Free Tool
Pick your trip type, season, and length, and we'll build a personalized, printable packing checklist — so you don't forget the headlamp (again).
1 · What kind of trip?
2 · What season?
3 · How many nights?
Answer all three to generate your list.
Answer three quick questions and the builder tailors the list to your trip — heavier comfort items for car camping, a stripped-down kit for backpacking, and season-appropriate clothing and sleeping-bag ratings. Tick items off as you pack, or hit Print for a paper copy.
Want the reasoning behind each pick? Read our full camping gear for beginners guide, or jump to our tested tents, sleeping bags & pads, and camp kitchen roundups.
The essentials are shelter (tent, stakes, ground tarp), a warm sleep system (bag plus insulated pad), a way to cook and store food, weather-appropriate clothing, a headlamp per person, and safety gear like a first-aid kit. This tool builds the full list based on your trip.
Car camping lets you bring heavier comfort items — a cooler, camp chairs, a lantern. Backpacking strips the list down to lightweight essentials you carry on your back, and adds navigation and a water filter.
Match the bag to the season: a 40°F bag for summer, a 20°F three-season bag for spring and fall, and a 0°F (or colder) bag for winter camping.
Yes. Build your list, then use the Print button to get a clean, checkbox-ready packing list with the site's navigation stripped out.
The checklist gets you packed. Our beginner's guide explains what actually matters — and what you can skip.
Read the beginner's guide →