With summer camping in full swing, here is a post on all my favorite camping gear we pack for our pop-up trailer for weekend camping trips. Below is a list of all our trailer essentials for a big family!
A few years ago, we bought a tent trailer off of Facebook Marketplace, and it’s easily been one of our favorite purchases. If you have a big family, you know how expensive and logistically crazy traveling can be. We’ve loved the camper because it holds a ton of gear between trips, it’s easy to hook up and go, and it fits our family of 5 plus, our golden retriever pretty comfortably.
Over the years, we’ve figured out exactly what makes a trip run smoothly and what isn’t worth packing. Here are our favorite essentials to keep our family organized, comfortable, and a few items that just add a little bit of magic to our campsite. If there is something I should add to the list drop it in the comment section below!
Pop-Up Trailer Essentials
Outdoor Reversible Rug: We put this rug right outside the camper door and it’s perfect for keep dirt, mud, and sand outside the trailer. We leave shoes on it, it expands the living space, and it a great place for kids to play on the ground with out toys without being right on dirt. It sprays off easy and dries out quick. We purchased the 5 by 8 and it just lives in the camper between trips.
Jack Chocks and Wheel Blocks: Not an essential, but really convenient to add to your gear list and a great gift for any trailer owner. The jack chocks works as a great stabilizer especially if we are parked in soft dirt or sand and it then it keeps the tongue from sinking in and helps keep your trailer level. The wheel blocks are always nice to keep your trailer from moving forward or backwards, but you can usually scout out some big rocks that work too.
Kelty Camp Couch: Works great for three adults, or one adult and lots of littles. We love sitting on this and sharing a blanket around the fire or reading together outside. Love the cupholders on each end.
Leveling Blocks: Purchasing some leveling blocks for your camper will make your life so much easier. This set is stackable, and you can prop them under one side or both needed and stack them to the correct high. They also work great to keep your wheels from sinking, especially if it rains.
Solar String Lights with Detachable Power Hub: We added these to our pop-up tent trailer and it added the perfect touch of magic. They are solar powered, but the power hub detaches making it super mobile and easy to use in a variety of places.
Camp Chef Portable Stove: Great for camping, tailgating, or even having on hand for a power outage. It has great wind blocking panels and its self lighting so you don’t need to have a lighter or matches on hand. Runs on propane canisters. I’ve had my same Camp Chef stove for 7 years now. If you’re looking for some easy meal ideas when camping, check out my post 10 Easy Meals for Camping with Kids.
This Griddle Top attachment cuts down on the pots and pans you need to bring and is great for pancakes!
Foldable Table: This is a sturdy table from Amazon, but costco and home depot usually have some really awesome and inexpensive options too when it comes to collapsible tables. This one is great to cook on, and we usually set one up outside the camper or close to picnic table to serve food. The mesh underneath is great for holding cooking utensils or paper towels.
Cast Iron Pan: A super versatile pan that is always great to have on hand for eggs, meats, or most any camp dinner. You can use this to cook directly in a fire, or use on a griddle or stove. When we’re trying to keep our packing list light, this always makes the cut. Cast iron pans do have some specific cleaning instructions but don’t be intimidated by it-its super easy to get the hang of.
6″ Chef Knife: A great knife for all types of camp dinners. It’s really sharp but comes with a blade cover that is awesome for traveling.
Collapsible Roasting Stick: Love that these are adjustable and easy to pack and store. Night and light weight for kids to use but sturdy enough to put a few hot dogs on.
Jackery Portable Power Station: This Jackery Power Station comes on every road trip and camping trip we go on. I even use it in my car because the charging outlet doesn’t work. I love it because you can charge everything and anything you need. It really is a handy piece of gear. It’s so nice to not have to worry about our sound machine dying in the middle of the night and not needing to turn on the car to charge our phones. Our trailer does have outlets, but we always back this as a backup, or in case we are off grid.
Solar Panel: We’ve added this to our pop-up trailer essentials and honestly it’s been really nice. It works to charge our jackery battery or you could use it to charge electronics directly. Perfect for more remote trip where you still might need a few things charged.
Mini Outdoor/Indoor Projector: Just purchased this little but powerful guy. So fun to project an outdoor movie at the end of the day. Built in speaker, or easily connects to bluetooth.
Rechargeable Headlamps: Love these rechargeable headlamps, and nice that is comes in a pack of two. Perfect for using around or campsite or for reading in bed when kids are asleep.
Coleman Lantern: A classic coleman lantern is essential for any good camping trip. This one is 1000 lumens and does run on batteries, but the batteries last forever which is great. It light enough kids can carry it around but sturdy enough it will last and is water resistant.
Soft Top Gear Bin: This is a catch all for our sleeping bags, blankets, and jackets. I love how it keeps everything together. While it is soft sided, it’s still sturdy and can fit better in tighter spaces than a traditional plastic bin.
If you enjoyed this post about our Family’s gear recommendations make sure to check out these posts!
