Some of our greatest childhood memories are made at the campground, but planning a family camping trip can be quite an ordeal, and parents sometimes want to pull their hair out before they even get the car packed. Once you have kids to consider, camping requires a little more planning. So, to minimize the stress of planning a family camping trip, here’s our quick guide to parents.
Packing tips for family camping
Don’t be embarrassed to add a few luxury amenities to your camping trip. If you are camping with young children, you will want to bring a few comforts of home. That means bringing their favorite pillow, some toys, games, etc., so the whole trip isn’t a complete 180 from their normal environment.
If you’ve got young kids, bring some of their favorite toys and activities for them to play with during downtime at the campsite.
Be sure to pack a lot of food and snacks. Kids are always eating, and they won’t want to wait for your gourmet steaks to be ready over the fireplace. Pre-packing Ziploc bags or Tupperware with their favorite snacks and breakfast cereals will go a long way to keeping your trip copacetic.
Rent or buy our Deuter Kids Carrier II. Perfect for camping and hiking with young kids.
Of course, kids may enjoy the chance to be independent. Bringing a tent for the kids will allow them to feel like they are “grown up” and able to take care of themselves. Of course, if they get scared in the middle of the night and come crawling into your tent, make sure you have a tent that is big enough for the whole family.
Research your campground ahead of time
There are thousands of campgrounds to choose from in Colorado alone, and thousands more spread across the country. Sit down as a family and let the kids be a part of planning the trip. If they are interested in swimming or fishing, pick a campground that will allow for such activities. With so many to choose from, there’s just no reason to settle for anything less than your dream camping trip.
If you have very young kids, you may also want to find a spot with bathroom, showers, etc., so that you aren’t changing diapers in the dirt in the Colorado backcountry. Of course, if you want to raise little geeks to appreciate the rough and tough attitude of bare knuckle camping, then by all means, head out with just a few essentials.
Rent, buy or borrow camping gear and equipment in Colorado
For tips and tricks to planning the perfect family camping trip, check out our list of camping essentials or talk to us about renting, buying, or borrowing all the gear and equipment you need for your trip. We’ve got tents, backpacks, sleeping bags (including child carrier backpacks), cooking equipment, camp furniture, and much more.
Happy camping!
