Set Up Your Tent Upon Arrival
Once you reach the campsite, youll want to immediately set up your gear. Its best to be done first before getting too lazy from the long hike.
At this point, everyone should be given a task. A few can take care of the tent preparations others can take out the chairs and tables. You can also delegate a different group to take charge of meal preparations.
Pack Up Snacks And Prepare Activities
Families camping with kids should remember to plan ahead when it comes to their snacks and entertainment. Barbecue is usually the camping food people swear by, but children wont always eat them. Best to pre-pack individualized meals to avoid tantrums. Keep them entertained with board games, toys, and puzzles, if theyre not a big fan of trees and Mother Nature.
How To Prepare For A Camping Trip
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Camping is a fun and exciting experience, but to stay organized and safe, you must prepare for the trip.
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Decide Whats Important In A Camping Experience
The first question to ask yourself is: what do I want to do, exactly? This will dictate where you should go, and what youll look for in a campsite. Some things to consider, include:
– Activities: Do you want to go hiking? Rafting? Biking? Look for a campsite that has easy access to your favorite outdoor activities. If traveling with a family, you should look for playgrounds and kid-friendly places nearby.
– Tent or RV: Do you have an RV or will you be tenting? Its important to find a campground that has the right space for your vehicle.
– Rough it or Camp in Style: Bathrooms, electric hookups and running water on site are not always a given. Details like this cannot be overlooked in the planning stages.
– Group Camping or Solo: Think about the number of people in your group, and their varying interests. If you have a small group, a single campsite might do. If youre traveling with a larger group, a family cabin might be what you need. Also find out what everyones expectations are so you can find a spot that everyone will be happy with.
Look For A Perfect Camp Site
The very first thing is to select a perfect camp site. There are numerous camp sites are available out there. You can also select between the camping grounds. The best way to can choose is to make a comparison. You can compare the prices and what amenities they are offering. Check if they have a small store so that you can buy essentials in case you forget. It will be advantageous if the camp site is offering close-ended bathrooms with showers. Remember, camping is fun but you will need to prepare for everything in advance. Also, verify that your friends also fit in your selected place. Take your time and select a perfect camp site.
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Plan Meals And Snacks
Cant go camping without food, right? Well, good news. There is a variety of meals and food to pack with you for camping, and its really nutritious as well as delicious.
It goes without saying, but the longer your trip is, the more food you will have to pack to cover every day of the trip and every member of your group. I know I said that you shouldnt pack more than needed, but when it comes to food, the more the merrier.
Camping meals dont take too much space in the backpack, they are not heavy at all. Therefore, it is best to have reserves rather than getting stranded without food.
If you are planning a solo camping trip, then you know what you like, dislike and can eat. If you are planning a group camping trip, then check with all members regarding their preferences, favorite meals, restrictions of diet, allergies, and so on.
You can prepare the food in advance at home or purchase prepared camping meals. You can slice and cut vegetables and fruit, or even marinate meat at home. Anything you can prepare at home is much better than on site. It saves you time and allows you to get to camping cooking straight away.
Perishable foods should be stored in coolers . You can also use them to store water bottles and beer, in order to enjoy cold beverages on a sunny day. Just make sure you have enough space for everything.
Also, have a look at a detailed article I wrote about food to pack for camping .
- Pots and pans
- Firewood
- Lighter/matches
Assemble Gear And Load Vehicle
So far, you’ve done the following:
- You’ve determined you desired destination.
- You’ve reserved it successfully and acquainted yourself and your team with the mandatory campground rules for the said destination.
- You’ve prepared your gear, a menu and food to last you the entire trip.
And now onto the most anticipated part:
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Tips For Planning A Camping Trip
Spreadsheets are your best friend when it comes to documenting all the things you plan to pack, your plan for your meals, what time you plan on leaving and coming home, and tracking your budget. Were not talking about anything expert level, but its nice to have something to track all of the things that go into a camping trip.
Picking out a date and reserving in advance is crucial to making sure that your camping trip goes smoothly. Depending on when and where you want to go, the national parks in theEast, West, and Midwest parts of the US have different popularity times based on the seasons. Some of these places even start opening reservations up to9 months before youre looking to stay.
Planning out all your meals before you go not only helps for grocery shopping, but it also helps save on food storage. Another great tip that goes with meal planning before you leave is cooking and chopping ingredients ahead of time to help with both time and space constraints.
Before you head out on your road trip, youll want to research your planned route and check for any alternate paths just in case. Depending on where youre traveling, you could be passing through temporary construction or travel on busy interstates during high traffic times. Taking an alternate route will save a lot of headaches of sitting in stop-and-go traffic for a long road trip.
Packing For Your Trip
Packing depends on how long you want to stay, what types of activities youre planning to do, what the weather is like and what you feel comfortable wearing. The list I have compiled is the one Vayda and I worked off of for a Friday-night-to-Sunday-afternoon trip.
Supplies
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Spare batteries
- Playing cards
- Battery-powered radio
- Tent
- Sandals, tennis shoes and hiking boots
- Backpack
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How Much Time Do You Want To Spend Cooking When Camping
If you do plan to cook food outdoors, opt for quick-cooking foods such as instant meals. If you wish to have real, genuine food, try quick-cooking ones such as pre-cooked meat, shrimp, and thinly sliced hams. Hard-boiled eggs are easy to cook in boiling water as well.
You can opt for slower cooking meals, but cooking outdoors can be quite a strenuous task if the circumstances are against your favor.
How To Plan A Successful Family Camping Trip
As a longtime scouter and camping enthusiast, I have made sure our family has done lots of camping together. Now, I know for some dads that a fun camping experience might be an oxymoron. But over the years, I have learned, mostly by trial and error, what works and what doesn’t in a camping environment with kids. So, if you want to have a good family camping trip, here are some tried and true methods to make camping fun and rewarding.
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Decide Where You Want To Go
Knowing where you want to go camping involves knowing what kind of camping you want to do. Theres backpacking, where you carry everything on your back and hike in to a remote destination, and then theres car camping where you load up the car and drive to a paid campsite. Theres also RV and pop-up camping for a tent-free experience.
Backpacking is going to be the more minimalist and adventurous approach. You can only bring what you can carry so youll need a good backpack, some lightweight gear and youll want to have some knowledge of outdoor safety, navigation and be prepared for no amenities that you dont bring with you .
If youd prefer a developed campground where you pay for a site and have amenities like toilets and picnic tables, you can drive in which means you are not so limited in what you can bring with. This wont be such a rough and wild experience youll almost certainly be sharing the campgrounds with other people but its a good way to ease in to camping.
Are You Planning Just To Camp Or To Engage In Other Activities
During the camping trip, you can engage in other activities: hiking, fishing, kayaking, biking, swimming, climbing, and more. Consider what you as well as each of the members enjoy and are interested in doing during the trip. Plan the activities for this camping trip according to everyones main interests. It is important that everyone have fun during the trip and engage in activities they are fond of.
Remember that choosing the activities you are planning to engage in will also determine your destination, as well as the gear and equipment that you should pack. For example, if you are planning to kayak, your destination should be eligible for this activity, and the gear you pack needs to fully cover your ability to enjoy such an activity. National parks have various activities available, and they are listed on their websites for your convenience.
Another important thing to do is to check if there are any legal requirements for the activities youre planning during the camping trip. Whether youre planning to go hiking, haunting, boating or fishing, some places may ask that you have a license or permits for these activities.
If youre planning on going to theme parks, it is advised to book the tickets in advance, and thus avoid wasting time or getting stranded outside a park.
Not sure what activities to partake in, especially if youre with children? Here is a nice video that lists 19 camping activities:
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Rvshare And Harvest Hosts Provide A Wealth Of Rv And Journey Data
Earlier than you even decide to renting an RV from peer-to-peer rental service RVshare, you may dig by means of the RVshare web site to get impressed and start planning your tenting getaway.
We love how jam-packed the RVshare weblog is with oodles of details about RVing, together with beginner renter ideas, recommendation on what to pack, and a great deal of journey inspiration from seashores to nationwide parks throughout the nation.
Equally, the Harvest Hosts weblog which is all obtainable for studying, whether or not or not youre a Harvest Hosts member gives ideas for RV restore and upkeep. There are additionally profiles of host areas, together with breweries and ranches, and recommendations for issues to see and do in varied components of the US.
How To Plan A Camping Trip: Get Ready With Ease
Camping can be attractive for quite a few reasons. Planning a camping trip is the most important part of any successful camping adventure. Its an affordable vacation and lets you get in touch with nature.
Camping can also be an appealing family vacation. If its your first time, however, you mightnt know how to plan a camping trip. It might seem somewhat overwhelming. Youd think that youd have quite a lot to look after.
While you may have more to plan out, it doesnt need to be complicated. It should be much simpler than youd think. You could overlook a few things, though. Youll need to make sure that you dont so that you can enjoy your camping trip.
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Practice Makes Sure You Do Not Forget
Taking the time to go over what you are packing will save you stress and anguish later on. This thought process will also help while you packing up as well. This is not just when you are packing your suitcase, but loading your vehicle too.
Try packing as much in advance as you can. This can provide a particular advantage when it comes to items that are not necessities for your daily routines. Items such as rain ponchos and your tent are things that can be packed ahead of time, saving you time and stress as the departure time of your camping trips approaches. Having fewer items to worry about as you are trying to leave the house will cut down on stress and anxiety before your vacation begins.
Know Your Abilities And Limitations
And if in doubt, be sure to consider the skills that will be associated with your camping trip. If you would like to try roughing it, be honest with your current abilities and do not take on too much too soon. For safety, it is always best to start small and work your way up to larger, more adventurous activities.
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Keep Check On The Weather
Planning and preparing can only take you so far. In every trip that youre planning, its a rule of thumb to check the weather forecast for the day and even for the rest of the week to properly prepare on which specific items you would need to carry. Spending long days in the outdoors can also affect your health if youre not prepared for the drastically changing temperatures, especially during sunset. In certain months, depending on the monsoon season, rainy weather is not always easy to avoid, thus the need to stay dry and warm with the proper clothing and gear.
How To Plan Your First Car Camping Trip
Where should you go, and how do you make it fun? Our resident dog camping expert is here to help.
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As states open back up and summer approaches, camping is probably looking like an unprecedentedly attractive way to enjoy some time outdoors. If youve never been camping before, or just not in a long time, heres a comprehensive guide to getting that first trip right.
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Prepare For All Weather Conditions
You cant control the weather, but you can prepare for it. The thing about getting drenched while camping is theres no real way to dry off again. Wet clothes inside your tent mean damp, uncomfortable conditions and if youre using a down sleeping bag, you could be in for a cold night. The most important thing to pack is a waterproof jacket, regardless of the forecast. These are lightweight and pack down small and will keep your clothes underneath dry and your body warm. If youre expecting to see a lot of precipitation, youll want to consider waterproof trousers and shoes as well.
Even in hot desert areas, temperatures can really drop overnight, so youll want to pack base layers which pack down small but provide lots of warmth as well as one warmer outer layer like a fleece that can also double as a pillow at night.
If youre car camping, you might want to pack a tarp or pop up tent that can provide shelter from the elements. These also provide good sun shade if the weather is a little too good.
Ensure You Are Armed With Cooking Equipment
Some of the basic cooking equipment that each camper should have include:
- Firewood
- Table cloth
You are very likely to get a fire pit with a grill. Nonetheless, a portable stove with propane is a good back-up. Additionally, some campsite canteens have food supplies such as eggs and milk while others lack them. Be sure to confirm such details before embarking on your trip.
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Decide On A Destination
Once you all have a general idea of what you want your trip to look like, its time to choose a destination.
While theres no universal answer about where you should camp when adventuring with friends, we would recommend that you choose somewhere thats exciting and memorable, like Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Of course, theres beauty to be found in all natural places. But, finding a camping spot that makes everyone in your group excited about your trip is ideal. That way, you can make sure that everyone feels invested in and committed to your upcoming adventure.
Tarps Under A Tent Will Prevent The Floor From Getting Wet
Tarps can be used as a great preventive tool from rainy campgrounds. No one wants to sleep in a damp tent floor, so best to always carry tarp with you in case you have to change sites during your camping trip. This is also a great way to reuse your old tarps at home since you can customize it to the dimensions of your tent.
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