Day 361: camping with kids -- what to pack

Today is the packing, cooking, preparing day for our big three day camping trip. For many people out there that do much more extreme adventures then just a simple family camping trip preparing for this kind of trip would probably take them just a few hours. But there are 31 people camping! Which means the meals have been split up between all the different households and we all have to prepare and bring some portions of the meals. That is a lot to think about. Plus, camping with kids always means there is different gear involved then when just adults go camping.

So, I thought I would share our packing list of stuff we are bringing just for the girls.

• clothes.  more clothes then you might pack for a normal trip away from home for three days, plus these clothes are the old, stained, grubby clothes that I don't care if they get ruined on the river and beach!
• swimsuits.  again I do not pack our brand-new cute suits for them to wear. I can remember growing up that my swimsuits never quite looked the same after three days in the river!
• nets, buckets, shovels, rakes and other "sand" toys. The Black River doesn't really have sand beaches, mostly just rocks, but you need the sand toys anyway. Packing enough for each girl to have their own set (just don't want to deal with tantrums from having to share!)
• camping chairs. Yes, we have small, child-sized camping chairs for each of the girls. Makes the meals and campfire time more fun for them to have their own little place to sit.
• life jackets and floaties. A MUST whenever kids are by the water!
• sunscreen and bug spray. We use the California baby brand and have had great success with both the sunscreen and bug spray.
• child-sized sleeping bags. Both girls now have their own. I just think it makes for less bulky packing so I don't have to bring as many seperate blankets and things.
• water bottle for each kid. Allowing each child to have their own water bottle instead of just drinking out of cups means I can more closely monitor how much water they are drinking to make sure they are getting enough.
• a few indoor toys. Just in case the weather turns rotten (keeping my fingers crossed this does NOT happen!) I have a small amount of simple art supplies, books and puzzles for the kids.
• water shoes. Both girls have Keens but after discussing this and sharing a few memories with my sister we both decided to pick up some slightly less expensive water shoes. The river current has been known to rip a shoe off and some of our shoes never quite lost that river smell! 
• the comforts of home. For my kids this means blankets, stuffed animals and their own pillows. A bit extreme for three days and only two nights but if it means they will go to sleep without problem and sleep through the night in a new place the extra stuff is totally worth it!! 

I think that is just about all the extras that we are bringing for the girls. Anything I am forgetting? Would love to know what your families necessities are for camping trips with your kids?

Comments

[Holly]

We're going camping a few weeks. First time we're going camping with a children as young as Kellan. How do you deal with the campfire...do you think Avery will just listen to you and stay away from it? Kellan is so strong that he would wiggle out of my arms and I think he would want to go by it. We're planning on bringing our pack n play so we can corral him around the campsite. Do you think that is the silliest idea you've ever heard?

[Holly]

Okay, sorry for all the typos in that comment. I should proofread before I hit "post". :-)

[Tat]

That is a very useful list, I'll keep it in mind. We tried going camping once, but the car broke, so we ended up camping in our living room.... No need to pack, but of course the experience has nothing to do with the real thing.