The Exceptionally Ordinary Life

Best camping gear for families

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Best Camping Gear For Families

Being a family of 5 that lives on one income can be a bit challenging sometimes. Especially when you want to stay on budget, and not live on credit cards. And the most challenging part of it could be family vacations.

However, we have found that planning several weekend-long camping trips is not only manageable, but perfect for us. Since we only go for 3-4 days at a time, our expenses are minimal, and we are not tired enough to need a few extra days afterwards to rest from our vacation, if you know what I mean.

For the last ten years, we have made camping our thing. So much so that, we have slowly but surely built up a nice collection of the best camping gear to fit our needs. With each passing year we have added more to it, to the point where we feel completely prepared for our trips.

And now I want to share with you all the little trinkets we own that make our camping experience amazing, hoping that it will help you as well. And trust me when I say that camping can be done right, fun, and without the need for a large house on wheels!

Best Camping Gear For Families

For your convenience, this post may contain affiliate links. That means that, if you click on a link and make a purchase, I might get a commission from the sale, at no added cost to you. For my full disclosure policy, go here.

Tent

Coleman 8-Person Tent for Camping | Elite Montana Tent with Easy Setup

Get it here.


Air mattresses

Cumbor Queen Air Mattress with Built-in Pump, Luxury Queen Size Inflatable Airbed with Air Coil Technology – Elevated

Get it here.

Intex Classic Downy Airbed Set with 2 Pillows and Double Quick Hand Pump, Queen

Get it here.


Sleeping bags

REVALCAMP Sleeping Bag Indoor & Outdoor Use. Great for Kids, Boys, Girls, Teens & Adults. Ultralight and Compact Bags are Perfect for Hiking, Backpacking & Camping.

Get them here.


Camping lantern

LE LED Camping Lantern, Battery Powered LED with 1000LM, 4 Light Modes, Waterproof, Perfect lantern flashlight for Hurricane Emergency Survival Kits, Hiking, Home and More.

Get it here.


Small flashlights

FASTPRO 10-Pack, 9-LED Mini Flashlight Set, 30-Pieces AAA Batteries are Included and Pre-Installed, Perfect For Class Teaching, Camping, and more.

Get them here.


First aid kit

Aootek Upgraded first aid survival Kit.Emergency Kit earthquake survival kit Trauma Bag for Car Home Work Office Boat Camping Hiking Travel or Adventures.

Get it here.


Portable broom and dustpan

Camco 43623 RV Broom And Dust Pan

Get it here.


Inflatable pillows

Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Camping Travel Pillow – ALUFT 2.0 Compressible, Compact, Comfortable, Ergonomic Inflating Pillows for Neck & Lumbar Support While Camp, Hiking, Backpacking.

Get it here.


Portable battery charger

Anker PowerCore 10000, One of The Smallest and Lightest 10000mAh External Batteries, Ultra-Compact, High-Speed Charging Technology Power Bank for iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and More.

Get it here.


Portable grill

Coleman 2 Burner Grill Stove Combo 

Get it here.

Coleman Propane Grill | RoadTrip LXE Portable Gas Grill

Get it here.

 


Propane fuel ( Both grills above use the same propane cylinders.)

Propane Fuel Cylinders, 4 pk./16 oz.

Get them here.


Cooking utensils

Wealers Camp Kitchen Utensil Organizer Travel Set Portable BBQ Camping Cookware Utensils Travel Kit in Water Resistant Case.

Get it here.


Pots & pans

yodo Anodized Aluminum Camping Cookware Set Backpacking Pans Pot Mess Kit for 4-5 Person

Get it here.


Foil sheets

Reynolds Foodservice Aluminum Foil Sheets – 12 x 10.75 Inches, 500 Sheets

Get them here.


Multipurpose lighters

 Bic Multipurpose Lighters, 4 Pack

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Folding table

Lifetime Height Adjustable Craft, Camping and Utility 4 ft, White Folding Table.

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Portable folding chairs

ONIVA – a Picnic Time brand Portable Folding Sports Chair

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Dish soap dispenser

OXO Good Grips Soap Dispensing Dish Scrub

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Collapsible water container

Gowithwind Collapsible Water Container with Spigot,FDA BPA Free Portable Water Carrier,Foldable Water Storage Jug for Outdoor Camping Hiking and Emergencies.

Get it here.


Cooler

Coleman 100 Quart XTREME 5 Day Cooler with Wheels and Handle, Extra ThermoZone Insulated that Holds Cold Longer CFCs HFCs and HCFCs FREE.

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Outdoor blanket

Aitey Sand Free Beach Blanket, Waterproof Beach Mat Compact Outdoor Blanket with 4 Stakes, 4 Corner Pockets and Bag – 82″x 79″

Get it here.


Camping cutlery set

Camping Utensils Cutlery Set – 4 in 1 (Fork/Spoon/Knife/Bottle Opener) -5 Pack- Stainless Steel Folding & Detachable

Get them here.


Camping dinnerware

Camping Mess Kit 4 Person Dinnerware Set with Mesh Bag

Get it here.


Roof top cargo carrier bag

BougeRV Roof Top Cargo Carrier Bag Waterproof Car Roof Bag Rooftop Cargo Luggage Bag Travel Storage Box (15 Cubic Feet)

Get it here.


Pop up trash can

Coghlan’s Pop-Up Trash Can

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Hammock

Cutequeen Grey/Sky Blue  Lightweight Nylon Hammock with Tree Straps 

Get it here.


Coffee percolator

Granite Ware Coffee Boilers, Graniteware, 100 oz

Get it here.


Hitch cargo carrier

CURT Basket Trailer Hitch Cargo Carrier, 500 lbs. Capacity, 60-Inch x 23-1/2-Inch x 5-1/2-Inch, Fits 2-Inch Receiver

Get it here.


Water shoes

VIFUUR Water Sports Shoes Barefoot Quick-Dry Aqua Yoga Socks Slip-on for Men Women Kids

Get them here.


Rechargeable emergency station

Kaito KA340 5-way Powered Rechargeable LED Camping Lantern & Emergency AM/FM/SW NOAA Weather Alert Radio with Bluetooth, Flashlight, 5V USB Mobile Phone Charger, MP3 Player & Siren

Get it here.


Axe

Estwing Sportsman’s Axe – 14″ Camping Hatchet with Forged Steel Construction & Genuine Leather Grip

Get it here.


Life jackets

Stohlquist Youth Fit Life Jacket

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Stohlquist Fit Adult PFD 4 Pack Coast Guard Approved Universal

Get them here.


Tarp

B-Air GTRP810 Grizzly Tarps 8 x 10 Feet Blue Multi Purpose Waterproof Poly Tarp Cover 5 Mil Thick 8 x 8 Weave

Get it here.


OFF

Repel Insect Repellent Sportsmen Max Formula Spray Pump 40% DEET, 2/6-Ounce

Get it here.


Sunscreen

Coppertone SPORT Continuous Sunscreen Spray Broad Spectrum SPF 30 (5.5 Ounce per Bottle, Pack of 2)

Get it here.


Outdoor game set

Franklin Sports Fun 5 Combo Set — Badminton, Volleyball with Pump, Ring Toss, Flip Toss, and Flying Disc — Carrying Bag Included

Get it here.


Waterproof deck of cards

Plastic Playing Cards, Waterproof Cards. Set of 2 Decks (1 Red and 1 Black) – By Home-X

Get them here.


Waterproof UNO Cards

Uno H2O To Go Card Game

Get them here.


Best Camping Gear For Families

Before we are done here I wanted to remind you that it took us years to get all this. We did not just go and get it all. We started out with only our tent (smaller than what we have now), inflatable mattresses, and a tiny grill my father in law gave us.

For the longest time we made do with our old kitchen pots and pans, old cooking utensils, and blankets, instead of sleeping bags. Then, every year, we would list all we had, and what we wanted, and decide what would be our next investment.

Getting all the goodies listed above at once was not doable for us, and I don’t want you to go on debt to get it all. Start small, making sure you have all you need for a short, simple trip. Then, as you get more comfortable, and your budget allows you to, start adding other things that, while not needed, will definitely make your trips more fun.

Did I miss something? What other items you and your family feel are must-haves for an amazing camping trip? Please, share with us in the comments. Inquiring minds want to know!

Best Camping Gear For Families

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Best camping gear for families

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