Our family enjoys camping and vacationing in the great outdoors. Over the years, we have had some great times around the fire circle. Of course, we’ve also had many learning experiences. We’ve only been beaten by the weather once, but three inches of rain in one hour can pack quite a punch! For those of you who have yet to tackle the outdoors, here are the basics that any family needs to know to have a good time.
Tents
The biggest challenge you will face is buying a tent. My advice here is that unless you are climbing Everest, your first tent needs to be the right size at the cheapest price. Think Wal-mart. I have an 8-person tent from wal-mart that is 10 years old now. Its only hole was shot in it by the little Indian in the camp site next to us while camping in the
This tent can be purchased for less than $100 here.
Buy bigger than you need. If you have a family of four, buy a six or eight man tent because you need room for your gear as well. The days of propping up poles while half the tent falls down are long gone. Get a free standing tent with fiberglass poles and make sure it has a rain-fly. Buy a tarp to go on the ground under your tent, as this will add many years to its life. Lastly, purchase seam sealer at the same time and apply it to all the stitched areas in your new tent before that first camping trip.
Sleeping
The best technology for family camping these days are air mattresses. This is not an option if you are back packing, but this article assumes that you are packing everything in the back of a pickup or minivan. Old blankets and bedspreads are just fine in the summer. But a sleeping bag keeps you warmer in the spring and fall, and also packs smaller. A basic sleeping bag will set you back anywhere from $30 to 50. Really nice sleeping bags start at $100 and go much higher, but again, we are assuming that you are not headed for the Canadian back forty.
The Kitchen
A little planning goes a long way here. The dollar store can supply you with reusable cups, plates, and forks. Use a plastic container to hold it all plus matches, paper towels, dish soap, salt, pepper, spatula, sharp knife, etc. Clean up your milk jugs in advance and use them to carry water. A family of four will need one or two gallons per day. Bring an iron skillet and a pot to boil water in. I like iron skillets because I can set them right on top of hot coals, or on a grill. Plan your meals in advance and keep them “camp friendly.” Hotdogs are easy, but don’t be afraid to bring steaks, brats, or cold salads. These days, I do most of our cooking on a Coleman portable propane stove. Don’t forget to bring some high calorie snacks.
The ultimate kitchen! Way more than you need, but fun to think about. See more here.
A large cooler makes for convenient food storage and a chair. Remember to put your food up at night. In some parks, the law requires that you put food up in your vehicle to protect you from bears entering your camp. In our experience, raccoons can open latches and we often place a bicycle on top of the cooler.
This is the main attraction of the evening. I recommend that you bring your own firewood and small twigs for starting a fire, but check with local laws before bringing firewood across state lines. Have some green sticks for roasting marshmallows and hotdogs. Bring a good book or some good stories to tell around the campfire. After dark, we often give each of the kids in our camp a glow stick to ward off night time heebee jeebies and allow us to keep a better eye on their whereabouts. After all, part of the fun of camping is meeting other kids and exploring the surrounding woods and fields.
First Aid
Remember the Boy Scout motto of “Be prepared.” Do not assume that there will be a corner drug store nearby. Pack a first aid kit and any medications you might need. Many of the places we have camped do not have cell phone coverage. I keep a roll of 2 mil plastic in the truck incase it’s needed for inclement weather.
Where to go and What to do
Most campgrounds in state parks have nice facilities and make great get-a-ways. Check online for references from people who might have stayed at the destination you have in mind. Most state and federal parks have maps, reservations, and information online for their campgrounds. I have gotten ideas and feed back here at GORP. If your destination is close by, make a day trip and picnic one Saturday before you commit the entire weekend to camping there. Also, most KOA Kampgrounds have great facilities, but you need to do your homework on their location. We have found that state parks offer the most remote settings; an essential ingredient for our family.
The best camping trips combine camping with some kind of outdoor activity. The most popular are hiking, biking, canoeing, and fishing. Many state parks have paved access roads where kids can ride in the evenings while you are preparing supper. Most camps have easy trails that you can spend half a day hiking. A low end canoe will set you back $350 but it is a great investment if you are close to a lake. We have car topped our canoe on sub compact cars, where the canoe was longer than the vehicle! The most important thing however, is just to get out of the house for a while, and turn the cell phone off!
Our rule for truck camping: if you can get it in the truck, you can bring it!
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