If you’re anything like me, the thought of camping brings the idea of unplugging from our daily lives and enjoying the simplicity of nature. It’s that much-needed getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and getting in tune with the current season and our bodies. When else do you have the luxury of sitting around a campfire for 8+ hours to listen to what your body and the breeze have to say? It sounds great, right? But what happens when the logistics get in the way and you’re suddenly overwhelmed at the thought of leaving your material belongings behind even if it’s only for the weekend?
You can do a quick Google or Pinterest search to see what “Camping Checklist” fits your criteria and resonate with your needs but those tend to get lengthy quickly. At least that’s what happened to me when I decided to take my three daughters, one dog, and myself on a three-day, two-night camping trip. And it’s not like minimalism, children, and animals really go together but I made it work and I’ll show you how!
Let’s start with the basics. Honestly, that’ll be all you’ll really need!
Shelter and Bedding
This may seem completely obvious but I can’t risk not including it. Bring your tent and bedding! I do suggest always setting up your tent before you leave on your trip to ensure that all of the pieces are there and functioning because finding that out after you’re miles away from home is no fun. As for bedding, make sure the sleeping bags are washed and ready to go or if you’re not using those have your blankets and pillows ready to go.
Food
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of food is my morning coffee! That’s one thing I will not skimp on and refuse to go without. I brought my Simple Truth organic mushroom instant coffee and it was nice to only have to heat my water in the mornings. Next, figure out many breakfast and dinner meals you’ll be out for and prep for those ahead of time.
For breakfast, I prepped breakfast burritos with eggs, peppers, potatoes, and cheese, wrapped them in tin foil, and packed them in the cooler! I’m telling you, it’s an absolute game-changer when all you have to do is toss your food on a fire to let it warm up. Then I packed some hotdogs and pre-made a tasty baked Mac N’ Cheese that again, only needed to be heated up on the fire.
And for lunch, we ate snacks! Because snacks are amazing and my kids tend to play through their lunches and so quick healthy snacks work best like pepperonis, cheese sticks, crackers, and veggie straws. As for drinks, I strongly dislike single-use plastic water bottles so instead we packed our insulated metal water bottles and brought gallon jugs of water instead.
Lastly, don’t forget the backbone of camping traditions – S’MORES!
Cookware
I do like single-use utensils, cups, paper plates, and keeping my food in tin foil for easy packaging and minimal bulk. Because coffee is my love language, I brought my teapot that was easy to set on our fire for those early morning coffees. Our at-home BBQ grate was a lifesaver as I could put it over our campfire and use it as a flat surface to heat up food on. I also had a metal tray that I used alongside a small propane stove that I could heat food on. I love a traditional campfire, but yes I also brought a propane stove. Why? Because I live in Arizona and June is one of our windiest months and wildfires are no joke. So the stove was our backup in case it was too windy for a
traditional fire.
Storage
For our food storage, I used an Ozark cooler that held two bags of ice along with all of the food we needed. And my insulated Costco bags did great holding all of our dry food items. Trash bags are a necessity for me when camping because I like to embody the Sasquatch motto of “Be like Sasquatch. Enjoy your time in nature but leave no trace you were there” or something like that, but you get the idea!
Personal Items
You’re obviously going to need your clothes, but honestly, if you want to keep things minimalistic you can re-wear a shirt or pants for the following day so your bags aren’t as heavy. It’s not like you’re going to have a fashion show so what’s the point, right? Don’t forget your toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and baby wipes. Those wipes are wonderful at wiping your face or hands off!
Animal Belongings
Yes, my old man embarked on this adventure with us so I also packed his water and food dish along with his dry dog food. He’s kind of an easy-keeper in those terms and doesn’t need too much to sneak away from the house with the rest of us.
I know as you read this you may think this is a lot but it really isn’t. It was the necessities I needed to get a family of four and one dog away for an entire weekend. I encourage you to think of all the things you and your children and dogs use in a typical day because if you’re anything like us, it’s a whole heck of a lot more than what we packed! I appreciate you sticking with me through this whole post and if there’s something you like to bring on your camping trips and I didn’t mention it above, please reach out to me on my personal IG @unbridledmama.
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