So. We're going camping. Advice?

[CrazedDisFan]

We had a pop-up camper, but upgraded to a cabin on a lake.

Here are some tips from when we went camping....

Buy a portable grill and a griddle. The portable grill is easier and less messy if you buy the one that takes 1 lb. propane cylinders. You don't need a Weber, just a $20 model from Wal-Mart or Target will do just fine. The griddle is handy for pancakes, bacon, grilled cheese, etc. You can pick one up for about $20 also.

Food tips:
*Repackage your salt and pepper in plastic shakers from the Dollar Store. They seal and you won't find salt/pepper everywhere. (lesson learned )

*Preseason your meat if you are cooking it in the next day or two. This way you don't need to haul a gazillion spices.

*If you like hamburgers or turkey burgers, make your patties at home. Season them. Place a piece of wax paper between each one. Put in a freezer bag and FREEZE. This will help keep your cooler cold and by the time you want to eat them in 2 days they'll be thawed and ready for the grill.

*Chop onions if you need them, before you go camping. Put them in a disposable container.

*Buy Fastshake pancake mix. It is in a little container with a screw off top. You just add water, shake and pour. EASY! Our Wal-mart carries a Bisquick brand that's similar for about $1.00.

*Avoid cooking dishes that take multiple steps and pans. You are on vacation, too!


Other tips:
*Buy CHEAP flip flops for everyone in your family to wear in the camp showers. Don't forget them. People do some weird stuff in showers and you dont' want your feet on the ground.

*Buy baby wipes, no matter how old your kids are. They are great to clean up stick spills.

*Pick up a rectangle vinyl tablecloth for a couple $. Buy some clips at the Dollar store for the tablecloth. This way you can cover the campground picnic table and wipe it off with a baby wipe. If you ruin it toss it. If not wipe it well, let it dry and the tablecloth and clips in a gallon ziplock for next time.

*Go to your local hardware and buy 30 feet of cheap rope & some clothespins. You will need to dry out bathing suits, towels etc. Usually you can find a couple of trees to tie the rope to on your campsite.

Enjoy yourself. I miss our pop-up camper. We had a lot of fun. Sure, it got hot, but you can take an extension cord and floor fan. Sure, there were bugs, but that's why you use bug spray. Sure, it is exhausting packing and unpacking. BUT, you will have memories with your friends and family.

 

[Suz D]

We have 3 dutch ovens that we LOVE when we camp. We used to camp often and have several favorite things.

Here's our "opening night" meal. My husband pre-makes the biscuit/bread dough before we leave. When we first arrive, he puts the coals on for the dutch oven. As soon as they are ready he puts the bread in the oven. While that is baking we set up the tent. When the bread is nearly finished we set out our dinner which is a deluxe salad bar. I dice lots of veggies and bring diced chicken, eggs, and other things. We eat our warm bread with honey butter and have our yummy salad bar.

The leftover veggies will go in a stew the next night (again in the dutch oven).

Some other dutch oven favorites are:
Peach cobbler with cool whip
breakfast pizza
scalloped potatoes

Basically anything you can bake in a regular oven you can bake in a dutch oven. Check out this website which has great camping info as well as dutch oven and pie iron recipes.

http://www.chuckwagondiner.com

Suz

 

[kmccain]

Here is my tip:

I down loaded a weekly meal planner off microsoft.com. http://office.microsoft.com/search/redir.aspx?assetid=TC010183031033&QueryID=tvR9aTpNX&respos=1&rt=6

I use this every time we go away. I might not write down exactly what I am having each day but I know how many breakfast, lunches and dinners I am going to need. I turn it over and make the 3 columns of each meal and I start making a grocery list. We don't usually have to make any trips to a store when I do this.

I would plan quick and easy meals. You are going to be dog tired when you get back from the park and might not be sleeping too well so you are not going to want to be extravagant!

I have read that a lot of people use their crock pots to cook in during the day while they are gone.

Good Luck! Enjoy the out doors!

 

[Alexsma]

Wow we are going camping this weekend with our Cub scout pack, but it's easy camping this weekend. The Boy scout leaders are cooking for everyone!! Yeah a weekend off and no kitchen time!!

But anyways, I have found that if you pack all your camping gear into bug rubbermaid totes they are so easy to keep everything together inbetween camping trips. They stack nicely into the corner at home and travel well in the back of the truck. Also if there is anything else that you need ask around people should be able to lend it to you. The first few times we camped we used my parents old camp stove, but have since bought one of our own. Also plan easy meals there really isn't any need to go to over board with meals. The kids will just enjoy being outside and getting the fresh air. Also get the already filled salt and pepper containers. We also like to buy the cereal that is already in the bowl and you just open and add milk. We buy it at a resturant supply outlet around here all differnt types. Great time saver, I am packing some for disney also!

But remeber the bug spray, sunsreen, clotheslines, trash bags, extra battiers and a deck of cards.

 

[Newfie2000]

We are frequent campers and we have one favorite meal which we always enjoy so I thought I would share it. I can not remember where I heard about it or exactly what it is called but we refer to it as camper's stew. I take ground beef and season it with salt, pepper, garlic (whatever spices you like) then I freeze it in small sandwich bags (one bag per person). Then I chop (but not real small more like chunks) up all different kinds of veggies - you might want to try onions, mushrooms, potatoes, green pepper (whatever you your family likes) I then put the veggies - each kind seperately, in sandwich bags and throw in the cooler. When we are ready to prepare it everyone gets a double sheet of HEAVY DUTY REYNOLDS WRAP (don't skimp here), a bag of ground beef and we just kind of lump the ground beef onto the center of the wrap and each person adds whatever kinds in whatever amounts of veggies they want. Then wrap up the whole lump in the foil, tightly. You can then throw the packets directly into the coals or fire, whichever you are using. Check after about 20 minutes to make sure the ground beef is thoroughly cooked and veggies are tender. Have an adult remove the packets and carefully open and voila... an easy meal, can be eaten directly off the unwrapped foil, no clean up, no mess... and it comes out pretty good! One of our all time camp favorites!

 

[Newfie2000]

I am not a camping expert, nor do I play one on tv, but I saw this on a cooking show once.

If you are grilling anyway, but need to make something in a pot or frying pan as well, you can place the pot/pan on the grill grate and cook that way. You can even take the grate off and put it right on the coals (make sure they're level). No sense in wasting all that heat if you're grilling anway!

Just a note... if you are going to do this and the pan or pot or whatever is not what you consider to be disposable be sure to wrap the outside with foil first. Otherwise you will blacken the bottomsides of your pot/pan. This is incredibly hard to get off and makes a mess as the black soot will rub off on anything the item touches. Otherwise it is a great idea and works wonderfully! Also watch out for plastic handles which can/do melt under the high heat of a direct fire- something some people do not think about!

 

[funhouse8]

I second the water & electric on the site. I also try to pre-cook most meals. Warm them up on the camping stove. It makes life so much easier. My advice is always stay at camping resorts. I'm sure many of you will say this isn't camping but they are so much nicer then a regular campground. The bathrooms are usually cleaner and most have a pool & lakes. Where are you thinking of camping? Maybe we can give you some ideas on campgrounds in that area. I love camping with my family! It's one of the best things I ever did. Leave the TV at home. Pack games and enjoy the stars at night! Have fun and don't forget your water shoes!

 

[malibuconlee]

We'll be going thru our camping stuff this weekend to get ready for Memorial Day Weekend.

If you have room in the vehicle you're taking I reccommend getting a couple of plastic totes to load up the goods. That way the majority of the things can stay in there for the next trip. Just don't let your DH decide he can keep the citronella in there as well. I think DH did that and we may end up having to scrub and throw some things away this weekend cause I don't know if we'll be able to get the smell out.

We bought a camping pan set. They nest and fit inside a nylon cover. They also have a single removeable handle that you can use for each pan. You will want a non-stick skillet for eggs as well tho.

For breakfast meat, I stay away from bacon on camping trips. I use little smokie sausages instead.

I'll post again after we get our things together to give you an idea of what we take.

 

[momofbgtwins]

Oh, I'm getting nostalgic for my tent/pop up camping days as a kid! (I now have a 38' trailer and its NOT the same)
My mother was also the camping queen. My dad was a teacher so we camped in VT, NY and Cape Cod all summer. With 5 kids it was all they could afford, but the memories are magical.
I second the notion to get an electrical site if at all possible. There's so much more you can do if you have electricity! Running water is good too, but electricity is the best.
We had a large canvas tarp that took all 7 of us to put up. Even if it doesn't call for rain, get the tarp up! My mother pre made Sloppy Joe mix, and put it in one of those insulated drink coolers. After the tarp was up we always had Sloppy Joes for dinner. We didn't eat fancy, but the electric fry pan/skillet was invaluable. As someone else said, you can make almost all your meals in it.
Another favorite for us was "tin foil dinner night", which someone else mentioned. You can also use chicken strips and a tablespoon or two of cream of (whatever) soup with the vegetables.
Remember a ground cloth and a spade or small shovel to dig a trench around the tent.
For fun go to the camping sections of Walmart, Target, etc for ideas.
Have fun! It's something your kids will treasure!

 

[mjbaby]

Thanks so much for your suggestions - please keep them coming! I'm learning a lot here and am thinking that this whole thing may not be a disaster after all.

To answer some of the questions you've all asked:

1) We're going in late-ish July. Basically, we're driving from the Philly area to Wisconsin for a week at a lake in a rented cabin, followed by three days of camping somewhere else nearby. Some of the provisions mentioned in this thread I'll bring from home since I'll need them in the cabin kitchen anyway, others I'll have to pick up somewhere along the way. Yay!

The campsite isn't part of a resort, though. Just some kind of campground - but we'll have other entertainment since we're going as part of a big event.

2) We're also planning to do some camping (kind of a practice run for the above) over July 4th weekend at my aunt's place in the Poconos. We'll have our tent and will give any gear we get a workout, but will also have a bathroom and kitchen onsite for backup. Very reassuring!


I asked my husband if he thought we'd be getting a camp stove or doing fire cooking and he said, "Don't know. Maybe a bit of both." Either way, I'm going to lay in a supply of the heavy duty tin foil and I love, love, love those pie iron thingies. Ohmigod, how cool. I'll need to see if the budget will allow them before we go.

 

[Iott Family]

We go camping every summer from May thru September. One thing we never leave home w/o is a crockpot. There isnt anything you cant cook if you have a crockpot and a firepit. Fix-it and Forget-it cookbooks will get you grounded in cp cooking. Recipes from breakfast to sundown and even desserts and appetizers. Also get some of the heavy duty aluminum foil. And duct tape should be in every campers gear.
Also, tarps. Bring atleast one more than you think you will need! They are multi purpose. Make a mock shelter, cover picnic table, waterproof ground cover, windbreak..........
We camp in state parks and get a class A camp site which gives you electric and water source.Also gives you access to the bath house and flushies. I am a lifetime girlscout but I never got used to or enjoyed latrines...blech! Every state has a website for their State Parks and campgrounds. Find yours and you can book your sites online. We always camp near the bathhouse and playgrounds. If you want quiet, camp farther out from the play areas.
We love to camp. Its great fun and if you camp in a State Park most have a nature center that offer activities including guided hikes.

The poster who said air mattresses.....splurge on them. The self inflating ones are best. We have two queen size self inflators that are double deckers meaning when blown up they are knee high. Of course im short at 5 ft tall! Take that into account. LOL! The higher off the ground you are the warmer you will be. Also lay a tarp both under the tent before setting it up and inside the tent before moving in. If it rains you will not get a wet tent floor and offers a modicum of insulation from evening and morning chill!
Two last things, invest the 30-50 dollars for a good heavy outdoor extension cord and a multi plug circuit breaker. The electricity at camp grounds can and have blown the wiring in anything plugged in. I lost a toaster and a crockpot this way!
Dont forget you are camping so certain comforts just wont be available but our ancestors lived far simpler!My kids are 10,8,2 and 2 months and the oldest two and recently the third really gets into camping. They can get dirty, make s'mores and soak up the sunshine! I dont pester them to brush their teeth or dress neat of a morning, at the end of the day we take care of showers, teeth and clean undies. They roll out of the tent and go play while we adults make breakfast. As a matter of fact ,the ONLY times they arent out playing with their camp made friends is when they are eating and the youngest napping!
Just prepare before you go and it will be a no stress get away!

 

[tinan]

Definitely buy one of the pie cookers. We got our double iron one for I think around $25 at a local Army/Navy supply store. If your husband can make HOT fires like mine then you will want it to be made out of iron as the aluminum ones they sell at WalMart and Kmart can melt (my dh has done this before). The first night of our weekend always includes making pizza pockets in them. You butter two pieces of bread, put in a tablespoon of pizza sauce or so, some pepperoni, and some mozzarella cheese. The girls just love these! For dessert they make apple pies in them or they make smores.

Another dinner that we have during our camping weekends besides the normal steak, burgers, dogs, chicken, etc. is bascially ham and scalloped potatoes. Before we leave for the weekend I dice up some potatoes, cube up some ham, butter the foil and put some extra pats of butter in the pack and some shredded colby jack cheese. I also use the heavy Reynolds wrap for these. I then cook these over the fire. Instead of a grill we opt to bring a tripod grate over the fire ring. We try to use the fire for most of our cooking except for breakfast. For breakfast I couldn't live without my electric skillet. When we used to camp on primitive sites I had a propane stove, but I love the electric skillet better.

Since my husband makes hot fires I prefer to have the longer hot dog holder to cook over the fire.

Our necessities:

Electric Skillet
Tripod grate for over fire
cheap thongs or water shoes for shower house for everyone
Waterproof or mesh bag for shower items
chairs for around fire
Pie maker
Hot dog holder
Lots of paper towels
Towels for showers and swimming
small flashlights for walking to/from bathroom
bug spray
a good pair of tongs to flip things on the grill
cooler
ax
at least one butter knife
at least two regular plates as well as paper plates and plasticware
fan

Honestly, I think you will find that you may or may want some or all of what we have all suggested. Both my dh and I have camped for years. We have gone from underpacking to overpacking and this list is pretty much what we need to get by assuming you have your tent, sleeping bags, etc. I have found that we have more fun when we have the essentials and are not totally overpacked.

We have a pop up now and while there is air conditioning available in them, ours is not one with it. We have only had the pop up for about 3 years and before that we tent camped. Just be very careful not to bump the tent in the mornings, after the rain, or keeping your sleeping bag too close to the side as someone else mentioned because you will get moisture inside the tent then.

Most importantly........have fun!

 

[Local_Girl]

I've read through this thread and love the ideas (need to print them up!)...lots of very good ideas from some serious campers! . We're not nearly as seasoned as some, but I have a couple of ideas that I didn't see mentioned yet. We bring a door mat to put right outside the tent door...and (when I remember) a towel for just inside the tent door--really cuts down on the sand/dirt, etc. that gets into the tent and sleeping bags. We also bring a small whisk broom with dustpan (they nest together and you can probably find them at Walmart, Target, etc.) to use in the tent, and for other uses at the campsite.

I second the suggestion to put a tarp under the tent before putting it up. My DH does this to protect the bottom of the tent from punctures by sharp rocks, sticks, etc. and to prevent moisture from seeping up from the ground. The tarps are about as wide as our tent, but we have to use 2 because our tent is long. DH makes sure that the tent overlaps the tarp all the way around by a couple of inches to prevent rain or dew from dripping down the tent sides onto the tarp and collecting under the tent. Hope this makes sense!

Have a great time camping!

 

[pperfectmom]

I hate to disagree with most posters, but cooking with electric skillets, crockpots, ect.. isn't exactly what I call camping. Of course, my sisters family goes on a "camping" trip every year in a huge camper with microwave, refrigerator and satellite dish on top. So, I guess whatever floats your boat. IMHO you need fire AND a Coleman stove for when a fire isn't available or you don't want to wait on coffee. Which brings me to the most important item- a kettle to boil water for hot drinks, instant soups and cereals and for dish washing. I personally couldn't do without the French press coffee pot, but they do make these cheap little plastic things that work really well. You set them on top of your cup. Put in a filter and some good ground coffee and then pour boiling water into it slowly. It tastes really good. And don't forget some canned condensed milk or, if you're feeling naughty, some sweetened condensed milk. OMG, it is sooooooo good . Don't forget also to buy a small dish pan for washing up. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[tkd lisa]

I love making tin foil dinners. My scouts ate them almost every camping trip! That way I didn't have to hear "But I don't eat onions, or carrots, or potatos". My rule was they had to put at least one piece of vegetable into their packet! One thing I found with these dinners is that unless you're using ground beef, you need to add a squirt of butter or they'll burn (not enough fat in chicken). Also, write the name on the outside (or fold them differently) otherwise, Johnny ends up with all the carrots that he won't eat, and Susy has onions which she's allergic to! Probably more of an issue when you've got 10 girl scouts and 4 adults than just a family!

A very easy breakfast is eggs in a bag. They come out like omelettes. Again, it's individually done, so no problems with people not liking the same thing. You take sandwich or quart size zip locks and crack 2 eggs into them. Add cheese, bacon bits, chopped veggies, etc. Seal the bag (push all the air out first), and drop it into a pan of boiling water. Be careful the bag doesn't hang over into the flame (learned that the hard way!) You can do 2-3 bags in a 2 quart pot of water. Throw the bag away, and rinse out the pan. Clean up is DONE!

Great camping dessert is football pudding. Use instant pudding, and put the ingredients into a gallon sized zip lock. Seal CAREFULLY. Turn the bag upside down, and slide it into another gallon zip lock, also sealed carefully. Squish it all together, then get the kids to play toss across with the bag. Once it's "gelled" cut the corner off and squeeze it into ice cream cones (put a mini marshmallow in the bottom). I have great scout pictures of kids doing this!

And my "must take" items for camping? Zip locks of course!!!

Have fun!

 

[hsmamato2]

I 2nd the french press for morning coffee,and the coleman stove is absolutely necessary for cooking, fires can take a long time to get going! save the smores for that....AND..... check out the camping thread here on the dis- it's SO COOL- and they have special sticky for camping recipes, you all have so many ideas to add to that one! I'm keeping track, for our camping trips this summer...

 

[T. Lynn]

We have a pop-up camper and go to Knoebels every year. Gee, now I can't wait till August...

Anyway, I like the sliced potatoes in a can. You can cook them on the fire in a pan with some butter & parsley. They are so good. Most everything else has been posted already so I won't repeat it. Just have fun. My DD LOVES to camp.

We camp a lot and actually have his and her coolers (pretty bad huh?). DH never cleaned out the cooler and when I wanted to use it, it was never clean (smelled of fish, etc). DD and I went shopping and got our own cooler for drinks, snacks & food. It has an opening on top to hold keys, cell phone, etc. with 2 cup holders that even come off and clip on the sides so you can open the cooler without removing your drinks everytime. I'm so in love with my cooler...

We got it at Dick's Sporting Goods: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...3382.712451&parentPage=family&searchId=712451

When DH goes on fishing trips, we remind him to take his own cooler.


* oh, and if it hasn't been mentioned, don't forget some camping chairs.