Camping in Fort Pickens Pensacola Florida

Campgrounds Historical South

Being a Florida native, I am always looking for the best places to camp in Florida when we come back on vacation! Not only is it generally cheaper than a hotel, but you get to experience so much more of the area being in touch with nature. Several times we have gone camping in Fort Pickens in Pensacola – it’s definitely our go-to camping spot in the area.

Can you walk to the beach from Fort Pickens Campground?

Yes absolutely! Aside from the cheap price to camp, this was my biggest question! Fort Pickens is SO much bigger than I had expected. You CAN walk or bike around, but we usually opt to drive since we’ve got kids and usually go when it’s pretty hot out!

Aside from beach access, there are also great hiking trails including the Florida National Scenic Trail! As packed and busy as the park says they are, there is SO MUCH ROOM and land that it’s easy to find your own secluded spot here. Although we tend to stay off season due to our work schedule.

A note about Florida wildlife – do NOT touch anything that you aren’t 100% sure of what it is! Above are two different types of jellyfish that washed up on shore – one of which is a Portuguese man-of-war. I can guarantee you that this will ruin your trip if you touch it! Please pre-warn your kids as well.

You’ll also occasionally find floating comb jelly which look like small ping pong ball sizes clear blobs. Florida has an amazing diversity of wildlife to enjoy.

While I have not found the best seashells on the beaches by Fort Pickens, you can drive down to Navarre beach for some better shelling options – especially first thing in the morning before the crowds come! Believe it or not we actually found a large shark’s tooth once which was rare!

How much does it cost to stay at Fort Pickens Campground?

I definitely recommend going through their website for the most up to date information here, but when we visited it cost around $26 per night for tent camping. While there is no general camp store on site, there is access to laundry and a dump station for RVs. You can also find a National Park Service gift shop too.

Any time we have been, the campgrounds have been quiet enough and have perfectly suited our needs – which is to be close to the beaches! You definitely can’t beat the price and location!

How much does it cost to go to Fort Pickens?

You’ll need to pay around $25 per vehicle to get into the Gulf Islands National Seashore area (Fort Pickens included!) – BUT the great thing is that this pass is good for up to 7 days! So if you’re camping here a week or less you’re all set with the one fee.

The National Seashore ALSO extends into Mississippi so if you happen to be going to both areas, the one fee for the Gulf Islands National Seashore covers BOTH locations. You can view all of the current entrance fees here.

Is Fort Pickens a military base?

It was! It’s no longer an active military base, but it absolutely has a long military history from the early 1800’s to the mid 1900’s. In fact it’s one of the largest brick forts built in the United States! It is now part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and you can explore the area on your own! As you can see from the photos in this post, there is a LOT of ground to cover! And this is only part of it!

There are canons, there are dark tunnels and hallways, and there are amazing scenic views. There is even a “hidden” closed off entrance in the sand dunes. Fort Pickens is definitely a must visit place!

Is there fishing at Fort Pickens?

YES! Man we had a BLAST fishing at Fort Pickens! There is a pier you can drive to inside the park grounds, but anytime we’ve been the pier has been packed so we have opted to fish on shore with the kids. At least until the crowd clears out a bit then we move up to the pier.

We’ve still caught some sizeable red drum offshore this way and it was great for the kids that want to run around in the sand! I do recommend having a flashlight or phone lights at night though because it is difficult to see.

Recommendations for Camping in Fort Pickens:

I highly recommend coming well prepared. There is no “quick and easy” place to shop for supplies. You’ll need to go into Pensacola away from the beaches for shopping – and it’s a bit of a trek.

Sunscreen is an absolute must – no matter what time of year it is. The sun is never on vacation in Florida!

I do also recommend bringing bug spray – we typically don’t need it being off of the beaches but we keep it on hand in case we do. If you have kids, make sure you bring some sand toys!

Don’t forget any fishing gear (this includes a possible fishing license), camping gear, etc. that you want. You can use grills at the campground only (not at the beach) as well as campfires (again, campgrounds only).

*FISHING LICENSE – You do NOT need a fishing license if you are planning on fishing from the Fort Pickens pier! However, if you plan to fish elsewhere, please make sure you know the rules. You can see specific Fort Pickens fishing regulations here.

There are LOADS of free beaches to pull off on the side of the road and visit on your way into Fort Pickens. Miles of them in fact! But be forewarned there are NO bathrooms. It’s primitive and it’s stunningly beautiful. You literally feel like you’re driving where no one else has been before – it’s breathtaking.

There are no quick lunch spots once you get down to the Fort Pickens stretch of road so you’ll want to be well prepared with your own food and water.

What I love about exploring Fort Pickens is that walking through the tunnels is a great way to cool off from the Florida sun! Honestly we never spend much time at the campsite. We are at the beaches or exploring the fort during our entire stay and we only go back to the campgrounds to sleep. A lot of times we’re too tired even for a campfire!

Some of the tunnels require a flashlight or phone light to make it through to the end which my kids of course explored every nook and cranny! It is amazing to stand here and reflect on what it must have looked like when it was an active military installation! It’s such a maze!

We usually just go to Fort Pickens for a few days when we get a break off of school around Thanksgiving, so unfortunately we haven’t had nearly as much time to explore the area as we should, but you can see here there are ALL sorts of things to do without ever leaving the Fort Pickens area!

Camping in Fort Pickens is surprisingly CHEAP and a fantastic location in relation to the beaches. It’ll always be our go-to spot in the area when we’re looking to save a few bucks!

Before You Buy a Camper READ THIS

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As our kids get older our list of places we want to take them in the US is growing larger and larger so I knew we had to narrow down road trip expenses even more if we wanted to keep up on road trips the next few years.

(Don’t think you can afford a camper or travel? This is our saving for travel method here.)

Although we have talked about the idea of a buying a camper for several years now and saving for it we just never pulled the plug until this year. And in the next 2 years we will have already saved the money on travel that we spent on our camper.

Our kids are 13, 11 and 5. Soon they’ll all be teenagers with jobs, extracurricular schedules, and then grown and out of the house. This camper was an investment in our family. Remember how I said we hit the road hard in the summers? Well one summer we went camping across 9000 miles! Read more about our trip here.

Add up the cost of lodging and the ability to make all of our meals instead of eating out 3x’s a day and there’s the cost of our camper right there- without needing to unpack and repack every night. It absolutely adds to the convenience and although you can certainly spend a fortune buying a camper, you don’t have to!

However when we bought our camper we quickly learned there were a few more expenses than we had planned on. So if you’re considering purchasing a camper here are a few things to keep in mind that I wish we had know before buying.

What to Know Before Buying a Camper:

1.. Future Trip Expenses – This was the most obvious thing we considered. A camper is WAY cheaper per night than a hotel hands down (from free to $30ish/night, but sometimes it’s more than tent camping. (more below on overnight costs and tips) Sometimes there are different fees and options for hooking up (electricity, water, etc.) and of course if you have a bathroom in your camper you’ll need to consider the possibility of dumping fees (although many places include dumping for free).

But you’ll also need to factor in the difference on gas mileage, maintenance (tires, windows, seals, screens, awnings, etc.). And if you’re like us you may take more mini trips closer to home than you normally would because “it’s so cheap” – but it’s still an additional expense to consider.

2. Hitch & Tow Capacity – Ah yes, did I tell you we drive a mini van? Typically they don’t tow much – at all. This was the biggest thing holding us back (aside from cost of course) the past several years. We couldn’t figure out what exactly our vehicle could handle. After talking with several mechanics, referring to the car manual and reading a zillion online forums we finally put together what our vehicle could handle.

However, in order to tow most vans will need an additional towing package installed. Along with that you will need to have a ball hitch on the back of your vehicle. (obviously) This setup can run another $200-$600 if you don’t have one.

For our specific make and model Town & Country we also would have needed to install a specialty transmission cooling system which would have run about $600 except that again, we lucked out BIG time and found out that ours was already installed when we purchased it. If you need to modify your vehicle the initial expenses can add up.

3. Sway Bar & Stabilizer – As newbie campers we found out about these things after buying our camper and giving it a spin in town. Although not required you may find yourself in need of at least a stabilizer depending on your vehicle and possibly a sway bar.

So when we hooked up our cute little camper to our minivan we found that the van sits so low to the ground (compared to a big truck) that our camped leaned into the van and the middle tongue joint was dangerously low to the ground (I’m talking just a few inches off the ground). Any bump we went over would hit the concrete.

Although we were able to partially adjust this by cutting pipes we will definitely need to purchase a stabilizer before heading on any longer trips. (a stabilizer will help redistribute the weight so that the tongue joint sits up higher off the ground)

TIP – if you find this to be your problem try flipping your ball hitch around – it’s made to sit higher on one side! It helps at least a few inches. A good stabilizer can easily set you back a few hundred dollars and so can a sway bar.

4. Taxes, Title Transfer, & Insurance – Ah, the nitty gritty legal details. YES – even if it’s a pull behind camper it still needs to be insured! At least in my state – double check your state laws. Either way I recommend it.

You’ll have to pay taxes based on the purchase amount, fees for title transfer (although usually nominal) and insurance costs each year. For us it added about $100 annually onto our insurance policy. Not a deal breaker but something to factor in.

A note on insurance – although it’s certainly an extra expense it may just pay itself off! Sadly about a year after we had our first camper while we were driving in the middle of the night one of the tires shredded off on the highway and ripped out pretty much everything inside the camper including the tanks and wires. It was a total loss – but covered by insurance!

5. Propane – If you have any appliances or heater in your camper that runs on propane this will be an added expense. Or of course if you decided to use a propane grill. We have decided to use as much electricity as we can when we hook up at campgrounds to save on propane costs but don’t forget to factor in the possibility of this cost!

We are even bringing this electric air/heater on the cold/hot nights instead of running the gas all night. We also do a lot of cooking on this electric stove top we just set on top of our propane stove to save the extra expense.

6. Filling the Camper – This isn’t necessarily a cost you think of when considering the purchase of a camper but it’s definitely one to keep in mind – especially if you’re on a strict budget or tight income. Depending on your camper you may need things like sleeping bags, bed sheets, RV safe toilet paper, storage containers, pots/pans, dishes, towels, flashlights, Command strips, camping chairs, cooking utensils, tarp, rope, screen/vinyl repair kits, camper locks, and a myriad of other supplies you may need while traveling.

These are mostly all great to buy second hand and items you can purchase while you are saving for your camper.

A Few Thoughts on Lodging:

I’m not going to go into huge detail on lodging because there is plenty you can find by looking online but a few thoughts and tips that might be helpful.

National Parks – If you want to stay at a National Park (like Yellowstone, Redwood Forest, etc.) I recommend getting a reservation as EARLY as possible – like 12 months before if you can. There are many places that don’t take reservations. You can try your luck at driving in to see if they have open camping spots for the night but with smaller kids and the amount of miles we put on a road trip we personally want our reservations set in place. Note that many locations do NOT have complete hookups.
State Parks – This is where we have the most reservations right now since we only spend a night or 2 in one spot before moving on. These are typically CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP! I’m talking about $15-$20 a night. Some high traffic areas cost more but overall extremely affordable. Again make sure you see what kind of hookups the park offers, bathrooms, showers, electricity, dumping, etc. And some states (like Wisconsin and Michigan) require you to have a state parks pass in order to enter the parks including for camping.
Boondocking & Dispersed Camping – We don’t have much experience with this yet but we will! It’s absolutely FREE, there are no reservations, and they are usually outside of campground areas in the middle of nowhere. Great for peace and quiet, but remember there are no bathrooms, trash cans, water, electricity, etc. so it is primitive. Plus camping on forest park service land is free!
Parking Lots – Need a free night or somewhere to sleep in a pinch? ALWAYS double check first but many rest areas, visitors centers, Walmart, and other large retail stores or outdoor stores (like Cabela’s) will allow you to spend 1 night in their parking lots. Again do some research and look around. It’s always a good idea to ask the location before you set up camp for the night of course. Just know that high traffic area means more lights and more noise at night – but free is free.
Private Campgrounds – I use google and Roadtrippers to search for other nearby campgrounds. Not always but typically these cost a little more a night ($30-$40ish) per night but also have better amenities which can be a huge bonus if you are traveling with kids or staying put for a while. Sometimes it’s fishing, tubing, laundry, playgrounds, mini golf or other family friendly activities. (Note that not all of those amenities are free activities!) Another big bonus is laundry facilities (although we’re considering this portable washer for our camper)! You can always look for a KOA or Jellystone campground but again, a little pricier. Also check out AirBnB or Hip Camp to see if you can park in someone’s backyard.
Extended Camping – If you are looking to just chill out in one location it’s much cheaper to pay for a monthly or weekly rate than move around often like we do! You can also volunteer to be a campground host and get free campsites in exchange for a few hours of work!

Tips for RV Camping with Kids – Family Camping for Beginners

Campgrounds Kids Printables

Are you considering buying a camper or renting an RV for your next road trip vacation? I love the luxury of traveling in an RV! It’s less work than dragging out your tent gear and it’s more comfortable in terms of space and living. Let me help you learn more about RV camping and what you will need when you are camping with kids!

PLUS I designed a printable checklist for RV camping (works for camper camping too!) at the bottom of this post to help you stay organized and have everything you need for camping with kids! Not sure you’re ready to buy your own camper? There are loads of places you can rent campers for vacations and even rent airBNB trailers just to get the feel!

If you google “family camping” or “RV camping with kids”, you’ll find an outstanding overwhelming amount of ideas – everything from luxury glamping to wildly outrageous million dollar floating campers – none of which you are probably looking for if you’re beginner campers!

Although you may worry about keeping your kids “busy” while camping, generally kids are easily entertained in nature once they realize they have nothing else (ie – electronics) to distract them! Plus when you’re camping in an RV you have the luxury of a little bit more space than tent camping!

Aside from hiking, fishing, finding new friends to play with at the campground, geocaching, biking, etc., below are some simple outdoor games for kids to play while camping.

Simple Outdoor Games to Play While Camping:

hide & seek
scavenger hunts
tic tac toe (with pinecones, rocks or sticks!)
bring a frisbee, ball, etc.
pick up sticks
bubbles

What to Bring While Camping with Kids:

So what do you actually need in order to go camping? Camping in an RV comes with some different requirements than tent camping, but just like tent camping you’ll find luxury items vs. items you actually need. At the bottom of this post I’ve got a printable checklist for camping that will help guide you while packing.

Let’s talk about each “section” of camping gear you will want to consider.

RV / Travel Trailer Care:

There are a millions things you COULD bring with you, but below are some of the absolute basic things you’ll need for RV care on the road.

Sewer Hose Pipes
Flashlight
Extension Cord
Water Hose AND Water Filter
Water Pressure Regulator
1 ply RV safe toilet paper
Leveling blocks
Duct Tape and/or Flex Seal
Zip ties
Mallet
Broom
Power Adaptor
Sway Bar + Stabilizer
Propane
Normal basic tools + flat tire care

Nice Extras:

Outdoor rugs
String lights
Camper lock
Screen/vinyl repair kits
Portable poop tank

RV Sleeping Gear:

Sleeping bags and/or bed sheets (see below)
Pillows
Recommended – waterproof mattress pads
optional – blankets

I can’t understate the luxury of not needing to sleep on the floor or hand pumping air mattresses when you have an RV! Sleeping in an RV where your bed doesn’t move or need to be set up is SO nice! I find that I get excited about a comfortable night’s sleep and go a little overboard on extra blankets and comforters though!

The bedding you will need in an RV will be dependent on the type of bed you are sleeping in. You will mostly be needing regular bed sheets for any mattress style bed you are sleeping on. If you are sleeping in a loft, on a couch, or on a fold down kitchen table you may need sleeping bags instead. I also find that I appreciate having some additional blankets to snuggle in if the weather is chilly but unnecessary for hot weather.

TIP – Invest in waterproof mattress pads for your camper mattresses! It will protect them from any food/drink spills, potty accidents, or camper leaks when it rains! This makes it cheaper and easier to care for camper mattresses instead of needing to replace them!

RV Kitchen Gear:

One of my favorite parts of having an RV or camper is not needing to tote around kitchen gear in my car! It’s such a big space saver to be able to store it all in the RV! This may vary some depending on the type of camper or RV you will be using of course. And if you don’t want to cook in your RV you can use the campfire to cook your meals!

Cooking:

If your RV does not have a stove I highly recommend this portable camping grill and this double electric hot plate. We have also (when space allows) brought along our Instant pot or slow cooker depending on the electric hookups.

Coffee:

Coffee is another important thing to discuss for those wonderful lazy mornings at the campsite! We bought a travel coffee Press machine (mini Keurig machines are perfect for RVs!) but have also tried Instant Coffee (my least favorite) as well as a small tea kettle for coffee bags.

Pros vs. Cons of Cooking over the Campfire:

Campfires are AWESOME when camping!!
Food takes longer to cook and needs to be monitored.
Cast iron cookware can be expensive and HEAVY to pack.
Firewood can add up in cost for every meal.
Tough to cook and light a fire when it’s raining.

Pros vs. Cons of Using Portable Grills:

Initial cost for the grill and continuing costs for propane tanks (about $6/small tanks).
Packing space for grills & tanks.
High wind can make it hard to keep your grill lit.
Not always ideal in rainy weather or bad storms.
Grill must stay cleaned in order to pack it in the car around everything else! (foil helps!)

Pros vs. Cons of Eating Out:

Not as budget friendly.
Restaurants may not be close by or open when you want to eat.
You miss out on the camping experience!
GREAT option for bad weather days when you can’t cook!
Less food to pack = more space in the car!

We have never regretted bringing a well-packed cooler (or fridge!), especially when needing cold drinks! In fact we pre-freeze items that we won’t need for a day or two so that not only will the food last longer but it will also aid in keeping our cooler colder!

Typically when we are RV camping we bring one small cooler for drinks and hiking days away from the RV. A small snack sized cooler that goes in between the seats in the front for road trip lunches and drinks is perfect for our family of 5!

RV Space Saving Hacks & Tips:

The biggest hinderance to my packing is that I try to pack too much! Thankfully they make camping sized everything nowadays and there is no shortage of travel space saving hacks and ideas out there! Take advantage of any magnetic surfaces in your RV to add heavy duty magnetic hooks for hanging pots, spatulas, oven mitts, etc.

Velcro and/or Command Strips will also be your best friend! This is great for securing items while you are driving. You can add cutting boards onto walls and cabinets with velcro, hold soaps and toothbrush holders onto countertops, etc!

Consider investing in collapsible colanders, small dish drainers, portable clotheslines or hangers for the shower area (if you have a bath), caribiners for hanging anything and everything, etc. Hang a mesh bag for dirty laundry. Choose toiletry bags you can hang too.

Downsize cooking spices, soap bottles, cooking oil, shampoo bottles, etc into smaller containers before traveling.

RV Bath & First Aid:

shampoo, conditioner, body wash
toothbrush & toothpaste
medications
deodorant
shower bag
towels
flip flops (for camp showers)

Above is the basic run down for our toiletries! It seems like a lot but it covers all of the basics. I do recommend a shower bag of some sort, that way you can hand your child the bag to head to the showers (if you’re not showering in your RV). It also allows them to hang their bag on a hook and not set it on a wet dirty floor. (We had too many times where we couldn’t juggle all the bottles with our clothes and dropped everything!)

I also HIGHLY recommend a pair of flip flops in your shower gear for each person when using campground showers – just a cheap $1 pair will do! Some of the showers you’ll come across are not nearly as clean as you might light them to be!

Lastly, let’s talk towels! They are the bane of my existence when we go camping because they take up SO MUCH ROOM and take a long time to dry! We ended up splurging on some nice microfiber camping towels that are paper thin but get the job done because they don’t take up much room AND they dry quickly which is a HUGE benefit! You can buy them on Amazon. (They’re also easy to hand wash and dry if needed on long trips.)

First Aid & Safety:

First aid and safety are a MUST for any camper. Do NOT skimp on your first aid kit!! It doesn’t need to be gigantic but it needs to be well thought out and well stocked. Things like burn creme, anti-itch creme, bandages, antibiotic ointment, bug spray, gauze, tweezers, scissors, gallons of water, a pocket knife, Life Straw, whistle, compass …..these are just the minimal items to bring!

Shoes & Clothes:

Skechers Waterproof Women's Shoes - H2GO

I debated adding this in here but here are a few things I would have liked to known before my first camping trip.

ALWAYS bring empty garbage bags – at least 6-10. Not only can these be used for holding trash in the car while snacking on the road AND for trash at the campground, but it is PERFECT for wet muddy clothes, toys, etc. It’s also good for covering dirty spatulas or tools you don’t have time or ability to clean.
Have a second pair of shoes for EVERYONE! In fact on occasion we have 3 pairs each – which sounds overly excessive but hear me out. Everyone gets a cheap pair of flip flops to wear in the showers (trust me!), we each have a pair of water shoes we are comfortable using in rocky lakes (sometimes its just the shower flip flops!), and everyone has a good pair of hiking shoes. Many times our hiking shoes get wet in the rain or our feet are wet at the beach and we don’t want to put them in our hiking shoes!
Buy a mesh laundry bag for dirty clothes. On our first camping trip we quickly realized as we were taking dirty clothes off that we had no place to put them!! It was a funny mess because we had to end up just throwing them loosely in the car and they were falling out everywhere. Now we know better and have a simple mesh bag that all dirty clothes get thrown into. We just hang it on a hook in the car or over the back seat headrest so everyone knows where it is.

Staying Organized:

Staying organized in an RV as opposed to a tent is a completely different ballpark. The BIGGEST space hog in your RV will probably be your clothes (unless you’re in a large RV with drawer systems).

Baskets – I use small baskets for a LOT of things in our camper. Wicker is pretty and holds up well but is more difficult to use velcro if fastening to a countertop. Plastic containers are easier to break but also easier to clean. Baskets are perfect for piling toiletries, keeping cleaning supplies together underneath sinks, etc. When you’re packing the RV to go on the road it’s very easy to grab the basket and toss it under a sink or place it on the floor in the bathroom to keep everything from rolling around.

Clothes – You might have to get a little creative for storing clothes while camping in a camper depending on the size you have. Obviously utilize any drawer space or cubby holes you have. You can also consider tiny “one day” duffles to stay in the camper for quick clothes access. You may opt to keep your clothes separated by bags or drawers in your vehicle too.

For small kids you can roll their clothes into a door organizer to hang up inside the camper.

Wet clothes we always store/hang in the shower or outside depending on the weather.

Toiletries – If you’re opting for showers at the campground instead of the camper I have a “girl” bag and a “boy” bag since we typically can’t ALL share the same bathroom at the campgrounds. The boys have their own toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant etc. and the girls have their own bag. That way when we go to the bathrooms we can just grab one bag per bathroom and share.

Kitchen gear and cooking stuff – I like to use small containers to hold campfire related things (lighters, color change packets, etc.) Keep all of your paper plates/napkins/silverware in one spot in a container or gallon ziploc bag.

Fun Stuff & Extras:

No Sew Felt Camping Travel Toys Play Set

Here are some simple fun “extras” you might consider if you’d like to stay well stocked and prepared for your upcoming camping trip. Consider:

empty ziploc bags for leftovers, rocks/shells, keeping electronics dry, etc.
blank notebooks for pressing flowers or journaling adventures
mess-free art supplies
magnetic games, travel toys, dress up, balls/frisbees, etc.
small hand-held electronics that do NOT need internet/network
kid-friendly camera for documenting their experience
one small backpack for each child to fill to keep them busy

PRINT CAMPING CHECKLIST HERE:

RV Camping Checklist

Tips for Tent Camping with Kids – Family Camping for Beginners

Campgrounds Kids Printables

Are your kids begging you to go camping but the idea of sleeping on a hard floor or with loads of unfamiliar gear seem daunting? Let me help you get more comfortable with family camping for beginners! The basics, tips for meal ideas, fail-proof things to do when you are tent camping with kids – the whole deal!

PLUS I designed a printable checklist for tent camping at the bottom of this post to help you stay organized and have everything you need for camping with kids! Want to do a practice night or two? Check out our tips for camping in your backyard first!

If you google “family camping” or “tent camping with kids”, you’ll find an outstanding overwhelming amount of ideas – everything from special tents for dogs to luxury glamping with wine coolers – none of which you are looking for probably if you’re camping with kids!

Although you may worry about keeping your kids “busy” while camping, generally kids are easily entertained in nature once they realize they have nothing else (ie – electronics) to distract them! Let me help with that worry right now. Aside from hiking, fishing, finding new friends to play with at the campground, geocaching, biking, etc., below are some simple outdoor games for kids to play while camping.

Simple Outdoor Games to Play While Camping:

hide & seek
scavenger hunts
tic tac toe (with rocks & sticks!)
bring a frisbee, ball, etc.

What to Bring While Camping with Kids:

So what do you actually need in order to go camping? All you REALLY need is a tent, sleeping bags, toiletries (toothbrush?!) – and some food if you are not planning on going out. But in reality you’ll have much more than that. At the bottom of this post I’ve got a printable checklist for camping that will help guide you while packing.

Camping is one of those great things where you can bring very little, or you can bring more than a house full! You could literally spend more money buying camping gear than going on a vacation if that’s your thing! Camping gear will depend on the age of your kids, your budget, length of stay, and how comfortable or “roughing” it you want to be!

Let’s talk about each “section” of camping gear you will want to consider.

Tents:

For some reason tent styles is one the biggest hang-ups I had before camping! I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a tent that we wouldn’t like since we were on a tight budget. You can choose to buy a cheap tent for a trip or two and then upgrade if you like camping, or buy it right the first time!

Below are some things to consider when purchasing a tent for camping.

Size – how many does it need to fit? (read reviews to see how many ACTUALLY fit!)
Extra space – do you NEED an extra “room” or “porch” to be comfortable
How long does it take to set up?
Reviews – ALWAYS check the reviews!
Cost – determine your budget first!
Kids vs. Adult tents (best for tweens/teens+)

There are A-frame tents, octagon tents, multiple room tents, individual tents, pop up tents, rooftop tents for your vehicle, etc. We personally have these AMAZING Coleman pop up tents for when we want a quick set up or are moving around frequently (they take under 5 seconds to set up – literally!) and we use a big 8 person tent for the 5 of us when we want extra space to move around. The pop up tents is what we took on our 9000 mile road trip.

*NOTE – when you see “INSTANT” labeled on a tent it does NOT usually mean instant!!! It can range from 60 seconds to 20 minutes! Make sure you read the description AND reviews carefully!

*TIP – No matter what style tent you buy, set it up at home FIRST to learn how to use it! While it’s up ALWAYS first coat it with a waterproof sealer so if it rains when you’re camping your tent won’t leak! Pay special attention to crevices and corners.

*TIP – ALWAYS lay a tarp down UNDERNEATH your tent first! This will help it stay cleaner when it rains and give you an additional waterproof barrier inside!

Sleeping Gear:

Temperatures you will be sleeping in.
Comfort vs. Need (aka – sleeping bags vs. air mattresses – see more below)
Pillows
Electric pumps or hand-pumps?
Flooring under your tent (rocks, cement, grass/dirt, etc.)

AH – the age old question – am I too old to sleep on the floor? Do I need an air mattress to go camping? What about those cots? This is completely personal preference! It can also depend on your space as well. We started with just sleeping bags on the floor. It’s quickest and cheapest and requires less space for packing. You can try a layer or two of comforters or yoga mats underneath your sleeping bag to help pad it out – but again, space and cost are the issue here.

Now that we’ve camped well over 10,000 miles worth, we decided to upgrade to inflatable air mattresses to use when we have our large tent. They are certainly a luxury item but they’re awfully nice! The BIGGEST thing to note here is that there are hand pumps and electric pumps.

Electric pumps: For electric pumps (my personal preference) you’ll obviously need electricity which isn’t always available while camping. You can buy a converter that you hook into your car too – just be mindful of draining your car battery! (yep, done that before too!)

Hand pumps: Hand pumps are easy to bring but a pain in the butt when you’re hand pumping 4 air mattresses every night!!! Hand pumps are my extreme last resort – I’d almost rather just sleep on the floor! Even with kids helping, this is quite the ordeal for multiple mattress set ups if you’re moving around every night to various campgrounds.

Food & Kitchen Gear:

George Washington's camping cot and gear — *George Washington’s camping gear!*

Kitchen gear and food can vary wildly depending on your comfort and budget! From going out to eat for every meal, to cooking all meals over the fire pit, to springing for some awesome portable gas grills – there are so many options here to try out and see what you prefer!

Our very first camping trip was pretty meager when it came to kitchen supplies. We literally ate canned everything and cold hot dogs. We quickly realized that we definitely do not prefer that! So our first real camping investment was a nice portable grill.

Pros vs. Cons of Cooking over the Campfire:

Campfires are AWESOME when camping!!
Food takes longer to cook and needs to be monitored.
Cast iron cookware can be expensive and HEAVY to pack.
Firewood can add up in cost for every meal.
Tough to cook and light a fire when it’s raining.