First time camping with kids? Q & A thread
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Anonymous
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Seeing a bunch of threads on camping with kids, and thinking there are maybe some first-time campers this year. I've been camping with kids for years, from as young as 3 to as old as 15. Happy to answer questions and I'm sure there are others that have experience and can jump in!!
A few things I always say to newbie campers: You need less gear than you think. If you aren't sure you will like camping, borrow a tent (or rent from REI), raid your kitchen for supplies and bring your regular bedding -- you don't need to buy sleeping bags for your first trip. Keep the food simple. Scout out a nearby drive-thru spot in case of disaster. Precook what you can; bring food that you can eat cold. If you need to pee in the woods, pay attention to gravity. Point your feet uphill OR downhill. Sideways to the hill means the pee will trickle down over your feet. It's okay to brace on a tree. |
Anonymous
| What are your tried and tested mosquito repellant products? |
Anonymous
| OP, you're awesome to do this. |
Anonymous
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I always have a bucket or small containers for essentials near the door of the tent so that I can always find my flashlight, keys (when sleeping) or other essential items.
Try to keep your gear organized, because it gets overwhelming when you can't find what you need, especially once it gets dark. Don't try to make pancakes on a cap stove. It is hard. Tacos in a bag on the other hand, with pre-cooked meat, are amazing. |
Anonymous
| Pre-cook your bacon, bring an air mattress and bring glow bracelets/necklaces to keep track of little ones at night. |
Anonymous
| Get a small portable Blackstone the only thing you will need for cooking. |
Anonymous
| Get unpacked, organized, and set up before dark. |
Anonymous
| Breakfast: open the top of a pepper and clean out. Break an egg into it. Wrap in foil, throw in fire for a few minutes. Unwrap, check for doneness, season, and serve. |
Anonymous
Wow, someone wrote a super long post that basically amounts to the above. But the pictures are worth clicking on to give you an idea of what to do. https://www.soberjulie.com/2014/07/cooking-eggs-campfire-eggs-green-peppers-campfire-bbfeggs/ |
Anonymous
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DO NOT dump hot dog water on the ground next to your tent, or you may wake up next to a black bear sniffing said ground. Hang food on a high tree branch overnight.
I do have a question for fellow campers: how do you shower or bathe/what do you use? (I don't mean when at a camp site with functional showers, I mean in actual nature.) |
Anonymous
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We just throw eggs, diced veggies and ham in freezer ziplocks and boil until done in the bag. Spoon on tortilla with cheese.
Gourmet s’mores with the ghiradelli squares in Carmel seas salt and chocolate wafers are my favorite. Different color cup for each person. |
Anonymous
Solar shower like this in bathing suits or the river/lake rinse off is good enough for my kids .... use biodegradable soap /https://www.advancedelements.com/summer-shower/ |
Anonymous
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Brilliant ideas ... love the egg in pepper!
We don't really shower when we camp ... brushing teeth with bottled water + washing hands in public restrooms + a little wipe down with cleansing wipes is OK for an overnight or two. |
Anonymous
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1. No shoes in the tent.
2. No shoes in the tent. 3. No shoes in the tent. When our kids were small, we’d bring a length of brightly colored rope to make a warning circle on the ground around the fire pit. It helped us not spend the whole weekend saying “You’re too close to the fire.” |
Anonymous
| Along the lines of no shoes in tent bring a small rug to put in front of the tent to sit on a remove shoes. Also bring baby wipes to wipe down feet before they go in the tent. |