The success of your plan will go a long way to contribute in the overall camping experience. Often, using a checklist when planning would assist you to identify the needs and wants enabling you carry staff that would enhance the experience.
So, how do we plan an exciting camping? You need to research the camping sites, find the best and make a reservation, get acquainted to the chosen campsite rules and educate others including your kids, choose the most suitable camping gear, plan you menu, pack your essentials.
Make use of a checklist so you do not forget to buy or pack an essential camping gear. Too much excitement and sometimes working with kids can easily make you forget to carry what is needed the most.
This guide aims at giving you more insights on
- How to find best campsite
- What you should know when reserving a campsite
- Camping ground rules to expect
- Effective gear preparation
- Planning and storing your camping meals
- Best RV route planning and RV travel apps (video)
How To Find The Best Camping Sites?
You need to conduct a research of the place you desire to camp. Keep in mind that the campsite to choose will go a long way to enhance the overall camping experience when RVing with family. Consider checking Campgrounds near me in your State.
Below is a list of questions you should have answers to be able to find and choose a campsite that suits your needs. As a result, you need to be clear of
The number of participants.
Are you going camping solo, groups, kids, or couples just to list a few? The campsite to be chosen should be friendly to the population going to visit the site.
Deciding a campsite for a couple is much easier since it only involves the two of you in decision making. However, deciding for a group especially if you are also camping with kids it becomes complex.
When camping with children the campsite must have kids’ friendly environment that not only brings out the desired camping experience but also enhances safety.
In case you camp as a group of adult,then you should involve various groups in decision making such as when choosing a campsite that suits most if not all your needs.
Fun Camping Games And Fun Camping Activities
Not all activities are allowed in campsites. For instance, in some campsite lighting an open fire for purpose of leisure such as roasting meat is forbidden.
The activities you intend to engage in should be consistent to the rules and regulations of the campsite. Peruse the campsite website and find out the various outdoor activities that is allowed.
Common outdoor activities include hiking trails, swimming pools, scenic view among others. RV living with kids needs fun activities to spice up their day. Check out this detailed guide of 41 categories of fun activities you can engage in during camping for both kids and adults.
While checking out for outdoor activities, be sure to examine if there is any regulations you ought to abide with before engaging.
For instance, in some campsites activities such as fishing, boating, or hunting just to name a few requires you have a legal license to do so. Also, off site activities such as a theme park would require you book advance tickets.
Duration Of The Camping
Often, most campgrounds are not free and you pay based on the number of days you intent to visit. Besides, you also need to plan for upkeep including food and what to pack to be sufficient to take you through the camping period.
Also, the type of weather needs to be considered such that you pack the necessary travel gear. Regular checking on weather updates is important so that unplanned changes of weather may not find you off guard and mess the whole camping.
Means Of Travel And Camping
You also need to plan how you will be able to reach that campground you want to choose.
From where you are which transport means will you use, does the transport means suit your budget, and will the participants fit in one means of transport or you will require several means?
Besides, you ought to determine the type of camping you wish to undertake; car/RV camping, tent camping, boat/canoe camping, or backpack camping among others.
Other than budget, safety, convenience, and the number of participant is an important consideration when finding the type of camping.
Reserving Camping Sites
Most campsite allow online booking and reservation. Thus, you can do reservation at the comfort of your seat while home. The campsite can either be private or public but ought to meet your needs.
Also, checking customer reviews can enhance your confidence in choosing a campsite and you can have an idea of what to expect.
Considerations When Choosing A Campsite
When doing a reservation, the following is a simple guide of few pointers you ought to look for prior making any reservations:
- Are picnic tables placed randomly, centrally, or they are not available?
- Is the place suitable for your health? Are there wildlife, plants or insect that can trigger your allergic reactions?
- Where is the first aid room located? What are the hours of operation?
- Are on-site attendants present?
- Can you go with your pets?
- In case you need additional services you did not plan for, do you have to pay for extra services?
- All all-terrain vehicles allowed? Should you have a license to drive?
- Can you set up a campfire?
- Any restrictions to open fires?
- When making fires, do you purchase firewood or use any or fallen trees in campsite?
- Maximum tents or vehicles allowed?
Camping Ground Rules To Expect
All campground have rules and regulations you ought to abide Otherwise, you can face charges of engaging in an illegal conduct including paying extra fee, being denied to enjoy some benefits, or having your camping cancelled among others.
Pets
Rules vary. However, in some campgrounds pets are completely forbidden and you have to leave your pets home. However, where pets are allowed you have to abide by the rules.
For instance in some sites pets such as dogs should always be on the leash and ought not to roam freely. Wandering pets can be easy prey for wild animals such as mountain lions, bears, or snakes depending on where you are camping.
Thus, pets should be easy to control and reach. Thus, with a leash you can always account where your pet is at any given time.
If you plan to camp with your dog check this guide for camping with dogs for better understanding of do’s and don’ts to enhance the overall camping experiences.
Vehicles
Be acquainted to vehicle rules. In some campground you are expected to pay extra packing fee for any additional vehicles, and denied additional vehicle you did not state during reservation.
Thus, if a campground allows only one vehicle, find a vehicle that can carry all your gears without the need of extra vehicle especially if additional vehicles are completely denied.
Also, you may be required to park your vehicle in a specific location. Off road parking may trigger penalties. Besides, in some trails vehicles should not be spotted as the place is solely for walking and use of wheelchairs.
Sanitation
Observe hygiene. Use the designated garbage collection places and do not litter the place. Waste ought not to be dumped in lakes, streams, or anywhere.
You ought to leave no trace once you leave the place unless the predecessor did not leave the place clean as expected. For RV campers, you should not empty the waste tank anywhere.
Use the designated sewer lines or waste collection points. Proper sanitation not only maintains the environment but also enhances your health as cleanliness helps in preventing some diseases.
Fire
Some sites allow campfire. However, the fire ought to be designated in a specific fire pit with fire grills or rings, and no open fires.
Know safety tips when RVing with family. Besides, it is a rule that fire should not be left unattended, not to be attended by children, and if not being used the fire should be put out.
Times of putting up the campfire should also be noted. Explosives such as fireworks can be prohibited and if allowed they have time restrictions beyond which the fireworks should not be used.
Noise
You may be excited to make noise when camping especially when you are camping with kids. However, in most campgrounds silence ought to be observed during the night such as from 10p.m to 6a.m.
During such hours any noise of nuisance can trigger punishment and penalties. Besides, it enhances safety since any unusual noise such as cries can be an alarm to an impeding danger allowing immediate actions to take place.
Also, some activities such as fishing require silence for the activity to be efficient.
Effective Gear Preparation
You need to have the essential gears to enhance the overall camping experience. Your camping gear should enhance your camping safety and be suitable for the weather.
Early preparation will prevent you from leaving to pack essentials. Imaging going camping and you forget your sleeping bag, the experience would be ruined since you will have to buy another sleeping bag yet you have it home.
Thus, use a camping checklist guide to help you note down the essential gear you need. Buy what you do not have and you will be using during camping.
Furthermore, be marking the checklist as you prepare just to be sure all you need is ready. Be sure to test them especially is they are electronics such as a torch.
Now, use the same checklist to pack your gears. Use boxes to sort and pack items of similar nature to for ease of identification when unpacking.
Thus, you should be organized you do not have to mix kitchen items with footwear. Properly label the boxes such as shoes where you put all foot ware pair together.
Also, if you are camping as a group say different family you may have different gears. Separately pack them in different colored boxes or perhaps just label the boxes or whatever packaging means you are using.
For first timers, be sure to try using some items such as pitching a tent. The experience could be ruined if you go tent camping and you fail to erect a tent. Learn.
Do this for either newly bought or borrowed gears. Besides, know that tents design are different and the way you know may not necessarily be useful in pitching another tent.
Some of the essentials you should pack include
- Clothes appropriate for weather
- First aid kit
- Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen
- Sleeping gear such as sleeping bags, sleeping pads, or blankets
- Footwear
- Insect repellant
- Tents, poles, stakes
- Cooking essentials
Have Meal Plan for Camping
Planning what you will be eating including snacks minimizes chances of blunder. Besides, it makes you know when to start preparing the meals, cook, or even buy. Proper planning makes you more organized and ensures you eat a balanced and a healthy diet.
List Your Meals
Use a checklist for snacks and meals suitable for camping is essential. List all possible meals you will like to have. Be sure to list down the ingredients needed so you do not forget to pack them before going camping.
Have the snack list based on demand not forgetting bottle water. When creating the list, be sure to incorporate other people’s preferences.
If you are RV living with kids, keep in mind those with allergies even if they don’t know how to talk yet. If you have to carry the foods that causes allergies to others be sure not to mix, prepare or serve common meals.
If possible, omit all allergy triggers and get substitutes to make meal preparation easy since you will only prepare a common meal.
When doing a group camping, share roles and even the list of ingredients to be brought. In fact, make it fun cooking with the ‘pro’ who will in turn teach others how to mix other special spices to enhance the foods delicacy and aroma.
Kitchen Essentials
Have the basic kitchen equipment you need to use while camping. Other than using the designated campground fire pit, if possible carry a propane stove as a back-up.
The following are some commonly used kitchen equipment while camping.
- Matches and firewood
- Pans and pots
- Roasting sticks
- Cups, knives, forks, spoons, plates, and mugs
- Dishcloth and sponge
- Cutting board
- Table clothes
- Cooking Utensils
Food Preparation And Storage
Perishable foods should be loaded in a fridge or perhaps a portable cooler. Some campgrounds offer cooling or freezing services, find out so you can carry as many perishable in your portable cooler and once in campground use their services.
Make your work easier by partially preparing some ingredients such as chopping vegetables while you are home so it becomes faster to cook while in the camp.
Pack Your Gear
Get your checklist. Pack accordingly. Heavy items to be packed first while light items that are fragile to be packed the last. Knowing some RV storage hacks helps you increase space when camping in an RV.
The earlier you start packing the better. In the instance you find yourself at the campground yet you are missing an item simply improvise. You will even find it more thrilling to realize you can come up with an idea to solve your problem and really worked.
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