The Camping Checklist (Printable)

This is the camping checklist we'd hand a friend before their first trip. It's built for car camping and short tent trips, not backpacking. The printable version is at the bottom.

How to use this list

Don't buy everything at once. Start with the core: shelter, sleep, light, water, and a way to cook. That gets you through a night. Add the rest after your first trip shows you what you actually missed.

Three rules that save most trips:

• Set up your tent at home first. In the yard, in daylight. Find the missing pole now, not at 9 p.m. in the rain.
• Pack by system, not by person. One bin for the kitchen, one for tools and light, one duffel per person for clothes. You'll find things faster and you won't forget the lighter.
• Check the forecast and the fire rules. Burn bans are common in Florida during dry spells. Call the park or check its website before you plan around a campfire.

If you're driving to the site, bring the heavier, cheaper version of almost everything. That's the whole advantage of car camping.

Shelter and sleep

Bad sleep ruins more camping trips than bad weather. Spend your money here first.

Coleman Skydome tent The Skydome is the tent we'd point most beginners to. It sets up fast with color-coded poles, it's priced in budget territory, and it comes in sizes from 2-person to 8-person. The downside: it's a fair-weather tent. It handles a summer shower fine, but in a real Gulf Coast thunderstorm with sideways rain you'll want to seam-seal it and stake the rainfly tight. Size up by one person, because a "4-person" tent fits four people with zero gear. Check price on Amazon

Klymit Static V sleeping pad A pad matters more than your sleeping bag. The ground pulls heat out of you, and roots and shells dig into your hips. The Static V packs small, inflates in a couple dozen breaths, and the V-shaped baffles keep you from rolling off. Honest downside: it's a bit narrow for broad-shouldered sleepers, and it's not very insulating for cold-weather trips. For Florida camping most of the year, that's not a problem. Check price on Amazon

Also pack:

• Footprint or cheap tarp under the tent. Fold it so no edge sticks out past the floor, or it'll funnel rain right under you.
• Sleeping bag rated for the low, not the average. In summer on the Gulf, a light blanket or sheet beats a bag.
• Pillow. Bring the one from your bed if you're car camping. Nobody's grading you.
• Extra stakes and a mallet. The stakes that ship with budget tents bend in sandy or hard-packed soil.

Camp kitchen

Two burners, one pot, one pan, and a cooler handle almost any car camping menu.

Coleman Classic propane stove The two-burner Coleman is the default camp stove for a reason. It runs on the 1-pound green propane cylinders sold everywhere, it's tough, and it's cheap. Downside: the wind guards are weak, so in a breeze it burns more fuel and boils slower. Set it behind your car or a cooler. Never run it inside a tent, camper, or garage. Camp stoves make carbon monoxide, and the CDC is clear that fuel-burning appliances belong outside. Check price on Amazon

Jetboil Flash If you drink coffee, get a Jetboil. It boils water in a couple of minutes, which means hot coffee before anyone else is out of the tent. It also works for freeze-dried meals and instant oatmeal. Downside: it's a water-boiler, not a cooker. Don't try to fry eggs on it. It's also mid-range priced for what it does, but it's the piece of gear people keep using after the trip. Check price on Amazon

YETI Tundra or RTIC cooler In Florida heat, a cheap cooler turns your ice to water by lunch on day two. A rotomolded cooler holds ice for days. The YETI Tundra is the benchmark. The RTIC hard cooler does most of the same job for noticeably less money, and that's the one we'd buy first. Downside for both: they're heavy, and a 45-quart full of ice is a two-person carry. Pre-chill it the night before with a sacrificial bag of ice. Check price on Amazon Check price on Amazon

Also pack: a lighter plus a backup (push-button igniters fail), a pot, a skillet, a spatula, a sharp knife, plates, cups, utensils, biodegradable soap, a sponge, and trash bags.

Water

Plan on at least 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and basic cooking. That's the same baseline Ready.gov uses for emergency water. In summer heat, plan for more. Many Florida campgrounds have potable spigots, but don't assume. Check before you go.

Sawyer Squeeze A small filter that screws onto a pouch or water bottle and turns lake or creek water into drinkable water. It's cheap, light, and rated to filter a huge volume before you need to replace it. Downside: it's slow compared to a pump, and you have to backflush it to keep the flow up. It also doesn't remove chemicals or viruses, so treat suspect water with tablets too. For car camping it's backup. For emergencies it's essential. Check price on Amazon

Bring a 5-to-7-gallon water jug with a spigot for camp. It beats juggling a dozen plastic bottles.

Clothing

Pack for the worst weather in the forecast, not the best. Skip cotton for anything you'll sweat in or get wet in. It holds water and won't dry overnight.

• Moisture-wicking shirts, one per day plus one
• Quick-dry shorts or pants
• Rain jacket (a real one, not a poncho, if storms are possible)
• Warm layer for night, even in summer near the water
• Socks, one pair per day plus two. Wet feet are miserable.
• Camp shoes or sandals, plus closed-toe shoes for hiking
• Hat and sunglasses
• Sleep clothes that stay dry and never leave the tent

Light and power

Everyone gets their own light.

Black Diamond Spot headlamp A headlamp beats a flashlight because you need both hands to cook, set stakes, and find things in a bag. The Spot is bright, waterproof, runs on AAA batteries, and has a red mode that won't blind everyone at the fire. Downside: the button menu takes a few minutes to learn. Read the card that comes with it before your trip, not in the dark. Check price on Amazon

Also pack:

• A lantern for the picnic table and the inside of the tent. LED, not propane, inside the tent.
• Spare batteries in the sizes your gear uses.
• A power bank big enough to recharge phones twice. Your phone is your map, your weather radio, and your emergency contact.
• Car charger cable, if you're car camping.

First aid and safety

You need more than a box of bandages.

• First aid kit with blister care, tweezers, antiseptic wipes, gauze, tape, pain reliever, antihistamine, and any personal meds.
• Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher. Reapply after swimming.
• Whistle for every kid.
• Fire extinguisher or a bucket next to the fire ring.
• Weather alerts on your phone. If you hear thunder, get out of the tent and into your car.
• Printed map and campground info. Cell service drops out at a lot of Panhandle state parks.

Tools

A short tool kit handles most of what breaks at camp.

• Multi-tool or pocket knife
• Duct tape (wrap some around a water bottle so it's always on hand)
• Paracord, 50 feet
• Hatchet or folding saw, if fires are allowed and you're collecting deadfall
• Small shovel
• Tent repair kit (pole sleeve, patches)
• Zip ties

ALPS Mountaineering or Coleman camp chair Technically not a tool, but you'll use it more than anything else on this list. The ALPS King Kong is wide, sturdy, and built for bigger folks. The Coleman Broadband or cooler-quad chair is the budget pick, and the cooler-arm version keeps a drink cold at your elbow. Downside: the bulky chairs eat trunk space, so count them before you load the cooler. Check price on Amazon Check price on Amazon

Hot-weather and bug add-ons for the Gulf Coast

Florida camping from May through October is a different sport. Heat, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and afternoon storms are the real threats.

Thermacell E55 or MR450 This is the one item that changes Florida camping. A Thermacell sets up a zone of repellent around your picnic table so you can sit outside at dusk without DEET on every inch of skin. The E55 is rechargeable, so no butane cartridges. The MR450 is cheaper and runs on butane. Downside: it works in a zone, not on the move, and a stiff breeze blows the zone away. Still bring repellent for hikes. Check price on Amazon Check price on Amazon

Also pack for heat and bugs:

• Battery-powered tent fan. The difference between sleeping and lying awake in a sweat.
• No-see-um mesh. Cheap tents often use bigger mesh that lets sand gnats through. Check yours.
• Picaridin or DEET repellent, plus permethrin for clothes if ticks are around.
• Shade canopy with sidewalls. Shade is half the battle at midday.
• Electrolyte packets. Plain water alone won't keep up when you're sweating all day.
• Sand stakes for beach campgrounds. Regular stakes pull right out.
• Cooling towels for the back of your neck.

Pick a shaded site and pitch the tent so the door catches the breeze.

First-timer extras

Not essential, but they make a first trip better.

• Camp table if the site has no picnic table.
• Two collapsible bins for washing dishes.
• Clothesline and clips for wet towels.
• A doormat outside the tent door to keep sand out.
• Earplugs. Campgrounds are louder than you think.
• Firewood bought near the campground. Many parks ban outside wood because it spreads pests.

Start with one night close to home. If something goes wrong, you can drive back for it.

Gear that pulls double duty in an emergency

Here's the part most camping lists miss. Almost everything on this page is also hurricane gear. When the power's out for a week after a storm, you're basically camping in your own house.

The stove cooks when the kitchen's dead (outside only, never in the garage, same for generators). Headlamps and lanterns beat candles, which start house fires. The Sawyer is backup if the water system fails. The tent fan keeps you sane in a 90-degree house with no AC.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management recommends having supplies for at least 7 days. Your camping bins cover a big chunk of that. Read our guide on camping gear for emergencies to see which pieces earn their spot in both kits, then cross-check it against the Florida hurricane kit checklist.

If you're thinking about a grab-and-go bag too, the bug out bag checklist uses a lot of the same gear in a lighter form. And keep a few basics in the trunk year-round with a car emergency kit.

Florida buyers: since August 1, 2025, many disaster-prep items are permanently exempt from state sales tax, including batteries, tarps, and portable generators (power stations and power banks aren't on the list). Check the Florida Dept. of Revenue list for exact items and size limits before you shop.

Print this or screenshot it. Check items off as they go in the car.