First things first. Plan the trip. Take a brief survey of your friends and family who will be participating in the trip. Identify a good date and the types of accommodations required. Different areas identify types of campgrounds differently but be sure to look for different features you may be interested in, no running water vs. running water… no toilets, pit toilets or flush toilets… showers to full hookups for RVs & trailers. Be sure to ask or look to see if picnic tables, fire pits or trashcans are provided and if pets or fires are permitted. Some campsites are first-come, first-served while others require reservations, sometimes months in advance. Reserve America is a great website where you can search and reserve state, federal and private campsites. Also check what local attractions and activities are available in the nearby area once you have decided on a location.
Now that you have the where and when figured out, it’s time to prep for the trip. Whether we realize it or not, many trips, vacations and even our everyday lives, revolve around meals. It is time to plan the menu. Be sure to take food durability, weight, size and spoilage into consideration and do your best to share ingredients from one meal to another. After all, we do have to bring everything with us. While some enjoy the simple can of chilly, bologna sandwich or freeze dried meals also known as MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), my family and friends all enjoy cooking. We take a more semi-gourmet approach (Just remember that with more cooking comes more clean up). For example, we premade chilly, grilled carne asada and veggies for tacos and made awesome lemon caper chicken foil dinners. For other great camping recipes visit http://camprecipes.com/recipes . It is also important to identify if everyone will be providing for themselves, if each camper/couple/family will be taking responsibility for different meals or if it will be more of a team effort with shared involvement and costs. Once cooking strategies and menus have been identified, make sure to plan the responsibility of grocery and supply shopping, storage and transportation as well.
Lets get packing! There are many different kinds of camping and different supplies for each. Here http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/checklists.htm you can see a general list for supplies including shelter, bedding, cooking, clothes, personal, miscellaneous and first aid. It is so nice to have everything organized and ready to go when your camping trip comes around. A designated section of garage or attic makes a perfect place to keep the bulky items as well as your box “camp kitchen”. While some items are specially designed for camping and may need to be purchased, many items in your camp kitchen can be items you have upgraded from, hand me downs, clearance store items or garage sale finds. Having these items ready to go and not having to pack everything but the kitchen sink when it’s camping time makes the task that much easier. I tend to use several large, sturdy, clear plastic storage bins with secure lids as well as various sized zip tight bags to keep our supplies sorted and easily accessible. There are many different products available to keep your camping gear organized both at camp and all stored up. Make sure to check the weather about a week out as well as a few days before departure making sure you have planned and packed accordingly.
Lastly, safe travels. Make sure you ask the Rangers, Hosts and locals at cafes and markets about any “must sees” in the area, they always have great tips. Have fun!
Be organized… Enjoy life…
These are a few of my favorite things...
Bug spray was one of our main necessities while out in the woods. In the past we have used products containing Deet (Cutter, Off, Repel) and they seem to work pretty well. Next time we head out to hang with the bugs I plan on trying one of the alternative natural products with herbal repellents or making our own using a variety of essential oils (effective types depend on the bugs in your area) mixed with witch hazel in a spray bottle.
Baby wipes are a Godsend! These fabulous sheets of cloth are the next best thing to soap and water (especially when that isn't an option.) We even bought in bulk, designating a package for every tent and a few community packs too.
What says camping more than s'mores and roasted marshmallows? Sometimes that spot near the coals to get that perfect melted and golden brown consistency on the marshmallows can get a bit toasty for us campers too. This handy dandy extend-able roasting fork is the perfect tool for the job. Bring on the chocolate and graham crackers!
Genius Tip: For an impromptu lantern just place a flashlight (ideally small and LED) on top of a water jug (2.5 gallon works well) to illuminate the area around a tent or workspace. Make sure the flashlight doesn't get too warm as it could melt the plastic. (My brother came up with this one :))
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