What to buy for a camping club gathering
A camping club gathering needs more than food and a barbecue. Plan for shared cooking, chilled storage, hot drinks, lighting after dark, registration at the welcome table and waste collection across the site. Start with the confirmed participant list, then buy ingredients and drinks by headcount and check dietary requirements before shopping. Reusable tableware, water containers and washing-up supplies are easy to overlook, but you will need them from the first meal onward.
What to bring
Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.
Furniture
- Party tentsqty 2
- Foldable tablesqty 6
- Folding chairsqty 36
- Beer benchesqty 6
- Waste binsqty 4
Tableware
- Reusable platesqty 40
- Reusable bowlsqty 40
- Reusable cupsqty 60
- Coffee mugsqty 40
- Cutlery setsqty 40
- Scissors and serving tongsqty 8
Kitchen
- Barbecueqty 2
- Cooking stovesqty 2
- Large cooking potsqty 3
- Coolersqty 4
- Water containersqty 3
- Cutting boardsqty 5
- Kitchen knivesqty 5
- Thermos flasksqty 5
- Storage bins with lidsqty 12
Equipment
- Extension cordsqty 4
- Power stripsqty 3
Lighting
- LED string lightsqty 4
- LED lanternsqty 6
Decorations
- Welcome banner
- Buntingqty 4
- Information boardsqty 4
Cleaning
- Washing-up basinsqty 3
- Bucketsqty 3
- Dish brushesqty 4
- Drying racksqty 2
- Broom and dustpanqty 2
- Reusable cleaning clothsqty 12
Catering
- Groceries
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Tea - 2 boxes
- Sugar - 1 kilo
- Milk - 6 liters
- Oat milk - 3 liters
- Cola - 6 bottles
- Cola Zero - 4 bottles
- Sinas - 4 bottles
- Ice tea - 4 bottles
- Sparkling mineral water - 6 bottles
- Still mineral water - 8 bottles
- Alcohol-free beer - 2 crates
- Beer - 3 crates
- Rosé - 6 bottles
- Red wine - 4 bottles
- Apple juice - 4 packs
- Orange juice - 4 cartons
- Paprika chips - 4 bags
- Plain chips - 4 bags
- Snacks - 3 bags
- Olives - 3 jars
- Mixed nuts - 3 bags
- Cucumbers - 8 pieces
- Cherry tomatoes - 2 kilos
- Bell peppers - 12 pieces
- Red onions - 1 kilo
- Iceberg lettuce - 4 heads
- Potato salad - 4 tubs
- Pasta salad - 4 tubs
- Baguettes - 10 pieces
- Herb butter - 6 tubs
- Hamburgers - 40 pieces
- Vegetarian burgers - 12 pieces
- Chicken skewers - 30 pieces
- Corn cobs - 20 pieces
- Vegetarian skewers - 20 pieces
- Hamburger buns - 52 pieces
- Slices of Cheese - 1,5 kilo
- Ketchup - 3 bottles
- Mayonnaise - 3 bottles
- Barbecue sauce - 3 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Olive oil - 2 bottles
- Salt - 1 pack
- Pepper - 1 jar
- Paprika powder - 1 jar
- Garlic powder - 1 jar
- Aluminum foil - 2 rolls
- Cling film - 2 rolls
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Liquid hand soap - 3 bottles
- Dish soap - 3 bottles
- Sponges - 2 packs
- Garbage bags - 3 rolls
- Paper napkins - 4 packs
- Firelighters - 2 boxes
- Charcoal - 4 bags
Tips
- Buy food for the confirmed number of participants plus a small buffer of 5–10%, and separate ingredients for recorded dietary requirements before packing the coolers.
- Plan at least two drinks per person for the first hour, then one drink per person per additional hour. Keep cold drinks in coolers and store perishable groceries refrigerated until setup.
- Pack one reusable plate, bowl, cup, mug and cutlery set per participant, plus 10% extra. Add serving tongs and scissors so shared dishes can be served without using personal cutlery.
- Allow one water container for every 10–15 people and prepare washing-up basins, buckets and dish brushes before the first meal. Without a washing-up station, reusable tableware quickly becomes a shortage.
- Bring lighting for the full evening: LED lanterns for paths and work areas, plus string lights for the social space. Pack extension cords and power strips only if the site has a safe, confirmed power supply.
Frequently asked questions
- How much food should I buy for a camping club gathering?
- Use the confirmed registration list as your base and buy 5–10% extra for shared meals. Increase the buffer if people will arrive without a confirmed meal choice, and separate dietary-requirement portions before shopping.
- How many drinks do I need per person for a camping gathering?
- Plan two drinks per person for the first hour and one per person for each following hour. Add extra water for warm weather and provide water containers at the site rather than relying only on bottled drinks.
- How many reusable plates and cups do I need?
- Pack one plate, bowl, cup, mug and cutlery set per participant, plus 10% extra. For 40 people, that means 44 of each item, unless you have a reliable washing-up cycle between meals.
- When should I buy groceries for a camping club gathering?
- Buy fresh and chilled food no earlier than 1–2 days before the gathering, then keep it refrigerated until transport. Buy dry goods, drinks and disposable backup supplies earlier, and check stock before the final shopping trip.
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