A wonderful way to invest in your families’ treasure trove of 
memories is by spending time in the great outdoors. Camping 
trips can be an excellent tradition that your family will look 
forward to and in time, look back upon with fond memories.

Whether you plan to camp at the same place every year or seek 
out new places doesn’t matter as camping is always filled with 
new adventures. Your family might have a favorite place you go 
to every year mixed with a new spot you select together for 
another weekend or extended holiday during the year. There are 
so many national parks to explore; your options really are 
quite limitless.

Camping doesn’t have to be an overly expensive expenditure. 
Again this all depends on how you’ll be camping. Camping in a 
tent carries a completely different dynamic than camping in a 
fully equipped camper. Camping in a tent is also relatively 
inexpensive. Perhaps the camper is something you’ll decide to 
invest in after a few years of tent camping, then again there 
are some who prefer to only go tent camping. There’s something 
to be said about the rustic quality of sleeping in a tent, you 
can hike to far off remote spots where you couldn’t get to with 
a camper in tow. 

Regardless of how you’ll be camping you’ll want to have the 
proper camping gear and accessories. First off you want to have 
the best tent and sleeping bags you can possibly afford. As your 
tent will be your home away from home for your trip and your 
sleeping bag will keep you warm and covered for those long 
nights under the stars (there are tents available that have 
mesh roofs for star gazing, of coarse if it starts to rain, you 
can just cover it up with your tent fly), you’ll want to be sure 
that both these items keep you appropriately covered so to speak. 

Next you’ll want to have proper camp accessories; a trustworthy 
camp stove, a lantern, flashlights, a first aid kit, tarp, 
cooking and eating utensils, a little axe (for chopping 
firewood, also doubles as a hammer for hammering in tent pegs), 
some rope (for clothes lines and securing tarp), and cooler. 
Along with your sleeping bag you’ll want to remember comfy 
pillows (unless your backpacking then you might want a 
convenient inflatable pillow) and very importantly a good sleep 
pad. An uncomfortable sleep experience on hard ground may steer 
you off tent camping altogether, so come prepared, a good 
sleeping pad is worth its weight in gold. A good idea to help 
you remember all these items is the camping check list.

It’s a good idea to store your camp gear in some plastic 
containers. This way it’s all in one place (with your camp list 
included), so when it’s time to pack up and go camping you can 
go through the containers making any necessary additions needed. 
It’s very important to check that all your equipment is properly 
maintained and cared for; there is nothing worse than getting to 
your destination and finding that your camp stove is not working.
You’ll also want to be sure that your camp fuel supply is 
replenished and you have extra batteries (for flashlights, 
lanterns or radios).

One of the best things about the whole camping experience is 
the food. Now depending on where you’re camping and what time 
of year it is, if you’re lucky you’ll be able to do some of your 
cooking around the campfire. During dry seasons there may be 
fire restrictions due to forest fire concerns, if that’s the 
case you’ll do all your cooking atop your camping stove. Every 
meal always seems to taste a bit better when you’re camping, it 
might have something to do with all the fresh air, or maybe all 
the fun activity builds up you’re appetite, either way you’ll 
want to bring along some family favorites. For dinner maybe 
some grilling of the families select choices, accompanied by 
some corn on the cob and potatoes wrapped in tin foil cooked 
on the coals with a nice salad and later for dessert smores 
(marshmallow and a slice of chocolate sandwiched between two 
graham wafers), add to that some hot chocolate before bed and 
that’s a night of food to dream of.

The activities (or lack of activities) will also make your 
camping trip one to remember. Hiking, kayaking, cycling and 
sailing might be on your agenda. Most parks offer excellent 
groomed hiking trails. Research in advance the area you will be 
visiting to know what activities will be available, you may be 
able to rent a kayak and take a lesson at the same time. Many 
areas also offer great bike trails that the family can cycle on 
together. A late night walk is among favorite suggestions; you 
can check out the stars and just listen to the silence. 

Bring along a book you’ve wanted to read or some magazines. 
Games are another excellent pastime, a deck of cards or a board 
game might be some fun. Of course you can always bring along 
some baseball gloves and a ball for a game of catch. Soccer 
balls, badminton rackets and a net or volleyball and net all 
make for a fun day at the park.

If your family has little one’s you’ll be presented with a whole 
new challenge. Depending on the ages of your babies or toddlers 
you’ll want to pack some extra conveniences. There are excellent 
baby back carriers available allowing you to hike all sorts of 
terrain with baby in tow while keeping your back feeling 
comfortable, as well there are a numerous variety of baby 
strollers to select from which are great for using on trails. 
For toddlers you may want to bring a playpen to keep baby safe. 
You can never bring too many toys; the more your child has to 
keep them entertained you can rest assure they will be more 
content.

Be prepared for weather changes by bringing along extra clothing.
Most likely you will be camping in the warmer spring, summer and 
fall months. It’s wise to remember however that the evenings can 
often get quite cool. Bring along heavy sweaters or extra 
jackets for added warmth, it can never hurt to bring along a 
couple of extra blankets for comfort beside the fire (or for 
use at a day picnic). Rainwear is another excellent addition 
to your camping wardrobe. With good quality rain jackets, hats, 
rain pants and boots you can take advantage of the rainy weather 
and actually go out for a hike rather than staying inside the 
tent or worse yet ending your camp trip all together.

Camping certainly has its challenges. Knowing what to bring and 
having the proper equipment and accessories is the first hurtle. 
Once you arrive at your destination and set up you want to keep 
everyone as comfortable and happy as possible, whether it’s 
keeping the kids occupied without the use of video games or 
cooking a surefire dinner. Rest assured that after your first 
couple of trips when you find out what everyone enjoys doing 
and you realize all you like to include on your trip, you will 
certainly add camping to your families list of favorite 
excursions and traditions. The wonderful thing about camping 
is its always different, perhaps the site is different or the 
campground you selected is unique to the last you stayed at, 
whatever the difference is it always seems to be an adventure 
that the whole family can enjoy.