camping with family.
- Fireside Gear
- May 7, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 10, 2020
Camping with family can be a blast....or a disaster. Organization is key. It can NOT be over looked as a simple task. Over my many trips with even just the three of us, packing in the most efficient matter is always a priority. There are many ways to speed packing for camping with multiple people and or with limited space. This is definitely the second to worst part of camping ( besides leaving). I'll give you some of my favorite "hacks,tips and tricks" to with camping and packing for it too.
links provided for some idea of what I am specifically talking about.
1: Vacuum bags for bulky items. sleeping bags,pillows, blankets etc. most air mattress pumps also have a vacuum mode or you can buy a car powered mini vacuum, also comes in handy for cleaning car and tent.
2: Zip walls, hang up organizer. if you use a canopy like most family campers do, they make walls that attach to the side of your canopy that have organization pockets, if you don't use them that is ok, tie a line up and hang one of those cloth organizers you would use in your house.
3: Plastic totes and draws. This is definitely a major help. Three draw organizers are great for holding and sorting many things, personally i use put it on the end of the picnic table or back of the jeep. you can put all your table supplies like spices,cutlery, plates etc. also great for your cleaning supplies or general tools and gear.
4: kits: I can say how easy this is and how simple it makes life. Having stuff micro organized by task. Fire kits for example, Hatchet, gloves, lighter, matches, fire starters and so on in one container. To expand on the idea, first aid kits, battery/power kits and so on. life made easy.
5: Food: Having your food organized also cuts down on the stress and time it takes for meal time. We like to keep meats, seasonings, dairy and dry goods organized to help cut confusion and ease cooking while camping. Bags, dividers etc help the cooler chaos.
6: Adequate lighting at night: headlamps are awesome for cooking and general task around camp. While Lanterns are great for your table during early morning breakfast or after dark meals. My personal favorites are tent lighting and those puck lights you can basically stick anywhere for under the canopy and other common areas.
7: Not packing so much stuff: it is as simple as it sounds. Don't bring unnecessary stuff. If your site has no power and you have no way of powering those Christmas lights, leave em home. Do you really need 3 rolls of paper towels and napkins? after each trip we look to see if we didn't use something at all, and if its not necessary, we take it out of the camping stuff.
8: Trip time management: For me, this usually means looking at check in times, how far our destination is and Boston traffic headed north. Its always better to be an hour early then get stuck in 2 hours of traffic on 95 north or south bound. If your traveling during peak vacations times or holiday weekends, leave early and take routes that not every Tom, Dick and Harry are taking. Back roads often offer way better scenery and offer a way around major traffic.
9: Tourist campgrounds and Traps: Watch out for these!!! Most of the time you will find them closest to major attractions and along majors travel routes. Most of these camp grounds are RV resorts (sorry if that is your style) and offer little sites for tents or pop ups and are usually packed beyond capacity. Rates are also usually double or more than surrounding camp grounds that are a few miles further away.
10: Shopping for supplies while camping: This kind of goes along with #9. camp stores are a awesome way to support your favorite campgrounds. But be aware of higher prices and price gouging. Same goes for the local stores and yes, even the big box stores. Its very convenient that your local box store has a whole camping display as soon as you walk in from any of the 15 camp grounds in the 5 mile radius. You will often find inflated prices on those goods and or if shopping local stores find that the shop owner will size you up to see if your local or not. Kind of like the whole cash or card price difference, I have even seen signs that said "cash for campers only". That's either tax evasion or distrust for tourists.
Well there you have it, some of the most important things I think of while camping.
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