First time camping with kids? Q & A thread
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Anonymous
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Mosquito repellent: THERMACELL.
It works better than anything I've ever tried. Set it up in a central area, and 10 minutes later there are zero mosquitos. I also treat our camping clothes with permethrin: https://www.rei.com/product/768970/sawyer-permethrin-pump-spray-24-oz Big tip: don't leave the tent unzipped. I discovered this the hard way once upon a time, left the door partway open for airflow, and woke up in a cloud of mosquitoes. |
Anonymous
Thermacell didn’t do much for me this weekend. I’m going to try permethrin next time. |
Anonymous
A solar shower is great, but if you are backpacking and don’t want to carry anything extra, Showerpill The Body wipes are the best! |
Anonymous
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I love this thread! I’ve been camping with my kids (2+5) since my oldest was 13 months.
For young toddlers/babies/car camping: get a tent that you can fit a pack n play in as well as an air mattress. You will contain them and can use it both inside and outside. Food: always bring a camping stove and bring instant packets of coffee...Starbucks is pretty good but Folgers will do. Just don’t forget the coffee or alcohol lol. Also- like others said, get carry out if arriving in the evening and try not to arrive in the evening: my kids get too excited and have to burn off energy and then won’t sleep until midnight (literally) if we arrive around 7/8. Oh and definitely on pack food that you can basically eat cold or could easily be warmed in the camp stove. Be bold, maintain an adventurous spirit, have low expectations and expect much to go wrong and you may find yourself surprised to have an incredible time! I’m going backpacking for the 1st time this weekend with my 2 kids...we’ve done car camping but we are hiking in and setting up camp. It’s only about 2 miles from the parking lot and it’s only for 1 night but we are all pumped. Have fun camping all! |
Anonymous
| Murphy's Naturals Mosquito Repellent Balm. I don’t like prays, and this works for me. |
Anonymous
| None of this sounds fun. |
Anonymous
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Food:
When I go simple. What can I add water and boil? Ramen noodles Rice Oatmeal Going rustic: Tin foil meals. Super easy and delicious Use cooking spray on a very large piece of tinfoil. add layer of frozen hash browns (even if you don’t like hashbrowns, this helps keep the meat directly off the boil and cook more evenly), then Frozen hamburger patty, and then veggies. Are used frozen peas, carrots, onions, and diced potatoes. Add a few spices to your liking. Wrap up the foil, wrap again, place on hot coals surrounding the fire to cook. |
Anonymous
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To keep food cold in a cooler longer, use big blocks of ice rather than bags of ice cubes. I save cardboard containers from orange juice or milk, wash them out, fill with water (leave at inch at the top for expansion room) and freeze. A couple of these will keep a cooler cold for a couple of days.
For multi-day car camping, I pack two coolers: one with everything we need for the first couple of days, the second with everything we need for days 3-4. The second cooler has a few of these big blocks of ice, and anything that can be frozen is packed frozen (e.g. a batch of chili made ahead of time and frozen). The second cooler doesn't even get opened until day 3, and it's always still nice and cold inside with plenty of ice left. After day 4, we're on to shelf stable foods only, or a trip to the store for more ice. |
Anonymous
| PP who is backpacking -- are you planning to hang your food? My advice is to practice first, and set up the hang as soon as you set up camp. Don't try to do it after dark. |
Anonymous
| I always pack a dustpan and brush so it is easy to clean out the tent at the end. We accidentally bought an 8 person tent (thought it was 6 person) but I am glad for the larger size as our children have gotten larger - more room for people and gear. I freeze bolognese sauce and precook pasta so we have one quick-to-prepare meal. Things I bought from REI which have been very worth it: metal french press so I have the luxury of proper coffee; collapsible dishwasher container (which I keep under sink at home so I don't have to fill entire sink to wash up); plastic egg container (regretted not using it last weekend as the cardboard one disintegrated in the ice box once ice started melting). |
Anonymous
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What should I do with the bathroom situations during this pandemic??
I've even read some campgrounds says 1 person in the bathroom at a time....the lines can get long, especially the ladies line. What if someone takes their long 30 minute shower! |
Anonymous
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Bigger tent than you think you’ll need.
It gets colder at night than you think. Make sure everyone has warm socks and a hat with their sleeping stuff just in case they wake up freezing. Crocs are great for campsite shoes, especially if you’ve been hiking in boots all day. But no shoes in the tent, so put a small tarp or basket in front of the door to deposit the crocs before anyone goes in the tent. |
Anonymous
| When I was in a National FH I rest campground last weekend, the shower block was closed as a precaution. |
Anonymous
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Here's what I bring, per kid, for gear, for a 2-night trip in summer:
3 x shorts, 3 x tee-shirt, 3 x undies 1 x long pants 1 x long sleeved shirt 1 x PJs pair of crocs or other water shoe pair of sneakers or shoe suitable for hiking 3 x socks raincoat warm fleece hoodie or spring jacket swimsuit & towel plastic bag for dirty laundry toiletry bag misc books, snuggies, pillow, diversions |
Anonymous
Thanks for contributing 
There is a thread in the exercise forum where you can say "I only run when being chased" to continue the theme. |