A Camping Guide for the Not-So-Outdoorsy Over-Packer

Suffice it to say, I am not an outdoorsy person. I love the sunshine and fresh air, enjoy walks and nature in all seasons, I delight at Spring blooms and evening strolls when no jackets are required and even walks in the rain (when properly outfitted). However, I don’t like feeling dirty and enjoy the simple pleasures of a comfortable bed and hot shower. So as you can imagine, camping has never been my thing. I’ve been twice to date, both times with large groups of friends in college—once on the beach in Pismo and once in Lake Tahoe by the Truckee River. Both experiences were fine, nothing traumatic happened to make me swear off camping (although I’ll likely never opt for beach camping again, it was SO uncomfortable), but I haven’t been since.

Brendan has been into the idea of going as a family for years now, but when it comes to planning, he usually leaves that to me and so it’s not that I was opposed, but I’ve never felt particularly inspired to sleep on the ground and without a shower so it hasn’t even crossed my mind much and we’ve never gone. But this year, we’re doing it! I figure I can manage 2 nights without complaints as long as I feel prepared. I’m definitely an over-thinker and have a need to feel prepared to enjoy most things (hello, control freak!). When I told my best friend that I was planning a camping trip and had been looking at camping lists furiously and asking everyone I knew what to bring and how campsites work, she replied “that makes sense for you”. And I found that as I was furiously Googling “how to go camping”, I was actually getting excited in the process of getting prepared.

I figure, if I can get excited about camping, maybe there’s someone else out there like me who enjoys nature, but isn’t outdoorsy, who loves experiences, but needs to be mostly prepared for them and who just needs a guide like this to take the leap and plan a trip this summer!

When to Go

So this is a no brainer for me and there is only one recommendation I have at this point in time. Go in the summer. I have zero interest in camping when it’s cold and/or raining.

Where to Stay

So obviously this depends on your location, how far you’re willing to travel and what season you’re looking to go in. On this trip, we just tagged along with my sister-in-law who had already booked a campsite, but if it were me, I would have chosen somewhere close to a lake. A lake in the summer serves two purposes, a daily activity and a way to feel fresh and more clean when you don’t have access to a shower. We stayed in the Portola Redwoods campgrounds which ended up being absolutely beautiful. Here are my recommendations for how to choose a campsite.

A campsite that has restrooms nearby. They don’t have to have flush toilets, but I’m not interested in digging a hole…
Near a body of water. Like I mentioned above, I don’t recommend the beach, so here I mean near a lake or river, which can provide both entertainment and make you feel a little more clean.
Speaking of water, the site needs to have running drinking water. For drinking, cooking, cleaning etc.
Drive up style. As the title of the post suggests, I’m an over-packer. I’ve been that way for over 30 years and have no intention of changing, so there is just no way that I’m hiking into a camping spot. My car doesn’t need to be right next to the site. But I need to be able to reasonably walk back and forth while unloading what’s bound to be my too many bags.
Campfire approved. This seems like a no-brainer, but being in California with all of the fire dangers, not all campsite allow a fire pit.

What to Pack

Of course, this is again dependent on where and when you’re going, but we went in the summer and it had been pretty hot out, but we were going to be in with the redwoods which would provide a lot of shade. Now I’m a classic over-packer, but the more uses you can find for each piece the better. Try not to bring anything with just one purpose, if you can. For example, the joggers I brought to put on in the evening when it got cold I also used as pajama pants. My general goal was to be comfortable, but still feel a little stylish. I did this by choosing a color palette that felt a little more fun. I had some neutrals, but then added in berry colors for my tops, sweatshirt, jacket etc.

Clothes

Tops
- Tanktop
- Short sleeve
- Long sleeve (you’ll like the option to have layers)
Pants/Shorts
- Yoga pants
- Joggers
- Shorts
- *I didn’t bring any jeans because I just wanted to be comfy, but you definitely could.
Outerwear
- Comfy sweatshirt
- Warm outer layer like this or this that you could add on top of the sweatshirt
Shoes
- Hiking or athletic shoes
- Flip-flops or Birkenstocks - great for hot weather, but also for putting on quickly if you have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
Socks/Undies
- I always pack one extra than the number of days I’ll actually need them
- Warm/tall socks for nighttime
- Sports bra
Pajamas - something warm, you could also double up and use your joggers as pjs if you wanted to limit the amount of stuff you’re bringing.
Swimsuit (if you’re near water)
Accessories
- Hat
- Beanie (for nighttime and cold mornings)
- Gloves (for nighttime and cold mornings)
- Bandana
- Day bag/small backpack - this is great if you’re planning to do any hiking or adventuring away from your campsite during the day.
- Sunglasses
Toiletries - I kept all my toiletries in small bags in a larger toiletry tote with a handle like this one, which made it easy to grab in the morning and night when we walked to the bathroom area.
- Toothbrush/paste
- Sunscreen
- Face wash
- Washcloth
- Handsoap
- Lotion
- Chapstick
- Eyedrops
- Bug spray (a must for me or I’ll be eaten alive)
- Anti-itch cream for when you inevitably get bitten anyway

***Camping* *Gear***

Tent - You can rent these if you don’t want to invest in one. One thing to note, the size of the tent notes how many people can fit in without bags. So if you are camping with two people, you’ll likely want a 3-4 person tent so that you can also have your bags in with you. We used this Wagontop 4 person tent for the three of us and it was perfect, spacious and you could stand up in it which I loved.
Sleeping bags
Sleeping pads - You won’t want to be directly on the ground, so bringing and inflatable pad to place under the sleeping bag in a must.
Pillows - I brought inflatable pillows which worked fine for me, but Brendan ended up bunching a blanket to use for him instead so to each their own! I don’t recommend bringing a pillow from home unless you designate it as a camping pillow because campfire smell does get everywhere and is challenging to get out.
Tarps - Your tent will likely have one that comes with it for under the tent, but it’s also nice to have one just outside of it so you can take on and off your shoes and try to keep your sleeping area a little cleaner.
Camping chairs - The best part about camping is sitting around the campfire right? You’ll want to be comfy. I spent a good amount of time researching the most comfortable chairs and while some of that is subjective, I picked this one because it got good ratings, it’s higher off the ground than some which I find more comfortable on my legs, the seat is sturdy and doesn’t sag, and it has cup holders. The only down side is it’s not very compact, but I didn’t find it heavy, just long.
Lights - We brought flashlights, lanterns and headlamps. Great for playing games when the firelight isn’t bright enough and for evening walks to the bathroom.
Towels - I brought a few small wash clothes, and since we weren’t showering or going to a lake, this wasn’t really necessary. I did bring some beach towels just in case which I ended up leaving in the car, but they also make light, easy to pack towels meant for camping.
Outdoor blankets
Firewood - Make sure you have enough of this, most sites will ask you not to burn the wood you find in the forest. We had a campfire going basically the whole time we were awake and at the site so you end up going through quite a bit!

What to Eat & How to Cook It

I thought of this section a couple of ways, what to bring to cook, eat and clean up and then also what kinds of foods to bring and what actual meals we ate.

Kitchen Supplies

Cooking stove - this one worked out great and was also adorably retro looking.
Propane tanks for the stove
Lighter
Can opener
Pot holders
Kettle
Pots & pans - this cook set my sister-in-law had is great and comes with a pot, pan, plates, bowls, utensils and drying rack for 4.
Wooden spoon, spatula, whisk
Knife
Roasting skewers
French press
Cooler
Utensils for eating
Plates, bowls, cups
Yeti mugs
Water bottles
Trash bags
Sponge
Wash bucket for cleaning dishes
Biodegradable dish soap
Dishtowel
Aluminum foil
Paper towels

Meal Ideas

Breakfast - eggs, bacon, tortillas, shredded cheese, instant oatmeal, fruit, and cinnamon rolls.
- We made breakfast burritos one morning and they were delicious, you could make them ahead of time and just heat them up, but we found it easy enough to make at the site.
- I bought the store bought cinnamon rolls and put them in an aluminum dish over the campfire and they were a delicious and fun treat.
Lunch - bread, sliced cheese, deli meat, condiments for sandwiches, peanut butter, jelly, instant ramen.
Snacks - dried fruit, trail mix, beef/turkey jerky, bars, fruit, and crackers.
Dinner - hot dogs ( I mean did you even camp if you didn’t eat hot dogs), mac n cheese, chicken and veggie skewers, cheesy potatoes.
- I marinated some chicken thighs and veggies ahead of time and then made them into skewers to cook over the fire the first night. I also pre-made some cheesy potatoes and wrapped them in individual aluminum foil packets so they just needed to be heated as well.
- Pasta like mac n cheese is easy to do over the camp stove, just remember that the water will take longer to heat on the little stove.
Dessert - marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, and hot chocolate.
Essentials - salt & pepper, condiments, butter, milk, coffee, and tea bags.

What to Do

Obviously this depends on your interests, the group you’re with and where you are.

Hike - Or at least walk around your campground area. We were with kids who were very anti-hiking so we didn’t get any hikes in, but were able to enjoy the area around us and explore a little bit.
Read or write - Bring book or notebook, sitting by the fire and reading or journaling in nature is super relaxing.
Games - Bring cards or small tabletop games with you. We brought a couple of new ones to try and it was a great activity for the whole group.
Roast marshmallows - Cooking will potentially take up a lot of your time since things are slow on the camp stove and fire, but that’s part of the fun. Roasting marshmallows seems like a must (even for me and I’m not a fan of s’mores) and is especially great if you’re with kids.

Other Tips

Before you go - Shower and wash your hair really well the morning you leave. If you’re like me and don’t like feeling dirty, you’ll want to make sure you feel extra clean from the start!
Packing your car - When packing up your car make sure your tent is easy to access first since it’ll be the first thing you want to set up on site and then you can move your bags into the tent after it’s set up.
Garbage - Your site should have a bear box where you need to put all your food at night, but also remember to take out the trash (or store it in the bear box as well. My niece taught me this cool trick to hang your garbage bag from your table.
Length of stay - Set yourself up for success! If this new for you, don’t bite off more than you can chew. We stayed for two nights and that seemed like just the right amount of time for a beginner like me to get a feel for it, but without going too long without a shower and comfortable bed.

Lastly, if camping is something that vaguely sounds like something you want to try or maybe your partner wants to go and you’re not so excited about it, figure what parts do sound fun and focus on those (hikes, campfire, taking nature photos, spending time away from screens). For me, the idea of writing this post felt exciting and that really helped me to get into planning the trip.