Field Notes
I write these in first person. Each one answers a specific question I actually get — not “camping tips” in general.
If you landed here from search, you probably wanted a narrow answer. That is the point. Photos will land as I collect real trip shots. Full printable lists live under Checklists.
Kids
First Camping Trip With a Toddler: What I Actually Pack
A first-person toddler camping packing list: sleep, snacks, dirt, and the stuff I leave at home.
Read noteCamping With a 2-Year-Old: How I Keep the Day From Falling Apart
How I camp with a two-year-old: short walks, snack timing, and a site I can see from the picnic table.
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Camping With Kids in the Rain: What I Do Instead of Going Home
First-person rain plan for family camping: tarp, cards, dry bags, and when I actually pack up.
Read noteCamp Games That Aren’t Screens: What I Actually Bring
The no-screen camp games I pack: UNO, Catch Phrase, a disc, and why I skip giant yard-game sets.
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Should I Bring a Nintendo Switch Camping?
I bring a Switch for rain and late nights. I do not count on camp WiFi. Download first.
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How I Keep Kids Warm in a Tent
I warm the kid, not the air. Pad, bag, hat, dry socks. I do not run a heater in a tent.
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Camping Near a Lake With Kids: What I Add to the Bin
Closed-toe water shoes, a towel pile, life jackets if we float, and a site I can see the water from.
Read noteCamp kitchen
Car Camping Kitchen for 2 People: The Kit I Actually Pack
My two-person car-camping kitchen: one stove, one pan, and no 12-piece nesting city.
Read noteCar Camping Kitchen for 4 People: How I Feed a Small Crew
How I run a camp kitchen for four: two pans or a 17-inch tabletop, not a patio station.
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Car Camping Kitchen for 8 People: I Cook in Rounds
How I feed eight at camp without a patio island: batches, foil pans, and only then a 36-inch if the truck is empty.
Read notePortable Griddle vs Suitcase Grill for Camping
I use a tabletop griddle for smash burgers and fried rice. I use a suitcase grill when I want grate marks and less iron to scrape.
Read noteJetboil vs Two-Burner Propane: What I Pack for Which Trip
I take a Jetboil when I mostly boil. I take a two-burner when I want a real breakfast. I rarely take both.
Read noteHow I Season a Blackstone at Camp (And Why I Prefer to Do It at Home)
I season a camp griddle like cast iron: thin oil, heat, repeat. I do the first season at home when I can.
Read noteCamp Breakfast for a Crowd Without a 36-Inch Griddle
I feed a crowd on a 17-inch in batches. The 36-inch stays home unless the truck is empty.
Read noteWhat I Do Not Pack in a Camp Kitchen
The camp kitchen items I leave at home: extra pots, glass, and the 12-piece kit I used once.
Read note17-Inch vs 22-Inch Blackstone for Camping
I take the 17-inch for 2–4 people. I take a 22-inch when I want two burners and I still have trunk space. I skip hooded Buying Options listings.
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Picnic Table Camp Kitchen Setup: How I Lay It Out
Heat at one end, food at the other, trash off the table. I tarp the table if the sky looks sideways.
Read noteCamp chores
A Clothesline for Camping: The Cheap Thing I Always Forget Until I Need It
I hang a clothesline or 50 feet of cord for towels and swimsuits. Home Depot lists it. I still forget it.
Read noteDuct Tape at Camp: I Still Pack It
A torn rainfly, a cracked bin, a pad that hisses. I pack tape and a simple tent repair kit because I have needed both.
Read noteFirst trips
What I Do Not Buy for a First Camping Trip
Skip the $300 pack, the patio griddle, and the heirloom chair. Borrow, then buy the Big Five.
Read noteBest First Tent for Car Camping: What I Tell People to Buy
I send first-timers to a cheap dome they can set up in the yard, not a $500 ultralight palace.
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Car Camping vs Tent Camping for Beginners
I send most first-timers to a developed campground with a tent next to the car. Sleeping in the car is a different, valid trip.
Read noteFirst Camping Trip as a Couple: What I Pack and What I Skip
I pack one kitchen, two headlamps, and a pad each. I do not pack a test of the relationship in the rain without a backup plan.
Read noteSolo Car Camping: The Short List I Take
When I camp alone I pack less food theater and more ‘if I twist an ankle.’ One chair. One stove. Someone knows where I am.
Read noteGear calls
Is a $60 Camp Chair Worth It? Here Is How I Decide
For casual camp I treat $60 as the ceiling. Dirt wins. Helinox and YETI are for carrying or wanting, not needing.
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Cooler vs 12V Fridge for a Weekend: What I Take
For one or two nights I take ice. I buy a compressor fridge when I am already tired of ice runs.
Read noteDo I Need an Ultralight Tent for Car Camping?
No. I use ultralight when the tent is on my back. For car camp I want easy poles and I do not cry about ounces.
Read noteHelinox vs a Cheap Quad Chair: What I Own and Why
I sit in a cheap quad at car camp. I carry a Helinox when the chair is on my back. I do not mix up those jobs.
Read noteSnow Peak Titanium vs Aluminum Cookware: When I Splurge
I buy Snow Peak titanium when I carry the pot every weekend. For casual car camp I use cheap metal I can beat up.
Read notePower & screens
Camp WiFi Is a Rumor. Starlink Is Glamping.
Some parks have WiFi. I do not count on it. A hotspot sometimes works. Starlink is the honest paid fix.
Read notePower Bank vs Power Station for Camping
Phones get a small brick. Projectors and Starlink get a real station. I do not confuse the two.
Read notePortable Projector Camping Movie Night: How I Actually Run It
A projector is glamping. I start after dark, I use a laptop or downloaded files, and I size the battery to the lens.
Read noteDark skies
A Dark-Sky Telescope That Fits in a Trunk
I take Celestron-class glass, not mall-scope junk. A Travel Scope 70 or 15x70 binoculars fit a trunk. An 8-inch Dob is a truck item.
Read noteTrip food
Float Trip Food for a 2-Day River Trip
What I pack to eat on a two-day float: dry bags, no-cook lunches, and a Jetboil for the sandbar night.
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First Overnight Backpacking Food: What I Carry
I pack bag dinners, no-cook lunch, and a Jetboil. I do not invent a gourmet menu on a first overnight.
Read noteDay hiking
Day Hike Packing List That Isn’t Camping Gear
I leave the tent at home. A day hike is water, layers, food, a headlamp, and a 15–30L pack.
Read noteRigs
First RV Camping Trip Mistakes I Watch People Make
I treat an RV as systems: water, sewer, power, leveling. The packing list is not just food.
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Van Camping First Weekend: What I Pack in a Small Box
First van weekend I pack less than a tent trip. Every inch is a decision. The fridge only matters if power is real.
Read notePets
Camping With a Dog: What I Pack and What Campgrounds Actually Allow
I leash, I pick up, I do not leave a barking dog in a tent. Pet food attracts the same wildlife my food does.
Read noteSleep
Sleeping Bag Temperature Ratings: How I Read Them
I treat the number as survival, not comfort. I add 10–15°F and I do not skip the pad.
Read noteSleeping Pad vs Air Mattress for Car Camping
I use a pad for insulation. I use an air mattress when I want hotel height and I accept the pump and the leak.
Read noteSafety
First Aid Kit for Family Camping: What I Actually Put In It
Bandages, blister care, kids’ meds I already use, tweezers. I do not buy a 400-piece kit I cannot find a wipe in.
Read noteHow Much Water I Bring Car Camping
I plan about a gallon per person per day if the site has no reliable spigot, plus cooking and a little extra.
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Bear Country Food Storage When I Am Car Camping
I use the locker if there is one. I do not leave a cooler on the table overnight and call it fine. Pet food counts.
Read noteA Whistle and a First Aid Kit I Will Actually Carry
Home Depot lists a whistle per person. I put one on each kid’s pack. It is cheaper than a story.
Read noteFire
How I Start a Campfire When the Wood Is Wet
I split to dry heartwood, I use tiny stuff first, and I carry matches plus a ferro rod. Fancy handles do not light wet oak.
Read noteWeather
What I Do If It Rains All Weekend
Tarp over the table, dry clothes in a bag, cards, and a real leave-if-we-need-to rule. I do not romanticize hypothermia.
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Hot Weather Camping: What I Add to the List
Shade, extra water, electrolytes, a fan only if I have power. I do not ‘tough out’ heat with kids.
Read noteCold Weather Car Camping Below 40°F
I spend money on the bag and the pad. I do not spend it on a cute chair. Below 40 I treat the rating honestly.
Read notePacking
How I Pack a Truck Bed for Camping and Still Have Room
Soft bags against the cab, hard bins, last-out first-in. The 36-inch griddle only if the bed is supposed to be a kitchen.
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What I Leave at Home on Purpose
The extra pot, the third chair, the patio griddle, the clothes I will not wear. Leaving things home is a skill.
Read noteGroups
Camping With a Big Group: How I Keep Dinner From Becoming a Meeting
I assign a meal captain, I cook one anchor dinner, and I do not let eight people hover over one spatula.
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