TOP 5 Camping Tips for Non Campers
As someone who is late to the camping game - my family didn’t camp together when we were kids, I’m not much of the roughing it type! On our first journey out with the camper my daughter said to me… “I don’t know about this camping thing mom, I’m more of an indoor girl.” I had to chuckle at the comment from my then 8 year old daughter. But as many of us turned to camping as covid kept us close to home, this 1973 Boler camper came into our life and transformed the way we felt about the great outdoors.
So as a reformed non camper, I’ve discovered how bringing a little luxury along to the campground can make an outdoor excursion much more pleasant.
Here are my 5 Camping tips for Non campers.
GET A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP
I love to sleep. I love a comfy bed. The perfect temperature, bug free space. The last thing I want to do after a weekend of precious down time, is to come home and start my week exhausted due to lack of sleep. So getting a solid and restful sleep while camping is CRUCIAL.
Here are my recommendation for how to get a solid night sleep at a campground:
Let’s start with the basics- sleep mask and ear plugs. Bring them with you. My favourite eye mask is a Bucky - It totally blocks out the light without putting pressure on my eye lashes. (Hello extensions)
A Battery operated fan (I use my Ryobi one as I have several big batteries I can swap out and charge with an extension chord). Having a fan will keep you breezy and cool on a hot summer night, but also provide some peaceful white noise, so maybe your kids will also sleep in past sunrise!
Opt for sheets and duvets instead of a sleeping bag. You might have a little more laundry to do when you return home, but lovely bedding is the pillar of a good night sleep. I have my slipper pink linens from Annie Selke for my bedding, a linen duvet and and throw for cold nights and to protect my bedding from dirt during the day! I much prefer sheets and duvets to a sleeping bag. I have to keep everything fresh smelling and mildew free so my allergies don’t act up over the course of the camping trip.
KEEP THE BUGS AWAY
You can manage the amount of bugs that make their way in to your tent or camper by closing the doors or keeping screens zipped up, but a buggy camp trip can be a bummer so here are a few extra ways to keep bugs off.
I bring a few electronic mosquito repellers with me and hang them around my site. The ones I purchased are USB charged. The charge can last a day and are easy to plug in on your camp site too quickly recharge. As a city girl, I really don’t like scratching all night, and these Electric bug repellers seem to create a safe zone when you don’t have the camp fire going.
Bug patches are a great way to keep your kids bug bite free. You can order them on Amazon or some retailers keep them. Stick them on, and let them enjoy their camp days!
Keep a Benadryl stick and some calamine lotion in your first aid kit. (You’re bringing a first aid kit right? There is even a new tool that will suction the bug bite out of your skin if you treat it right away, check out the link here:
Additionally: Citronella candles are ambient and effective, you can also use natural sprays & lavender to keep a peaceful bug free space. Contrail has a Mintronella candle is made here in Nova Scotia!
MAKE EATING EASY
Making complicated dishes at the camp ground can be cumbersome and it’s no fun dragging dishes to the public campground sink, so keep your meals easy by doing the prep work in advance.
Whatever can be frozen in advance do! I recommend freezing- frozen juice boxes are a great way to keep things cool. Stock your cooler with the frozen items and let them slowly defrost over the course of your camping trip. I purchased a Yeti cooler last Sumer and there was still ice in it at the end of the weekend! I was impressed.
Prep your fruit and vegetables in advance- wash your grapes, slice your watermelon, pineapple or cantaloupe, get your carrot, celery and cucumber sticks ready for quick service. But remember anything you prep in advance will sour first, so be ready to consume these items early into your trip.
Start your weekend with those fresh foods you prepared that will parish and work your way to the pantry items for the end of the weekend. Watermelon & melon cubes, veggie trays, cheese and charcuterie. Keep apples and bananas whole for the last day of your trip.
Bake cookies and muffins before hand and pack them in stackable containers so they don’t take up too much space. Bring trail mix, granola bars and instant oatmeal for quick filler uppers!
Cook everything in a cast iron pan- you can use it over the fire and you can put everything in the one pan- from boiling water, to eggs and bacon, to grill cheese sandwiches & pasta dinners.
LET THE KIDS ROAM
The best part of going camping as a family, are the other kids at the camp ground. Because my daughter is an only child she looks forward to having access to kids at all hours of the day. As long as the kids and families at the camp site are familiar and safe, and the kids are staying within the camp ground boarders- let them have their own kid adventures.
One of Lennon’s favourite games is to set up a little road side stand and sell berries they collect in the woods or wild flowers. It’s fun to watch the kids harness their salesman skills, pretending they are little entrepreneurs with their own shop, and it kept them busy for hours.
My daughter also loves to bring her bike to the camp site and ride around with all the other kids. I take the opportunity to practice my hands off parenting and to let her explore, there is a lot of research that supports the benefits of free unsupervised play for kids. Kids learn to listen to each other, negotiate, command an audience and work with others. It’s great for them to branch out and practice some independence.
Plus a little free play time, means down time for mom! And that’s a very good thing. (Okay Martha!)
SET THE ATMOSPHERE
When I get to the campground I unpack everything and set up my site. This is the first activity of the day and a fun one for the home enthusiast. I find the right placement for the camper, so we can step out our door and see the picnic table and campfire. I unroll the outdoor mat and lay it in front of our door (Encourage your kids to wipe their feet or take off their shoes before stepping inside the camper). I hang a tarp over the camper and picnic table from the trees on our site, you will want to pack bungy chords, and ropes. Then I string up some lights to set the evening mood.
I make our beds and sort the coolers. I set up a little speaker and play some tunes. Usually Lennon has run off with her camping friends so I get a little alone time to get the site ready.
When everything is set up I start the campfire, put some of those early perishable snacks out, and pour myself a glass of wine. It won’t take long after your site is set up for you to attract some visitors. And if you have a pink boler like I do, everyone will want a tour!
