Your Family's First Camping Trip

July 09, 2010, By William Browning 0 comments

Nothing brings a family closer together than a fun vacation, especially one in the outdoors enjoying nature away from home. Whether you go camping in a tent or even a recreational vehicle, there are some basic considerations you should go over before taking your family camping in the great outdoors.

How Young is Too Young?

There really is no minimum age to start camping, but I would at least wait until a child is 6 to begin a serious camping vacation. By now you've probably made some kind of fort in your child's room, so make this camping trip fun and have a tent be your shelter. You might try setting up the tent in your backyard first to see how your youngsters like it before setting out into the wilderness.

Packing

When you take your kids camping, theirs are the needs you're going to have to cater to the most during your trip. If they have a favorite kind of food, make sure you take it along. Since camping may be new to them, you might also consider taking their favorite blanket or stuffed animal to have some reminder of the cozy life at home.

Safety always must come first with your children, so pack a first aid kit. You will also need an emergency kit for your car just in case you get stranded. Always have your cell phone chargers with you and a means by which they can recharge should you need to make a call. Keep food simple, especially canned goods that can be boiled such as beans, corn and peas. Meat such as hot dogs are also easy to prepare. Take plenty of bottled water for your drinking and cooking needs as well. Your first family camping trip should be as stress-free as possible so your kids will look forward to future experiences.

Where and When to Go

Keep your camping schedule flexible. If the forecast calls for rain, try to make it the following weekend. If it's going to be too hot then you should also reschedule. Late spring time and early fall are the best times to go camping if you live in southern climates as it's not too warm or too cold. Late May into early June and then late September into early October are ideal times for camping. Even if it is during the school year you can pick a weekend for one night of camping.

Keep your camping locale close enough to home so there's not much driving involved. I wouldn't go much more than an hour away from your house as there are many state parks or camping spots that you can find nearby.

Pick a campground or park with decent facilities such as a bathroom and well-marked trails. Even if you have a tent there are still good parks with running water to make your life easier. Pick a campsite where your vehicle is nearby. It can serve as an emergency shelter should an unexpected storm hit. Your car is also great for storing coolers, food and supplies.

You can have modern conveniences with you on a camping trip and still enjoy the outdoors. Camping near nature areas should be a teachable vacation when your children explore the world around them. The most important thing about family camping is that you have fun with your children.