My Bullet Journal Camping Planner

With summer in full swing, it’s time to start thinking hard about camping. Preparation is key to have a good time, so I created a bullet journal camping plan to anticipate my every need. Don’t have a bullet journal? Don’t worry! You can do this in any old notebook! No one wants to drive several hours to the campsite only to realize that they forgot something important! Be ready for your super fun camping trip so everyone has a great time.

I should warn you, I’m a little bit obsessed with camping. When I was a kid, my family would go spend three or four days on the Illinois River out in rural Oklahoma, and those are some of my most cherished memories from childhood. One day of each trip would be devoted to the float, where we would raft or kayak down the river all day. Good times. I last went camping probably six years ago, and I miss it so much. Finally I’m in a situation where I can afford to spend a few days in the wilderness. Well, at least at a campground. So forgive me if I wax poetic a bit, this is something I’ve been looking forward to for years!

Bullet Journal Camping Plan

In order to properly plan for a camping trip, I started a spread in my Leuchtturm. There’s just so much to plan for to make sure you have all the equipment and food that you need. And picking out a place to go? Tough! I only moved to Illinois a year ago, so I have no idea what counts as good camping around here.

I used a combination of Tombow Dual Brush Pens, Staedtler Triplus Fineliners, and Micron pens to achieve this look. I figure that for a leisure based activity, it should look fun and active! Besides, I like playing with the brush pens to see what neat lettering I can come up with. It’s like I’m working and playing at the same time!

On one page, I have listed out the necessities for a solid camping trip. There are the larger items, like a tent and cooler, that we need to rent. One of these days I’ll have my coveted tent, but not quite yet! Thankfully, we have access to a good rental service through the University of Illinois. We have some important items like hiking bags and boots, but we can’t afford to buy a tent, sleeping bags, coolers, chairs, etc. We don’t have anywhere to store them even if we could buy them. Renting is a great option that’s worth looking into.

Below the rental prices, I have written out three categories of camping equipment: personal, kitchen, and gear. Based on your needs, this list might be entirely too much or not enough. We’re aiming for somewhere between survivalist and full blown RV. There are a number of items that we can borrow from friends or family and several items that we already own. Who doesn’t have a headlamp after all? Oh, wait, maybe that’s just us.

On the other page in my bullet journal camping prep has several locations in the area with availabilities and details about the site. For example, I have icons for dog access, electricity, and shade vs. sun. This helps me see at a glance what each site offers. I’m still building my list as I’m learning about new parks and campgrounds, so I’ve left room to grow here.

My bullet journal camping spread should work for us for a few summers at least. Eventually, I’ll grow and develop my list (hopefully because we own more gear) and we won’t be such newbs anymore. One day, I’d love to have a regular place that we visit every year. I would especially love it if we could raft or kayak so I can bask in childhood nostalgia. You know what? I’d love to own my own kayak! How’s that for dreamin’?

I also want to grab some dog related stuff, like a doggie life vest, travel dog bowls, a doggie first aid kit, and a puppy sleeping bag (how cute is that??). I want to make sure my little baby girl is set for a fun weekend, too. Oh, and we can’t forget to restock her flea and tick meds. We don’t want her covered in disease carrying ticks! Yuck!

Camping Fun

Besides the necessities like food and shelter, you gotta know I’m planning for the fun stuff! If we can swing it, I’d love to get my hands on a hammock (get it??). There’s nothing like laying back and reading for hours in the heat of the summer. I’m planning on bringing my Kindle so I can bring a few books with me. I’m currently rereading Big Magic by by Elizabeth Gilbert after I devoured the Audiobook with my free trial on Audible.com.

Before we go on the big trip, I plan on reading a Trail Through Leaves by Hannah Hinchman again. Despite the fact that you can get it for only a penny, I value it more than most of my other books. It reminds me to pause and observe all the beautiful things in nature that I usually take for granted. It also inspires me to sketch and observe the flora and fauna, so I need to remember to bring my Nepali Traveler and my watercolor pencils along for the trip.

And you know that I gotta bring my Cards Against Humanity. That’s non-negotiable.

Your Bullet Journal Camping Spread

Hopefully my little tinkering gives you the inspiration you need to get out there this summer and have a blast. This plan is easily adaptable for your future hiking trips, too. Just write parks and trails you want to hit along with an adapted pack list. And if you have kids, don’t forget to add fun stuff like water guns or water balloons! There are a bunch of ways you can make this your own, so start planning your amazing family memory today!

For more Summer Fun, check out my post on creating a Summer Bucket List!