The only thing better than waking up in a tent next to the ocean is waking up in a tent next to the ocean and going surfing. The best way to do a surf trip is always to bundle it into a camping trip. There’s something magical about falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves, cooking outside, and waking up with the first light. But that magic can fade quickly when you realize you forgot your sleeping pad, your wetsuit is missing, and you packed the wrong fuel for your camp stove. Most of the important work that makes a surf camping trip possible is done before you even leave, packing is half the battle, and we’ve put together this guide to help you make sure you’ve got everything you need to make the most of your vacation. We’ll cover some general packing strategies, as well some specific packing checklists to help you make sure you’re not forgetting anything.

Batch your gear

The biggest challenge when you’re packing for any trip is making sure that you have everything, and that you know where you packed each piece of gear. Those spare socks aren’t going to do you any good if you have no idea where you packed them. So, to help you make sure you’ve got everything and that you know where everything is, we recommend batching similar gear. For example, pack a specific bag or box with all your camp kitchen gear in it. Your stove, fuel, utensils, and any other cooking gear all lives in one place, and every time you use any of that gear it goes back with the other cooking gear. That way you can just grab the kitchen box, and know that it has everything you need in it, instead of rummaging around trying to find a knife or spoon.

This concept can be applied to all your gear. Pack your sleeping bag, pillow, and sleeping pad together. That way when it’s time to sleep you can just grab one big bag and know it’s got everything you need. Pack your surf gear together in one place, stop mixing up your gear. That way too, if you want to grab a quick surf session on your way to a new campsite, you can just pull out the surf bag, instead of digging through all your camping gear to find that wetsuit.

Batch your gear, stay organized, and create a system that makes it impossible to forget the essentials.

Know your destination

It’s always a good idea to do some research before you head out on any trip. Look at towns on your route. Do they have grocery stores? What are those stores’ hours? Is there a good surf shop near where you plan on camping? If you do a good job of planning ahead and knowing what amenities will be available it gives you a layer of insurance as you pack. You can afford to forget certain gear, or pack less food, knowing that it will be easy to stock up near your destination. Realize you need wax your surfboard after a long day in the break? If you planned ahead you’ll know the nearest place to grab an extra bar. The worst thing that can happen on any camping trip is having to cut it short because you forgot something simple that just isn’t available anywhere near your destination. So plan ahead, and pack accordingly.

Packing lists

With that in mind, here are some sample packing lists to help you make sure you’ve got everything you’re going to need.

For surfing, pack like you normally would, but bring any extra gear you’ve got. You’ll need your surfboard obviously, but make sure you bring some extra fins, and the tools you’ll need to swap them. Make sure you’ve got an appropriate wetsuit for your destination, and consider bringing an extra suit in case temperatures shift. If you wear contacts, pack extras in case you lose some surfing. An extra leash is always a good idea to bring, as is extra wax and a comb. Here’s a checklist:

• Surfboard
• Wetsuit
• Booties
• Gloves (if applicable)
• Spare fins
• Surf Wax
• Spare leash
• Extra contacts/glasses

For the camping portion of the trip, you can basically pack as you would for any other camping trip, just plan ahead for coastal weather. That means packing extra sunscreen and sunglasses, as well as a rain jacket and probably rain pants as well, and some tarps to keep your gear dry. The weather on the coast changes fast, packing just a little extra gear can make a huge difference. Here’s a checklist:

• Sleep system
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad
• Pillow
• Tent
• Tarp for under tent
• Extra stakes for windy weather
• Kitchen
• Stove
• Pots and pans
• Knife
• Silverware
• Spare fuel
• Coffee system
• Cups
• Camp chairs
• Camp table
• Firewood
• Lighter
• Tarps
• Headlamp
• Camp lantern
• Spare batteries
• Camp games
• Food
• Toiletries
• Any medication

The whole point of taking a camping trip is finding simplicity, unplugging from the world, and relaxing. And it’s hard to do that if you’re worried you forgot something important the whole time. So plan ahead, do the hard work before hand, and pack smarter so that you can make the most of your surf camping trip.