We spent the May long weekend camping in Golden Ears with two other families. Besides the fact that it was super fun to have friends around to roast marshmallows with and hide out from the rain, I also enjoyed comparing gear notes. While I’ve grown up camping and backpacking, it’s always fun to see what tricks and hacks other families have discovered that make camping easier and more fun. On that note, I’d like to share what my must-have camping gear is. If I’ve missed anything, please leave me a comment letting me know what your favourite gear is!
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Sleep Well
Whenever I mention camping, someone is sure to complain about sleeping on the ground. While no camping mattress will ever compare with your bedroom mattress, there are now a huge variety of camping mattresses on the market. I recommend trying a few different sizes or styles to see if you can find one that suits you. I’ve grown up sleeping on Thermarests, which I find comfortable and easy to both inflate and roll up again. I also have some ultralight Thermarests for backpacking, which are a bit thicker and include a pump sack so you don’t hyperventilate while setting up the tent. A good inflatable pillow can also make a huge difference for your sleep.
Another problem with tent camping is getting the kids to sleep before dark and not waking up again at the crack of dawn. Enter the blackout tent. We recently purchased a new 6-man Coleman tent with darkroom technology for car camping. Let me say, it makes a huge difference. My kids need a good night’s sleep to function well (and so do I), but my youngest has troubles falling asleep (even at home) when the sun is still up. With the Coleman Carlsbad, we had much fewer issues around bedtime and he slept in until 7 am each morning. I was highly impressed by the tent.
Keep the Bugs Away
The mosquitoes at Sasquatch Provincial Park taught us to never take them for granted. While we’ve never met quite as many mosquitoes anywhere else we’ve camped, bug spray is now on my must-have camping list–and I take along a lot. This year, I was super delighted to discover PiActive: a DEET-free, Canadian insect repellent that offers 12-hour protection against mosquitoes, black flies, and ticks.
The formula is non-greasy, non-irritating, and non-allergenic. One of the biggest struggles with getting my kids to use bug spray to fend off mosquitoes is their sensory needs. They all hate the smell and feel of bug spray on their skin and I don’t blame them. They’ve been much happier with PiActive than other bug spray brands that I’ve tried. While the mosquitoes didn’t bother us on our May long weekend trip due to the rain, we also do a lot of hiking, so I use PiActive to ensure we don’t come home with ticks in our socks. PiActive is available at MEC, Canadian Tire, and most other outdoor stores.
I also have two big citronella candles for our picnic table. It seems to help reduce the mosquitoes there while we’re cooking and eating, and also creates a pleasant camping vibe.
Prepare for Any Weather
While we hope for great weather for our camping trips, that doesn’t always happen. Now I just take a camping shelter with us–it provides shade in the heat or shelter in the rain. I prefer the shelters without walls, because I don’t go camping to feel crowded and boxed in, even by screen walls. I also like a shelter that’s tall enough to walk comfortably underneath, even for the adults.
Tip: take along some plastic hooks to put over the shelter supports and hang small items like wash cloths, hats, shirts, etc. up to dry.
Let There Be Light
There’s nothing like stumbling around in the dark outside your tent to make you wish you were at home with light switches. After a few trips where the kids have stayed up later than I expected or we’ve had to make a midnight run to the flush toilets on the other side of the campground because a toddler refuses to use the outhouse, I’ve learned to pack decent camping lights for every trip.
On our last trip, I had one headlight in each tent, so that whoever had to leave the tent in the dark could slap on the headlight and see where they were going. If we’re camping in the shoulder seasons when it gets dark earlier, I also pack extra flashlights. Certain kids who are more prone to leaving the tent at night or reading in their sleeping bags can keep a flashlight in their pocket.
On our May long weekend trip, my friend brought along a gas lantern which got a lot of use when we sat through a thunderstorm one night. While my partner and I liked the charm of the gas lantern, it was a little big finicky and a little bit smelly. We wanted something easy for the kids to use, and something that would either sit on the picnic table (for playing games or visiting after supper) or be able to move into the tent with us (for reading the kids to sleep there). After some research, my partner chose a small LED rechargeable lantern.
My kids also love having glow sticks on a camping trip. These are super fun to play with as dusk falls but also helps me keep an eye on them, because I can spot their glowing colorful lights no matter where around the campsite they’re playing.
Keep the Cooking Simple
While I know some people who love making gourmet meals while they’re camping, that’s not me. I keep it really simple and try to do as much prep at home as I can.
Some of our favourite camping meals include:
- chili: cook at home, freeze in large Tupperware containers, place in cooler and eat a couple days into the trip when it has mostly thawed. Serve with tortilla chips (which can double as spoons) and grated cheese.
- tacos: fry meat at home and freeze in a Ziploc bag. Buy pre-grated cheese, shredded lettuce, baby tomatoes (to slice in half or quarters at campground), avocado (slice at campground), and your other favourite toppings.
- canned soups (open and dump in pot)
- instant oatmeal: serve with raisins, peanut butter, banana, nutella, other favourite toppings
I work really hard to keep our kitchen area near while camping, especially as we usually camp in areas where bears may wander through. The stove is at one end of the table and clean dishes get stacked in the middle of the table. A fitted picnic tablecloth adds a homey atmosphere and also keeps the table cleaner. I have a case for camping utensils that keeps them organized and clean outdoors.
What would you add to these ideas?
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