I’m planning a little solo road trip. I’ve done a number of these over the years, from an epic drive to the Sierra’s in California for a button accordion camp (with some fishin’ with a friend along the way) to various camping and fly fishing adventures. This one is going to be to the Upper Michigan Peninsula, a place of many fine trout streams and the kind of rugged country I really enjoy.
The other day I dusted off the boxes containing my various pieces of camping equipment, sitting as I have left them since the last outing of this kind. I was actually kind of surprised at how organized everything was. Still a list was in order. I can’t go on a camping trip without a list. Otherwise, I’ll leave behind my fly rods or my waders or my tent or some other completely obvious item I need to pack.
So here’s the latest version of my camping checklist:
- money
- passport
- clothes (more than I think I’ll need, layers)
- back-up shoes/boots
- tent
- spare tent pegs
- sleeping bag
- ground sheet
- camping mattress
- fly rods
- fly reels
- fishing vest (self-contained, everything I need on the water including enough trout flies for an army of fly fisherpeople)
- waders
- wading boots
- shaving kit (includes toothbrush, toothpaste, first aid stuff, Q-tips, eyeglass cleaning cloths, tissues)
- folding camp chair
- towels
- oil can banjo (+chromatic tuner and some new music to learn)
- gazateer (the one with the good detail maps that show all the trout streams)
- camera
- cord for a clothes line
- hatchet
- a good book or two
- Coleman Stove + fuel
- portable bbq + small bag of charcoal
- big water jug
- toilet paper
- paper towels
- flashlights and lantern (now I use an LED lantern…I’ll never mess with a mantle again)
- cooler
- cook set including cast iron pan, plastic cutting sheet
- plates, bowls, cutlery and assorted other portable kitchen stuff
- camp soap
- matches
- a couple spices
Am I missing anything? I’ll more or less figure out the food I’ll need and shop on the UP, but that’s another list.
27th Street 
No warm snuggly dog to keep you cozy/entertained?
You can’t take a Newf to a trout stream Barb. They find the best pools and go swimming in them.
OMG! Almost forgot the most important item… a map that shows the location of all of the Timmie’s along your entire route!!
I hear that there are no Morels in the UP…that you have to go east to Ontario to find them…
iPad
Plastic grocery bag full of cassettes by guys who can’t sing…or the modern day equivalent
Sunglasses
Scotch
Can’t get across the border without some sunglasses to take off, Red. The car will be full of guys who can’t sing backed up by plenty of squeezebox, fiddle and banjo. You’re just messin’ with me about the morels…everybody knows there are no edible mushrooms in Southern Ontario.
I have most of this covered but the field guide is one thing I didn’t think of. I bet up there it is morel season
bbq starter
pocket knife
compass
DEET
mosquito coils (light one in tent a half hour before you head to sleep to clear the tent of mosquitoes)
rain gear (it is gonna rain all week)
mushroom field guide
lucky hat
and just so you know, an LED lantern removes any possibility of what you will be doing being called camping. Man up and get a real lantern.