The quantity math
The four numbers first-timers get wrong. Everything else you can borrow or improvise.
Rules of thumb, not guarantees. Check your campground's rules — many parks ban firewood brought from outside the county, and some have no potable water at all.
Your countdown
Tick things off as you go. Progress saves on this device.
What to actually bring
Sorted by what happens if you don't have it.
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The three things that ruin first trips
Arriving after dark. Pitching an unfamiliar tent by headlamp is how first trips turn into last trips. Plan to be at the site two hours before sunset.
Sleeping on the ground. Cold comes from underneath, not from the air. A cheap foam pad matters more than an expensive sleeping bag.
No plan for rain. A tarp and two spare stakes turn a washout into a story. Pack them even in a clear forecast.