Are you planning to take your family on an epic camping trip this summer? I am literally packing for the first camping trip of the season as we speak! Spending my morning packing though, has me thinking about all of the ways that we make sure our camping trips are successful and not to brag, but we haven’t had a bad camping trip yet! That said, we are outdoorsy type people and I know that not everyone loves to be outdoors, so these may not work for everyone, but they have always worked for us!
Here are my 8 tips for a fun camping trip:
- Reserve your spot early. This is especially true if you are going camping at a popular location. It sucks to show up ready to make camp only to find no spots open.
- Leave early. Setting up camp in the dark isn’t always super easy. With this in mind try to leave as early as possible so you make it to your destination before darkness falls.
- Make a list. A couple of days before your camping trip make a list of things that you need to pack and a shopping list for camping gear that you may need.
- Shop before you go. Take your list and head to store to stock up on food and gear well in advance of your trip. You don’t want to be rushing to get supplies on the day you are suppose to be on your way. You also don’t want to have to buy it all once you get to your location (it’s going to be more expensive).
- Don’t forget chairs. Okay, this is a camping foul that I have done. I know it should be on the list, but we once forgot our chairs and while we still had a blast that trip, having chairs would have been a nice touch.
- Pack extra clothes. You never know when the weather will turn or maybe you will slip and fall in the water. It helps to have extra clothes packed with you.
- Bring something for the kids to do. Yes, it is nice to enjoy the outdoors and the nature all around you, but sometimes it helps to have a little added something for the kids to do. For our big kids we bring cards and dice for game playing and the toddler always has toys with him to play with.
- Unplug. Even if the campground that you are staying in has wifi, make a point to unplug from electronics for your trip. It’s nice to really get away sometimes.
