Do you go camping? [Archive] - Baby Bargains & Baby 411 Community

maestramommy

07-10-2011, 05:02 PM

We used to camp a lot pre-kids. We did it a couple of times with Dora and Arwyn. Then we stopped because it was just.so.hard. Mainly because they aren't used to sleeping with us, and wouldnt' go to sleep, and kept partying, and Dh and I would get so frustrated. And everyone was exhausted the next day.

But we've been talking about going camping again, just for the sake of camping. Pre-kids camping was incidental to climbing, or backpacking. To go camping for it's own sake is a new concept. Plus I don't know how I feel about camping on the east coast. It's so muggy and buggy. The nice thing about camping in the desert of SoCal is that it felt very clean, dry and relatively bug free.

Melaine

07-10-2011, 05:12 PM

crl

07-10-2011, 05:38 PM

Not since I was a kid. Can you borrow a tent and sleeping bags and camp outside your house one night?

Catherine

endlessheather

07-10-2011, 06:00 PM

I grew up camping from the time I was a few months old with my parents :) to now as a mom with 2 boys. We just got back yesterday from our annual post-4th of July trip of 3 nights/4 days.

Here's my thoughts on camping with kids - it's an adventure, it's not a relaxing spa like vacation although there are moments of relaxing. It's fun in a different way and imo you just go with the flow. We tent camp and while I can rough it way more than we do now I honestly can't wait until we get a camper (going to be my nursing school grad present to myself I'm convinced hehe).

my helpful hints ..well they work for us :)
~Big tent (with kids the more space imo the better)
~Air beds & I personally like the sleeping bags that we can unzip and make a bed with so we have the large soft flannel inside bags.

~Food wise - we do a lot of prep work before, cut up your veggies/onions and put them in Ziploc bags or marinate your chicken with BBQ sauce ahead and put in a Ziploc to just toss on the grill. We grill a lot but we've started cooking things in the fire (stews, bbq chicken, scalloped potatoes etc) using aluminum foil type boxes and it's been easy cleanup / easy cooking! I'm a-ok with bringing Mac N Cheese for the kids or doing grilled cheese sandwiches for the boys. The easier the better. It's not much different then bbq'ing in your backyard. Just pick up a grill and whatever you want to toss on it while you are there. You can cook almost anything you want depending on if you bring a grill, cook top or both.

The campground we go to have really bathrooms that are cleaned often by year-round camp hosts that maintain the park. They even have separate showers (quarter operated) that don't give me the creeps. I'd look in your area on the web to see what your options and pick something that looks well maintained and with running water facilities rather than hole in the ground types for your first one. Find a place that has maybe some fun things to do whether it be a swimming area, rafting, fishing..something besides just sitting in the woods. Do a short weekend and test it out. I know a lot of camping converts.

sadie427

07-10-2011, 06:45 PM

We camp w/ 2 kids and like it but went camping a few times a year pre-kids, so were used to it. Honestly I don't know that I'd recommend essentially trying it for the first time with two kids, especially if they are young. Camping w/ babies and toddlers is somewhat challenging--getting easier for us now that the youngest is over 2 and the oldest is 7 and can help with stuff. Maybe you can look into yurts or cabins, or a lodge in a national park? Or you could try just one night, with most of your food pre-made or cooked on the grill? Cooking on the camp stove and cleaning up takes some getting used to. Also depending on where you live, if you were planning on doing it this summer a lot of the good campgrounds are booked up for the weekends.

fivi2

07-10-2011, 07:06 PM

Thanks for the input!

My girls are 5.5, so not too young. They would love it, I think. We spend long days at the lake or at state parks - they love being outside. Today they were begging me for fishing rods, lol. I am sure that sleeping in a tent would be hard at first, but we often sleep in the same bed. They love catching bugs and building rock castles, etc, so I think they wouldn't get too bored. But a lot of the parks around here have lakes or rivers for swimming.

I am just worried about the logistics of everything! It seems like a pita :)

Thank you all for the advice!

eta: it is too hot to camp here in the summer (for me anyway) so we'd be looking at october - ish. Lots of time to prepare (and stalk end of summer sales on supplies, if they have them).

brittone2

07-10-2011, 07:10 PM

I grew up tent camping and later my parents purchased a travel trailer. DH and I camped when we were dating and pre-kids. Like maestramama, a lot of our trips were related to climbing or hiking.

DH and I haven't tent camped much with the kids, but we take our pop up out a few times a year.

I find it fun, but I grew up tent camping.

You can always start w/ a night in the backyard or some place local, and that way you can bail if you end up hating it.

For cooking, we do a lot of prep in advance. We have a propane stove but we have taken trips where we cooked on a fire too. In the past few years we've camped a lot w/ my parents (they take their travel trailer, and we take our pop up) which means access to a microwave if needed ;)

I don't find the cooking thing that difficult. We do "hobo" foil packet dinners, grill things like burgers, heat up stuff like meatballs in sauce on the propane stove, hotdogs, the different sausages you can buy (feta spinach, chicken apple) that just need reheated, etc.

I think knowing what to pack and how to pack is the hardest part sometimes. After you do it a few times you can create a master list of what you need for a camping weekend and it will be much easier. You'll get a system down and then you get an idea of what works/doesn't work for your family. When we were going regularly to a lake about 45 mins away from us, I had it down to a science in terms of what we needed for a weekend away. Having a master list makes it much easier.

eta: our kids have camped since they were infants, and always slept fine. We cosleep at home and as long as they can cosleep when camping they sleep well. The only thing we have a bit of trouble w/ is naptime because the kids have slept w/ blackout curtains as babies, and the pop up canvas lets the light shine in ;) Naptime usually ends up delayed a bit until we exhaust them to the point that they are *ready*, even if there is light shining in during the daytime.

bubbaray

07-10-2011, 07:19 PM

I don't tent camp post-kids. No way no how. DH does, though. We RV and that is close enough to primitive for me, thank you very much.

♥ms.pacman♥

07-10-2011, 07:44 PM

i don't get the appeal of camping in general. when i was a kid, it was okay..i was in GirlScouts and it was fun to get to eat smores, roast marshmallows and tell ghost stories at night under flashlight, etc. but now, as an adult, i'm not into it all...stuff (sand, dirt, etc) gets into everything, and everything like going to the bathroom, taking a shower, etc seems like an incredible hassle. and camping with kids? i'd rather get a root canal. :p but my kids are still little and in diapers, so t hat colors my opinion a lot. maybe when they're older, 1000% potty trained and not nursing anymore i'd consider it. right now with my two i need 24 hour immediate access to a bathroom, sink, shower, trash cans plus id need a pantry/refrigerator stocked with food 24/7 to keep up with the amount of food i need to eat bc i am nursing. and yeah, with nursing since i have to drink so much water, i have to get up at least 2x a night to pee..that would be really really annoying to have to walk to a port-a-potty or whatever in the middle of the night.

kijip

07-10-2011, 07:55 PM

Before kids I camped a lot, some car but mainly backpacking. After T was born we tried the tent thing with him and he just hated it. We had to strap him in the car and drive up and down the Oregon Coast till he passed out and then let him sleep in the car. He would not sleep in the tent. So we stopped with tent camping and started renting cabins and yurts about 1-2 a year which he loved. Then my dad started taking him fishing, usually tied to tent camping so he got used to tents. In June of this year we had planned a staycation with some day excursions and hikes but I was so exhausted I just wanted out of town. It was last minute and we were trying to do it on the cheap because we had not planned to go anywhere. Cabins and yurts rent much earlier in the year (for example, I have a yurt reservation for the Oregon coast that I made in May for Fall) so we opted to go tent camping. we were semi expecting for it to be a raging sleeping disaster for our two year old. We decided to risk it. We could always find a motel if it was really bad was our figuring.

BUT...

It was great. F, our younger son slept in his little bag so well and the boys both had a blast. We went for almost a week to the Idaho panhandle and then came home for a day and then went out again for a few days to the Grand Coulee dam for the 4th of July.

For bathrooms, I have always found Oregon and Washington parks pretty clean and sufficient. In Idaho, I was impressed. The bathrooms were fantastic. State parks that have car camping usually have flush toilets and showers too, not porta-potties or chemical toilets.

For cooking, we cook things ahead (both at cabin/yurt and with tent camping) and have a prop and stove. Dinner is usually fish or hotdogs/veggie burger or sometimes pasta with sauce. Baked beans, bread, veggies are common sides. Sometimes we do ribs if we have really prepped well (boiled at home, then grilled there). Breakfast is usually oatmeal or eggs and bacon, often pancakes made from a whole grain mix so it is easy to mix up. If we are near some touristy things it is not uncommon to go out to lunch. Otherwise we just make sandwiches. We fill a second cooler with drinks.

I hate air mattresses. I find them just terrible. After suffering through the Idaho trip with one I just said to heck with it and we all brought along thermarests instead, which are thin self inflating ground pads that I used for backpacking. Way more comfortable for me.

The fun is in the scenery, the quiet, the hiking trails, beach/water (we usually camp near the ocean or a lake). Of course, fishing is fun too. we also bring a frisbee, a bat and wiffle ball, kites if it is appropriate etc. I spend a lot of time reading in the evenings. So peaceful.

It is also a very affordable way to get away for a bit. The Idaho trip with tent site and gas was less than $250. We added in some other things- lunch in Sand Point, 2 days at a nearby amusement park etc but all in all it was very cheap and total outlay for everything from food to gas to the site etc was less than it would have been to stay in an inexpensive hotel for the week, before any food or attractions. The yurt on the Oregon Coast which is literally on the ocean beach? $240 for the whole week.

My husband grew up in a family where roughing it meant staying in a 3 star hotel. Most of his family vacations were cruises and Disney and similar. He never went camping at all until he met me and he LOVES it. So you don't need a lot of experience to have a good time with it.

Jo..

07-10-2011, 07:56 PM

NEVER NEVER NEVER. I hate bugs, I hate snakes, I need a bed, I need a bathroom.

In general I am very low maintenence and often crunchy...I don't generally wear make-up or jewelry, I can be out of the house with a two minute notice, etc.

But camping just chills me to the bone. Snakes and bugs crawl all over you while you sleep, and you get to pee in a bush or in a public dirty toilet after 742 other people. GROSS! GROSS!

ETA if my kids were in love with the idea I would pitch them a tent in our backyard.

kijip

07-10-2011, 08:16 PM

But camping just chills me to the bone. Snakes and bugs crawl all over you while you sleep

In literally lifetime of camping (my parent have been taking me since I was an infant). I have never had a snake or other small animal crawl on me while I slept. I have never had an issue with anything getting inside my tent either. And bugs have only been an issue a few places, usually nothing more that a few mosquitos. I get not liking it. To each their own! But no one reading this should be discouraged from discovering camping by the chance of a snake or whatever. The strangest things that have happened with wildlife when I was camping were that once a marmot ate the brim of my hat which a fellow backpacker left a bag of candy inside of overnight (genius!) and once my mother caught a huge fish...which was already cleaned and it was rotting. Clearly it had fallen out of someone's fishing boat or something. Yuck. :tongue5:

KpbS

07-10-2011, 08:48 PM

I love to camp! We went frequently as a child and my siblings and I have really fond memories of camping (car camping, not primitive hike in, hike out camping). We take the kids every year for a long weekend--it is a family reunion event with lots of kids now :) Your kids sound like the perfect campers as they already enjoy a lot of outdoor activities and appreciate nature.

With little ones it is helpful to find a site near bathrooms and water. Ours usually have electricity at the sites as well. We use an air mattress in our tent b/c sleeping on the ground in your 30s doesn't have the same appeal as when you are 10 ;) Cooking is what you want to make it really. Simple food that doesn't have to be cooked--sandwiches, fruit, etc. or campfire cooking simple like hot dogs or packets of food cooked over the coals to cooking a giant batch of chili in a cast iron pot. Packing is a big effort (and the clean up and wash) when you get home but really it is wonderful and my kids are already looking forward to when we can go again.

wellyes

07-10-2011, 09:03 PM

It is a pita but it is absolutely worth it. I think being a camping family is one of the best gifts you can give your kids. I am sad my parents didn't do it. Unplug, make a fire, look at the stars, tell ghost stories, stumble along with flashlights for a late night barhroom trip, and be happy.

JBaxter

07-10-2011, 09:08 PM

fivi2

07-10-2011, 09:15 PM

It is interesting to hear how different everyone is on this topic!

Seriously, after all the nasty hotel bed bug etc threads, the thought of sleeping on my own air bed with my own linens doesn't really gross me out too much ;)
Mosquitoes can be an issue here (and scorpions, spiders, snakes, etc) but that doesn't really freak me out that much. (at 3 am, I might change my mind!)

Okay, so stupid question time - when you talk about cooking over the fire - do most places have fire pits or something? And you bring a pot of some sort to cook over the actual fire? What about firewood?

Or do you buy a camping stove with propane? Fires aren't allowed here right now, but I assume we will get rain sometime... maybe...

Katie - I am glad you had fun in Idaho! I read one of your pre-trip threads and it sounded like a great trip. I would love to do the Oregon coast sometime.

Thanks everyone. If we decide to give it a go, I am sure I will have questions.

Oh - and I think I would be more freaked out to sleep in my backyard. I mean we are in fairly safe area, but with sirens and trains and car alarms all night, I don't think we would sleep at all!

maestramommy

07-10-2011, 09:29 PM

dh and I have two stoves prekids. One was a whisper light, which is a little bit of a pain because you have to prime it before you light, and then play with it to keep it lit and going strong. But he got it because it is super light so ideal for backpacking. Then we got another stove which was basically a cross screwed into a can of liquid gas. That was much easier, but the can is heavier.

Then one day we became the owners of one of those Coleman double stoves where you can boil a huge pot of water on. The ultimate in luxury stoves:p I don't know if it came from the dump store or what, but we haven't had a chance to use it yet. If you're only going car camping, I'd go with that kind because cooking with it is closest to cooking on a stove at home. The other stoves, you have to be careful because it's very easy for a little one to tip over in one eager moment.

We use the Thermarests and they are great. At first I didn't know how I was going to sleep on a mat less than 18" wide but you get used to it. Very cozy :D They're easy to blow up, deflate and store, don't take up a lot of room. :D

We did a combo of prep and prepared foods. We'd marinate drumsticks or a steak and cook it over the coals of a campfire. We had one of those cheap $15 grills, and we just took along the screen part, propped it up on rocks or something. We would also bring those Indian food packets or ramen and cook it up in boiling water. Ramen with canned chicken and sun dried tomatoes is pretty tasty. The last time we camped with the girls we also brought along chips and salsa, pre-cut watermelon, dried fruit, plenty of water and beer:loveeyes: Go with whatever's easy and that you know the kids are guaranteed to eat. Have some fruit to balance it out. We were using to camping in very cold weather so Dh's motto was as long as you are warm and well fed it's a fun trip.

You know, now that I think back on it, camping with the kids was mostly fun. it was only bedtime that was a nightmare. It might be different now that Dora and Arywn are older and just able to lie down and go to sleep. Laurel might need a PnP to stay put. She can't even sleep in the same room as her sisters without partying. Actually, Dh's thinking of pitching a tent in our backyard for a couple of years, see how that works out. Dora keeps asking when we're going to go camping, and we keep putting her off.

About showers: Normally we camped in places with no showers, but in the summer we would climb in an area where there was a real bathroom with showers. We always shower with flip flops on. Then you don't have to worry about how clean the floor is or isn't. Also, I have to get up to pee multiple times at night. It was a little eerie getting up in the middle of the night and hiking to the bathroom with a headlamp. I always tried to get a spot that was closer to the bathroom. Which makes for a little more noise, but much easier to deal with at night.

I also have no problems eliminating behind a bush or rock (in remote areas of course), but I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea. Not sure if my kids would go for it. But I'm assuming that we (and you) will be camping in places where facilities are pretty close by, even when hiking.

ilfaith

07-10-2011, 09:37 PM

Camping Ha ha ha. DH's idea of "roughing it" is a Hampton Inn.

I've only camped a few times, way back when I was in Brownies/Girl Scouts. And that was in a tent among many other tents at a campground.

I used to tell people that Jews don't camp...those 40 years in the desert were enough for our people. But I have since met members of the tribe who do camp.

I think I would actually like to take the boys camping...but the idea of doing it here in Florida freaks me out a bit. I'm more comfortable with the creepy crawly critters I grew up with in New Jersey.

wellyes

07-10-2011, 10:07 PM

I did with my x and Logan & Connor when they were small. I will NEVER EVER go tent camping again. Bugs spiders and yes snakes Gross public bathrooms and showers I used to take bleach to spray the shower floors with or rubbermaid for them to stand in. Then there is he hassle of ice chests to keep stuff cold. Kids drag dirt and grass into the tent and sleeping bags they ALways have to pee after you put them to bed so you then have to get up and get your shoes on and walk to the bathrooms We did get a pop up camper which was marginally better unless it rained or was insanely hot.
DH can take Nathan and Jack but Momma will stay at home.
I can solve those problems! Not trying to convince you specifically, just saying those issues aren't a bug deal to me...

Dirty bathroom/shower: wear flip flops

Hate using an ice chest: bring stuff that doesn't require a fridge. Almond milk, breakfast cereal, Peanut butter, apples, bread for picnic sandwiches. Velveeta Mac and cheese. Assuming you're just there for a night or two, it's really no biggie.

Dirt in the tent: we always have an AstroTurf style welcome mat and a shoes off inside rule. Plus a little dirt is truly harmless.

Nighttime peeing: is kinda fun unless it is really cold. I only camp May-Sept :)

lablover

07-10-2011, 10:30 PM

I camped twice growing up (girl scouts and a church retreat), while DH camped all the time growing up. We camped as a couple a few times pre-kids and my only requirement was that there was a bathroom accessible. DH and DS have gone several times and last year DD and I started joining them as we decided she was old enough and her enviro allergies were under control. The kids absolutely LOVE it. And I love watching them have so much fun, just being outdoors, in nature, with no tv, etc. So far we have just done one night local car camping trips, but next month we are going to do a weekend in the Shenandoah with another couple. I do NOT like bugs, but have not had an issue with bugs in the tent. We just make sure the tent is always zipped up. We also have a no shoes rule in the tent. So far bathroom has been okay, DH takes DS outside the tent in the middle of the night and DD still wears a pull up. My first trip last year I did the 3am run to the bathroom. I got over that really fast (plus I freaked myself out that some crazy person could be hiding out in the bathroom waiting for someone...) and the next trip I did the squat in the woods near the tent thing. Much easier. DH does most of the prep, we bring a small charcoal grill for burgers (DH can't give up the charcoal) and a propane stove for breakfast, and the fire pit is used for s'mores! You buy firewood at the camp store at the places we've been to. I say give it a go! Chances are your kids will love it!

endlessheather

07-10-2011, 10:33 PM

Okay, so stupid question time - when you talk about cooking over the fire - do most places have fire pits or something? And you bring a pot of some sort to cook over the actual fire? What about firewood?

Or do you buy a camping stove with propane? Fires aren't allowed here right now, but I assume we will get rain sometime... maybe...
!

The campgrounds we go to all have fire pits and have a grill plate that is attached and goes across part of it so you can essentially grill directly on it. I bring grill covers to put on top so I don't cook directly on there.

We bought a Dutch Oven last year and it has been wonderful. You can put it directly on the grill plate, on the fire itself or just use on a cook top. The best part about this one though is it has both a skillet pan and the dutch oven. The skillet pan doubles as the lid for the Dutch oven. Cooking with it is incredibly easy and they have liners you just place in it so it's really no mess for the most part. http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-LCC3-Logic-Pre-Seasoned-Cooker/dp/B0009JKG9M/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1310349793&sr=8-4

I made a Black Forest cobbler this last weekend in ours over the fire (pic here ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/mymindslost/5923051700/ )

We use a Coleman stove similar to this one. We have a griddle plate that came with it for say pancakes and a grill attachment plate too that we use for grilling veggies or whatever else if we don't want to cook by fire.
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-PerfectFlow-InstaStart-2-Burner-Stove/dp/B000MQ639E/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1310349978&sr=1-2

Those are my go to cooking tools besides a saucepan that I heat up water for coffee in or make mac n cheese for the boys in. I can pretty much cook everything in the cast iron skillet, dutch oven or sauce pan and over the stove or fire.

We buy firewood before we hit the road from any of our local grocery stores but our main campground has firewood there for us to buy at $5 a wheel barrow load so we usually take some with and buy as need there. I know that is not the norm for campgrounds though to have it there.

If you are just starting camping, portable grills that you can just grill on while you camp might be a good option instead. You can just do the hamburger, hot dog, grilled veggies thing and skip needing a stove for now.

~Some of my best memories as a kid are from camping with my family. We spent a lot of time at the lake camping and on the boat. It was a time when we were just having quality family time and away from everything. I love that I can share that with my kids, no technology and the peacefulness of being in the middle of nowhere is priceless. I know it's not for everyone but it's far from gross and nasty for some of us. :)

Cam&Clay

07-10-2011, 10:35 PM

Nope, never not once. I don't understand the appeal, frankly. Even when I was a kid I would never have wanted to do that. If the kids want too....I guess I could get over my issues and do it one time.

:yeahthat:

Except not willing to do it if the kids want to. DH can take them.

In case you haven't noticed, camping takes place OUTSIDE...where there is dirt. And bugs. Big bugs.

MmeSunny

07-10-2011, 10:45 PM

I agree with a PP who said that camping with your kids is one of the best gifts you can give them. Seriously.

What other family vacation can be had so inexpensively and really FORCES you to be together. You will see things in your kids and a side of them that you have never seen when you take them camping. And it goes both ways. Camping brings out the nature in us. It really does bring families closer. Even if it's just to commiserate about the bugs, you're in it together.

I have been camping since I was in utero. My parents were huge campers. I was in middle school the first time I stayed in a hotel. (It was for a school trip.) Until that time, I just knew travel by camping. I now take DD camping. Her first trip was age 2. At 3.5 it is her favorite thing to do. We are taking a short weekend trip in a couple of weeks to celebrate her adoption day. Camping is what she requested as her special treat.

If you are on the edge, read "Last Child in the Woods." Our kids do not know nature and they are suffering. They want to play inside because, "that's where the outlets are." That is sad to me. So much feeling, so much emotion and so much peace can be found outdoors when camping. It cannot be replicated any other way.

Yes, there is dirt. And bugs. But that is part of it. Bring extra clothes and bug spray. Just get out there. Bring a sense of humour, a sense of adventure and a SLOW DOWN mentality. Camping takes time, from cooking to showers, to what have you. Just slow down and enjoy it.

bubbaray

07-10-2011, 11:18 PM

For those of you who might be open to camping, were it not for dirt and bugs, might I suggest RVg.

You have the luxuries of home (range, fridge, microwave, some even have d/w, toilet, shower, sink). We take a TV & DVD so that if its raining, we have a backup plan. Some sites have cable. Lots of people take satellite dishes (OK, I admit, that seems overkill). We have a/c, heat, its not cold or hot. Reasonably comfy mattresses.

And no dirt. DD#1 is great at sweeping and I take a dustbuster to keep the dirt at bay. No bugs, except for mosquitos, but we deal with those.

We do lots of hikes and bike rides, the kids learn about ecosystems in different areas and climates. We just hang out in the outdoors -- but sleep in a comfy bed.

Pre-kids, I camped a lot. I never really liked it, to be honest, but I ALWAYS seemed to date guys who LIVED to camp.

ETA: When we cook outdoors while RVg, we BBQ (Weber 200 portable propane BBQ). We also take stuff like chili that is easy to heat up. We don't cook over the firepit grill. All we use that for is marshmallows, mainly because firebans are common where we camp in BC/WA/OR during the summer. We always make sure that we don't need to rely on the firepit to cook.

mnosky1

07-10-2011, 11:26 PM

Yes, but maybe only once a year. We go car camping - meaning we pack everything but the kitchen sink in the car, drive to a site and pitch a tent.

We have a coleman stove and cook on taht and build a fire for dinners. Lunch might be a fire or if it's too hot, we just do sandwiches or might be full form a big breakfast - usually eggs on the coleman stove, toast, coffee, maybe pancakes. We have a big cooler with all the cold food, milk, eggs, beer, pop, meat, cheese, etc. It's a lot of work to plan meals and really more fun and much better to go at least 2 nights and with at least one other family.

It is tough with a non-walking kid so when we had a child that age, we didn't those summers. We usually go to a park and so there are bathhouses with regular toilets and showers but we don't always shower. If we have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, we usually just pee in the woods by the tent (rarely do though, except when I was pregnant).

niccig

07-10-2011, 11:46 PM

I did a lot as kids. We loved it, it was a tonne of work for my mother..maybe that's why we haven't done it.

DH never went camping as a kid, did it a few times as an adult. We have a tent, stove, and have only slept in the tent in the backyard. Never realised how noisy are street is at 1am..

DS is going into grade 1 and they have a camping trip - it should be fun to see DH deal with it. He's not great at roughing it and absolutely HATES bugs and they always seem to bother him and not anyone else.

JBaxter

07-10-2011, 11:50 PM

I can solve those problems! Not trying to convince you specifically, just saying those issues aren't a bug deal to me...

Dirty bathroom/shower: wear flip flops

Hate using an ice chest: bring stuff that doesn't require a fridge. Almond milk, breakfast cereal, Peanut butter, apples, bread for picnic sandwiches. Velveeta Mac and cheese. Assuming you're just there for a night or two, it's really no biggie.

Dirt in the tent: we always have an AstroTurf style welcome mat and a shoes off inside rule. Plus a little dirt is truly harmless.

Nighttime peeing: is kinda fun unless it is really cold. I only camp May-Sept :)

Not exactly.... flip flops and trying to shower a 3 yr old? It grossed me out when the flopped down on the shower floor... My kids would gag on almond milk Even before we went organic velveeta grossed me out as a "cheese food" so yes I need refrigerated items ( real meat cold cuts real cheese cows milk hamburger etc) The astro turf mat has to be brought home and it doesnt keep sand out very well and bugs bugs bugs bugs and more bugs. I grew up on a farm and prefer my out doors during the day I want a bed at night. I tried to enjoy camping but I didn't
Now we have a resurgence of bears and coyotes around here AND ticks and lyme disease... I'll keep my hotels for vacation. ( yes I check for bed bugs there also)

hellokitty

07-11-2011, 12:42 AM

My kids desperately want to go camping. The idea of tent camping just makes me cringe. However, I'd be open to RVing or cabin camping (I've only done cabin camping before and it was fine). DH, DS1 and DS2 are going to be going cabin camping with cub scouts for the very first time in a few wks and the boys are soooo excited. Our den leader was also thinking about doing a separate cabin rental later on. I think it would be fun to go with at least another family, esp when the kids are still younger. Right now, DS1 and DS2 would be ok camping, but DS3 is your typical, getting into everything toddler and I too do not look forward to the sleeping part. My kids act like idiots when they all sleep together.

egoldber

07-11-2011, 06:48 AM

DH and I went camping fairly often before kids. We have not yet been as a family although we mean to go often LOL! We even bought a family tent last summer and have yet to use it. Sigh.

Older DD loves camping. We have been with her Girl Scout troop many times and she will be going to her third Girl Scout sleep away camp this summer.

I don't dig the bugs and dirt, but I agree with many of the PP that it's definitely something worth doing with your kids and makes great memories.

I will say though that I greatly prefer fall and spring camping to summer camping. The only bugs I really can't deal with are mosquitoes. :o

When we camped before kids it was usually in conjunction with hiking/backpacking, so we had a lightweight camp stove and did the freeze dried food thing. Car camping is much easier. Most places have grills/fire pits and you just load up a big cooler with easy to cook stuff. :) Many camp grounds even have stores, etc.

As an easy intro, you could also eat dinner out and then sleep overnight (do a campfire and smores) then and have an easy breakfast that doesn't really need refrigeration (cereal and shelf stable milk, oatmeal packets, etc.). I know several people who have done this.