The Family Camping Checklist

Track & Canopy · Updated 2026-10-16 · Tick items as you pack — print or save as PDF from your browser.

1. Sleep system, per child

Kids lose heat faster than adults and claim they are not cold right up until they are. Every child gets their own rated bag and their own mat.

  1. Sleeping bag for each child, rated below the coldest forecast night Essential
  2. Own sleeping mat per child, insulated not just padded Essential
  3. Small pillow or a jumper-stuffed pillowcase
  4. Pyjamas plus one warm layer kept at the tent door
  5. Night light for the kids' tent or the tent corner
  6. Ear plugs for light sleepers and noisy neighbours

2. Sun and shade, doubled up

Children burn faster, shrug off warnings, and forget to move out of the sun. The Australian sky does not lower its standards for a first-timer.

  1. SPF 50+ sunscreen, in date, applied by an adult Essential
  2. UPF long-sleeve sun shirt for each child Essential
  3. Broad-brim hat with chin strap, per child Essential
  4. Shade sail or canopy for the family pitch
  5. Kids' wraparound sunglasses

3. Kitchen and water, family scale

Kids graze, wash more and drink more than the adult maths predicts. Scale the water on purpose, and seal every smell against the campsite wildlife.

  1. Two ten-litre water containers with taps Essential
  2. Named water bottle per child
  3. Sealed snack tub — biscuits, fruit, nothing loose
  4. Stove with sealed gas canisters Essential
  5. Esky with reusable ice packs
  6. Lockable food bin that possums cannot open Essential
  7. Wash-up basin, biodegradable soap, extra sponge
  8. Bin bags — the family produces more than you think Essential

4. Safety and being able to find everyone

Supervision at a campsite is a kit problem as much as a parenting one. Whistles, light and a stated meeting point beat shouting across a reserve.

  1. Sealed first-aid kit plus broad crepe bandages Essential
  2. A whistle on a breakaway lanyard for each child Essential
  3. Head torch per child, taped to their pillow at dark Essential
  4. Printed trip plan and emergency card in a waterproof pouch
  5. Baby monitor for separate tents or a swag next to the car

5. Wet weather and boredom

The two weekend-killers with kids. Both are gear problems in disguise: the right layers and one bag of unpowered entertainment survive almost any forecast.

  1. Packable rain jacket per child Essential
  2. One changes-of-clothes bag: one gets wet, one sleeps dry
  3. Gumboots for muddy mornings and creek edges
  4. Cards, a football and one paper-and-pencil game

6. For the grown-ups

Tired parents make bad site decisions and short-tempered evenings. Two chairs and a kettle routine are safety equipment for the adults, honestly.

  1. Two camp chairs — every adult needs one
  2. Kettle and the coffee or hot-chocolate routine
  3. Charged power bank and cables
  4. Quick-dry towels, one per person