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The Ultimate Camping List


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By (moo) -

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It's recently come to light that there are still plenty of folks who are at a loss about what to pack when preparing for a camping trip!
Since camping season is already in full swing, here is a (slightly modified) reprint of What You Need on a Camping Trip by noted camping expert, David L. Ziegler, Jr. (@Auto5man)

Food:

  • cooler & ice - get the ice cheap from those new drive-thru ice stations. There's one near the corner of Summer & Highland at Forrest Avenue. $2 for 20 lbs of ice!
  • salt/pepper
  • spices (like Cavendar's!)
  • butter
  • wild rice
  • mushrooms
  • onions
  • carrots
  • potatoes
  • corn
  • shrimp/crawdad tails
  • bacon
  • eggs
  • steak?
  • coffee
  • hot chocolate
  • drinking water
  • other drinks
  • Pam cooking spray
  • bisquick pancakes (mix in advance)
  • log cabin maple syrup
  • kraft singles for grill cheese or french toast
  • hot dogs/buns
  • ketchup/mustard/relish
  • applesauce/jello/fruit single use cups for kiddie snacks

Cooking/Utensils:

  • rubber maid dry storage
  • heavy duty foil
  • plates (thick paper)
  • paper towels
  • coffee pot
  • dixie cups
  • charcoal lighter fluid
  • water supply for cooking/cleaning (capture ice meltwater for cleaning where possible)
  • broom & dust pan
  • ziploc bags
  • coffee cups
  • hand towl/dishtowel
  • sponge/abrasive
  • table cloth
  • camp stove & fuel
  • frying pans (2 non-stick & 1 cast iron)
  • cooking utensiles for both pan types
  • egg protectors
  • plenty of plastic silverware
  • matches/lighter
  • trash bag liners for pickle bucket
  • skewers for roasting marshmallows/hotdogs

Campground Stuff:

  • Permathin to spray on your tent
  • extra safe flotation for kids (1 per child!)
  • lawn chair (1 p/person)
  • lantern mantels
  • cards
  • trash bags & collapsable bag holder (if that's how you roll)
  • cot (get a stout one, like this)
  • (or) air mattress
  • pump for air mattresses and kid's river floats
  • tarp (some like this under the tent, some prefer to hang it from trees for shade)
  • bailing wire
  • insect repellent
  • coolers
  • 2 lanterns/stove/fuel
  • hammer
  • camp axe
  • towels (1 p/person & dishtowel)
  • minnows
  • worms
  • pillow
  • tent
  • cordage
  • pickle bucket(toilet), 3 gallon bucket for doing dishes
  • 2 coolers (fish and food)
  • sunscreen
  • flashlight
  • cottonelle wipes
  • broom/dustpan for tent

And, excerpted from "What You Need on an Arkansas Dove Hunting Weekend":
Photography List:

  • camera
  • extra memory cards or film (what's that?!)
  • extra camera battery(ies), charged
  • battery charger (you can legitimately feel smug if you pack a solar charging rig!)
  • lens cleaning cloth
  • travel case. Preferably a waterproof box or drybag in case of downpour or canoeing. See a case like this if you're using a camera phone.
  • in case you're serious about taking pictures:
    • backup camera
    • field case
    • bag-size tripod. See Quantaray QSX-Digi Pro 100 Compact at Wolf, etc.
    • quick-release tripod mount
    • spare UV filter
    • Mac Laptop with appropriate accessories
    • Firewire or USB card reader

Geek Note: If you're an electronics junkie and being completely separated from power is a problem for you and your handheld, USB-charged devices, check out the PowerPot. It's a small thermoelectric generator that will charge up your phone as fast as a wall outlet!
Waterproofing Note: Nobody likes to have a wet campsite while camping, so maybe Rustoleum's NeverWet spray is something to consider? (I haven't tried it yet)

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