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Summer is almost here. It feels like I’ve been waiting for it FOREVER but now that it’s right on the horizon, I know just how quickly it can slip away. So, my family is planning as much time as possible to reconnect with each other and make the most of the time we have this summer!
One of our favorite ways to do that is by going camping together. We have so much fun on camping trips! We love getting in the great outdoors. Fishing, building sandcastles on the beach, making S’mores, singing, cooking over the campfire, and just enjoying each other’s company. What could be better than that?
Simple but Awesome Camping Tips
If you’re ready to start planning your family getaway, check out my simple but awesome camping tips below!
1. Check your campsite.
We once set up camp in this lovely spot where we had a beautiful view of the lake. What we didn’t think about was the fact that it was on a hill…at a basin near the bottom of the hill actually so when it rained, the water all ran down and drained and settled into our site. We wanted to be near the water, not in the water.
Look for things like downed limbs (it might indicate trees with weakened limbs so more could come down anytime). Some tree cover can be good as it offers some protection but you need to be sure they’re healthy trees.
Also, look for signs of insect activity like anthills and wasp nests. Those are surprises you don’t need in the middle of the night!
Speaking of the middle of the night, one of my favorite camping tips is to bring along some inexpensive solar lights – you know, the ones on stakes that you put in your garden? Place those near the tent pegs to light them up at night so no one trips!
2. Plan ahead and pack for all conceivable possibilities.
Of course, you may be camping near a town where you can go and buy more supplies but sometimes those stores that service camp areas can be limited in what they offer. Be prepared!
You may be planning to cook over the campfire but bring a propane stove and fuel for it anyway. You never know when you just might decide that you’d like the convenience of a stove that day.
Think about items you might need on a camping trip like a basic first aid kit, baby or hand wipes (great for quick cleanups at the campsite), extra rope (making makeshift clotheslines or hanging items safely out of the reach of animals), duct tape (can help fix so many things in a pinch!), flashlights or headlamps with extra batteries (each person should have their own), and a few plastic dish bins (for washing dishes of course but also for cleaning sand off feet before entering the tent, hand-washing clothing items if needed).
Don’t forget flip-flops for the showers and a universal sink plug can always come in handy! I like to put our shower items in one of those dollar store bins. Get the ones that have holes in the bottom so all the excess water will drain out after use.
3) When it comes to food for your camping trip, I like to do as much prep as possible at home.
If we’re going to have burgers, I make the burgers at home and then just cook them on site. If we wanted to have stew or chili, I would prepare it ahead of time and put it into large freezer bags. Store it in the freezer until time to go camping. These will serve as extra freezer packs to keep the rest of your food cold while slowly thawing out to be used later on your trip.
Pack spices in tiny portions in things like old Tic Tac containers, or a multi-section pill container. The dollar stores often have these cool little collapsible bottles. You can use them for condiments, salad dressing, and items like that. They will expand or collapse to just the size you need so they don’t take up any excess space.
4) Don’t forget the fun!
Of course, there’s going to be fun right there in the camping experience – after all, that’s what it’s all about. But you never know when a rainy day might leave you looking for something to stave off boredom.
A few board games, blank journals with sketching pencils or pencil crayons, a novel appropriate for the whole family, and a deck of cards can be a great help. You might also want to bring a pair of binoculars, a camera, an inflatable beach ball, Frisbee, and maybe some sand pails and shovels if you’ll be near the beach.
5) Pick a good camping spot with excellent facilities, customer service, and fun things to do.
I always begin my search online. I look for facilities that meet all of our needs either in a location with lots of things we could do on day trips or with lots of onsite possibilities for fun. Often, we really just enjoy spending quiet days swimming, reading, and maybe doing some fishing. But it’s nice to have other things available just in case. I ask around for some recommendations (it’s always nice to hear what others think of a place!) and check places like TripAdvisor for reviews.
Remember the sunscreen and insect repellent! If you’re trying to save space, instead of bringing lawn chairs for around the fire pit, go old school Girl Guides and make sit-upons for everyone. A simple one uses layers of newspapers taped together to hold them secure and then are placed inside of plastic trash bags and again, secured with more tape. Rustic but effective! 
Some great items you might want to choose to take along on your camping adventure!
Image Portable LED Camping Lantern with Ceiling FanBe Smart Get Prepared 100 Piece First Aid Kit, Clean, Treat and Protect most injuries with the kit that is great for any home, office, vehicle, camping and sports. 0.71 Pound
E-18th NEW Women Outdoor Design Resin Field Urinal Ladies Emergency Pee Vessel Camping Hiking Sports Accessory Tool
WEKAPO Inflatable Lounger Air Sofa Hammock-Portable,Water Proof& Anti-Air Leaking Design-Ideal Couch for backyard Lakeside Beach Traveling Camping Picnics & Music Festivals (Black)
Unisex Camping Hair Don’t Care-1 Vintage Jeans Baseball Cap Classic Cotton Dad Hat Adjustable Plain Cap
CampSpark 34
Coghlan’s Deluxe Pop-Up Trash Can
Camp Kitchen Utensil Organizer Travel Set – Portable 8 Piece BBQ Camping Cookware Utensils Travel Kit with Water Resistant Case|Cutting Board|Rice Paddle|Tongs|Scissors|Knife and Bottle Opener
Coleman Camping Coffeemaker
Sportneer Portable Lightweight Folding Camping Chair for Backpacking, Hiking, Picnic
Llama Llama Loves Camping
Vont 2 Pack LED Camping Lantern, Portable, Great Addition to: Survival Kits for Hurricane, Emergency, Storm, Outages, Outdoor Portable Lantern, Black, Collapsible, Battery Powered
Coleman 4-Person Dark Room Sundome Tent, Green/Black/Teal
Coleman Cooler Quad Portable Camping Chair, Black
Coleman Folding Double Wash Basin
Coleman 2000020279 Compact Folding Table
Find some more great camping tips here:
The Ultimate List of Camping Essentials Checklist
Ways to Prepare for Your Next Camping Trip
How to Make Camping Easier and More Fun
orangeheromama says
For us, we bring luggage locks for our tent zippers…we had raccoons start to break in at 3am once!!!
Robyn Bellefleur says
15 RV Resorts and Campgrounds
Harold Duron says
Great advice on packing the spices on small containers like Tic-tac boxes. I do the same!
Melanie Green W says
I have never gone camping and I can just imagine how much fun I’ve been missing! I am planning a camping trip with my son and a friend but I just have a few essentials like tents, cooking stuff, a stove, and a few utensils set up. I could really use these tips. Thank you so much for this. I hope my first adventure will be fun!