Advice from experienced campers

[ameeg]

The beginning of April my little family of four will be tent camping at the fort! Yay! However this is mt and my husbands first time camping with children, outside ( tent camping in the house doesn't count, right?). We have a 4 year old and baby who will be 6 months. I'm really not that worried about my kids having fun or behaving as both are pretty easy going. I just want advice on what to bring, expect, and what not. We are doing the dining plan, we didn't want to have to worry about food, so besides cereal and milk and cooler we aren't bring much else. I have a sling for the showers to put my baby in. We are also bringing a jogging stroller and movie player. Thought and experiences?

We are only there for 3 nights and 4 days.

 

[retired and happy]

Welcome. Comfortable bedding. You might need a heater or you might need at least a fan. With luck you will NEED neither and the weather will be perfect. Maybe some snack foods.

 

[acenorm]

Not something to bring, but we started tent camping with our girls last summer(3&1 at the time) and the first thing I did was got them used to showers for the campgrounds. It was a little tough at first, but after a week they were good to go, and now they shower every night.

Best Regards,
Norm

 

[scboyd]

I second Norm's comments about preparing your children at home regarding the showers. We did this with our son and forgot to with our daughter and it was next to impossible to get her to shower.

Another trick we use while we are camping is to take our son (4) for a walk while one of us puts our daughter (1) to bed. Its always easier to get one asleep then trying to get both of them to sleep at the same time. They tend to play off each other and they never get to sleep.

have a great trip!

scboyd

 

[gillenkl]

Packing list you might find helpful:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1115732

 

[bama_ed]

Dining plan options at the Fort are pretty slim. You don't say what level of the DP you got so that might limit your choices. The main pool snack area has some sandwiches that qualify for some DP levels. Also since Trail End moved to a menu for lunch (no buffet) it might qualify too.

You will probably get real familiar with heading over to Wilderness Lodge (via bus or boat) or the Contemporary (via direct boat) to get your meals when not in the parks. The Fort has limited meal choices which is about the only bad thing about it.

Bama ED

 

[skyp4WDW]

Housekeeping keeps "Pack-n-plays" (for the cabins) but let us use one at our tent site last summer. Have fun.

 

[ArcticCat]

Tent camping. You may all ready know, but I'll post a few things.

kids + outdoors = dirty clothing. Bring a few extra outfits for them to change into... this goes for more then just the dirt... rain happens, and in florida, it happens often.

Speaking of rain, 2 very important things. A tarp that is big enough to cover your "water proof" tent.... or I should say not so water proof. Second is a canopy. If its raining, its nice to have something to huddle under so your not stuck in your tent. ****** MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IT SECURED ******

out door carpet. I have a 10x10 outdoor carpet I put right in front of my pop up camper, it grabs most of the dirt that we would track into the camper. you may want a smaller one.

a small ceramic heater that shuts off if its knocked over or gets to hot.

flash lights for the kids... I found with my girls its easier to tame their fears if they have to power to see into the dark! (bring extra batteries, no sense in barking at them every 5 minutes to turn it off when they forget...)

wet ones / baby wipes and a lots of them

umbrellas, maybe even small ones for the kiddo's

small dvd player has saved me many camping trips... the ride there and late "boring" evenings.

small folding chairs for them.

extra towels

hope this helps.

Ken

 

[Tinkmom]

I would reiterate the need to have your children used to showering. I ran into that issue with my oldest when traveling and we unexpectedly didn't have a tub. Usually a very flexible kid, I was surprised that she really really really didn't want to shower!

Also, April weather is SO unpredictable. You may need both a heater and a fan (and wish for air conditioning) on the same short trip!

It sounds like an adventure. Have fun!

 

[Bearikens]

What I recommend has already been suggested in the packing lists mentioned, and in the posts. Some of my "don't dare to forget" items are:

Blister control (several good suggestions in the entire DIS board).
Medications (aspirin, sunburn cream, antacids, pepto, etc)
Rain Gear (ponchos and small umbrellas)
Small Flashlights (enough for everyone...rechargeable batteries)
Comfortable walking shoes (standing for extended periods and walking)
Sunscreen
Outdoor electric light w/photocell timer (nice to have lights on when you return to your campsite after dark).
Water bottles that can be refilled inside the parks.

Hope this helps

 

[jkc0325]

Insect repellent!!! I never spray it on my kids' skin but I do spray it on their clothing. I also always change them into long pants and shirts in the evening and make sure they are wearing sneakers and socks. There is nothing worse than feet covered in bug bites.


Good luck!!!!!!