Time to cozy up with the family by the campfire and enjoy these cooler fall temps! Whether you're new to Scouting or have been a part of the Scouting America family for years, we've put together a Fall Family Camping checklist of some must-haves items, but I wanted to highlight my top five that I can't do without! You can find all these items at Scout Shop, your one-stop shop for all things Scouting. And if you ever need camping equipment, hiking gear, Scout uniforms, and more, check out ScoutShop.org—the official online retail store of the Scouting America!

1. Opt for the big tent
2. Grab a couple of lanterns and a headlamp
3. Bring a camp chair for everyone
4. Pack a complete kitchen setup
5. Don't forget personal items!

When my family goes camping, we use the Coleman Cabin Tent with Instant Setup in 60 Seconds. This 6-person tent is available at Amazon. It's made of 100% polyester and features welded corners and inverted seams to keep water from getting in your tent!  I use a 6-person tent for my 3-person family, which gives us room to move around (necessary when our toddler has to use the bathroom in the middle of the night), along with having space for our dog to sleep comfortably with us. I would say this tent is best if you have little ones in your family as it wouldn't be ideal for more than three adults, but it's still a roomy tent that's easy to set up and comes at an affordable price. Of course, not all tents are created equal, and what may work for my family might not be the best option for your outdoor situation.

Luckily, you can check out our blog "How to Pick the Perfect Tent" to help guide you through the process of choosing the ideal tent for your family! 

My all-night favorite is the Luci Lantern. The one I have is actually the Luci Inflatable Solar Light and Mobile Charger that lets my family charge all our mobile devices in the great outdoors. It is not so bright that it will take out your night vision in the middle of the night. Still, it provides the perfect amount of light for late-night bathroom runs (seriously, how many times can a three-year-old need to go to the toilet?!) or for the adults to find their way about camp once the little ones are already asleep.

Nothing is worse than getting ready to snuggle in by the fire and realizing that you only have enough chairs for half of your family! Inevitably, the picnic table is always too far away and outside of the “circle,” or it is laden down with gear… on top of just not being that comfortable. I love, love, love the GCI Pod Folding Rocking Chair. It is lightweight and stows easily in your car. 

For me, this looks like a coffee pot, coffee mug, and coffee pour-over supplies, along with eco-friendly soap, a Dutch oven, cooking utensils, a cooler to keep my coffee creamer cold (do we see a trend here?), and a mess kit for each person in our family. Make sure you take a moment to sit down and list what kitchen items you have – every family has different quirks!

If you wear contacts, don’t forget your contact gear! I also love having dry shampoo, baby wipes, a towel (whether you plan to full-on shower or not, believe me, this is an essential item!), and dental hygiene gear. Make sure you review your morning and night hygiene routines to ensure that you haven’t forgotten an important you need!

Beyond these five callouts, we have a battery-powered generator to run my husband’s sleep apnea machine and a fan for warmer nights. As I said above, each person has must-haves that they can’t live without, so take some time to pre-plan if you have never been camping! If you have little ones, check out my post on camping with a toddler to get some ideas for comfortably diving into that adventure. Get organized and pack a couple of bins with your gear so that when you get to the campsite, it is easy to unpack and set up!

We would love to hear about your family camping hacks! Please share them with us on social by using #ScoutShopBSA, and happy fall family camping.