9 minute read
Are We There Yet?
Camping with kids is an option for a close-to-home vacation
BY SARAH PEARSON
Camping is one of those activities that parents seem to pass on, much like those that pass on an affinity for certain sports, like hockey families or football families.
That was the case for Lindsey Lapointe, an outdoor enthusiast and writer who blogs as the Freelance Adventurer. Her parents were both teachers, so their family spent weeks at a time camping during summer vacations.
Now she does the same with her two children beginning when they were mere months old.
“Hiking and camping are part of our family culture,” she says.
I was also raised in a camping family. And in July 1997, our destination was the Seacoast.
My mother’s black van was packed with all manner of gear. We had a metal-pole tent that divided into three rooms and was tall enough to fit bunked cots for my brother and me. A canopy covered the tent with equal room left to shade the picnic table area. Completing the accessories for our week of outdoor living was a heavy wood camp kitchen box my dad built with cubbies for the Coleman grill, pots, utensils and all the other cooking supplies. We spent the daytime visiting the USS Albacore, the NH Children’s Museum and Hampton Beach.
My own sons are now about the age that my brother and I were during that vacation, and we’re planning our third summer of family camping.
Lapointe’s son was 3 months old when she took him camping at Acadia National Park, a trip she booked while still pregnant.
“It seemed possible,” she says.
Two years later, her daughter joined the family and was camping that summer.
Even if camping wasn’t part of your childhood experiences, it’s still something worth trying with your family.
There are outdoor organizations, like the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), that offer group programming and workshops. Plus, there are more informal online groups, like on Facebook, for parents to meet up. Lapointe has also gone on trips with a small group of friends and their children.
Groups are a great option if you want help not only with the planning and packing, but with additional support and supervision at the site.
While in the infant and toddler stages, drive-in camping can be a good introduction.
Lapointe said, when her kids were very small, she picked campgrounds with more amenities and parked with a trailer full of gear that her 20-year-old self would’ve rolled her eyes at.
Now that her kids are older and more experienced campers, she can fit all the gear in the car, and they’ve done overnight backpacking camping trips.
Regardless of whether you drive in to camp or hike out, you’ll want to make sure your choice of campsite has kid-friendly features. Is there a playground at the campground? Are there opportunities to go swimming? What are some nearby attractions you might want to visit, especially if your outdoor plans get rained on?
New Hampshire is home to 23 state parks with campsites, 22 White Mountain National Forest camping areas and dozens more privately managed campgrounds, so there’s no shortage of options.
Lapointe recommends staying close to home when you’re first starting out. She recalled once she was camping with her two kids only about 20 minutes from her home. They ran out of formula, and her husband was able to run home to pick up more.
When hiking to a site, she kept early trips to under a mile from the trailhead. Even now that her children are 8 and 6, she keeps trips under 3 miles, which would be a challenging exit in a hurry. She says AMC hut trips are a great way to get used to backpack camping, since you’ll have dinner prepared for you.
When possible, Lapointe tries to include her kids in the planning, explaining how, for a hut hike, there were two routes: a shorter, less scenic route, or a more challenging route with better views. Her son opted for the shorter this time.
Lapointe says she also considers the features of the trail. Climbing over boulders may be more challenging, but it can also be more entertaining than a flat trail.
Some of the preparations you’ll need for camping are similar to any outing you take your kids on: Bring extra clothes and extra snacks.
It seems like there’s no more enticing play than a giant muddy puddle, but continuing a forest adventure while soggy is less than fun. Also, the change of scenery and schedule can make potty-trained children more susceptible to accidents.
Even when she’s packed multiple outfits for a single night trip, Lapointe says her kids have hiked out of the woods wearing pajamas — their last dry clothes — on occasion.
When drive-in camping, my family packs clothes and gear in plastic bins as an added measure of protection against water. If you’re backpacking, small water-resistant bags, or even gallon Ziplocs can help keeps things dry and organized.
We use another tote bin to carry our kitchen equipment, dry foods, tools, fire starters and first-aid kit, plus a cooler we fill with food that we freeze as much as possible (bread doesn’t squish when frozen). Camping and hiking are opportunities to pack treats your family doesn’t usually eat. Some like the classic s’mores. Lapointe says she often brings Pop Tarts on hiking trips with her kids.
As for shelter, an eight-person tent has room for a queen-size air mattress, portable crib and additional floor space to sleep another child or play undercover if it rains.
Camping gear for kids has come a long way in recent years. You can find high-chairs that fold up. Outfitters offer sleeping bag suits for kids too small to safely use blankets or regular sleeping bags. There are sleeping pads that have inflatable bumpers.
You’ll want to consider packing fun stuff, too. Sand toys, bikes and helmets, coloring or card days for rainy spells. Perhaps a magnifying glass and bug taxonomic guide. If you’re going to be near water, pack lifejackets.
There’s mental preparation that goes into camping with kids, too.
For yourself, set low expectations. You might not visit every attraction on the list. Your kids might not love camping as much as you do. You might get rain. Your hike might not reach the summit.
You’ll want to prepare your children for things that may be new to them. Have they ever slept in a sleeping bag before? Have them try it before going. Try sleeping in your tent in the yard before your trip.
Teach your kids about campsite safety such as not touching the fire pit, careful handling of tools like knives or axes, and not wandering away from the campsite without a buddy. Explain expectations you have for them before you depart.
If you’re still building your own confidence about camping, a wilderness first-aid course is great to help handle scary situations in the woods, Lapointe advises.
“I think it helps I had confidence being in the outdoors and teaching kids in the outdoors,” Lapointe says. But she adds that she’s met moms with less experience, who had a more urban childhood, and they are doing it, too.
Don’t be afraid to seek advice and recommendations from experts.
While the planning and preparation that goes into camping with kids is not without challenges, once you arrive, you’ll be ready to make some family fun.
“I find it’s easier to entertain (my children),” Lapointe says.
A change of scenery and an opportunity to unplug might be just what you need to make memories this summer.
PEARSON PACKING LIST
(Drive-in and park camping with toddler and infant)
SHELTER
MUST HAVE
• Tent and extra tarps
• Sleeping bags, camp mats
NICE TO HAVE
• EZ-up canopy
• Pillows, air mattress
• Camp chairs
• Portable crib
BONUS
• Extra blankets
• Hammock
• Outdoor carpet
CLOTHING & TOILETRIES
MUST HAVE
• Outfits for each day you’re away, plus extras for kids
• Warm layers (coat, sweater, as needed for season)
• Rain protection
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, hairbrush
• Prescriptions and basic overthe-counter medicine
• Bug spray and sunscreen
• Diapers/wipes (if needed)
NICE TO HAVE
• Bathing suits
• Pajamas
• Towels
• Extra footwear
BONUS
• Shampoo/soap for shower
• Laundry hamper
TOOLS/SAFETY
MUST HAVE
• First-aid kit
• Life jackets, for water activities
• Knife
• Flashlight
• Duct tape
NICE TO HAVE
• Clothesline, clothespins
• Ax
• Device chargers
• Extra batteries
• Tent waterproofing spray
BONUS
• Other lanterns or lighting
• Dustpan and broom
FOOD & FUEL
MUST HAVE
• Food and snacks to cover your time away (bring extras).
• Try to pre-chop and meal prep (and freeze if possible) in advance for heat and serve with ease
• Drinking water
• Cookware and utensils
• Lighter/matches
• Wood for fire (get near destination to avoid transporting invasive species)
• Cooler with frozen bottles of water
• Dishwashing soap, towels, dish bin
NICE TO HAVE
• Condiments
• Beverages other than water
• Trash bags
• Paper towels
• Citronella candles
BONUS
• Portable grill, plus propane or charcoal as needed
• Table cloth
FUN & GAMES
At least one activity that can be done outdoors and one inside tent in case of rain. We usually also have activities from the car ride.
Here are some suggestions: INSIDE
• Board or card games
• Books
• Puzzle books
• Journal or coloring books
• Blocks/building toy
• Toy car/trucks
• Music player and speaker OUTSIDE
• Bikes and helmets
• Binoculars
• Fishing/boating gear
• Sand toys
• Bubbles
• Kid-carrier backpack for hikes
• Frisbee
