Everything You Need to Camp Around Cape Breton Island
Here is everything you need to camp around Cape Breton Island. Planning to visit Cape Breton Island and explore the Cabot Trail!? You are in for a treat!!
This Island, up in North Eastern Canada off Nova Scotia is amazing…There is nowhere else like it in the world.
My boyfriend and I just spent eight days up on Cape Breton Island driving, exploring, camping and soaking in all the beauty the Highlands National Park offers (Check out my full guide on How to Camp Around Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia).
We made the road trip from Seacoast, NH and decided to camp our way around the Island. Camping both on and off the Cabot Trail.
We packed up the truck with this full list below of everything you need for eight days!
Check out the list!
Everything You Need to Camp Around Cape Breton Island
Everything you need: Clothes + Shoes
We visited in late June/early July which meant warm weather. It ended up being even warmer than we thought it would be!
Both of us are very outdoorsy and I made sure we had everything we needed for all different types of adventures!
If you go in the summer, pack lots of bathing suits, light athletic wear, and comfy clothes for hanging out at your campsite.
- Bathing suits: 3
- Beach cover up: 2
- Hiking outfits: 5 (leggings, shorts, dry fit tops, etc.)
- Tank tops: 5
- T-shirts: 5
- Raincoat
- Fleece coat
- Jeans: 1 pair
- Sweatpants: 2
- Sweatshirt: 1
- Comfy shorts: 6
- Casual shorts: 4
- Undies
- Socks
- Bras (regular + sport)
- Rainbows (flip flops)
- Hiking boots
- Shower shoes (cheap, plastic shoes)
- Sneakers
- Tevas
- Birkenstocks
Everything you need: Camping Gear
The important stuff!
Camping is popular on Cape Breton, you will see a lot of RVs, pop-ups, and tents all over the Island.
We brought our big tent and used that for almost the entire week (other than staying in a Wilderness Cabin at Meat Cove).
Here is all of the camping gear you should bring to be fully prepared!
- Tent
- Backup tent (small one if you have another)
- Pop-up tent for over picnic table
- Tarp x2
- Air Mattress + pump or sleeping pads x2
- Power generator
- Travel pillows x2
- Sleeping bags x2
- Blankets x2
- Picnic table cloth
- Table cloth clips
- Cooler x2 (one for food + one for drinks)
- Flashlights + headlamps
- Jetboil
- Camping stove
- Propane
- Lighter
- Camping kitchen utensils (silverware, knife, spatula, can opener, etc.)
- Pots + pans
- Cups/Yetis
- Plates/bowls
- Collapsible sink
- Cutting board
- Trash bags
- Soap + sponge
- Camping chairs x2
- Folding table
- Thermacell
- Paper towels
- Tinfoil
- Toilet paper
- Firewood (buy in Canada)
- Rope
Everything you need: Toiletries
These are all of the toiletries you want to make sure you have for your trip!
Over eight days we used all of these things:
- Patagonia black hole toiletry bag
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body wash
- Luffa
- Razor
- Face wipes
- Makeup
- Bandaids
- Medicine
- Vitamins
- Birth control
- Deodorant
- Body lotion
- Moisturizer
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Floss
- Hairbrush
- Hair products
- Eye drops
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Tweezers
- Medkit
Everything you need: Miscellaneous
All of the random things you don’t want to forget!!
- Shower towels x2
- Beach towels x2
- 1 old towel
- Outdoor speaker
- Portable charger
- GoPro camera
- DSLR camera
- Instax camera
- Film camera
- Extra SD cards + film
- Chargers
- Dry bag
- Hammock
- Fanny pack
- Backpacks x2
- Waterproof cases for phones
- Notebook
- Passports
- Driver’s Licenses
- Credit Cards
- CAD cash (order some from bank at home before hand)
- Sunglasses
- Reusable water bottles
- Baseball hats
- Headbands
- Deck of cards
- Car phone mount
- Map
- Koozies
- Reusable bags x2
Everything you need: Food
Pack up your car with your favorite food before you go.
We bought most of the dry food with us from home. Different snacks, water, etc. and then plan your camping meals every few days.
Pick up what you need along the way, things like meats, fresh fruit, veggies, beer.
Also having some backup options is always a good idea!
- Backpacking meals x4 (we love Good-To-Go)
- Granola
- Oatmeal
- Garbanzo beans
- Bread
- Pb & J
- Canned veggies
- Trail mix
- Chips/pretzels
- Cookies
- Granola bars
- Dark chocolate bars
- Salt & pepper
- Camp mix seasoning
Extra Tips:
Follow this list and you should feel well prepared during your time along the Cabot Trail!
We took our GMC Sierra Truck to Cape Breton Island. The truck worked out perfect to hold all of our stuff.
I would recommend taking a truck or SUV if possible.
We have a cover over the bed of the truck that easily folds back that keeps everything locked in the bed and safe from the rain which I would also recommend getting!
Extra Tips:
Use easily accessible duffle bags to pack your clothes in.
Do this and just leave the bags in the backseat of your car most of the time if possible.
This way you don’t have to carry all of your stuff in and out of each new site. We did this during our trip and it worked out great! I liked it because we always had whatever we needed with us.
Also leave all of your dry food the car in reusable bags so you don’t have to worry about animals getting into it at your site.
Doing this is nice because you will also have snacks with you at all times.
There you have it, that is everything you should pack for your camping trip around the Cabot Trail in the summertime!
Get excited! Cape Breton Island is a special place…You are going to see some pretty amazing sights, meet really cool people and go on unforgettable adventures.
Have you camped around the Cabot Trail? If so, is there anything else you think I should add to the list?
Let me know in the comments below!
Also check out My Full Guide on Cape Breton Island!
Happy exploring!
sierra
Hello there! It's wonderful to have you here. I'm Sierra, a NH native with a love for travel and adventure. I have a constant desire to explore beautiful places around the world and go on awesome adventures! I seek to inspire others to travel to see all the beauty and culture the world has to offer! 🌞⛰️🌼🫶🏼🦋🌲📸🥾💛
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