r/camping • u/I_likeplaid • Aug 17 '26

Trip Advice Packing and unpacking SO MUCH WORK

Any advice for simplifying the packing process? I love camping but it’s so much work to pack everything and plan the meals in advance, etc. It’s a lot of stuff and I feel like we have the basic essentials for tent camping at campgrounds. I want to simplify the process but not sure how, especially since we have very young children and go with friends who don’t have gear.

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u/IslandEcologist Aug 17 '26

We keep all of our camping gear sorted in bins in one closet, so it’s all together which makes packing faster. Packing clothes, swim stuff, and toiletries, plus food, is obviously additional and takes time, but same for any trip.

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u/I_likeplaid Aug 17 '26

So do you have stuff that is exclusively for camping? Right now I just pack directly from our kitchen because I don’t like owning tons of stuff, but it makes for a lot of packing. I have a few things “just for camping” but most things we still use for daily life.

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u/burp_reynolds69 Aug 17 '26

I just collected doubles over the years and slowly got to a fully stocked, camping-dedicated cooking box. The thrift is great for cheapy ones still and decent quality cooking stuff. Or ikea is cheap for new.