After spending 16 days camping with our baby, we learned one big lesson:

You need far less than you think.

Before our trip, I spent weeks researching packing lists, trying to prepare for every possible situation. Like most first-time parents, I packed "just in case" items that never left the bag.

Some things became everyday essentials.

Others came home exactly as we packed them.

If you're planning your first camping trip with a baby, here's what we actually used—and what we'd pack differently next time.