Family new to tent camping

[disneytriplets]

Looking for any advice on tent camping. We our planning our first family trip to WDW in April 2008 but will be staying at one of the resorts. We'd like to make many family trips to WDW but the cost of staying at the resorts may be a bit too much for a family of six. This lead us to FW and camping.

We are researching camping gear so we can put the kids' sleeping bags, etc on their Christmas/Birthday list this year. Any good brands that aren't too expensive? We'd only use the tent and sleeping bags for local spring-fall camping (in PA) or FW.

We are also wondering about taking a tent and sleeping bags on an airplane. Is it better to take the tent with us and have ME delivery it to FW? Or, is it better to ship those items via UPS?

What about portable pottys? I'd rather not spend my nights making multiple potty runs. I'm guessing a normal portable potty with the chemicals would not make good carry-on luggage. Any thoughts there?

We'd love to hear what other families do!!

Thank you!

 

[CNDKangaroo]

Here are my ideas. We are a family of 5 (kids ages 7,5,3) and we'll be doing the camping thing at Fort Wilderness in Jan. We are flying with our gear. Tents, sleeping bags, mats etc. are actually quite compact. There are washers and dryers so we don't plan on taking a lot of clothing although I intend to do a wash every few days.

We are getting our kids new sleeping bags this year for Christmas too (we do lots of camping but there sleeping bags were hand-me-downs so they are ready for new ones.) If you plan on doing camping when the weather is cooler it is important to get a good bag...a mummy bag is great for keeping warm. Just get adult sized ones, we've never had a problem. Also, just use a foam pad instead of an air mattress for the kids as the air mattress can get really cold at night (we learned this the hard way!) We are from Canada so Canadian tire (sort of a sports/hardware shop) is a great place to pick up sleeping bags...as is specialty stores. Look at Walmart or the like for cost comparison.

As for potty's...we've always just done the trips to the bathroom but maybe you could use a child's toilet training potty with a lid and dump in the washroom in the morning.

We love camping and we highly recommend it. Although we could afford to stay in a on-site hotel at WDW we decided to combine our love of camping with our love of disney.

Do you have an idea of when you are thinking of going?

 

[djblu883]

you can get an occassional surprise of very cold temps in April so be sure your bags are atleast 30 degree bags...also layers are improtant...you may start out quite cool and get hot later. airmattresses are great if you remember to put something underthem so the cold air doesn't seep through...the air inside does cool and can be very chilly to a person in the middle of the night...warms pj's are still a good idea that time of year....heaters are not recommended ...shipping is a good idea...and since you are flying you might think about the dining plan since carrying cooking supplies and food would be very costly unless you plan on renting a car once there to go to the store for all those items ...the stores on premise carry some...but are expensive...i do know you are allowed 3 -18in cubes weighing 50 pounds each (per person) so quite a bit can be brought with you...but then you have to worry if somethings don't make it down what you have to arrange to replace them (airports are bad to loose luggage)Good Luck!!!

 

[clkelley]

I'm the opposite. I have given up on sleeping bags and use an air mattress and linens. (unless it gets into the teens or below, then I do have a -20 bag, but rarely use it.) I have an electric mattress pad and electric blanket that I used for my December Ft. Wilderness trips. (I used them without electricity on Scout camping trips, and slept in completely dry sweat suits).

The biggest key to staying comfortable when camping is staying dry. Waterproof your tent thoroughly with both seam sealer and spray the outside material with some type of spray sealant "Scotch Guard" is a brand name, "Camp Dry" is another. There are many other brands.

Get a roll of 6 mil painters plastic and cut a sheet to go under your tent that is the same shape as your tent, but at least an inch smaller all the way around. I also cut a duplicate sheet that goes inside my tent to keep any small seepage away from my stuff.

Even if it's really cold keep the windows on your tent cracked some at night. Human's are moisture machines and our own breathing will make it soaking wet inside a closed up tent.

Open those windows during the day and let the tent dry out. Run a fan in the tent during the day.

If you are flying and camping, you also need to bring a good collapsible shelter to put over the entrance of your tent. Wal-Mart has a couple of screen rooms and/or dining shelters that are good.

For local camping, First Up Shelters, (Wal-Mart), EZ-Up Shelters (the original, many retailers), or Quest Shelters (Dicks Sporting Goods) are the best, but don't fold compact enough for flying.

For my local camping, I have given up on the bags that my tent comes in. I have a 33 gallon Sterilite bin that holds my linens, air mattress, tent, stakes, stake mallet, battery lanterns, extra batteries, and personal plate, and silverware. I fold it and place it in the bin in the reverse order of when I need to pull it out. That way when I go weekend camping, I just grab that bin, throw a couple changes of clothes in my weekend bag, grab my toiletry backpack and I'm ready to go.

Oh, for camping, pack a toiletry bag for each member of your family, so that everyone can mostly shower at the same time depending on number of stalls available.

Well, that's about all I can think of for now. Any specific questions, just ask!!

 

[clkelley]

As far as flying and tent camping, I have always just packed everything and let DME deliver it.

As far as a portable toilet. The fancier two piece ones are not good space-wise for flying and camping.

Wal-Mart has a Reliance Hassock toilet that is basically a plastic container with a lid, a bucket, and a toilet seat. You can pack linens (inside plastic) inside the toilet and save space. The toilet works by putting water in the bucket and tossing a "Bio Blue" deoderizing packet in the water. Then just empty the bucket and refill every couple of days.

Also, some hunting stores sell a toilet seat that fits on a 5-gallon paint/pickle bucket. Same principle, water in the bucket and a bio-blue packet in the water.

 

[Rhonda]

It would be great if the Owner's Locker company would get bigger lockers, that would fit camping gear, for people who like to fly and camp! Wouldn't it be nice to fly down, and have all your camping stuff just waiting there for you?

Of course, it would have to be just FW camping stuff, that you wouldn't need to use the rest of the year locally.

 

[VAN]

I'd forget about the toilet at WDW, just ask for a spot close to the Comfort Station. If you are tenting, ask to be assigned the 1500 loop. It is a small loop which is close to the pool/store and you wouldn't have far to walk to the Comfort Station. I am one that needs to make a visit in the middle of the night and don't have a problem. Make sure you have a flashlight as the campground has very low lighting.

Don't know what stores are in your area, but we have always found a good selection of inexpensive camping equipment (tents/sleeping bags) at Target.

You may want to bring along a string of white Christmas lights to hang at your spot ... don't forget an outdoor extension cord with a strip plug so you can charge your batteries/camera/etc at night.

Plastic sheeting and/or tarps are essential. Bring some rope for a clothes line as well as to use in case you need to tie anything down.

You could always rent a car for one day only and purchase some of the items down there - this would allow you to stock up on your food as well. Any real inexpensive items that might not fit well in your luggage can just be pitched or passed along to another camper.

[This idea came from a friend that likes to bike, but flies to Florida. She purchases an inexpensive bike at Walmart ($60) upon arrival, uses it for the 1-2 weeks she is there and then donates it to a hotel employee when it is time to leave. Cheaper than renting!!]

Just some random thoughts to add to the other good ideas that people have already given you.

 

[disneytriplets]

Thank you for all the great information! You've all been very helpful!!! It looks like we have a lot to figure out over the next few months so we can get some items on the kids' Christmas list.

 

[gabesmom]

I'll second what everyone has said about the comfort stations. I'd try to get a spot close enough to just make the BR run during the night and pack small individual shower bags for each person (big enough for toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.).

As for the sleeping bags, if you're going to be camping in the spring and fall, a mummy bag with a rating that would be sufficient for the lowest temp you'd expect to encounter is recommended. That way, they're prepared. If you have kids who may join Scouts, definitely go ahead and invest in something that grows with them. You'll be glad you did later on.

Also, you may want to check out the compression sacks that they have in camp stores now because they really make a big difference.

You'll love camping at the fort. We went for the first time in March 2006 and are headed back in December. We're taking our popup, but wouldn't hesitate to tent camp there either