What to Pack for Your First Camping Trip

What to pack for camping?? This is the must-have list - what actually needs to be in the car for a weekend at a campground.

You'll find a handy printable version of this list in our Resources section to accompany this list, and an abbreviated phone download list.

Suggested comfort upgrades and clever extras will be in another article - see more blogs.

Plan and check your gear for a smoother trip. You'll be surprised how easy it can be to overlook the seemingly obvious.

1. The Absolute Basics: Shelter, Sleep, Light, Cooking

1. Shelter:

• tent (with all its pegs and poles - check them before you leave)

• groundsheet

• a mallet.

2. Sleep: 

   • Sleeping bag rated for the season

   • a mat or air bed for every sleeper

   • insulation from the ground matters as much as the bag

   • a pillow.

3. Light:  

• a head torch each

• a standing and/or hanging lantern

• spare light batteries. [The most-forgotten items in camping

4. Cooking: 

• stove and fuel

• lighter and matches

• a pot and a pan

• a sharp knife & chopping board

• plates, cups, cutlery

• the washing-up kit

2. Sleeping Gear and Clothing Layers

Australian nights get cold in every season. Pack warmer layers for evening than you think you will need - even in summer and especially inland. A beanie and warm socks weigh nothing and can rescue a bad night.

Think about your clothing in layers: base > warm > & waterproof. It's the same principal as going for a bushwalk.

Footwear: Pack not only shoes for the day, but something that's easy to slip on for a 2pm toilet walk with no hands - such as gumboots, cowboy boots or crocs. It's best that these are covered, and not thongs in case you stumble upon a slithery critter at night.

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3. Food, Water and the Esky

Water: carry your own. Many campgrounds have none, and sometimes tank water isn’t guaranteed drinkable. Bring more than you think. It's ideal that you bring a very large large container that's re-fillable. You may use more water than you think depending on the amenties at your campsite.

Esky with ice or freezer blocks. Bring frozen freezer blocks, make your own freezer blocks with tupperwear containers, and bring ice from the servo. Make sure that your food plan matches the limits of being able to keep it all cool and safe to eat.

Rubbish bags. Plan from the start to bring everything home with you. Separate your trash and recycling. If the park you're at has bins to use, consider it a bonus.

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4. First Aid, Safety and the Paperwork

•     First aid kit, including snake bandages, tweezers for ticks, and personal medication. See first aid kit in resources.

•     Sunscreen and insect repellent - the two most re-bought items in Australian camping.

•     Phone, charger and power bank; offline maps downloaded.

• Your booking confirmation, park entry pass if needed, and a check of park alerts and the fire danger rating before you leave. Camping safety blog coming soon.

What beginners often over-pack (and what they leave behind).

Usually overpacked:

clothes for a month, the entire kitchen drawer, three types of chairs, and gadgets that never leave their boxes.

Usually left behind:

spare batteries, warm gear for the night, enough ice, rubbish bags, and the tent pegs from the last trip

View Resources > Camping, what to bring, what to do & safety.