Your Camping Checklist
Camping season will be upon us before we know it and it’s a perfect time to begin preparing your checklists and hiking gear so that when the time comes, you will be fully ready to load that truck up and go.
Firstly, to alleviate the potential frustration of stuffing everything into your truck, you may want to have a look at something like the Yakima Skybox Pro 2 as a cargo solution. By the time we get this camping list together, you will see the beauty of having everything stored on top of the car or truck in this big compact rooftop carrier.
Now let’s begin with the packing checklist. Of course this will vary as your hobbies and likes may be different but we will assume that hiking, fishing and outdoor activities are high on your list of things that you enjoy doing while roughing it in the great outdoors.
1. Great hiking shoes or boots. This is necessary if any real trekking is likely to occur. Note that you will not want to wear a brand new pair of boots without first breaking them in at least just a little. This is critical because if you don’t follow this suggestion you could end up with some very sore feet, putting an end to the lovely hiking adventure.
2. Clothing appropriate for the weather and trails you’ll be hiking. If you think there may be rain at all, be sure to include some dependable rain gear as hiking in these conditions while wet can get old pretty quickly.
3. A sturdy pack that is size appropriate depending on how long you will be trekking at a time and if the hikes will include sleeping somewhere overnight. Be sure that you can easily carry with you food, an extra layer of clothing, minimal medical items and water to name a few things.
4. A small first aid kit that includes band aids, antibacterial cream, bug repellent, aspirin and any additional medications that you may need while you are gone.
5. A tent if you are tent camping. Also if you are tent camping, of course you will need a sleeping bag, pillow, and items to light your campfire. These bulkier things will store very nicely overhead in your Yakima Skybox cargo storage unit so you need not stress about the kids fighting for space in the backseat of the vehicle.
6. A totally charged mobile phone and maybe a good portable gps gadget if you will be hiking in low populated parts of the woods.
7. Any maps that cover the area that you will be hiking in. You might also consider bringing a compass if you want to do it the old fashioned way without today’s technologically advanced gps systems.
8. Depending on the varied interests of your family members, bring all your fishing gear, hunting equipment, swimsuits, the blow up raft…you name it. Bring those items that will keep you, the children and the family pet happy. Hint…don’t forget the dog food if you are bringing the family pet along.
Start getting your camping checklist together that includes all of the things that are critical to you and your family. Before you know it, it will be time to pack up the kids, the vehicle and the Yakima Skybox 21 on top of your truck and off you go. We hope that this article will get you started and that you have many wonderful trekking adventures ahead of you.



