The beauty and appeal of camping is that it doesn’t require a lot of planning, reservations, luggage, etc. You can literally decide to go on a last minute camping trip as you leave work on Friday afternoon and be at your campsite, setup , and ready to go within hours. That is if you plan for a last minute camping trip. Preparation is everything.
You don’t typically need a reservation at a state park to grab a last minute camp site. Normally 20 bucks and smile will get you wherever you want to be, but digging things out of the basement and trying to make sure you have everything will quickly take all the spontaneity and fun out a camping trip.
This is an easily solved problem. Keep everything you might need in one single place. Below is a list of thing to keep ready so that your last minute camping trips don’t turn in to a logistical night mare.
Checklist:
Things to keep together ready to go:
Tent…keep it ready and dry.
Cooler…make sure you clean it out after every trip.
Tarp….this will go under your tent to prevent tears.
Sleeping Bag…a climate appropriate sleeping bag is a must
Air Mattress (and inflater)or Sleeping Pad…the ground is hard!
Camp Chairs….don’t want to sit on the ground if you don’t have to
Throw rug…wipe your feet before going in your tent
Mess Kit…these are you cooking pots and pans, knives, utensils, spices. You can put all this in your cooler. No need to waste space. Make sure they are clean and dry before you put them away. Also included in your mess kit could be aluminum foil, plates, cups, etc. Once you’ve gone on a planned camping trip just clean, dry what you took and put it in your cooler. Makes things easy to grab.
Camp Stove…if you feel like eating something besides hotdogs.
Rope or Paracord….you always need rope.
Extras…things like binoculars, whisk broom, detergent, kites, Frisbees, hacky sacks, etc. Place these kind of items in a beach bag and have it ready to go.
Camp First Aid Kit…this is self explanatory.
Things you can grab as you go:
Clothes…unless it’s a nudist camp
Toiletries…you;ll have to bathe and shower
Towels…air drying is for the birds
Sunglasses…
ETC
The key to last minute camping trips is keeping everything clean and ready to go. Whatever you took on the previous camping trip, keep it together and in one place. If it’s all in one place and you know it’s there, it’s the work of a moment to pack it in the back of the car and go wherever your heart desires. That could be the nearest park, the beach, or the backcountry.
Be prepared to have as much fun as quickly as possible.