Author: Carrie Kirby / Source: Wise Bread
I like camping with my kids, but I don’t like working hard at it. I try to keep the whole trip easy, from the planning, to the packing, to the sitting around the campfire. Of course, there are always trade-offs; you can spend more time preparing at home and put in less effort while on the trip, or vice versa.
I like to find that sweet spot where work is minimized at every stage. Most of that has to do with relaxing some of the standards I adhere to back in civilization. Here’s how I make family camping a cinch, and how you can, too!1. Camp locally
When I was a kid, some of my happiest camping memories were made at a place in central Texas called Jellystone Park, less than an hour’s drive from my house. In the mornings, my dad would drive to work, while my mom, brother, and I made jars of colored sand and took turns going down the waterslide at the pool.
An eight-hour drive to a national park might be what you dream of when planning summer camping, but if your family is new at it, start with a state park or a private campground within an hour or two of home. This way, you’ll be able to make a quick getaway if there’s a storm or someone gets sick. You can even run home if you forget something. And if one parent can’t take the whole time off work, you can do like my dad did and head to the office from the campground. (See also: Camping for a Week Is Only $160 at These National Parks)
2. Camp near a town
Some families strap on backpacks and hike miles into the woods before setting up camp.
That’s admirable, but that ain’t my family, at least at this point in our lives. Some of our most enjoyable camping trips have been on the outskirts of small towns, where we could walk or take a short drive to the store to stock up on necessities. This way, you won’t have to plan all your meals in advance, and you don’t have to bring as many coolers or as much ice, because you can buy a day’s worth of groceries at a time.3. Choose an easy campground and campsite
National forest campgrounds are cheap and often easy to book. It’s even possible to camp in the wilderness, find your own water source, and just dig a hole for your bathroom needs. But if you have young children and little appetite for roughing it, look for a campground with an on-site store, showers, laundry, and even a pool or an indoor activity room. Kampgrounds of America (KOA) offers hundreds of private campground options that often provide these types of amenities. They cost a little more than public campgrounds, but KOAs delight my kids with their pancake breakfasts and mini-golf courses.
Another thing to keep an eye out for is whether you get to park right by your campsite or you have to carry your belongings from a parking lot to your site. If you have big kids this may not be a problem, but with toddlers or babies, it can be tough to ferry gear back and forth while keeping track of the little ones.
Once the campground is chosen, you’re not done. Study the campground map. (ReserveAmerica has maps for state parks and some other camping areas.) I like to pick sites near enough to the bathrooms that my kids can visit them alone. If water spigots or electric outlets are only available at some sites, I get one of those.
On the flip side, if there is a lazy river or pond in the campground, you want to be far away from that because that’s where the mosquitoes will be. (See also: 10 Simple All Natural Bug and Mosquito Repellents)
4. Lower your beauty standards
We don’t pack that much in the way of beauty and hygiene products. A hairbrush and toothbrush for each kid, some toothpaste and hand towels to share, a beach/shower towel for each person, some soap and deodorant, and we’re good to go. The most important personal care products you will bring are your sunscreen and bug spray.
I don’t bring stuff like shampoo, conditioner, makeup, or razors because I greatly lower my beauty standards in the woods. Showering or bathing every other day might be a firm rule at home, but while camping, I’m fine with my kids going the whole week without a shower if they want. I do, however, try to keep them brushing their teeth twice a day while camping. That has to do with health, not necessarily beauty.
5. Load up on baby wipes
Even if you no longer have babies, these things are clutch for camping. If you don’t have access to a shower, baby wipes will be your hygiene go-to. Even at campgrounds with showers, wipes can come in handy for cleaning kids’ grubby hands before a snack without hiking to the bathrooms. And if anyone gets car sick on the way there, you’re ready for cleanup.
6. Bring all kinds of lighting
It’s important to have a light source that doesn’t need to be handheld. We have some tabletop lanterns with handles that can be hung inside the tent or from a clothesline as needed. Other handy lights are headlights and small LED flashlights that can be slipped into pockets. These tend to disappear as a trip goes on, so buy lots of inexpensive lights and scatter them everywhere. Glow stick bracelets or necklaces are also an affordable way to keep track of your kids in the dark.
7. Don’t skimp on sleeping arrangements
After trying a number of camping products, I have become resigned to the fact that I was not built to rough it when it comes to sleeping. I can easily go a week without makeup, but I’m not happy if I try to sleep on a foam pad on the ground.
Last summer, my family bought a big Aerobed, and we used the electrical outlet in our car to blow it up. I slept like a baby, and will bring it on every camping trip from now on. The only other thing…
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