Camping with kids, ages 7 & 3

[Anonymous]

Boy scouts starts this year and we're going camping. Besides tent and sleeping bags, what do we need? Anyone have good tips for us or suggested products before I run out to costco and buy whatever. If you camp with young kids, how do you make it bearable and maybe even fun?

[Anonymous]

Attitude is the best thing you can pack

(and a solo cup for late night potty needs)

[Anonymous]

Practice in your back yard first. at that age, that will be just as fun and a lot easier if things go south and it is a rainy weekend.

[Anonymous]

I have kids the same ages and we camp often.
I sleep on an airbed. THey have pads with sleeping bags. We have a lot of fun.
Tent: blankets and flashlights, in addition to basic gear.
Scooters, crafts like painting some plaster shapes from a craft store, or some collection boxes for special things in the woods they find.
We usually cook over the fire.
Really, just same old camping story as other camping. I camped with them as infants and toddlers. It's a fun time.

[Anonymous]

PP here- note about the 'collection' they're put back before we leave. Leave nature in nature.

[Anonymous]

Solo cup?? That's gross. I have never done that, and I've camped a lot. Walk to the bathroom like everybody else, or pee in the woods if you can't make it (far off the path)
That's all you need is a spilled cup of pee when you have no sink to clean it up in the middle of the night.

[Anonymous]

Lantern and/or flash lights, bug spray, tarp for under the tent if it rains, tarp on top of the tent for rain, chairs, cooler, cooking gear if you cook, air mattresses and pumps or a pads. Costco does not have much this time of year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lantern and/or flash lights, bug spray, tarp for under the tent if it rains, tarp on top of the tent for rain, chairs, cooler, cooking gear if you cook, air mattresses and pumps or a pads. Costco does not have much this time of year.

You can put a tarp under your tent, but it should have a rain fly- dont bother putting a tarp over your tent.

[Anonymous]

Tent, sleeping bag, flashlight, toilet paper, shovel. Something to cook with if there are not fire pits. Pots. Food and extra snacks that don't need cooking so you can have something quick of it takes a while for your fire to get going. I'd go as minimal as you feel comfortable with if they have to carry their packs. If it's car camping, that's a different story, but in a weird way it's nice even then to not try to have all the comforts of home. Makes it more of an experience (and makes the packing much easier if you do it a lot).

[Anonymous]

Most kids will not have a problem with getting dirty on the ground, the parents are the one that have problems with almost everything. Lower your expectations. Don't expect a memory foam when you are sleeping outside even if you bring an inflatable mattress. Most kids do not care where they sleep. Don't expect the bathroom to be spic and span clean.

But, your kids will like it. Try to stick with the same sleep routine as possible.

If cooking is challenging, keep cooking to a minimum. Make PJ sandwich, deli meats.

I would think the scouts have a demo night or gathering to show people how to set up tent, this, caring for nature, this/that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lantern and/or flash lights, bug spray, tarp for under the tent if it rains, tarp on top of the tent for rain, chairs, cooler, cooking gear if you cook, air mattresses and pumps or a pads. Costco does not have much this time of year.

You can put a tarp under your tent, but it should have a rain fly- dont bother putting a tarp over your tent.

If you do put a tarp under your tent, be sure that edges do not extend beyond tent.

If they do, you've turned your tent into a reservoir.

[Anonymous]

Chairs so you have something to sit on around the fire. Beach chairs work just fine.

[Anonymous]

I never put a tarp under my tent. It just stops the water from draining into the ground if it rains.

I DO rig a tarp with ropes over the spot I want to sit down on, though (usually a picnic table).

[Anonymous]

I do a tarp under just in case there are any seal issues with the tent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most kids will not have a problem with getting dirty on the ground, the parents are the one that have problems with almost everything. Lower your expectations. Don't expect a memory foam when you are sleeping outside even if you bring an inflatable mattress. Most kids do not care where they sleep. Don't expect the bathroom to be spic and span clean.

But, your kids will like it. Try to stick with the same sleep routine as possible.

If cooking is challenging, keep cooking to a minimum. Make PJ sandwich, deli meats.

I would think the scouts have a demo night or gathering to show people how to set up tent, this, caring for nature, this/that.

I bring a really cheap thin mattress topper for my air mattress. Agree with the cooking part. We sometimes pick camp sites with fast food near by as its so much easier.