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Browsing Pinterest one day, I saw a post for creating a camping notebook. Bah! Who would be THAT organized for CAMPING?! Camping is the antithesis of organization. What I really wanted was a list for packing before my trip, I didn’t need a whole binder, for goodness’ sake.
Oh, but wait. I love lists and being organized. I love making tiny check marks and filling in blanks. So I pinned the post and forgot about it. Until the following summer. I printed out some packing lists that I’d created, but I still forgot things. And I never could remember what I had packed for each meal, or what ingredients I needed. Pinterest came to mind and I went back to find that post I’d seen the last summer. I discovered that I had a small binder and some of the pockets they suggest using, so I half-heartedly put together a notebook and printed a couple of pre-made lists. And we had the best camping trip ever (as far as not forgetting anything vital!). I was hooked.
Organize your Camping Trips with a Camping Notebook
The initial Pinterest post links to a blog, AllThoseDetails.com. They lay it out pretty clearly, and I found that their ideas generally worked well for us, too. So I’ll start there, and then show some other ideas that have worked for us.
![Use a half-size binder for a camping notebook.](http://oregonoutdoorfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/NotebookSide.jpg)
I made a camping notebook with a mini, half-size binder I already had. A quick trip to an office supply store supplied me with tabs.
![Organize your camping trips with a camping notebook or journal.](http://oregonoutdoorfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/NotebookInner.jpg)
My binder came with a pocket, which I use for a small notebook and pencil. This is occasionally handy for writing notes or keeping the kids busy.
![Keep your camping trips organized with a handy camping notebook. This makes oraganization easy.](http://oregonoutdoorfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/NotebookList.jpg)
My first tab is the Camping Checklist, which I downloaded from AllThoseDetails.com.
![Organize meals and activities inside your camping notebook](http://oregonoutdoorfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/NotebookFood.jpg)
I printed camping meal plan pages from MeanMommyAcademy.com. This has been the most helpful part of the notebook for me…planning each meal and every single ingredient I need to pack. There’s also a space for activities and I’ve started planning one activity for each day that the kids can do while I’m preparing dinner.
Camping Reservations and Confirmations
My camping notebook also includes a tab for Reservations. Here I put copies of our reservation confirmations for cabins, campsites, etc. This way I have ALL the information handy, like phone numbers for when they give us the wrong gate combinations. I used to keep a calendar here, but I keep our family calendar on my phone, and it seemed redundant. There are, however, printable calendar pages if you choose to have one in your camping notebook.
![Keep track of campground reviews in your camping journal](http://oregonoutdoorfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/NotebookReview.jpg)
Once we realized we were really enjoying blogging our adventures, we decided to add campground reviews, too, to help families plan trips. Since these pages were already available, I added a tab for them and started using them a couple of summers ago. This printable is also from AllThoseDetails.com.
I keep a few other odds and ends in my notebook. I have a few pages with relevant phone numbers for emergencies, some blank pages for writing notes (or more often, things I need to replace in our camping gear), and even some graph paper that I’ve never used.
![](http://oregonoutdoorfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/NotebookInside.jpg)
Keep track of things that need purchased, repaired, or replaced.
Our camping notebook is surprisingly handy. My husband likes knowing there’s a plan and that we have all the information in one spot. I love having the menu laid out for each meal. And best of all, I don’t forget anything!
![First, pack the camping notebook!](http://oregonoutdoorfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Camping-Notebook-preparation.jpg)
We never leave home without our camping notebook now!