Updated: Mar 15
Packing for a multi-day camping adventure can be tiresome, but we're here to make it easy for you. In this post, we'll go over the essentials, our recommendations and some tips and tricks on what to bring to guarantee an enjoyable trip.
Grab our Free Multiday packing checklist here.
PSA: this post includes affiliate links!
Where to begin?
We find it helpful to organize our camping gear into categories so that we can focus on one section at a time.
Here are our 6 main Categories:
Clothing
Camp kitchenware
Safety gear
Communication tools
Sleeping systems
Food and water.
Use smaller stuff sacks or dry bags for each category, and then place those inside one (or two) large main dry bags call deck bags.
Depending on the conditions of your trip, you may need to deviate from what is listed in this post. Some things that affect this are how long the trip will be, the amount of paddling required, and what kind of weather or waters you will encounter.
What clothing should you take?
For a 2 day/ 1 night or even a 3 day/2 night trip, you really don’t need that much. The key is to wear THE SAME clothes paddling every day (yes, for 3 days!) and THE SAME clothes at camp (for 2 nights). This works because you will be aiming to wear all lightweight, quick-drying materials, and a bonus for you if its merino based cuz then it won’t get too stinky.
Now you want to separate your clothing into two sections:
Camp Clothing
A puffy jacket for the cold evenings (doubles as a pillow!)
Rain jacket & rain pants
Thermal tops X1 (medium/heavyweight layer)
Thermal leggings X1 (lightweight base layer)
Quick-dry shorts or pants (wear thermals under your shorts/pants)
Quickdry t-shirt/tank top X1 (lightweight)
Wool socks X2 and Underwear X2 or 3
Paddling Clothing
Your wetsuit and a Paddling top/ rain jacket OR your drysuit.
Layers for under your drysuit (lightweight top/leggings and socks)
Warm layer/sweater (that can get wet!)
Neoprene booties or water sandals like Keens/Tevas.
If you want to learn more about the clothing you should be wearing while paddleboarding check out our post What to Wear While Paddle Boarding.
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What safety gear do I need?
It is always crucial to be safe, but even more so when you go camping in areas that are unknown o
r secluded. Here is a list of essential safety gear to bring with you on your trip, ensuring the wellbeing of not only yourself but also those who are with you.
First aid kit
Board repair kit
Leash
Whistle
Throw Bag or Tow Rope
Flares
Sunscreen
Extra batteries
Cell phone & waterproof cell phone bag
Trash bags
Insect repellent
Firestarter
10-20L Dry Bag
Duct Tape
Interest in learning more about the safety gear require for a paddleboarding trip. Check out these blog posts.
What is the best PDF for paddleboarding
Should you wear a leash.
Essentials for a camp kitchen?
A long day of paddling can really take it out of you, leaving you feeling exhausted and cold. That's why a hot meal at the end of the day is essential. So you can cook your favorite hot meal in the wilderness, we've put together a list of necessary kitchen supplies.
MSR PocketRocket Stove
1 Fuel Canister with 75-100mL/person/ day (assuming cooking only for breakfast and dinner, both 1 pot meals, spring-fall temps, and low altitude)
Lighter
Backup Waterproof Matches
Foil Wind Protector
Collapsible Cups or Bowls
Utensils
Cooking Pot X1
Water Bottles - 1 per person
Water Filter
DON'T FORGET TO BRING THE COFFEE!! - MSR MugGate coffee filter
What do you need for a comfortable sleeping while camping?
You have several options when it comes to sleeping arrangements when overnighting on a Stand Up Paddle Board. If you are situated in an environment similar to ours, coastal Canada, (i.e. it rains often, with sometimes heavy downpours and the potential for high winds), the following advise will be perfect for you. If not you will have to adapt what you bring in to the environment you are adventuring in.
Tent
Having a proper tent is crucial to ensuring that everyone stays warm and dry while sleeping through the night.
Consider tent size for the # of humans going on the trip.
Ensure adequate ventilation
Ensure the fly covers the entire tent - all the way to the ground!
Consider bringing a Groundsheet they are helpful in protecting the bottom of the tent. Make sure your groundsheet does not extend past the tent's footprint or you risk catching water.
Stuff that everyone needs:
Sleeping bag - one per person
Sleeping pad - one per person
Headlamp - one per person
Inflatable pillows (optional, one per person)
Extra tarps and rope - can be used if you are expecting heavy rain or to make a kitchen shelter.
What food should you bring on an overnight camping trip?
You need to choose your evening meal carefully. It has to be something everyone likes because space and equipment are limited so you don’t want to be cooking several different meals. We recommend the big pot method. You can put it all in one pot and let it work its magic.
Focus on simple meals with a SMALL number of ingredients. Some staples we recommend are;
Snacks - granola/protein bars, nuts/trail mix, dried fruits, and crackers.
Soup - it takes up no space and its nutritious and easy to heat up
Electrolyte drink mix
Protein powder
A small bottle of grapeseed oil
Basic seasoning (salt+pepper, Mrs' Dash etc.)
Warm drinks - Coffee, Tea, hot Chocolate
How much water do you need for an overnight paddle-boarding trip?
Water is a VERY crucial part of every adventure and without it you will literally seize up. Thats why we recommend bringing 6 litres of water per person per day. This way you won’t feel restricted on how much water intake the group is consuming.
With this amount of water you will have 1 litre of additional water for uses such as dishes, water for brushing teeth and additional tea before bed etc.
Ways to conserve water:
Use hand sanitizer if possible.
Bring face wipes to wash your face instead.
Showering - it’s only for a few nights so use baby wipes -that’s a personal preference.
Washing hair or shaving - just don’t…
Don’t drown your toothbrush in water before you start to brush.
Use the smallest amount for dishes.
Why you should carry a water filter...
One of the best solutions to prevent you from running out of water is to invest in a water filter. It will allow you to turn almost any river, lake, or pond into safe drinking water while camping. BUT if you’re on the ocean, you’re gonna have to bring it with you!
Communication is key!
We are so used to having our cell phones at the tip of our fingers but using your cell is not always possible when you are doing an overnight camping trip. It is essential that you have some way to communicate with outside resources in the event of an emergency. Marine radios are an absolute must in our opinion. They are perfect for basic communication (getting a daily weather update) and in case of an emergency.
Unfortunately, emergencies can happen and it’s best to be as prepared as possible. Even if you are in a group you may find yourself in the situation of getting lost and people are unaware of where you are.
Reasons why you need a marine radio
You can contact boats in your vicinity or the coast guard with a marine radio.
Most marine radios expand up to hundreds of miles.
Cell service isn’t always available in coastal places.
Communication is reliable and fast.
Are you ready to pack for an overnight SUP trip?
I hope this post helped give you a mental checklist of what to pack for an overnight SUP camping trip and if you are like me and prefer a physical checklist consider grabbing our free overnight camping trip checklist by clicking the link below.
If you are interested in learning more check out this next blog post: How to Pack your Paddle board for an overnight trip.
As always please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or send me a DM on our Facebook page or Instagram.
Happy SUPPING, until next time...
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