All camping families - please respond (long)

[gardendame]

I am asking a lot, so here goes!
As a child and teenager, my family owned a travel trailer and we went camping often. We live in Louisiana and would go on short, weekend trips nearby in Mississippi, long weekend trips to Arkansas or Missouri, even 2+ week vacations across country, all pulling the camper.
Now I have kids of my own and they have NEVER been camping. DH and I have large 2 room tent we purchased before having the kids. We are starting to get the 'itch' to take them all camping. We want to start slow (find somewhere close for a 1-nighter, just to learn what we 'should' do the next time). I just know we will forget to bring things, etc., until we become used to our new way of living!
Anyhow, upon searching the internet for camping, etc., I am confused.
First of all, I know I have passed signs for campgrounds while taking car trips here and there, yet I cannot find them 'listed' anywhere on line. Is there a campground directory somewhere???
Secondly, do most campgrounds require 'membership' now?? To us, the joy of camping was going to be trying new places each time. I don't want to be stuck going to the same place over and over, just for the sake of using up my membership. Also, I don't want to have to purchase a membership for each and every campground we go to.
Thirdly (and last - I promise), please give me your 'must have' items for camping. We will be starting out with the tent and MAYBE graduate slowly to a pop-up, then travel trailer, etc., etc. Please take the time to list your camping items (necessities and luxuries - like the cute little lights I have seen hanging outside tents).
I know I am asking for a lot of info, so please bear with me. From what I remember, camping families have a lot of enthusiasm about what they do, so hopefully some of you won't mind sharing your knowledge with a somewhat newbie.
Thanks in advance for your help. Hope to see some of you in our travels. We have ressies for WDW in October (POR), and will not be camping there this trip, but hopefully will have the hang of the camping thing by then so we can plan our next trip for FW. I simply cannot plan for a long camping trip to WDW until we get used to the idea and/or have everything we need for a long, enjoyable stay there.

 

[tazdeb]

To answer your first question, camground listings can be found in guides at your book store or library in such books as Woodhalls or Goodsams directories which are like phone books. Online go to gocamping.com, the Openroadsforum.com, Uscampsites.com...etc...Secondly no you dont need a membership at most campgrounds....TAZ

 

[Bichon Barb]

Originally posted by gardendame
I am asking a lot, so here goes!
As a child and teenager, my family owned a travel trailer and we went camping often. We live in Louisiana and would go on short, weekend trips nearby in Mississippi, long weekend trips to Arkansas or Missouri, even 2+ week vacations across country, all pulling the camper.
Now I have kids of my own and they have NEVER been camping. DH and I have large 2 room tent we purchased before having the kids. We are starting to get the 'itch' to take them all camping. We want to start slow (find somewhere close for a 1-nighter, just to learn what we 'should' do the next time). I just know we will forget to bring things, etc., until we become used to our new way of living!

Congratulations! I grew up with a little Fan travel trailer that was parked at a campground on Lake Ontario. Some of my best childhood memories are from those summer weekends. How old are your kids? We bought a Coleman pop up when our kids were 2 and 4. Last year we upgraded to a 25 ft travel trailer with slides. The boys are now 8 and 10.

Anyhow, upon searching the internet for camping, etc., I am confused.
First of all, I know I have passed signs for campgrounds while taking car trips here and there, yet I cannot find them 'listed' anywhere on line. Is there a campground directory somewhere???

Try these: http://www.woodalls.com and http://www.koa.com. KOA campgrounds are a nice place to start, because they usually have lots of amenities, i.e. pools, grocery stores, playgrounds, etc. You could also try a search for your state's state parks. We do some camping at NYS parks, and they are usually more spacious and quiet.

Secondly, do most campgrounds require 'membership' now?? To us, the joy of camping was going to be trying new places each time. I don't want to be stuck going to the same place over and over, just for the sake of using up my membership. Also, I don't want to have to purchase a membership for each and every campground we go to.

I have never had a campground membership and don't know of any place around here that requires one.

Thirdly (and last - I promise), please give me your 'must have' items for camping. We will be starting out with the tent and MAYBE graduate slowly to a pop-up, then travel trailer, etc., etc. Please take the time to list your camping items (necessities and luxuries - like the cute little lights I have seen hanging outside tents).

Yikes! I'll let the tenters answer this one. LOL. We have a fully stocked trailer, and we still forget things.

I know I am asking for a lot of info, so please bear with me. From what I remember, camping families have a lot of enthusiasm about what they do, so hopefully some of you won't mind sharing your knowledge with a somewhat newbie.
Thanks in advance for your help. Hope to see some of you in our travels. We have ressies for WDW in October (POR), and will not be camping there this trip, but hopefully will have the hang of the camping thing by then so we can plan our next trip for FW. I simply cannot plan for a long camping trip to WDW until we get used to the idea and/or have everything we need for a long, enjoyable stay there.

We are talking about doing our first camping trip to FW in mid to late August. I can't wait! (except for the drive!) Again, good luck to you.

 

[JCJRSmith]

Here is a good article on what to bring when tenting:

http://www.woodalls.com/output.cfm?ID=153577

Like you, my folks had a travel trailer when I was a kid and we took that thing everywhere. When SWMBO and I were married, we bought a tent and broke the family in by tenting. Now we have a 23 foot hybrid trailer (2002 Jayco Kiwi 23B) and we love it. We are taking it to FW this June (see the countdown in my signature). You can see our Kiwi HERE.

Your kids are going to love it.

 

[clkelley]

That list is more of a backpacking list.

Here is my Ft. Wilderness Camping List.

Tent
Groundcloth - 2 (One inside the tent and one under the tent)
Sheet of Cheap Painters Plastic to put under all groundcloths (That sand on the sand pads gets really nasty, especially if it gets wet) Just throw the cheap plastic away at the end of your trip.
Rainfly/Dining Shelter (Wal-Mart canopy about $30)
Camping Chair(s)
Air Mattress
Pump
Sheets/Blanket/Pillow
Various Extension Cords and Power Strips
12" Fan
Sleeping Bag (Rated to 20 degrees)
Stake Mallet
Coleman Magnetic Tent Lights, Battery Operated
Battery Operated Lantern (2)
Clothes Line
D Ring or Biner Clip to Hang Lantern from inside Dining Fly/Rain Shelter
Small Flashlight
Toiletries for shower house
Shower Shoes
Small Bucket to carry toiletries to shower house
Small Backpack to carry change of clothes to shower house
Towels/Washcloths
Appropriate Batteries
Laundry Detergent
Dryer Sheets
Dorm Room Fridge
Powerful drop cord light to set up camp. I often arrive late at night for my annual Ft. Wilderness trip, so having a bright light to set up helps. That is the only time I use it.
Cable Ties or Twist Ties for Extension Cord Managment

Other things I don't bring but you might want are cooking things such as a crock pot, gas stove, coffee maker, microwave, etc.

Most of my stuff is battery operated because I do most of my camping with Scouts.

However, at Ft. Wilderness you do have electricity, so those fans, electric blankets, computers, cameras, electric lanterns can all be used. No phone connections at the individual campsites, so you need a wireless card for the internet on the computer.

Hope this helps!!

Carol

 

[kaguilbeau]

If you'll let me know which area of Louisiana you're from, perhaps I can give you ideas to campgrounds we have enjoyed.

We have a 5th wheel (which is an upgrade for us from the pop-up). We used the pop up when kids (4 of them) were ages 6-9 -and an infant.

I have campground favorites in the Hammond area, Lafayette area, Monroe area, etc.

Now that my kids are approaching 15-17, the last place they want to go is camping with us - and I hate leaving them at home *alone* (read "unsupervised"!)

Kim

 

[gardendame]

Wow! Thanks for the lists and links! It gives me an idea of what to start picking up here and there at the store before we go (I hate to buy everything all at once!).

kaguilbeau, we are in Baton Rouge. I would love to know of all of the wonderful places you mentioned. I think a short, weekend trip would be best, to just get our feet wet.
FYI, I just got back from a grocery run to WalMart. I cruised through the camping section, just to take a peek. I am thrilled to know that Mr. Coffee has made a drip coffee pot to fit over one burner of a camping stove! That will be a 'must have' before we drive out of the driveway!!!

 

[kaguilbeau]

Sure thing -

We really like Fairview/Riverside in Madisonville. State Park, $12/night. Will accept reservations. No pool - so go when it is pleasant.

Chicot State Park in Ville Platte. Pool is opened Memorial day to Labor Day. $12.00/night.

Never been there, but Percy Quinn State Park in south Miss is supposed to be real nice.

We're close to Lafayette and enjoy the KOA in Lafayette. Close to the interestate, but also not far from the store, if you've forgotten something. A bit more, $25 +/- a night, pool is open earlier than the state parks. Sites are close together, but request one on the lake. Love to build the campfire there.

I just loved Lake D'Arbonne, but that is a good ways from BR (closer to Monroe). Also a state park.

http://www.crt.state.la.us/crt/parks/default.htm

See if this link works for Louisiana State Parks.

Personally, I would never go to WDW in August, especially in a camper! But that's my opinion.

I'm going to pm you with an e-mail address of a niece that lives in BR. They camp locally and at FW. She would be one more source of info.

Kim

 

[Billmel]

Every year my husband and I purchase the Trailer Life CD. This CD has thousands of campgrounds in the US, it scores them on a scale of 1 to 10. And will even give you directions, and lists all of the amenities, nightly amount, and other features, like what is around the campground to do recreation wise, like golf, tennis, hiking, restaurants, etc. Here is the online directory:http://www.tldirectory.com/index.cfm?effortID=936
and her is the site for the CD Directory http://www.tldirectory.com/shop/display.cfm?productID=DDCD04&deid=800. Hope this helps.

 

[krhewitt]

I agree with bilmel the trailer life directory is a good source of finding campgrounds. We use the big paperback and carry it with us to plan our next trip. We used to tent camp before we got the fifth wheel. My husband always joked that we just needed to put a trailer hitch on the house and take it with us because I took/take so much stuff.
We drove to Lake Bisteneau SP in north LA about 30 miles east of Shreveport and it looked fairly nice. There is also the Coleman web site that lists campgrounds and national parks by state. I will put the specific address here tomorrow. Our first trip to WDW will be this summer and we're camping at FW.

 

[krhewitt]

I forgot--- be sure to put blankets under you on top of the air mattress as well as on top of you. Some friends of ours didn't do that when they were camping in early March. We were always warm and toasty I just assumed that most people do it that way. They ended up sleeping in the car most of the night. Think about it ... it is just plastic and air between you and the ground! You need some "insulation"!

 

[welovemickey]

One thing I consider a "must have" is the coleman plug in cooler. It's just like a refrigerator and eliminates the need to keep getting bags of ice. When we had our pop-up we purchased two of them and didn't regret it at all. Even now with our motorhome we bring at least one of the plug ins, if not both.

We have always kept our camping gear separate from our house things. I got too crazy dragging stuff from the house on a camping trip and then trying to find everything once we got home. We went to Caldors (since closed) and purchased an inexpensive set of pans, towels, pillows, etc. that we kept in rubbermaid totes just for camping. For us it made going away less stressfull knowing where everything was.

Good luck and BTW, FW is absolutely the best place to camp!!!!

 

[Stinson]

This site has a list of things to bring on a camping trip:

http://www.title-3.com/Camping_Checklist.htm

 

[JCJRSmith]

One of the best sources we have found for stocking up on stuff for camping (especially cooking stuff) is the local Dollar store. We did that when we got the trailer and bought cups, dishes, pots, pans, utensils, etc and keep them in the camper year-round.

 

[We4mickey]

I think the best thing is to put your clothes into rubbermaid totes. Keeps them from becoming damp. We always use ours.

 

[gardendame]

I am overwhelmed at all of the responses! I posted this question on a family-type board I read often, and only got about 2 responses posting links, but no other input. You guys are great!

I have read so much this weekend on camping, etc., and it seems that every camping report I read includes a trip to FW in WDW - and all say this is the Best Campground they have been to. I am almost tempted to change our first WDW trip (October) to a camping trip, but we don't have a camper yet (only a tent).

Keep the information coming. I am learning more and more from you guys - you're terrific!

Thanks!

 

[clkelley]

Don't let having just a tent stop you from camping at Ft. Wilderness!!!!

Ft. Wilderness is great for tent camping!! I do it every December and have a Blast!!!

Carol

 

[bbrannon3]

I started camping again when my kids were 4 and 5 and over the last 7 years I think I've finally gotten it down to a science.

--As far as campground memberships, I don't know of any, other than maybe some rv camps that require them. KOA has an extensive network of campgrounds and if you want to ease into camping, many of the KOA campgrounds have camping kabins that generally provide sleeping space for 4, a front porch and a small table. They're reasonably priced and you can buy a KOA value card for $12/yr which gives you 10% of nightly rates. Also, most anywhere you go you, you can find a state park with a campground. During busy times of the year, they tend to fill up fast and most are first come first serve.

As far as must haves, the list clkelley gave you is a good one. There are only a couple of things I would add.
-wisk broom/dust pan
-I would recommend a battery-operated pump for the air mattresses
-trash bags
-pocket knife
-mosquito repellent
-sunscreen
-small first aid kit
-camera/film
-rain ponch
-clothes pins
-laundry bag
-"down time" activities for the kids (books, cards, etc.)
-car adapter cell phone charger

I would highly recommend tent camping while you're at Disney. I am leaving on Friday to go camping there. This will be our 3rd year and it's great. There's so much to do there you could spend an entire week in the campground and they have a campfire and movies for the kids every night. We go with friends that live in Florida and share a campsite. There are 3 adults and 4 kids ages 13, 11,11 and 6. The kids keep each other occupied and the adults share cooking and kid duties. For example, in the evening, 1 adult takes the younger child to the movie (the older ones are safe enough going on their own) and the other two adults stay at the campsite and cook dinner. By the time the movie is over, the kids are calmed down after a long day of excitement, dinner is done, and they're ready to relax or go to bed. And you can't beat the cost. It would take us two hotel rooms for everyone, but we only need one campsite and split the cost of the campsite and groceries for the week as well as dividing up the things we bring with us so each of us has to pack less.

 

[DMRick]

I woudl also check out

www.IRV2.com

Go to forum, and all the info you would ever wish to know (and some you never wanted to know) on camping is there! If you scroll way to the bottom on the forum page, you'll see thread, just on people from your area. Many of the areas hold rally's and other get togethers, so you can camp with groups...we have a ball with our Nor Easter group, and camp together a couple of times a year.

 

[Chattyaholic]

We did just as you are doing. DH and I started out in a tent, then took the kids with us, then we "graduated" to a pop-up camper and used that for about 10 years and had many, many great family times with it. Then we "graduated" to a 5th wheel camper and even though we're "empty nesters" now we still love camping!! I am already chomping at the bit to get the camper out of the storage shed and "spring clean" it and get it all ready for this year's camping season!!