Most people think of camping trips at the beginning of the summer but one of the very best times to go is still just right around the corner. I prefer end-of-summer camping for the cool nights and warm days. For most people, Labor Day weekend is the last chance to pitch a tent for the summer. If your family is headed to the great outdoors and you’re new to camping … this is for you.

Some of my most cherished memories growing up are from our family camping trips. Every summer our family went camping for one or two weeks, starting when I was a little girl right through my teen years. Now that I have a family of my own, I’m doing my best to carry on the tradition – because I think it’s a good one.

Going camping may seem like a simple family vacation that would be easy to throw together. If you’ve been doing it for a while then it can be, but there’s actually quite a bit of thought and preparation that go into a successful trip that makes mom, dad AND the kids all happy. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way.

Food

photo by Jason Pratt

Have lots of snacks

Whether you’re hiking, laying on the beach, boating, bike-riding or book-reading – you’re going to want things to snack on. Keep some good-for-you food on hand that’s easy to grab and go. The last thing you want is to have your children whining that they are hungry all day. Buy bottled or filtered water. Ordinarily I don’t advocate this – but you need a lot of water when you’re camping, and even though the water may be safe it still might bug your stomach. There are few things worse than spending the whole vaca in the bathroom.

Plan easy meals

There are certain things we like when we go camping. We grill a lot. We usually camp at a campground and get a site with water and electric. I know – that isn’t real camping to some of you but that’s what we do. Having electricity is great because I can bring my crock pot. I make easy things like chili to go with the hot dogs we roasted over the fire. Spaghetti is another good one. Also beef stew.

Plan easy clean-up

Washing dishes when you’re camping is not like washing dishes at home. It takes a lot longer and usually involves dirt. Use the fewest dishes possible and you’ll thank me.

Clothing

photo credit: tkramer

Pack for comfort

When we’re camping I go for comfy. I wear sweatpants and sweatshirts every night from dinner until bedtime. I don’t do anything more than a ponytail with my hair and I don’t wear any makeup. I pack good sneakers, sandals and flip-flops for the shower. I do the same for my daughter. I grab all of her comfiest clothes and throw them in a bag. That’s what she wears all week. It feels so good to just feel good. I go an entire week or two without every looking in a full-length mirror. It makes me realize how OFTEN I look at myself in a mirror ordinarily.

Pack for the weather

It will rain – plan on it. There will be a cold day – count on it. The nights may be frigid or humid – bring both types of jammies. You are going to sweat right through your clothes and you’ll want to change them, so bring extra. Not a hat person? Bring one anyway. Also, at some point you may need to go out in public. You might want to have something to wear then too.

Shelter

Bedding

Whether you’re in a tent, a cabin or a pop-up camper you’ll want to be some-what comfortable when you go to bed at night. Don’t expect your children to be smiling and happy at the end of the week if you’ve got them in sleeping bags on the hard ground every night. Figure out a way to make everyone somewhat comfortable. Air mattresses, cots and mats are all good options. When my daughter was very young and we were tenting, I grabbed the mattress right out of her crib and brought it with us. My husband and I bought one of those foam mattress pads to use for camping. It made a world of difference.

Also keep in mind what you plan on covering up with. Sleeping bags aren’t always the best option. I find that bringing multiple blankets and having the ability to layer them works a lot better. Otherwise I end up with a daughter drenched in sweat because she buried herself in the sleeping bag on a warm night.

Housing

photo credit: akeg

There are some basic rules that apply here: Don’t wear your shoes inside your tent/camper/cabin. Air it out but keep it closed, otherwise you’ll sleep with LOTS of bugs. Separate sleeping quarters for mom/dad and kids is a better idea than buying one huge tent or all sleeping in one huge room – trust me.

If you’re at a campground and you have kids – pick a site that’s near, but not next to, the bath house. If you can get one that near a bath house AND a playground – then you’ve got it made.

Brings tarps, all of the tarps you own – they go under things (like tents) and over things (like firewood) and make a huge difference when you have wet weather. Bring extra tent stakes – also good to use with the tarps when it gets windy. Bring coolers and a dorm-size fridge if you have one. Bring a vinyl tablecloth to go over the picnic table. You’ll thank me.

FUN

photo credit: anoldent

Now that all the necessities are out of the way – let’s talk about the real reason to go camping!

Games

Bring lots of games. Some of our favorites for camping are Yahtzee, Cards, Phase 10, Othello and Pente. I bring things to color and draw for my daughter too. I’ll also add here – bring lots of reading. I usually bring several books. My husband likes to bring magazines.

Outdoor Fun

Bring bikes! I can’t even guess how much time I spent as a kid just riding my bike through all of the dirt paths of the campgrounds we’d stay at. It was a blast. Also good to bring are baseball and gloves, football, volleyball, soccer ball, wiffle ball and bat, and a frisbee. Find free things to do where you’re camping – hiking trails, lakes, etc.

Water Fun

We usually camp near a lake or the ocean because we love the beach. I bring LOTS of sand toys for my daughter and I’m always glad I did. Bring several swim suits for each family member and sandals that are good for beach-walking. If your family likes to use floaties or water toys, then bring those along. Don’t be afraid to try something new. One year we went camping with my parents and they had brought their kayaks. They urged my husband and I to try them out. I was too nervous to try until the second to last day we were there – and I was SO sorry I waited so long. We ended up loving it. Many lakes rent out peddle boats, row boats and kayaks for reasonable prices – give them a try!

Camp Fire

I LOVE having a camp fire. Some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had have been while sitting around a camp fire. Because my daughter is used to them, she is very well-behaved around them. Be sure to teach your children fire safety and abide by local rules. That said, camp fire treats are some of the best! There’s nothing like S’mores or cheating s’mores (a toasted marshmallow in between two Fudge Stripe cookies) or just plain toasted marshmallows. Camp chairs and cuddling blankets are a must. Sometimes we sit out so late that the dew begins to fall – and then it gets chilly.

Clearly, I have good memories and feelings about camping. I think a lot of the nightmare experiences that people have had stem from being unprepared. Take the time to think things through and make sure you have everything you need – and I’ll be completely shocked if you don’t leave saying, “we should do that again soon.”

Why I do what I do ~ We have a pet right now. It’s a caterpillar. Chloe and I found it in the back yard. I don’t know what I was thinking. Chloe is in love with it and calls it her pet. She’s named her “Butterfly.” Here’s the bad news – not only will our caterpillar not become a butterfly (it becomes an ugly, yellow moth). It won’t become one until the Spring. The chances of me keeping it alive until Spring are so very slim … ~sigh~ I think we need a goldfish.

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