Camping is by far one of my favorite ways to enjoy nature. And when I found out that over 60% of you guys had never been camping it blew my mind! There are many types of camping and I guarantee there is one that you will enjoy!
- Tent camping – camping in a tent at a campsite/campground where you stay in one spot. This is a great way to introduce your kids to nature and camping! Most campgrounds have clean shared bathrooms available. There is usually space for you to park your car, a place to set your tent up, a picnic table, and a fire pit. Some sites might have coin-operated showers as well.
- Backpacking/Camping on the Go – Camping while you hike/bike/canoe from one spot to the next. You carry lightweight gear with you and set up camp each night. This is definitely not for the weak-willed! No bathrooms and you’re in raw nature!
- Glamping– no need to bring anything but s’mores supplies! They have tents or cabins set up for you, sometimes there is wifi, private bathrooms, and beds depending on the site! Good for folks who want the comforts in life while being in nature! It is more expensive than tent camping but you pay for the convenience of it!
- RV/Car Camping – you sleep in your RV or car. There are products out there now like inflatable car beds and car tents that make it MUCH easier to do nowadays! You can reserve a spot in a campground so you have a water hookup or you can boondock on BLM (Bureau of Lan Management) land and dry camp (no water).
- Cabin– reserve a cabin at a campground/cabin site. You have a bed, and sometimes a private bathroom depending on the cabin site. You usually have to bring your own bedsheets, blankets, and towels. There is a firepit normally on-site as well for you to lite up to make dinner.
Finding Campgrounds
You can reserve campgrounds via Recreation.gov near national parks. Most campsites are between $15-30 a night. Another great option for tent camping is to stay at a KOA campground, they tend to be a bit pricier, but they have tons of amenities which include clean showers (think dorm showers here but clean!), bathrooms, pools, playgrounds, activities, and more. We’ve stayed at a few and love them. Another good website to book campgrounds is Hipcamp. You can filter by amenities, terrain, type of camping (which includes glamping sites!), and more! You can also book campsites and glamping sites on Airbnb!
The biggest concern people have about camping is bathrooms! Campgrounds/campsites usually always have bathrooms, but you can confirm by calling or checking the amenities list. It will let you know if there are flush toilets, or dry toilets (aka a hole in the ground). This way you can always book a campsite with a toilet. You can even pick where your campsite is, so you can pick one near a restroom if you like. Now if you’re backpacking you can carry a compact camping shovel, to make a hole, or you can invest in a portable toilet. I’m not at the level of camping yet, so I typically reserve campgrounds!
What to Bring with you (for tent camping)
Here is a simple packing list for tent camping. I like to put all the Cooking/Miscellaneous items in a large Rubbermaid storage box and keep all my camping gear in there. You can buy your gear OR you can rent it from REI if you don’t want to invest fully into it yet. Here are some options for gear:
- Tent – Currently my family uses a Coleman Sundome 3 person tent. You can get the same tent for 2 people and 6 people as well. It’s cheap, lightweight, large, and the bottom of the tent is a thick tarp so it’s rainproof! It’s nothing fancy so it’s much easier to set up as well. If you want to really spend some money, another option is this Campros 8 person tent with rooms!
- Sleeping bags – I suggest the Coleman Cool Weather sleeping bag! It’s warm and cozy!
- Sleeping mat/air mattress – I highly recommend spending money on a good sleeping pad or air mattress. I suggest getting a 3-inch self-inflatable sleeping pad like this one. It’s thick enough so you don’t feel any rocks or pebbles underneath you at all. If you go with an air mattress make sure it fits into your tent and that the pump has a car charger or foot pump as there won’t be an electrical outlet to plug into.
- Bug spray and Citronella candles – Bugs scare off a lot of folks from camping. Unfortunately, camping is all about being in nature, and bugs come with that scene. To make your life a little easier, use deep woods bug spray and light a citronella candle to get rid of mosquitoes and flying insects.
What to Cook/Eat
There are a variety of easy things you can make for your meals while camping. The easiest meal is to make soup ahead of time at home and then pack it in the cooler and then just reheat it over the stove. Toast up some bread and enjoy! You can cook via fire, charcoal, or propane gas. Most of the campsites around us in California have burn restrictions so I have to use propane stoves. Cooking with a propane stove is like cooking at home, just need pots, pans, and ingredients! I personally like to meal prep ahead of time and bring everything ready to go (chopped, measured, etc) to make my life easier.
If you are cooking via fire, some great options are wrapping corn or potatoes in foil and placing them on the outskirts of the fire to cook them. Slather in butter and enjoy! If you want a more controlled fire, use something like a Solo stove to direct the fire under a pot or pan.
If you use charcoal, just light some kindling and place your charcoals on it and move them around until they are giving off enough heat to cook over (just like BBQing!). If I’m cooking over charcoal, I like to make nachos, I just rip a big sheet of foil, add chips, cheese, and toppings in the center, cover it with more foil and seal the edges of the foil by folding them. Place it on a grate over the charcoal and cook until the cheese is melty. Serve with salsa!
