Though packing s’mores essentials and printing out campfire songs are sufficient for many modern family camping trips, you at least want to rough it a little. Sometimes it’s more enjoyable to go back to the camping basics. Use the following list and double-check your bags for these essentials before you head to the campground.

A Beginner’s Family Camping Checklist

1. Tent

Even if you’re planning on spending the night under the skies and overarching trees, bring a tent as a backup. If it rains or swarms with mosquitos, you’ll want protection for a good night’s sleep. Before your trip, practice setting up the tent in the backyard to make sure you’ve got it down pat and there are no missing pieces.

2. Water Bottle & Filter

If you’re going hiking, you won’t want to blindly trust open water sources to fill your bottle. Lakes and rivers may contain high amounts of bacteria that can be harmful to your body. Bring a portable water filter with you. Even if you plan on packing your own water bottles from home, include a filter just in case you run out. 

3. First Aid Kit

Fill your first aid kit with scissors, bandages, antiseptic, adhesive, gauze, soap, a CPR mouth barrier, an emergency whistle, sunscreen, and bug spray. You can clean out any scrapes or cuts and bandage them up with no threat of infection. You can also easily wrap up ankles or toes if the new family hiking boots start to form blisters. Don’t forget to take the kit with you if explorations might range far from the campground.

4. Matches

You’ll need to start a campfire to keep you warm at night and heat up your meals. Bring many more matches than you need and pack them in different places in your bags—if some matchbooks get wet, you’ll have backups to spark a flame. Whatever you don’t use can be saved for future camping trips.

5. Rain Gear

Have you checked the weather? Even if it reports blue skies and mild winds, you should prepare for rain. Bring lightweight rain gear for each member of the camping crew and include protective gear for your camping packs to keep everything dry.

For your next family camping trip, try out some fun outdoor activities like disc golf, fishing, and zip-lining at Bigfoot Adventure TN. This campground is located in Tracy City on a beautiful 500-acre property and is the perfect way to enjoy the beauty of Tennessee nature. Call today at (931) 488-8652 to make a reservation or visit their website for more information on their campground and activities.