A Novice’s Guide to Camping

Remember this book?  K and I were reading it together and the Berenstain Bear books bring back fond memories.  I’ve never been much of a camping girl and have preferred cottaging in the summer with friends.  My one camping experience was many, many years ago during my teenage years.  I have to say, I don’t remember much about it either.  Now that I have a family, I find myself revisiting the idea of camping, but have no idea where to start.  So, I turned to friends of mine who do camp to see what sage advice they have to share.  Here are their answers to a few questions I sent them:

​From the conversations I’ve had, camping offers a much closer connection to nature.  You can enjoy the sights and sounds of the local wildlife such as a loon on a foggy lake.  Camping also enables one to unplug – from the technology itself as well as the hustle and bustle of daily life, to-do lists, and worries.  You can slow down, be present and enjoy family time and the scene before you.  Living in the city, there can be limited opportunities for children to run freely.  When camping, children have the freedom to run around, play, and get dirty.

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When selecting a campsite, consider the season.  If it is autumn, you may opt for a site that boasts a good view and if it is summer, you may look for a site that is close to the lake/beach so you can cool off.  Depending on who is at the camping party, you may look for sites that are kid-friendly and pet-friendly.  First-time campers will also wish to find a site that is close to a town just in case they forget anything or need additional supplies.

Some other things that you may want to consider: are proximity to other campsites, privacy, distance to facilities such as washrooms, water and faucets, shade, and distance to the beach, grass, and sand area whichever you prefer.  Of course, it’s also important to consider the travel time getting to the campsite and then home when it’s all said and done.

If you are feeling nervous about selecting a site, take a tour, walk around and see how the energy of the site vibes with you before booking.

​Personally, I really admire my friends.  Some of them went camping when they were pregnant!  I always had this idea that camping is uncomfortable, especially with sleeping on the ground and adding the weight and discomfort of a new life forming inside.

As long as you plan ahead and pack accordingly, even very young children can be a part of a camping trip.  A friend of mine brought her child at four months – kudos to her.  I think that’s brave.

Camping can be quite minimalistic or you can bring additional items that add comfort to your retreat.  I asked my friends for their must-haves when it came to camping and they had a few suggestions.  Unless you are very good at making a fire from scratch, a good fire starter is needed.  I actually saw a product on Dragon’s Den that can help with this – called the Sure Fire Cube and is sold in home hardware stores (looks pretty neat!).  If you’ve ever tried it, I’d love to know what you think!

Other key things that are essential or important:

• Tarps to collect rainwater and go under your tent
• A tent that is waterproof and roomy
• Comfortable bedding (i.e. Air bed/mattress, sleeping bag, blankets)
• Flashlights and lanterns (you’ll definitely need them when you need to use the facilities at night)
• Bug repellent (spray and coils) and bug bite relief (especially if you are like me and act as a homing signal for bugs)
• A cooler for food items
• Camping chairs to sit in
• Rope or clothesline to hang things up to dry
• Garbage bags
• Sunscreen
• Water container for brushing teeth/washing face/dishes
• Some warm clothes – it’s always best to be prepared for colder weather, especially at night and early morning
• Cooking gear

If you would prefer to have a list to help you, Mountain Warehouse has a handy printable checklist ​designed for couples/families to help you get started.  Add or change this list to suit your own needs and modify it as you gain experience.

Photo Credit: Pixabay at pixabay.com
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Before you go camping, plan out your menu. Keep it simple with easy-to-prepare foods and for the few days that you are going camping, don’t think about nutrition too much. Snacks are always helpful especially when you have children. Bring some of the food items with you like condiments and spreads and purchase the rest at the local grocery so you don’t have to worry about food going bad and having to lug everything to your campsite.

Along with cooking gear, make sure you also have eating gear such as cutlery and make sure you bring aluminum trays or heavy-duty foil that you can use to cook food. As an option, you can also prepare some meals such as chili and freeze that along with any meat that you plan to use. This way, if you pack it well, they can serve as ice packs on your way there then you can just cook it. Canned foods are also handy to have. An instant noodle is also an option and yes, that is the Asian in me talking.

If you’d like a menu planner, Stuffed Suitcase has a printable planner and a guide on how best to use it.

For some menu ideas, check out these sites:
1)  101 stress-free ideas courtesy of The Adventure Bite

2)  39 Best Campfire Recipes from Country Living

3)  17 Delicious Camping Recipes from Today’s Parent

​As a novice camper, you might worry that without technology and constant stimulation your kids will get bored, but the opposite is true.  With camping, the pace of life slows and kids have the freedom to run free.  They will definitely find something to do.  It might involve playing in the water or playing with all that natures provide (i.e. collecting bugs, butterfly catching, fishing, catching frogs, bird watching, and hiking).

In case you are still worried, some things that you can bring include music, outdoor games or sports equipment like badminton rackets, soccer balls, bikes if you have a hitch, things for the beach or lakes like water guns, beach toys, and an inflatable boat.  A great idea for night-time fun could include glow-in-the-dark bracelets or wands.

Let’s not forget about the adults but then again, the idea of kids entertaining themselves and being able to enjoy me-time is entertaining all on its own.  A beer, or cider, some music, and a deck of cards in the company of good family and friends won’t hurt either.

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​Backyard Camp – if you are planning to go camping as a solo family trip and you have the space to do so, have a backyard camp as a trial run.  Use your BBQ as your campfire and try to do as much as you can in your yard as if you were really camping.  This gives you the safety and comfort of making sure you can set up your tent before you are on your own, helps build up the anticipation and readiness in your family for camping, and prepares you for things that may crop up that you hadn’t thought about (i.e. anything else you might need to pack). It’s Better with Friends – Tag along camping with some experienced friends and ideally, you’d like to go with the ones who also have children around the same age.  They can keep each other company, giving you some time to relax with your friends.   Your friends can help you get accustomed to camping and it’s also easier when it comes to meals.  As families, you can coordinate the menu and each family can bring certain things for the whole group.  For example, you bring maple syrup and relish, and someone else brings ketchup and whatnot. Regardless, going with friends makes it more fun for everyone! It takes a Community – If you don’t have anyone in your life who does enjoy camping and can be your guide, depending on where you live, some community groups also offer programs where that arrange for guided camping trips for families.  It’s similar to going with an experienced friend as these groups can help you get started.  It’s only a short duration so that helps you also get a sense of whether you would want to do this for a longer amount of time on your own in the future.​May this be the start of “Smore” bonfires and unplugging under the great starry night skies (I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it :P).
Julie