Family camping trips were fun long ago before life got too hectic. As time goes by it gets harder to take off work and even hard to get motivated. You only have so many chances to get out into the wilderness before the kids get older.
You cannot run out into the wild hoping to have a good time with no plan. Your kids need to be entertained, camping doesn’t have to be boring. You can make family camping fun again by following a few easy tips.
How to Plan a Fun Family Camping Trip
Getting out into nature used to be all it took to have a good time. With so much going on nowadays it can be hard to let your guard down and experience the great outdoors. When planning your next camping trip make sure you keep the following tips in mind.
1. The Family Tent
The days when all you could afford was a basic 2 man tent are long behind us. Nowadays there are tents big enough for the whole family to enjoy.
Family style tents are massive structures that allow you to stand up, with enough space for multiple people. Sometimes they even have a few different rooms(you really do need to check these bad boys out).
These tents break down and roll up into a pack that only the largest person in the family can carry. These massive structures break down easily using folding spires and sturdy canvas.
You can even stand in most of the massive family tent. Standing up in your tent makes the trip more comfortable, giving you just a little bit of dignity you might not have known you were missing.
2. Bring Modern Cooking Tools
Just because you’re out in the woods doesn’t mean you need to eat like a save. You need to bring along some modern cooking tools on your trip.
Check out this little Coleman two burner stove. Just hook it up to a small propane tank and you’ll be cooking like you were right at home. Perfect for big pots of spaghetti and a simple breakfast.
3. Don’t Even Consider Hunting and Fishing For Meals
You aren’t Daniel Boone, so you shouldn’t try to be. Even if you think you’re the best fisherman on this side of the Mississippi do everyone a favor and bring along a backup plan.
Hunting for food is a whole other story altogether. Not only is it probably illegal,
4. Bring Solar Chargers
Throughout the past decade or so we’ve all become hopelessly addicted to our phones. Telling your family no cell phones for the weekend will draw more than just groans. I wouldn’t be surprised if your kids all started to form a rebellion against you.
Do yourself a favor and allow the phones with limits. No
Plus it’s a horrible idea to go out in the wilderness without a phone. You probably never taught your kids how to navigate the wilderness, so don’t leave anything to chance. When exploring give them their phone so they can call for help if necessary.
5. Make Plans
Only a moron straps everyone into the car and heads for the hills without a plan. Before heading out you need to know where you’re going to
It’s also a good idea to print off a map so you can visualize common landmarks in the area. Planning a short hike could be more fun than sitting around the campfire.
6. Bring Better Lights
The forest can be a scary place at night, and you do not want anyone in your family to be afraid just because the sun went down.
Those big folding flood lights that they use on construction lights work great. A couple of
7. Bring Fishing Gear
There’s nothing like a long day of fishing to melt the stress away after a long work week. You don’t even need to eat what you catch, toss them back and chow down on a nice fire grilled steak from the butcher.
I always bring along a couple kayaks with me on those long camping trips. Even people that don’t like fishing enjoy a few hours floating on the lake in a kayak. A little creativity goes a long way when your family is starting to get bored.
8. Don’t Settle For One Campsite
Some families are the backpack and hiking types and others aren’t. Your the only one that truly knows how much nature your teenage daughter is willing to put up with.
That being said, you should move around as much as you can. It’s not hard to pack up a tent and move from one location to the next. Staying in the same place for too long quickly gets boring.
Just about anybody can handle a short hour long hike to a new and exciting camp site. You just won’t be able to bring along all your fancy albeit heavy camping gear.
9. Bring Along Some Friends
Bringing along a couple of your kids friends can really change everybody’s mood. Better yet invite along another close family. You’ll enjoy the company and extra adults means you get to split the chores.
You will find that having more people really adds to the adventure. Camping in large groups is always so much more fun. This is far better than thinking that you need to be out there all alone.
10. Shrot Hike
You don’t have to commit to a 6-hour hike to have a great camping trip. Obviously, long hikes aren’t for everyone. Short morning strolls through the woods might just be the wake up call you need.
If you really feel ambitious plan daily hikes to spots with all the best views. Look for high ridges and hills that provide a great vantage point.
11. Bring The Car
A camping trip doesn’t have to take you far away from your vehicle. You have every right to drive into a campsite to stay for the night if you want.
There are many places where you can drive in a vehicle and setup shop. You can load up on all the extra items that you
12. Photography
There’s just something about nature photography that speaks to us. Most people will never get off the couch long enough to go on that long hike. That amazing shot almost feels like a trophy for all the hard work you put in.
You don’t have to be a professional photographer to take awesome pictures. Probably won’t get into any art shows or magazines, but most
13. Bird Watching
Bird watching is one of those hobbies that you either love or hate. Not everybody can get excited everytime they spot a cardinal or red bellied woodpecker.
You can bring a guide so you know what you are looking at, or you could have a contest to see who finds the most birds.