your wet towel, bathing suit, or clothes. If it rains and your tent floods, you’ll also have a wet sleeping bag on your hands.

Don’t forget to take a rope to string between a couple of trees for a clothesline. There’s nothing worse that a pile of wet stuff on the floor of your tent, stinking up your sleeping area.

3. Newspaper