Tips on camping with family

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 12:20 pm

We are going camping in a tent I"H and my kids are qges 3-12. Tips? I'm nervous.

amother

↑ OP

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 12:21 pm

After Tisha Bav, just clarification.

amother

Dahlia

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 12:22 pm

Bring long pajama pants
Extra blankets
More air mattresses than you think you’ll need
Probably best to have separate tents

amother

Navy ↓

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 12:35 pm

Check the weather. In the summer it can be excruciating hot ( I know from experience)
Figure out your family bathroom needs and pick spot based on that (can you deal with ports potties. Do you need real toilets. How close do you need to be to take kids at night?)
For us we preferred male and female tents bec we have teens.

amother

DarkRed

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 12:55 pm

I know the above poster was concerned about heat, but at night temperatures can really drop. You can buy a portable heater that uses propane… also pack simple activities for when it rains.

amother

↑ Navy

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 12:59 pm

amother DarkRed wrote:

I know the above poster was concerned about heat, but at night temperatures can really drop. You can buy a portable heater that uses propane… also pack simple activities for when it rains.

Of course it Depends were

in nj some summer nights we’ve camped and it stayed 90 at night and it was very unpleasant. We kept sneaking to sit in the air gibritioned bathroom all night long.

You really need to watch the weather for either extreme.

Regardless I’d bring pajamas with long pants and long sleeves.

amother

Gardenia

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 1:31 pm

Get a spot close enough to toilets but not too close.
The eight person tents don’t fit 8 ppl, 6 if you’re lucky
Get there early so you’re ready for bed when it gets dark.
It’s a great way to spend time as a family.
We do it every summer and it’s our favorite few days of the year.

Aurora

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 1:40 pm

A tent usually fits 1.5 people less than advertised once all the stuff is inside.
For example, an 8 person tent is comfy for 6, 5 is ideal. A 5 person tent is good for 3-4 people.

Make sure you put down a tarp under your tent, that has the same measurements as your tent floor, and make sure the tent covers the edges of the tarp. This will help keep your tent dry.

Because of ticks, I recommend everyone wear either pants or leggings that are tucked into socks. Long sleeves are good too.

Please do NOT bring a heater into your tent. Most tents are polyester. You could melt it. I recommend sleeping bags, and pajamas that are in layers so you can adjust.

Bring some extra simple toys for all the kids, especially the smaller ones. Balls and bubbles are fantastic. Bonus if they're games you need more kids to play, like cornhole. Avoid any board games with small pieces. Most likely to get lost.

Avoid pitching your tent on the lowest part of your site - you don't want to wake up in a puddle if it rains.

It is usually possible to buy fruits and veggies, but much harder to find cheese, bread, meat, and kosher pasta sauce (weird, right?).

Are you also planning to put up an eruv?

I've gone camping for years, so you are welcome to pm me if you would like more specific info.

amother

IndianRed

Mon, Aug 05 2024, 11:22 pm

Bring along a clothesline you attach between two trees where you can hang clothes, towels. For some reason we were always dealing with wet stuff and didn't have where to put.

Strong flashlights for at night. We liked the headlamps so each kid had one, plus a few extra since they broke, got lost, etc. Also good to have a lantern to hang in the tent or place on a table.

We bought a portable toilet because taking the kids or even myself going in middle of the night we wanted to avoid. You might not need it but for us it was a gamechanger.

Try not to allow shoes in the tent. It becomes very difficult to keep the floor of the tent clean.

Foldable camp chairs are super useful, at least for the adults.

amother

Razzmatazz

Tue, Aug 06 2024, 1:58 pm

We've gone camping for many years, with kids of all different ages.

I agree with the above poster who said to not allow shoes in the tent. We leave our shoes outside and it helps the tent stay clean. We also bring along a small broom/dustpan and sweep the tent out when we're packing to leave.

Leave anything edible/scented in the car (or in the bear box at the campsite, if there is one). This includes deodorant, baby wipes, toothpaste, etc. Leave it all in the car so you don't attract animals to your tent. (We've gone camping all over, even in grizzly country, and we haven't had a problem with animals, so don't worry.)

Air mattresses take up a lot of room and they also get cold (you're basically sleeping on a bag of air that matches the temperature of the air outside). We bring along sleeping pads instead.

Try to notice if the ground slopes under your tent, and if it does, position the sleeping bags so everyone's head is UP and their feet are DOWN. Smile

Bring enough flashlights for everyone in the family. And make sure you know where they are BEFORE it gets dark. We usually keep them all in one spot. A lantern to keep on the table is also helpful.

We bring two tents, one smaller one (4 or 6 person) for the parents and baby, and a bigger one (8 person) for the kids. I agree with the posters who said that tents hold less people than you think. If you have room to bring a bigger tent, bring it. A bigger tent is more comfortable.

We like to buy firewood and use the fire pit to roast marshmallows. Bring baby wipes to wipe kids' hands because you might not want to be running to the bathrooms to wash their hands every time they need it. Bring coins for the shower if there are coin-operated showers. Bring hand soap because sometimes the bathrooms don't have any. Bring a couple towels to have around (for washing negel vasser at the campsite, etc). Bring gloves for when you're touching raw hot dogs, etc, and don't want to run to the bathroom to wash your hands.

During the day, we're usually out and about seeing the sights in the area. So I don't bring special entertainment for the day time. When we're back at the campground for the evening, we have a few things we do to keep the kids entertained. I buy glow sticks from the Dollar Tree for the kids to play with at night. If the campground's path/road is paved, we bring scooters. The kids enjoy scootering around and looking at the different camping setups other groups have. We also sometimes bring nets if there is a lake/stream near the campsite and the kids enjoy catching frogs, etc.

Don't underestimate the amount of time it will take to set up/take down your campsite. Especially if it's your first time camping. For the first night, give yourself PLENTY of time before it gets dark to set up camp. Speaking from experience here... not fun to set up camp in the dark, especially with a bunch of kids who may or may not have eaten dinner yet Smile

I highly recommend bringing camp chairs or camp couches.

Check the weather before you go. Places at higher elevation will be cooler. We've camped at 29 degrees Fahrenheit and survived (it was in the summer, but at very high elevation, around 10,000 feet, so nights were very cool). We find that we can deal with cold nights, but that hot nights are VERY unpleasant. Bring layers.

We love camping! Some of our best family memories are from our camping trips. The key is to go with the flow. Things WILL not go as planned. And that's OK. Some of our best memories are from when things went "wrong." Embrace the unknown and you'll have a great time. Enjoy!!

amother

Latte

Tue, Aug 06 2024, 2:43 pm

We love camping! Great tips from everyone above. To add to all that, bring an old bath mat and leave it at the entrance to the tent. Shoes off, wipe feet, come in tent.

Remember the tarp for under the tent.

Rain fly

Camping chairs and a hammock!

Head lamps/Flashlights/lantern

We bring a bunch of disposable grills for dinners and also a one-burner camping stove with propane for hot water and eggs in the morning.

For the kids: coloring/sticker projects, glow sticks, books, etc

Fishing rods if there's a stream/lake.

Clothes line and pins

Bug spray