Pack too much or not enough
Q. I’m having problems with packing for camping trips. I always pack too much or not enough. What can I do to not make those mistakes anymore?
— Packed Out Pete, Las Vegas, Nev.
A. I hear you, Pete. That’s one of the hardest things to learn about packing, for an outing or a vacation or whatever. Just start with the basics by following our handy checklists linked here. You’ll be packed right in no time.
It is better to have it and not need it, than to not have it and need it. Although I do see the logic in packing just enough so as to not have too much weight or bulk.
It’s better to pack more than you need than not enough!
Pete, one of the things I have done is to carry a list with me. When I pack too much, I make a note of what I didn’t use. Same is true when I pack not enough, jot down what I could have used. Over time, my list has gotten to be smaller and smaller.
Packing the correct amount comes with experience from multiple camping experiences. Many people come with items needed for the troop’s weekend program. Some people sometimes are so resourceful in their camping experiences that all these type of people go camping is a scout handbook, a scout fieldbook, a folding scout utility knife, a drinking cup for water, and a sleeping bag with two ground cloths to prevent dew and rain water from damaging their sleeping bags. These campers usually will sleep under the starlight instead of sleeping in a tent. However, multiple camping experiences will give you the knowledge of what you really need to be self sufficient, self reliant and resourceful in the outdoors while camping.
In order to stop this habbit, you should problably make a list of what you need before you pack. This will help you, but you have to make sure it’s what you NEED not something that you want but what you NEED.