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Frugal Vacation
The
Frugal Family Vacation - Camping!
Camping is a low cost way to create cherished
family memories. Roasting marshmallows and telling stories
around the campfire, hiking in the woods and getting closer to nature,
swimming in the creeks, and listening to birds during the daylight and
crickets, tree frogs, and owls at night. There is much fun to
be had on a camping trip!
Below are some great camping tips to help you get the most out of your
family vacation. Enjoy!
Camping with Children
When choosing a campsite, look for one near restrooms and, if
available, a playground. Making repeated bathroom trips will be
much easier if you don’t have far to go, and your children will
be less likely to get lost if they decide to go without letting you
know.
For an infant or toddler, be sure to take along a pack n play yard for
the child to sleep in. There are some really nice ones out there
that make excellent portable cribs. Make sure you pack overnight
pull-ups for newly potty trained children!
Bring along a potty chair for little children. This will really come in handy for nighttime bathroom trips.
The littlest ones also benefit from a booster seat that can attach to a picnic table for mealtimes.
Bring a large Rubbermaid container in which you can bathe an infant or toddler.
Give each child their own flashlight and a walkie talkie. That
way everyone can see what they want to see in the dark, and the walkie
talkies make it much easier and relaxing when you don’t have to
worry so much about children getting lost! Those, of course, are
great for day or night.
Another great safety item for children is an emergency scream
whistle. They are incredibly loud, and you can easily teach your
children to blow three loud whistles when they are in distress, so get
one for each child.
If you plan on doing much walking, and what is a camping trip without
walking, be sure to take a baby backpack or hiking stroller to keep the
little bundles mobile easily.
Be sure to take toys and games appropriate for outdoors to keep the kids entertained on your trip.
Water floaties for children that cannot swim yet, along with a life jacket!
Staying Safe
Be sure to bring a First Aid kit in case of small injuries.
Bring along purification tablets for lake or stream water in case you need more water than you brought.
Teach children to remain where they are if they get lost.
Keep all valuable items and money locked in your car and hidden out of sight within the vehicle.
Follow all campsite rules and regulations. Keep your fires small
and attended. Be sure to put them out completely when you leave
them, especially if you are going to sleep. Don’t leave
embers burning, even if they look almost dead.
Avoid the West Nile threat with plenty of mosquito repellent! If
you have young children bring the family variety. You can also
look into natural repellents, such as citronella.
Pets
If you want to take your pet, make sure ahead of time that your
campsite will allow it. They may also require that you bring shot
records for them to see.
Be sure to bring baggies to pick up your animal’s waste.
Bring a ground stake and a long lead for your dog to have room to roam when not going for walks.
Make sure the animal has plenty of shade and water available at all times.
Check if there is a short leash law at the campsite and bring a leash of appropriate length to take the dog for walks.
Make sure Fido doesn’t put holes in your tent. Trim the dog’s nails before you leave for your camping trip.
Protect your animal from flea and tick bites with some kind of repellent applied to the fur and/or a repelling collar.
Be sure to put identifying tags on the dog’s collar.
Bring along a Pet First Aid Kit for emergencies, and make sure you pack any medications your animal requires.
Be respectful of other campers. Keep your dog quiet and don’t let it harass others who may be afraid of dogs.
Other Helpful Tips
Make sure you bring fire starter materials, and may I certainly suggest
some lighter fluid and the lighters with the really long neck to keep
your hand away from the flammable area. It’s amazing how
hard it can be sometimes to get wood to burn when you want it to!
Take out the trash before you go down for the night.
Waterproof your tent.
Keep food inside coolers to keep animals out of it. You might
want to consider keeping it in your car, especially at night.
Bring disposable plates, cups, utensils, etc., to keep cleanup quick and easy.
Bring extra batteries
Bring mesh bags for dirty laundry
Take plenty of baby wipes if you are not sure you will have a good
place to bathe or shower. They can really come in handy in a
hygiene emergency!
Camping supply checklist
You don’t necessarily need everything here,
just consider what is important to you. You will likely build up
your supplies over time as you take more camping trips.
Campsite Supplies:
• Family sized tent
• Tarp to go under the tent
• Extra tent stakes
• Door mat outside entry to tent for feet wiping
• Sleeping bags
• Broom for sweeping out tent
• Clothesline and clothespins
• Air mattress w/pump
• Battery operated fan for hot nights
• Folding table for extra space to place cooking
items, etc., or in case the camp site doesn’t have a picnic table
handy
• Folding lawn chairs
• Plastic table cloth and thumb tacks to hold it down
• Canopy for picnic table (in case you are not shaded by a lovely tree nearby)
Mealtime:
• Large Rubbermaid container to store the following items:
~Meal plan & Recipes
~Ingredients needed for recipes
~Aluminum foil
~Cooking oil
~Plastic grocery bags
~Trash bags
~Plastic wrap
~Pots & pans
~Cooking Utensils
~Disposable Products: Napkins, Paper Towels, paper plates, plastic cups, eating utensils
~Oven Mitts
~Knives
~Can opener
~Skewers
~Coffee
~Gallon & Quart sized Ziploc bags for storing food
~Condiments
~Seasonings
~Sugar/creamer
~Cocoa for Kids
• Cook stove with fuel
• Dishpan and dishwashing soap for the non-disposable dishes
• 5 Gallon water container (or whatever size will suit your needs best)
• Percolator if you enjoy coffee or tea
• Thermos for your coffee
Other Necessities:
• Directions to the campground
• Map of campground area, if available
• Cell phone and car charger
• Emergency phone numbers
• Fire starters and fire wood (you often are not
allowed to collect wood from around the camp site for firewood)
• Umbrella
• Mosquito repellent, both for your person and
the lanterns you can set on the table to keep mosquitoes away
• Tools (such as a hammer for pounding in tent stakes)
• Small camp shovel
• Duct tape
• Pocket knife
• Compass
• Lantern and flashlights
• Windproof lighter
• Work gloves
• Extension cords
• Hatchet
• Travel sized sewing kit
Personal care:
• Shampoo
• Soap
• Toilet Paper
• Baby wipes
• Feminine products
• Deodorant
• Medications
• Towels
• Sunscreen
• Tissues
• Baby wipes
• Jackets (for the evenings that can get cool even in summer months)
• First Aid Kit – Buy one or put together
your own kit. For self make kits, consider including: Band-Aids,
tweezers, pain meds, alcohol wipes, needle, nail clippers, small
scissors, antibiotic cream, ace bandage, gauze, cotton balls, blister
pads, cortisone, first aid booklet, cold pack that suddenly becomes
cold when you break what is inside
Entertainment:
• Playing cards (and/or other entertainment for adults)
• Binoculars
• Bug catching kits
• Fishing gear
• Rafts or kayak
• Radio, CD Player, iPod, etc.
• Outdoor game activities
Make sure to look over the children and pets section for suggestions on things to pack for them.
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