Plan a Family Camping Trip Made Easy

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Planning a family camping trip can feel overwhelming, daunting and formidable to say the least. However, it doesn’t have to be. Over the years we have done our fair share of trial and error to learn tips and tricks to make camping with kids a lot easier (it is still work, don’t get me wrong, but once you’ve done it a time or two, you start getting the hang of it). We’ve had tents blowing over in the wind from failure of being anchored correctly, to forgetting lanterns, brooms, and water… heck we’ve even left an entire suitcase behind. Having a proper checklist is without doubt the most important aspect to a successful trip, and keeping expectations real might be the second most important part. Read below for our tried and true recommendations to make your camping trip the most successful one yet.

Find The Right Campground

Plan around weather. Activities. Ease. Cost. And of course location, location, location. Each campground will have different amenities that may or may not fit your family’s needs. If you want showers, restaurants, shopping, sometimes even water, you will need to make sure these things are included, as they don’t come with every campground you choose.

Start Small

I would recommend for new campers a “trial” camp out. Find something close to home, maybe even “practice” for the night in the front yard. But one or two nights nearby might be the way to start off if you’ve never camped before.

Recreation.gov has a lot of information on campsites, tours, tickets, day passes and more. You can find places to camp, read reviews, etc. Reserveamerica.com also has camp information and RV rentals and suggestions if you are looking into that.

Now that you have done your trial run, picked out a campsite that fits your needs, it’s time to make your list and check it twice.

Things you may need:

There are essentials every camper needs to add to their collection if you plan on going more than once. There are also things that you can live without, but will definitely add to your comfort and experience; I will include those here as well. These are the items I believe every camping family should have!

Tent: Every camper needs a tent. Some campgrounds provide tent cabins, canvas tents or even cabins. But, if you plan on camping often and want to go places where that is not an option I recommend making the investment. I also highly recommend the instant tents as they will save you A LOT of time and grief during the setup. We use a 12 man instant tent which provides a ton of space for our family. But, you can get them smaller, 6, 8, or 10 person, depending on your group.

I want this one below with a screen room. Looks amazing!

Hiking Boots

My personal favorites are OrthoFeet. Light and so comfortable. Literally the best hiking boot out there. Read in detail about it here.

Grab a pair NOW

Bikes

Bikes: Now I can’t even begin to tell you how much I LOVE our bikes and trailer. Yes we use them for camping, but we also use them All. The. Time. Everywhere. My favorite thing to do is bring them down to the beach for a ride. Or meet up with friends for a ride to get donuts or even just go for a ride at a regional park nearby. They are perhaps one of my favorite purchases we’ve made as a family. We have hybrid bikes (half mountain bike/half cruiser). Perfect if you aren’t really into total off-roading but want to be able to switch gears (which we do often camping).

Equally important is our trailer. We have a 2-seater which I love. But, if you only have one kid, you might opt for the smaller one. I love ours because obviously we can have both kids in at the same time, it’s safe, and provides extra storage for towels, bags, floaties, snacks (and I’ve literally had them all in there at the same time!) I also recommend looking into one that converts into a stroller to save room and allow you to continue to carry them even after a ride. You’ll be surprised how often they will fall asleep in there.

To transfer your bikes get a trailer hitch. Super easy to install and worth every penny. You can get different add ons to use with it too. Think not only bikes, added storage, trailers for boats and more! (Make sure to find your make and model)

And a bike hitch!

Sleeping essentials

You have the tent, but no one wants to sleep directly on the ground, right?! Make an investment to sleep well with these options.

Air mattress (my recommendation): we use ours for camping, but also when staying as guests sometimes if there isn’t an extra room.

For the kids we have these pads (small and easy to inflate):

And sleeping bags for everyone:

Lights! You will need lights. In your tent, while you walk, to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. And don’t forget the extra batteries. We use:

lanterns

And trust me when I say you want a headlamp too. To cook when it gets dark, set up when your hands are full, or riding your bike.

Hiking Gear

I don’t think we could do half of what we do without our backpack carrier. This things is golden! I highly recommend this for hikes and so much more.

For those who want a break from all the work and hiking.

Food

Food, glorious food. Might be the hardest thing to pack, prepare and execute. You have to have a way to store things, cook things and keep everyone happy while burning calories at a faster rate being out and moving all day. And there is something about the great outdoors that creates snack monsters… and I am not just talking about the kids. There are a lot of ways to go about preparing to address the food issue. And keep in mind, certain places like Yosemite require ALL food and anything with a scent be kept in a bear box. And for good reason, you don’t want to tempt them.

But you will probably need this… regardless of how easy going meals are. To at least boil water if nothing else.

And when you are out and about camping a GOOD cooler is essential. Sometimes you can’t get ice daily and you don’t want food to go bad. I swear by our cooler. It was a big purchase but it works wonders and I am a fan of the brand! Bear resistant and keeps things cold for days… literally!

One way to go (and the way we do it) with our meals is simple. Simple to pack and prepare. Our meals require little more than a way to boil something. Water, chili, etc. We don’t plan big, we plan smart. For breakfast think instant oatmeal, a lot of meat and bagel sandwiches for lunch (bagels are a little more resilient than bread), or cup of noodles. And for dinner Frito and chili boats, spaghetti, hotdogs, and often, when we can, we will buy food from nearby.

For those that enjoy a good big hearty meal there are plenty of dutch oven, and tinfoil dinner ideas. There are a number of camping recipes on Pinterest.

Fun food! IE: snacks! Think beef jerky, leather rolls, trail mix, chips, licorice (a camping staple for us), and foods you might not eat everyday normally that will be a fun treat during your trip.

Set and check your expectations

You might want to do the 10 mile hike up that mountain at sunrise for the grand view, but having two toddlers might damper that one a bit. We all have seasons. And plan your trip according to your “season”. We are in the baby season. So we purposely don’t plan huge hikes or over plan things because it is not very realistic. This is our season to check out visitors centers, participate in Jr. Ranger programs and take bike rides where we stop (often) to enjoy the view when the kids get tired or need a break. However, your group might be older and more able, so planning a big trek might be just right for you. Or, if you have an avid fisher in the group, this might be the time to plan that big fishing trip you’ve always wanted to do. Know your audience and plan around that. Limitations are ok, and will help you enjoy the slower or faster pace you set for yourself.

But regardless of what you do don’t over schedule yourself or set your expectations too high. Go prepared and with ideas; but be ready to take on each adventure as it comes and allow for some spontaneity you may not have planned. Research the activities around you, have an idea what you want to do, and take each day as it comes.

Don’t stress as the first, second or even third time isn’t perfect. It’s a growing experience. And sometimes, mishaps make the best memories. But the most important thing to do is to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.