The Twisted Leaf

There is something alluring about what I’ll call ‘minimalist’ camping, where you bring just enough gear and supplies for your family to comfortably live in the outdoors, and no more. This is different from ultralight hiking or backpacking, which is concerned mainly with weight. If you are driving to a family campsite, you probably don’t care so much about the weight of what you are bringing, but you might want to consider cutting back on what you pack. Less ’stuff’ means there is less to pack-in, pack-out, and clean, and in general your experience will be less cluttered. Here are some suggestions for bringing just enough gear on your next family outing.

Clothing

You can cut back on the amount of clothing you pack by realizing that it’s OK to wear the same set of clothing more than one day in a row. With that in mind, pack one of each type, and use synthetics or silk next to your skin, wool or nylon on the outside. For example, one pair of nylon shorts (doubles as a bathing suit for the boys), one pair of nylon pants, one pair of synthetic long underwear. The only exceptions might be cotton T-shirts or socks that get damp and can’t be dried easily. Here is what I might bring for one person on a typical Fall camping trip:

• One pair polypropylene long underwear (long-sleeve top and bottom, you can sleep in these in colder weather)
• Fleece vest or jacket, depending on the expected weather
• Nylon shorts, Nylon pants, nylon shell jacket with hood
• Two or three pairs of lightweight wool socks, also polypropylene sock liners for day hikes
• Flip-flops (for bumming around camp or showers), sneakers or lightweight hiking boots/shoes
• Cotton T-shirt, for warmer daytime temperatures
• Cotton bandanna
• Wool or fleece cap, wool or fleece gloves
• Raincoat
• Sun hat (I use an army-style camo hat, but baseball caps are fine), sunglasses

Cooking

For most family outings, you’ll need a camp stove (we use the two-burner, propane Coleman stove), a large pot with lid for boiling water or pasta, and a frying pan. Bring just enough utensils for everyone, usually a spoon (or spork), insulated mug with lid and a bowl for each person are all that is needed. The cook should have a knife, some strike-anywhere matches, a spatula, pot gripper, glove (for handling hot pots - heavy-duty gardening gloves work well) and perhaps a stirring/serving spoon. If you want coffee, a french press is ideal and makes great coffee from store-bought grounds.

Food

Rather than go for the ‘pack the fridge’ approach, you should plan your meals and throw in some extra snacks or trail mix as needed. One thing that helps reduce waste and clutter is to re-pack foods in plastic bags - use heavy-duty freezer storage bags you can label with a permanent marker. This way, you can pack only what you will need. For family outings, a large, plastic box with a lid works very well to store the food near your camp kitchen, while at the same time keeping pests out. You can get margarine or butter substitutes in spray bottles, they are very handy and a lot less messy when cooking outdoors (as an aside, keep in mind these bear safety tips if you are storing food in bear country).

If your campsite has a clean drinking water supply (most family sites do), bring an empty 5-gallon collapsible water carrier and fill it once you arrive. That way, you won’t have to carry water. For questionable water sources, bring along some water-purification tablets.

Sleeping

Apart from the obvious (sleeping bags, air mattresses or foam pads), I leave the pillows at home and use clothing sacks as improvised camp pillows. You can bring one cloth sack for each person, and fill it with their (dry) clothes at night. From experience I can tell you that the adults will mind the lack of a “real” pillow much more than the kids.

Personal Hygiene

This one is always touchy. Some people can’t survive without a daily shower. In most family campgrounds, flush toilets and showers are the norm, so this isn’t a big deal. However, you should know from someone who spent 31 days in the North Cascade mountains without showering - you won’t die from dirt (although you and your companions might smell, you get used to it in a few days).

• Truly minimalist campers pack just toothbrushes and toothpaste for all, along with any other absolute essentials. If you have to bring toilet paper, the leave no trace guidelines mandate that you pack out used tissue (for young children or toddlers, baby wipes will be easier to use than toilet paper, but you still should pack them out).
• If you do pack soap, try to use the biodegradable variety, and don’t wash yourself or dishes near water sources (at least 200 feet away is a general guideline). Read my Low Impact Cooking post on how to clean and scrub dishes without soap.
• If you do want to use anti-perspirants, use the non-scented variety so as not to attract bees and other insects.