Saturday, February 19, 2011

How to Plan a Great Family Camping Trip

Camping with your family can be great fun -- cooking hot dogs and s'mores around a glowing campfire, discovering new animals and plants on a nature trail, cuddling in your tent reading books at night, and so on.  It can also be wet, disgusting, buggy, hot, dirty, and many other things.  The difference between a good family memory and a vacation nightmare comes down to two things -- attitude and planning.  In this post, I'll review some pros and cons of a camping vacation, take a look at some of the essential gear for camping, and provide some tips and tricks for making your camping trip a great success.
Camping at 2 months old



First, a little background.  I did not camp much as a kid (other than a week at summer camp every year); I didn't really discover my love for camping until I was much older.  However, my family did spend a lot of time together growing up, and we were raised to be inquisitive, adventurous and not worried about appearance.  Conversely, my son Jackson spent his first night in a tent at six weeks old, and has been camping (in both tents and campers) several times in his short life.

1.  Deciding whether or not to go camping.
It's no secret that camping can be an economical way to spend a vacation -- at many national or state parks, camping fees are usually under $20/night, and you don't have to spend hours in the car to find a suitable place to camp.  If you want to try it for yourself, here are some things to keep in mind:

Pros
 - Camping can be a very economical trip (see above), particularly if you cook your own food.
- Contrary to popular belief, usually a family camping trip does not involve lugging your gear for miles.  Typically, you can drive right up to the campsite.
- Camping allows you to leave some of the distractions of daily life at home -- your computer, phone, etc -- and connect with the people you're camping with.
- Camping allows you to be in nature, as opposed to just looking at it.
- Little kids usually love the opportunity to get dirty, poke at bugs, throw things in the fire, and sleep in between mom and dad.
- Bigger kids can be given more responsibility, and ultimately more ownership, over their vacation.
- Spending the night in a national park gives you the opportunity to experience the park at its most magical hours:  early morning, dusk, and the middle of the night (think stargazing).
- Depending on the campground, camping can be a great way to get to know other people. Kids usually find other kids to play with in campgrounds.

Cons
 - Camping in the rain can be miserable, especially if you are crammed into a too-small tent with nothing to do.
- Depending on the campground and equipment you choose, camping can actually be more expensive than staying in a hotel (especially if you are camping with an RV).
- Camping typically requires quite a bit of gear, even for the most basic trip.  This means you probably need a car or other means of transportation to haul all your gear from home to the campsite.
- Just as campgrounds can be magic, quiet, and friendly places, you can also end up in stinky, buggy campgrounds full of partying teenagers.....
- Unless you bring a separate tent for the kids, there's not really a lot of privacy in family camping!
- Some kids, particularly those who have not spent a lot of time outdoors, may have fears or squeamishness about things like getting dirty, not being able to shower every day, bugs, or thunderstorms. 

2.  What to bring
 If you decide to take the plunge, the next thing you'll need to is consider some gear.  The number one rule of gear is:  don't buy it unless you know you will need it and like it!  If this is your first camping trip, see if you can borrow some gear from a friend.  If you have an REI store near you, you can rent tents and sleeping bags and all sorts of other things.  Gear can get very expensive, and you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars just to find out you hate camping!  Here are the basics of what you'll need.

Shelter
Of course, the most basic thing needed for camping is shelter.  For many people, that means a tent.  The first thing you should know about tents is that the stated capacity of the tent is only correct if all of the people who are going to fit in the tent are tiny....in other words, a 3 person tent is really only good for about two people!  For family camping, opt for a little more space.  You should look for a tent that is easy to set up, even in the dark.  There are literally thousands of choices in terms of shape, size, color, bells and whistles, and so on.  The best advice I can give about choosing a tent is to go to a sporting goods store where they actually let you set up a tent and crawl in it.  Even if you don't end up purchasing the tent at the store, it should give you an idea of how difficult it is to set up, and how much room you'll have inside.  Many families really like tents that come with a zippable dividing "wall," which allows for a modicum of privacy.

For other people, shelter means an RV or camper.  I don't have a lot of experience with these vehicles, but I know that they can be rented fairly inexpensively in the off-season for short trips.  www.cruiseamerica.com is a good place to start to look at RV rental options.  Camping with an RV means you lose some of the flexibility and economy of a tent, but it can be a good option for those who aren't sure if this outdoor thing is really for them, or if you are going some where that weather can be a significant factor.

Finally, some campgrounds (notably the KOA chain) operate camping cabins.  Camping cabins are typically pre-fabricated structures that are usually small, and have a few beds, a couple of chairs, and a hard roof over your head and a floor below -- you provide the linens.  Camping cabins are typically cheaper than motel rooms, but more expensive than a tent or RV site.  This could be a good in-between option for a family looking to ease slowly into camping culture.  Some KOAs and independent campgrounds have other options as well -- train cabooses, boats, teepees, etc.  A visit to one of these unique lodgings could be a real treat for the kids.


Sleeping gear
Minimally, for sleeping, you will need something to lay on and something to cover up with.  Clearly, your choice of shelter will impact this -- in an RV, you can probably get by with sheets and a blanket; in a tent, you probably want a sleeping bag.  For a family camping trip, the type of sleeping bag probably doesn't matter too much, especially if most of your camping will be done in the summer.  Again, go to a sporting goods store and test out a bunch before you buy one.  A couple of things to help you with kids' sleeping bags:  first, remember that a sleeping bag's warmth comes from the body heat of the person filling it.  Putting a four year old in a huge sleeping bag meant for a six-and-a-half foot tall adult will mean that the four year old will be cold all night.  Kids sleeping bags are shorter and meant for small bodies.  We have one that "grows" with the kids -- a zip-out compartment on the bottom "hides" about a foot of sleeping bag, meaning that Jackson can use the same sleeping bag until he surpasses five and a half feet.  Second, if you have a kid who is potty training, still wears diapers, or is prone to nighttime accidents, I highly recommend a non-flannel and non-down sleeping bag.  A nylon sleeping bag is much easier to clean, and down takes way, way, way too long to dry.


Sleeping in a tent becomes much more bearable if you have something between the ground and you.  For some, an air mattress is a good option.  We have self-inflating sleeping pads (like Thermarest makes) that provide quite a bit of comfort but don't take up much space.  I have one Cabela-brand pad that I actually like better than the pricier Thermarests we have.

Finally, consider your pillow options.  Some people don't use a pillow when they camp (and I don't when doing backpacking, aka hiking a long way to get to your campsite) but I find that a pillow helps me sleep better.  I just bring a full-size from home rather than monkey around with the tiny camp pillows you can buy.

Cooking gear
This is a category of gear that you may or may not need, depending on your trip plans.  If you want to eat cereal for breakfast, PB&J for lunch, and go out for dinner, you might not need to bring anything more than some marshmallow sticks and a cooler.  I like to cook in camp, though, so I bring cooking gear.

While you can do all your cooking over a campfire or in a grill in the park, I like to bring a stove.  I have the popular Coleman 2-burner stove, which runs on propane.  It lights quickly, works well, and heats things up fast.  Propane canisters for these stoves last quite a while and only cost a few dollars to replace.  (Note that you cannot take these on airplanes, so if you are flying to your destination, you will need to buy a canister when you get there).

In addition to a stove, you will need a couple of pots, a skillet, some plates, utensils, and cups.  I usually just use old ones from home.  You can buy all kinds of cooking gadgets as well, like a coffee percolator, a camp stove toaster, and so on.  I don't usually bother.  Also handy is a sharp knife and a cutting board of some sort.

Miscellaneous Gear
These things are not strictly necessary for a good camping trip, but will help make you more comfortable and will allow the trip to go more smoothly:  camp folding chairs, flashlights, a lantern (battery operated or gas), a clothesline, trash bags, a small whisk broom/dustpan for cleaning out your tent, flip flops/slippers/shoes to wear around camp, deck of cards or small board games, reading material, toilet paper (just in case!), matches, tablecloth, dish soap, sponge, water jugs/container, pocket knife, firestarters, tent fan, some extra rope, and so on.

3.  Some things to consider
Here are some tips to make your camping trip more successful:
- Practice setting up your gear at home before you go!  Nothing is worse than arriving at your campsite, in the dark, in the rain, and not knowing how to set up your tent -- or worse, discovering something is missing.
- Take a trial trip, perhaps an overnight at your local state park, or even in your backyard.  It's good to work out the kinks prior to a week-long trip in the woods.
- Involve your kids in the planning and execution of the trip.  Ask them to help you pick the campsite, clear the tent site of debris, set up the tent, camp kitchen, put out the campfire, etc.  If you have many kids, assign them (or let them volunteer for) a particular duty in camp.
- Speaking of camp chores, don't underestimate the time it takes each day to cook meals, clean dishes, tidy up camp, and so on.  It's also important to have some "hanging out at the campsite" time -- this is vacation after all!
- Understand that there are many different types of campgrounds.  Public campgrounds (think state parks, national parks, national forests, etc) usually are cheaper and quieter but don't come with much extra in the campground (no/limited electricity, sometimes no showers or flush toilets, and so on).  Private campgrounds (like the KOA) are usually more social and come with things like swimming pools, rec halls with pool/ping pong tables, organized activities, and the like -- but cost sometimes twice as much as public campgrounds.  Typically, private campgrounds are more geared towards RVers although some have great tent sites as well.  Tenters will usually feel more at home in public campgrounds.
- Bring at least a few "comforts of home."  If your son's Game Boy, daughter's teddy bear, or your coffee press (which I usually bring....) will help you have a good trip, bring it!
- When you get home, dry out your tent/sleeping bags, clean your dishes, and then store all your camping gear in one place.  Mine's all in a couple of rubbermaid tubs -- when I want to go camping, I don't have to hunt through a bunch of stuff to find the camping equipment -- I just throw the tub in the car and go.
- Finally, know when to bail out!  If it's raining, someone gets sick, or people just stop having fun, it's ok to leave and find a hotel (or head home).  While visiting Mesa Verde, we did just this....the weather forecast was calling for flurries and we'd already been camping for several days by that point.  Rather than freeze in a tent, we opted for the local Best Western, and enjoyed an evening of TV and made use of the laundry facilities.  Even if "bailing out" means going out for dinner one night instead of cooking, it's perfectly ok.  It's your trip; do what works for YOU.

I love camping and think it's a great opportunity to spend quality time with my kid.  I hope you try it, and I hope you like it as much as we do.

No comments:

Post a Comment