Camping is a fun leisure that all families and households should experience. But you and your brood head to the outdoors, make sure that you have a comprehensive camping checklist for families first.
Camping with your family has many benefits. At the very least, it separates your kids from their devices and electronics, which could be potentially harmful to them. Camping is also a good form of exercise. Have you been stuck in the office for too long already? Go out and play!
You and your spouse could also benefit from it. In our personal experiences, camping is a good form of bonding and socialization. It separates you from all the unnecessary thoughts, allowing you to focus on the people around you.
But camping solo and camping with your family are two different things. We are not here to discourage you, but unprepared family camping trips could be messy and disastrous. Oppositely, fully prepared groups would be able to do this activity conveniently and safely.
Fortunately, planning is not difficult when it comes to camping. In fact, those two things just go hand-in-hand. Read on how you can plan your trip with this family camping checklist!
Before you get the checklist, allow us to share some practical information on how to camp with your family. We know that this topic has been brought up many times already. However, we thought that bringing it up again would give you a refresher course on what you should do before, during, and after the trip.
In a nutshell, you would need to consider the needs of your family, as well as their experience level. Bringing the necessary and situational amenities could also help you maintain the convenience and safety of your members.
One way of introducing camping to your family is through backyard camping. As its name suggests, backyard camping simply means setting up a tent in your yard. This is a good way to teach them how to pitch tents and other belongings. Have your kids sleep in the tents overnight and ask them if they found it. If you can do this correctly, then your family will be able to experience genuine camping.
At the same time, these test runs also let you know if there are damaged or incomplete items on your checklist. It is an opportunity to test the usability of your tents and other camping amenities.
Camping is a golden opportunity for you to test out multiple camping recipes. But at the same time, it is also a way of testing what works for your trip. When meal planning for a camping trip, make sure that you consider the length of your trip. In this way, you will be able to estimate how many meals you should prepare. Don't forget to include the in-between snacks, as well.
The more you are in your group, the more ingredients you will need to bring. So this would mean that you have to have to carry a larger cooler or food storage system. Don't forget to bring the appropriate utensils, cookware, and disposable bags. Practice proper food storage to avoid food spoilage and food poisoning.
When meal planning, go pick the simple, easy-to-prepare food. In this way, you would be able to create meals faster without too much waste. Furthermore, with simple menus, you can let your kids help you cook. That's a good bonding experience.
Of course don’t forget water. You can’t survive the trip without packing enough water. In some cases, the campsite can offer water sources. But if your destination doesn’t have available potable water sources, then you should bring multiple gallons.
Well, you think that it is an off-shoot, but allow us to explain a bit.
Family camping is a different story from one household to another. Some are small families, while others have four or more people. Now, unless you have a spacious 6-person or 8-person tent, you wouldn't expect that your existing tent could house your entire group.
At this point, you should consider borrowing tents from your friends or other relatives. If you don't want to spend more for the trip, then borrowing camping items can be a good solution for that. Of course, this also means that you have to be responsible for taking care of their gear. Return their item in good, hygienic quality.
Next, you need to plan what kind of camping you are going to do. Are you interested in a traditional camping style where you have to pitch a tent at an established campsite? Do you want to be more explorative and try dispersed camping?
How about RV camping or glamping? Are these within your preferences? Regardless of your preferences, it is essential that you can plan for them appropriately. Each of these camping styles has its own unique preparations. So always take your time to plan for them. Gather the essential amenities so that your adventure is hassle-free.
As the camping organizer, it is up to you to ensure the safety of your members, especially if there are kids present. Camping safety has many levels, such as selecting the ideal camping ground and preparing for survival and emergencies.
As such, it is important for every camper to learn basic first aid and outdoor survival skills. Even if you are just a casual camper, that doesn't exempt you from learning how to use your first aid kit, right? And the actual need increases due to the fact that you will be camping with your children.
You also need to teach your kids the dos and don'ts of camping. Tell them the rules of the campground. Prevent them from going away from designated trails. Instruct them that they should not feed or approach wildlife. And for everyone's safety, tell them not to play with fire.
Now that we have covered the essential parts, it is time that you get our tested-and-tried camping checklist. Below are the items and amenities needed to make a successful camping trip with your family. Always remember that you can modify this list depending on your needs, number, and other preferences.
Preparing for a family camping trip is essential. It ensures the convenience of your adventure, as well as the safety of your members. When planning, make sure that you can cover all the needs and requirements of all the participants. At the same time, it would be best if you teach them camping etiquette as well as the leave-no-trace principles. These are essential practices that would make them love camping even more.
