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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Camping Organization: Notebook Essentials

We're off on another camping adventure. Roughing it without any amenities, hookups, or niceties. Just us and nature. Thankfully, it's only for two nights. I think I can manage that!

Actually 3 families are going and we're each cooking a main meal and then doing our own lunches and one of the breakfasts. I drew the other breakfast and because I'm feeding so many, it probably will be calorie laden and not super healthy. And the sourdough starter is staying at home in the fridge. I didn't want to pack it in 100+ degree weather when I wasn't going to be using it. I might do things differently if it was just our family, but once in a while, it's okay just to have fun and eat... JUNK. Hash browns, s'mores, and all kinds of traditional camping food. (Just wait until tomorrow's post!)

I wanted to share a little about my camping notebook that I mentioned in an earlier post. I love notebooks for organizing and so naturally, putting all my paperwork in an easy to carry three ring binder made a lot of sense.

My favorite item in it is a packing list that I can reuse to check off items as I get them in the camper (which we usually borrow, so it's not packed all the time, which is what I'd do if it were my own.) I downloaded a free check list from REI and then slipped it into a plastic protective sleeve that fits into a three ring binder. Then I use a wipe off type pen to make items off. When I'm all done, I just have to wipe it off with a cloth.


Other items your camping notebook might include would be things like...

• campsite reservations
• camper registration and other related paperwork (such as user guide!)
• tent set up instructions (especially if it's new or you haven't used it in a while)
• maps to your destination or maps of the area itself, such as hiking trails
• information on local attractions, shopping (such as a grocery store), land marks you want to see, etc.
• fishing / hunting license
• recipes for meals
• emergency medical information
• emergency phone numbers or locations of nearest emergency services, including park ranger stations
• first aid instructions
• contact information for your ICE persons (In Case of Emergency - extended family members, etc.)
• a running list of things you want to remember to pack NEXT time, that you forgot while camping THIS time!
• a wish list of camping gear to purchase in the future

What items would you include in a camping notebook that I didn't mention? Let's make sure we've covered everything!


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