Family Camping Hacks & Tips

Unwinding at the great outdoors for a few days with your loved ones can seem rather challenging for some, but when you plan everything meticulously in advance, it can be a real treat for the whole family. Kids especially like roaming around in the forest or by the lake, roasting marshmallows by the campfire, putting up a tent, and exploring the wilderness around. Parents, on the other hand, have a more demanding task of figuring out what to pack, what to bring, how much food will they need, whether they have bought the right gear, and so on. To make the most out of your family camping trip, here are a few hacks and tips to help your vacation run smoothly and safely.

• Get nifty food organizers

There is no need to spend loads of bucks on special plastic containers that only take up space in your backpack. Sort out some of the necessary spices into tiny, baby plastic containers or in small boxes for matches. In this way, you would have enough room to bring even exotic spices like sage or curry powder. Another rather nifty hack is to use a basic shoe organizer that you can easily hang on any tree rather than bringing a bulky (and expensive) camp kitchen set.

• Opt for comfort and quality above all

Even though you would be spending more time in nature with your family, you shouldn’t compromise on the comfort and quality of your sleep. Many novice campers believe that buying costly sleeping pads would improve their sleep, but they are utterly wrong. Bringing children’s foam floor puzzles will keep you warmer than those expensive pads. Plus, getting a multipurpose air mattress on which you can both sleep soundly and take it for a ride on a lake is an even more lucrative tip. You can find great reviews about air mattresses and other camping gear online here which will help you get the best value for your money.

• Let there be light

While camping you need light to guide your way during the night. Headband light is always more productive to have, so invest in few. However, for everything else you may need, like searching for things inside the tent, cleaning the picnic table after dinner, or for starting a campfire, try with a DIY lamp. Avoid carrying heavy camping lanterns, but attach a headlamp to a water jug to get a dimmer and widespread evening light. You will bring water jugs anyhow, so bring a translucent one that will transform into a cool lamp.

• Cool up (or down)

As summer vacation is the ideal time for families to go camping with their little ones, the weather can be rather hot and humid even if you are surrounded by greeneries. Bringing ice to cool down can be pretty tricky since it melts fast and even packed food would become soggy and drinks would stay warm. Therefore, the most useful tip is to freeze water bottles or large jugs of water as ice for the portable cooler. This hack is so helpful because you would, in the end, have icy cool water to drink afterward, rather than to throw away melted plastic from ice cubes.

• Use sage as a natural bug repellent

Nobody likes mosquitoes and nasty bugs during camping, and when you go with small children these annoying pests may cause even more severe damage. Mosquito or bug repellents can be expensive and quite toxic for children. To stop mosquitoes ruining your perfect camping trip, bring along a handful of sage, or go around in the forest to search for it, and burn few its leaves to keep the bugs and mosquitoes away. This natural hack will provide you with long-lasting protection, plus its pleasant smoke will make your camping night seem even more joyful.

Getting all your gear and camping equipment ready for a perfect camping trip with your family is the most vital thing. Once you incorporate some of these tips you would save yourself loads of prep time and money.