Campaq News

Packing for a weekend away should be relatively simple. However, choosing a camping bag that is too small can leave clothing and gear crammed together, while choosing one that is unnecessarily large can encourage overpacking and become difficult to carry.

The right camping bag size depends on more than the number of nights you will be away. You also need to consider who you are packing for, the season, your activities, how you are travelling and whether your camping equipment is packed separately.

Here is how to choose a practical camping bag size for your next weekend trip.

The short version

For a typical one or two-night car camping trip, a bag around 40–50L can be a practical size for one adult or one child’s clothing and personal items.

CamPaq’s Medium Camping Bag is approximately 50L overall and includes six zipped compartments, making it useful for organising clothing, shoes, hats, books, tablets and other personal gear.

Couples may prefer one Medium Camping Bag each, while families can use one Medium Camping Bag per child and a Large Camping Bag for shared or bulky items.

Backpacking and car camping require different bags

Many camping bag size guides focus on hiking backpacks.

For hiking or backpacking, a 30–45L backpack is often recommended for a short overnight trip because the person needs to carry their sleeping gear, clothing, food and equipment on their body. Backpack fit, torso length, hip belts and weight distribution are therefore extremely important.

Car camping and caravanning are different.

Your tent, sleeping bags, chairs, cooking equipment and food may already be packed elsewhere in the car, caravan or camper trailer. Your personal camping bag may only need to hold clothing, shoes, toiletries and smaller essentials.

For this type of travel, the following factors are often more useful than backpack capacity alone:

• Who will use the bag
• What will be packed inside
• Where it will be stored
• How often you need to access it
• Whether you prefer shared or individual packing
• How heavy the bag will become when full

What size camping bag does one adult need?

For a weekend trip, one Medium Camping Bag will often provide enough room for one adult’s clothing and personal belongings.

A typical weekend packing list may include:

• Two or three tops
• Shorts, trousers or leggings
• Underwear and socks
• Sleepwear
• A jumper or jacket
• Shoes or sandals
• A hat
• A towel
• A book, tablet or small personal items

Seasonal clothing makes a difference. Winter jackets, track pants and warm sleepwear take up considerably more room than summer clothing.

People packing for cold weather may need to reduce unnecessary items, use a separate bag for jackets or choose a larger shared bag for bulky layers.

What size camping bag does a child need?

One Medium Camping Bag per child can make family camping considerably easier.

Instead of combining everyone’s belongings in one large bag, each child has a dedicated space for clothing, sleepwear, shoes, books and personal items.

Separate pockets can be used for categories such as:

• Underwear and socks
• Shirts and shorts
• Sleepwear
• Hats and accessories
• Shoes
• Books, tablets or travel activities

This makes belongings easier to see and can also encourage older children to take responsibility for finding and repacking their own items.

What size bag does a couple need?

A couple going away for a weekend generally has two practical options.

The first is to use one Medium Camping Bag each. This keeps personal clothing and belongings separated and reduces the need to search through a shared bag.

The second is to use a Large Camping Bag for shared items. This can work well for people who pack lightly or prefer to keep towels, jackets, bedding and communal equipment together.

However, remember that a very large bag can become heavy once fully packed. Dividing clothing and heavier items across two bags may be easier to carry and store.

What is the best camping bag setup for a family?

For families, a combination of bag sizes is usually more practical than trying to fit everything into one oversized bag.

A useful weekend setup may include:

• One Medium Camping Bag for each child
• One Medium Bag for each adult
• One Large Camping Bag for towels, jackets or shared family gear
• One Toiletry Bag for bathroom and shower essentials
• One Caravan Under Bed Bag for linen or items stored flat in a caravan

This keeps gear organised by person or purpose, rather than creating one large mixed bag that everyone needs to search through.

When should you choose a Large Camping Bag?

A Large Camping Bag is useful when the items you are packing are bulky, shared or difficult to divide into smaller categories.

It can be used for:

• Towels
• Jackets
• Blankets
• Shared clothing
• Pantry supplies
• Sporting equipment
• Beach gear
• Family games
• Longer trips

It may also suit travellers who want one central bag for shared gear.

The Large Camping Bag is not necessarily the best replacement for every person’s individual clothing bag. Families may find that a Large Bag works best alongside several Medium Bags.

What about caravan under-bed storage?

When packing a caravan or camper trailer, the height and shape of the available space may be more important than the overall bag capacity.

A low-profile bag can be useful under a caravan bed or inside a shallow storage compartment.

CamPaq’s Caravan Under Bed Storage Bag measures 60 × 42 × 20 cm and opens around three sides. This makes it suitable for items that are packed flat, including:

• Linen
• Towels
• Jackets
• Shoes
• Seasonal clothing
• Spare bedding
• Pantry supplies

Always measure your available storage space before choosing a bag. Allow extra room for handles, hinges and the movement of a lift-up bed.

Should you choose a camping bag by litres?

Litres can provide a useful general comparison, but they should not be the only consideration.

Two bags with a similar capacity can feel completely different depending on their dimensions, shape and internal layout.

A bag with several external pockets may make smaller items easier to organise, while one deep compartment may be better suited to bulky bedding or large equipment.

For car and caravan travel, also ask:

• Will it fit in the intended cupboard or vehicle space?
• Can it be opened while it is stored?
• Will it become too heavy when full?
• Can everyone find their belongings easily?
• Do you need to carry the entire bag frequently?
• Would two smaller bags be more practical?

Avoid choosing a bag that is too large

It can be tempting to choose the largest available bag so there is room for everything.

However, unused space often leads to adding items that are not genuinely needed. A very large bag can also become awkward or heavy when filled with shoes, food, toiletries or other dense items.

For weekend trips, pack the essentials first and select a bag that allows those items to fit comfortably without being tightly compressed.

It is usually better to organise gear across several purpose-based bags than to place every item in one oversized bag.

A practical weekend CamPaq size guide

These are starting points rather than strict rules. The best arrangement will depend on your clothing, season, trip style and available storage.

Choosing the right size for your trip

For a simple weekend camping trip, a Medium Camping Bag is often the most versatile starting point for one person.

Families may benefit from giving each child their own Medium Bag, while using a Large Bag for bulky or shared essentials. Caravan travellers should also consider low-profile storage bags that suit the dimensions of their available space.

The goal is not to choose the largest bag possible. It is to create a packing system that keeps your belongings visible, organised and easy to reach throughout the trip.

Explore the CamPaq Camping Bag Size Guide to compare the options and find the most practical setup for your next trip.

Written by Therese Barrett, Founder of CamPaq. CamPaq clear camping and travel bags were created from real family camping experience to make packing and finding gear simpler.