Family Camping Vacations Guide

How to have a successful family camping vacation without stress? Camping with a family requires some planning and preparation. If you never camped before or want to know some useful tips for camping outdoors, this article will help you to prepare for the trip and choose the right type of gear so everyone will be happy.

Camping preparation

Without proper planning and preparation, you won’t be able to have a good time while camping. No matter if you are going to a campground or in the wild you will have to think of the necessities and gear that will make your vacation a success.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare.

How do you prepare for a campground?

If you decide to go camping in a campground you will have some things to do before booking your spot. Search for the campgrounds in the area where you want to camp. Don’t do it by yourself, invite your family members to help.

Check the campsite’s website

Campsites have their websites where you can see the requirements and what they have to offer. Pick a few of them and see if they got a free spot for you, how much are the fees, what will you have on disposal there, and what events will take place at your arrival.

Know all the costs

If you don’t find enough information on the site call them and let the staff explain the missing information. What I should mention are the costs of making a reservation. Make sure you know all the costs that await you while you camp so you can plan your budget.

Reserve America has good information about the campsites and helps you to pick your favorite place.

How to prepare for wild camping?

Do you rather camp in the wild? Backcountry camping is popular among campers but you have to know a few rules about it.

The most important thing is to know where you can camp. Not every state allows camping in their National parks and forests so it is important to check if the place allows camping. There are some areas that allow wild camping but you will have to have a permit from the local authorities or landowner to proceed with your favorite outdoor activity without getting a penalty.

Most important camping gear

Now that you know how to prepare and organize to camp legally, you can plan your camping equipment. I always say that a camper doesn’t need much gear to have enjoyable camping because the whole point of the outdoor trip is to enjoy in nature.

However, you will still need some stuff to satisfy your basic needs. Let’s cover the most important equipment for camping.

Tent for camping

There are plenty of tents available for going camping with but which one to choose? If you don’t have a tent yet, then consider my advice.

Waterproofness

The most important factor for picking a tent is its waterproofness. You should pay attention to this factor as it will determine if you will camp comfortably in a tent or not. If there is a lot of rain and you don’t have a shelter with a high waterproof rating you can face leakage.

The waterproof level or a hydrostatic head is a measurement that determines how waterproof the tent material is. The lowest waterproof level of a tent is 1000mm. If you intend to camp in an area that is known for the rain or if the forecast is bad, you should opt for a waterproof tent. For more helpful information check Campingvalley.com.

However, if camping in the warm time of the year, you don’t need a high waterproof level tent. In this case, you will rather focus on the breathability of the tent.

Sleeping gear

Now that you have a roof over your head, it is time to think about the gear for sleeping. You don’t want to sleep on hard ground? I recommend you try camping cots that are elevated from the ground and sleeping bags that will provide warmth.

If you don’t have much space in a tent then it is best if you put a sleeping mat under the sleeping bag to sleep cozy through the night. Use blankets and heating products if you expect nights to be cold.

Kitchen appliances

If you don’t want to be hungry on the trip you will have to cook. You can check the kitchen appliances that are meant for the outdoors. You can buy specific items as a pan and a kettle or choose a cooking set where you will have all the necessities available to cook a meal and prepare a hot drink.

I like sets because you will have more options for cooking. I have a set where you can store items one in another due to the fact that they are foldable which spares some packing space.

What about food and water?

Many newbie campers don’t know which food to bring along. It is important that you keep your food properly stored to keep it fresh. I recommend getting cooler where you will put your cooked or raw food.

I like to cook at a campsite but I still do some cooking at home before heading outdoors. I never cook goulashes as it takes too much time (and fuel) but I like to cook some morning eggs on a pan and a hot soup that warms me up in the wintertime.

If you are a vegetarian here are delicious camping vegetarian recipes that you can check out.

Consider bringing dry food along that you will cook while camping and food items that won’t spoil soon. You risk salmonella if you pack fresh meat and dairy products so it is better if you cook a meat meal at home and then pack it in a cooler. Make sure you eat food with a short lifespan first.

Bring water canisters or bottles with fresh water. If you won’t have enough of it while camping, you can get some iodine tablets that will help you purify the water resources in the wild.

Additional items

I never go outdoors without a flashlight or a headlamp, batteries, a compass, a watch, a map, matches, a rope, a knife, and a tarp. Bear in mind, you will have to camp at night so taking some lights is important.

I shouldn’t forget about items that will help you to set a campfire. Matches are one but you will also need dry firewood and tinder to light it. You will find material for a campfire in the woods but if the material is wet you will need to improvise.

In this case, look in the dry places as caves or covered areas that might have dry wood. If you don’t like surprises you can make some dryer lint at home. It is important to have something dry to start a fire.

Are you ready for the adventure?

Now that you know the basics to prepare for camping you can start to explore the camping locations and gathering all the necessities that will enable you to have a quality time. Also, think about the essentials that you might need as a camper, and don’t forget about hygiene and meds.