Family camping trips are among the best ways to go off the grid, unplug, connect with your children. Whether you are visiting go off the beat and path with Canadian campgrounds, or stay stateside with the famous mountainous campgrounds in North Carolina, or keep it less rustic and stay in campgrounds with a pool, showers, and maybe even WiFi, it will definitely be a memorable experience for your whole family.
We want you to have the very best camping trip possible, so we’ve put together a list of tips for getting the most juice from your family camping trip.
Four Tips for Planning the Family Camping Trip of Your Dreams
- Go Outside of Your Comfort Zone
Sometimes, our fear of the unknown boxes us in and limits our options for having a great experience. When you plan your family camping vacation, let down your guard and plan a trip that is outside of your comfort zone.
For example, if you’ve never left the country, look for Canadian campgrounds. Canadian campgrounds offer you a safe international adventure with a wide range of experiences. Some Canadian campgrounds are on the ocean, while others are in the mountains, or in remote areas that get snow and offer outings like skiing and snowboarding. The point is, if you just have a couple days for your vacation, grabbing one of your local camping sites is a great option. But if you have the time, by all means, do something you’ve never done! Do something that scares you! Sometimes, these are the best experiences! - Find Age Appropriate Activities
You’ll get the most enjoyment from your camping trip if you center it around the age group of the kids in your family. For example, if you have teenagers, they might think they don’t want to go camping with their family, until they hear that the campsite you chose has adventures like horseback riding or zip-lining available! Meanwhile, if you’re camping with small children, this kind of adventure would be mostly wasted on them. You’d want to look for a campsite that has short day hikes or sailing available. Just make sure to think about who’s going on your camping trip, and then plan your campsite around what caters to their age. - You Can’t Plan the Weather, But You Can Plan FOR the Weather
There is no greater buzzkill than planning out your amazing camping trip and all the incredible things you’re going to do during it, only to arrive in the middle of rainy conditions.
However, when life gives you rain, make rain-ade. First of all, make sure to pack the supplies you need for all sorts of whether conditions (rain boots, ponchos, warm clothes, etc.), so that you and your family remain dry and comfortable, even in the rain. Secondly, make a plan for what you’ll do if the whether happens to not be in your favor. Maybe you won’t be able to do what you had originally planned, but having a backup plan will ensure you are able to make the most of your adventure, none-the-less. - Always Make Safety Your Greatest Priority
Of course, there is nothing more important than ensuring that you, your family, and your fellow campers safe. Being in the great outdoors introduces safety risks that you aren’t accustomed to in the middle of an urban environment. Some of those risks include:- Fire Safety. Many, many widespread forest fires are the product of well-intentioned campers. The forest is full of flammable items and when you add common camping things like cookouts and bonfires into the mix, it can be a recipe for disaster. Make sure to follow the fire safety guidelines in the campsite you’re staying in when you do anything with fire while camping!
- Bear Safety. If you are staying in an area populated by bears, it is critical to follow the tips set forth by your campsite. Bears are extremely intelligent creatures and can get into a locked car if there is food visible. Make sure to use the locked and anchored food storage bins that are provided at the site, and keep any food in your car out of view.
- Critter Safety Do not leave food unattended, even while you’re preparing it. Critters like raccoons will get aggressive if they find it.
Other tips? Share below!