The Twisted Leaf

This is the first in what will be a multi-part series on various aspects of Family camping. This article will concentrate on preparations; future articles will discuss issues like camp setup, meals and cooking, and emergency preparedness. The series should be particularly useful for families going camping with young children for the first time, but will also apply to non-family campers. I hope even experienced campers pick up a tidbit here and there. Feel free to email any comments or questions to me at comments -at- twistedleaf.com.

So You Want to Go Camping?

Perhaps you want to do something a bit different from the usual family vacation, or perhaps you are looking for a cheap yet enjoyable way to spend some quality time with your family or partner. Camping is a great way to shed some of that pent-up stress and a great way introduce kids to the outdoors. Hopefully it is enjoyable enough for anyone that it becomes a life-long pursuit.

The very first thing to get out of your head, if you’re on the fence about planning a camping trip at all, is that camping doesn’t have to be an uncomfortable, dirty, cold, wet or otherwise miserable experience. With just a little preparation, you’ll be relaxed, dry, well-fed, and sleep better than you ever have before. It’s true there will be some things to get used to - like no running water, or no air-conditioning - but humans are very adaptable and you’ll find that you will adapt pretty quickly. In my experience, kids will adapt the quickest. The biggest objection to camping I hear from adults (young children just don’t complain about these things) is that they don’t like to ‘feel dirty’. First of all, you can be in the woods and be clean - in fact, sanitation is even more important in the woods than out. Typically what they really object to is not having that daily shower. If you absolutely must have a shower every day, then by all means pick a campground with shower facilities, but it’s really not necessary. You’ll get used to not showering by the second day of your trip.

The next thing to realize about camping is that it does not have to cost a fortune. Yes, there will be supplies you need to buy, but when compared to an average family vacation, say to some over-priced theme park plus hotel for a week, you’ll be saving gobs of money. You’ll also be able to re-use the equipment you acquire, so buying this stuff once will give you years of enjoyment.

Choosing a Time & Location

I put this first because to a large extent, the location and time of year you choose to go camping will influence your equipment purchases.

Choosing a Time

For those just starting out, late spring or early fall are the best times to camp in many parts of the US, primarily because of reduced humidity and fairer temperatures, and the fact that most campsites will be less crowded early or late in their seasons. Obviously in warmer or colder climates this may not mean much, and you may have to travel a bit to get to some place agreeable. The climate you and your family are accustomed to will also influence your decision; for example do you like to sleep with a bit of a chill in the air, or when it’s warm at night? Here in Southern New England early May is a great time to camp, nighttime temperatures are generally in the upper 40’s or lower 50’s, and daytime temps generally don’t get above 80 degrees (Fahrenheit).

Choosing a Location

There are basically three options for choosing a location to camp. The first is is private property, next is the State Park, and the last is the commercial campground.

Private wilderness property will be the cheapest and also the most lacking in amenities. You’ll either have to own the land yourself, or know someone that does and get permission. Definitely not for the newcomer. One bonus of camping on private land - you’ll most likely have the woods to yourself.

State parks will be the next cheapest. Many are free or charge a minimal, daily fee to camp, but they can be lacking in facilities. The good news is that most states now have websites with detailed information on available facilities and online maps. You can start your search for a nearby State park online at Reserve America.

Commercial campsites are where most families get their start camping. They offer a gradual acclimatization to the outdoor experience, since most offer amenities such as showers, flush-toilets and campgrounds with running water and picnic tables. Some will have pools or even lakes with boating, fishing and beach areas. A couple of drawbacks - depending on when you go, you may find them very crowded, and some will charge extra for certain activities or niceties (pool, boat rental and firewood are the most common). Fifty dollars per day is not uncommon for a family-sized tent site, plus any extras (still a lot cheaper than the aforementioned theme park and hotel). Camp Jellystone is one of the larger commercial outfits, with locations across the US and lots of amenities. We’ve camped at the Camp Jellystone in Sturbridge, MA.

Acquiring Equipment

Notice I didn’t say buying equipment. You certainly can purchase new (and some of this you will have to), but there are other options for acquiring camping equipment on a budget. Here are a few low- or no-cost ideas:

• Family - Check with parents, grandparents or siblings to see if they have any old camping equipment you can use
• Freecycle - A non-profit group that facilitates giving or receiving free stuff of all sorts
• Salvation Army or other thrift shops
• Flea markets and tag sales
• Auction sites like E-Bay

Keep the above list in mind as you go through the equipment lists below. I’ve separated them into three groups. Must-haves are those items you won’t want to leave without. Basics are things you will probably want to have, but may not need depending on your situation. Finally, the Nice-to-haves are extras that you may want to acquire over time.

Must-haves

• Sleeping bags, sleeping pads
• Tent, ground cloth
• Food
• Water (five-gallon collapsible jugs and plastic sport bottles)
• Plastic bowl, cup and spork (one set for each person)
• Camp stove and extra fuel, waterproof matches, cooking utensils
• Pocket knives for the adults
• Some means of outside communication (cell phones for most people)
• Large trash bags
• Small camp towel (for drying dishes or hands)
• Flashlights, extra batteries
• Sturdy shoes or boots
• First-aid kit, Prescription meds
• Sanitary supplies (hand soap, dish soap, TP)
• Clothing appropriate for your climate with one spare change of clothes
• Foul-weather gear (raincoat or poncho and hat at a minimum for everyone)

The family tent will probably be your most expensive purchase. Plan to spend $100 - $400 to start, depending on the size. Whatever you buy, make sure you set it up at least once (preferably more) before you use it camping for the first time. An old rule of thumb is that you should be familiar enough with your tent that you should be able to set it up in the dark if needed. Amazon.com is a good place to research tent brands and models before you buy - the buyer comments can be very useful.

Sleeping bags will be your other big purchase, not because they are individually expensive but because you have to buy one for each person in your family. While you are researching bags, a warning about sleeping bag temperature ratings is in order. They are notoriously inaccurate, mainly due un-testable and wildly varying factors like body types and metabolism rates. A rough guide is to try to think of the lowest temperature you might encounter, and go for 20-30 degrees of rating below that. Don’t forget, you can always unzip the bag if you’re too hot, but it will be hard to get warmer if you’re too cold. 50-degree bags are probably OK if you are doing nothing but summer camping, where it never dips below 70 degrees at night.

For outside (perhaps emergency) communication, most areas where you will be family camping will have cell phone coverage or business offices with phones. If you will routinely be camping in areas that are more remote or lack cellular coverage, consider getting your amateur radio license. It’s fairly easy to get nowadays, and a portable, two-way radio that will work in conjunction with local radio repeaters will cost around $150 new. I’ll devote a future post to this subject. Below I mention shorter-range two-way radios, but these are more for communication between members of your family.

Basics

• Hiking boots, rain boots
• Backpacks
• Water filter or purification tablets
• Ground coffee and French press
• Cooking spices
• Camp lanterns, tent lights
• Spare stuff sacks
• Large and small plastic bags
• Bandannas
• Family games, special stuffed animals or toys, books
• Emergency whistles (one for each child)
• Mosquito repellent (with DEET)
• Sun block
• Small shovel
• Half a sleeping pad (to sit on, one for each person)

If these lists look a little small, that’s by design. You don’t actually need more than this to be comfortable in the outdoors. See my previous posts on Minimalist Camping, Low-impact Outdoor Cooking, and Lightweight Sleeping Pads for details on quite a few of the above suggestions.

Nice-to-haves

• Tarp (useful for covering your eating area)
• Hammock
• Parachute cord (for hanging a tarp or hammock, also for tying things to the inside of your tent)
• Folding camp chairs
• Lightweight camp shoes
• Solar shower
• Chemical toilet
• Cooler for drinks, frozen foods
• Flavored drinks, favorite snacks or desserts
• Small camping pillows
• AM/FM/Weather radio
• Portable, two-way radios

Since you will likely be camping out of your car for the first trip, things like folding chairs and coolers are no-brainers. They don’t cost much (most people have both already), and they are definitely nice to have.

That’s all for now. Stay-tuned for the next installment, where we’ll have loads of tips for setting up camp.

Ubertramp details a cheap first aid kit for backpackers. I would recommend a few more items that won’t add much cost or weight to the kit. Most of the medications you can get cheaply in sample sizes at any drug store.

• Moleskin, small scissors
• An anti-diarrheal, such as Immodium
• Benadryl or other over-the-counter anti-histamine for allergic reactions
• Various sizes of band-aid and a few butterfly enclosures

He also recommends tupperware as a cheap, waterproof comntainer for your first-aid supplies, if you can spare a few extra dollars, I would go for the 9×6-inch AlokSak.

*~*~*~

A good article on ultralight backpacking versus traditional backpacking

*~*~*~

A quick article with some ideas for hiking with children.

*~*~*~

Hiking Trip Reports brings us a list of the top hiking blogs.

Forever Sport has a post up about Sleeping Pads For Lightweight Backpacking. I have been using a closed-cell foam pad for years, an original Ridge Rest. It’s light, insulates well, and doesn’t cost that much. I’ve never felt the need to cut it down as the article suggests, I find it’s already light enough.

A good podcast - Connecticut Public Radio’s Nancy Cohen digs out her old backpacking gear and takes on the AT. Something interesting in the intro:

Thirty years ago there was a surge in the number of people who went backpacking in New England. But in recent years the number of overnight backpackers has declined. One survey found a 23 percent decline between 1998 and 2005.

I wonder what caused this? Increased travel restrictions in the backcountry? Disappearing usable land? Or did all the gen-X’ers that were backpacking in the 80’s and 90’s (myself included) get replaced with a generation of video gamers and snowboarders? I suppose it’s good news for those of us who still like to venture out on overnights.

Many of the larger family campgrounds will have things like pools, boats, stocked fishing ponds, playgrounds and beaches. While these certainly make for a great family getaway, they can be expensive and crowded. Consider camping in one of your State’s forests or parks - in most cases you’ll still have running water and flush toilets, and they tend to be much cheaper. Of course, your local State Forest or Park won’t have the other activities to fall back on. So how can you keep your kids occupied? It turns out that with a little creativity, there is plenty to do.

• Let your kids participate in everything, from setting up camp to planning a day hike with trail maps to planning the trip itself - where to go, what to bring, and what to do once you arrive. Buy them small backpacks (school-size is fine) and have them pack their own “essentials”. We let our kids choose their own books for bedtime stories, and a few small toys.
• Kids love to have their own camping equipment. Some ideas - give kids their own flashlight and disposable camera. For older kids that might like to venture short distances from camp, give them a portable radio or emergency whistle. You can also let them pack their own snacks and water bottles.
• Organize a treasure or scavenger hunt. For younger kids, you can limit it to your campsite (think Easter-egg hunt). For older kids, you can write instructions to the next waypoint on a piece of paper, that waypoint would have another piece of paper with directions to the next, and so on. Open up the hunt to nearby woods. If you know how to use a map and compass, this can be even be a good way to teach your kids the basics of map and compass navigation.
• Board or card games - Go Fish, War, and magnetic chess or checkers are favorites in our family.
• Pick-up-twigs - Help your kids collect small, straight twigs to play this classic game.
• Exploring - Pick a limited area of your campsite for each child and have them see what they can find. A magnifying glass is ideal for this.
• Collecting - This can be incorporated into day hikes or exploring. Bring bag(s), tweezers, and magnifying glasses for each of your children, and have them collect leaves, rocks, bugs, or anything else they can fit in the bags. Bring a permanent marker so you can label the bags afterwards.
• Construction - Have your kids collect twigs, bark, rocks or leaves and encourage them to build play houses or make crafts. Bring along some twine, glue, elastic bands and scissors to help out.
• Read books to kids just before meals or bedtime to calm them down a bit and pass some time. At night in the tent, a battery-powered lantern or LED headlamp work great.
• Take a family day hike. During the hike, make frequent stops and integrate exploration and collecting to keep kids occupied. You can also play trail games like “I-spy” or “Follow the Leader”.
• Journals - Something that works for very young children is to have them make picture journals of their finds or daily experiences.
• Leaf rubbings - Bring along some blank paper and a few crayons to make leaf rubbings.
• Nightly fire - Have your kids gather wood for a fire, then give them a treat of s’mores.
• Primitive living - This one might be fun for you, too. Work with your kids to make primitive tools and niceties, for example, making a sundial, making a bench seat from rocks, twine and small logs, starting a fire without matches, making rope, or making baskets from bark (unless you’re a primitive-living aficionado, you’ll need to do a bit of Internet research before you go on your trip).

Planning a hike? The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Hiking Resource Site has some great articles; if you are planning a trip in the Northeast, or just want some ideas, check out their trip planner.

*~*~*~

Also from the AMC, a very good article on How to Find and Disinfect Water in the Backcountry.

*~*~*~

This is just wrong on so many levels…why on earth would you use aftershave while camping? Choice quote (you can’t make this stuff up):

The Brut products do say they’re flammable and shouldn’t be used while smoking or near a fire, but Lewitzke’s lawyer argued that doesn’t suffice because Lewitzke didn’t actually use the products by the fire.

“They’re arguing they did not say, ‘After you put it on you remain flammable for a period of time,’” Geske said.

*~*~*~

Here is a quick article on Tips for Hiking Etiquette.

There is something alluring about what I’ll call ‘minimalist’ camping, where you bring just enough gear and supplies for your family to comfortably live in the outdoors, and no more. This is different from ultralight hiking or backpacking, which is concerned mainly with weight. If you are driving to a family campsite, you probably don’t care so much about the weight of what you are bringing, but you might want to consider cutting back on what you pack. Less ’stuff’ means there is less to pack-in, pack-out, and clean, and in general your experience will be less cluttered. Here are some suggestions for bringing just enough gear on your next family outing.

Clothing

You can cut back on the amount of clothing you pack by realizing that it’s OK to wear the same set of clothing more than one day in a row. With that in mind, pack one of each type, and use synthetics or silk next to your skin, wool or nylon on the outside. For example, one pair of nylon shorts (doubles as a bathing suit for the boys), one pair of nylon pants, one pair of synthetic long underwear. The only exceptions might be cotton T-shirts or socks that get damp and can’t be dried easily. Here is what I might bring for one person on a typical Fall camping trip:

• One pair polypropylene long underwear (long-sleeve top and bottom, you can sleep in these in colder weather)
• Fleece vest or jacket, depending on the expected weather
• Nylon shorts, Nylon pants, nylon shell jacket with hood
• Two or three pairs of lightweight wool socks, also polypropylene sock liners for day hikes
• Flip-flops (for bumming around camp or showers), sneakers or lightweight hiking boots/shoes
• Cotton T-shirt, for warmer daytime temperatures
• Cotton bandanna
• Wool or fleece cap, wool or fleece gloves
• Raincoat
• Sun hat (I use an army-style camo hat, but baseball caps are fine), sunglasses

Cooking

For most family outings, you’ll need a camp stove (we use the two-burner, propane Coleman stove), a large pot with lid for boiling water or pasta, and a frying pan. Bring just enough utensils for everyone, usually a spoon (or spork), insulated mug with lid and a bowl for each person are all that is needed. The cook should have a knife, some strike-anywhere matches, a spatula, pot gripper, glove (for handling hot pots - heavy-duty gardening gloves work well) and perhaps a stirring/serving spoon. If you want coffee, a french press is ideal and makes great coffee from store-bought grounds.

Food

Rather than go for the ‘pack the fridge’ approach, you should plan your meals and throw in some extra snacks or trail mix as needed. One thing that helps reduce waste and clutter is to re-pack foods in plastic bags - use heavy-duty freezer storage bags you can label with a permanent marker. This way, you can pack only what you will need. For family outings, a large, plastic box with a lid works very well to store the food near your camp kitchen, while at the same time keeping pests out. You can get margarine or butter substitutes in spray bottles, they are very handy and a lot less messy when cooking outdoors (as an aside, keep in mind these bear safety tips if you are storing food in bear country).

If your campsite has a clean drinking water supply (most family sites do), bring an empty 5-gallon collapsible water carrier and fill it once you arrive. That way, you won’t have to carry water. For questionable water sources, bring along some water-purification tablets.

Sleeping

Apart from the obvious (sleeping bags, air mattresses or foam pads), I leave the pillows at home and use clothing sacks as improvised camp pillows. You can bring one cloth sack for each person, and fill it with their (dry) clothes at night. From experience I can tell you that the adults will mind the lack of a “real” pillow much more than the kids.

Personal Hygiene

This one is always touchy. Some people can’t survive without a daily shower. In most family campgrounds, flush toilets and showers are the norm, so this isn’t a big deal. However, you should know from someone who spent 31 days in the North Cascade mountains without showering - you won’t die from dirt (although you and your companions might smell, you get used to it in a few days).

• Truly minimalist campers pack just toothbrushes and toothpaste for all, along with any other absolute essentials. If you have to bring toilet paper, the leave no trace guidelines mandate that you pack out used tissue (for young children or toddlers, baby wipes will be easier to use than toilet paper, but you still should pack them out).
• If you do pack soap, try to use the biodegradable variety, and don’t wash yourself or dishes near water sources (at least 200 feet away is a general guideline). Read my Low Impact Cooking post on how to clean and scrub dishes without soap.
• If you do want to use anti-perspirants, use the non-scented variety so as not to attract bees and other insects.

I came across this funny story today about the Joys of Family Camping. A choice quote:

When I awoke at midnight to the stench of a urine-soaked sleeping bag (a consequence of camping with a toddler), I was wired. I had many cold, dark hours ahead of me to contemplate why it is that “accidents” happen on the first night of a camping trip with no prospect of doing laundry for the next three days. Occasionally I would try to distract myself from my wretched situation by counting the number elbows digging into my ribs and the number of roots digging into my spine.

I’ve lived in New England all my life, and still marvel at the fall foliage every year. Fall is also my favorite time to camp and backpack - most people (kids included!) find sleeping more comfortable in cooler weather, and by late September the mosquitoes, bees and other airborne pests are gone. Most family campgrounds are open through the end of October, as well, and they tend to be less crowded after the Labor Day holiday in early September. A 20-degree sleeping bag will be perfectly adequate in most of these campgrounds through October.

Peak foliage tends to come sometime during October or early November for most of New England, so now is a great time to plan a foliage outing. With that in mind, I came across a good site for planning a New England fall foliage trip, it has links to popular locations, travel help, and guides.

(Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferboyer/277384668/in/set-1314579/ under a Creative Commons license).

If you do want to start planning a family camping trip in Autumn, there are a few things you can do to make your stay more comfortable in the colder weather.

• Leave cotton at home, and take advantage of synthetic, wool, or silk shirts, long underwear, and socks.
• Dress in layers, you can add or remove layers as needed to warm or cool off. A lightweight, nylon outer layer is great for deflecting cool breezes and will be water resistant. Bring a pair of nylon shorts for warmer days or to wear while hiking.
• Bring a small wool or synthetic cap to wear at night, it especially helps to wear it while sleeping, since most heat will be lost through your exposed head while you are in your sleeping bag.
• If you will be doing any hiking, read my tip on Dry Socks Every Morning.
• Use a sleeping mat or air mattress to insulate your sleeping bag from direct tent-floor contact. This will keep you warmer at night. I’ve had good luck with Ridge Rest sleeping pads over the years, they are cheap and lightweight, and have just enough padding. For something more comfortable (and a bit more expensive), try a Self-Inflating sleeping mat.
• Bring extra fuel for your stove, you will use the stove more often in the fall to make hot drinks or soups between meals.

I always try to minimize the impact I have when I’m camping. With a
little thought, the mantra “Pack it in, pack it out” is not that hard
to follow. The less you pack in, the less you’ll have to pack out.

With that in mind, here’s some outdoor cooking low-impact tips:

• Rather than carry dish soap and scrub brushes or sponges, clean
  utensils and pots with nature’s brushes - pine cones, pine needles,
  sand, or snow. Once they are scrubbed, rinse them in boiling
  water. Just get in the habit of boiling a pot of water for cleaning
  after every meal. Pieces of leftover food should packed out, not
  thrown on the ground.
• Don’t start cooking fires anywhere in the backcountry - even if local
  regulations allow it. Campgrounds with designated fire pits and
  streams with sandy shorelines are the exceptions - in the latter case,
  it’s easy to remove any trace of fire when you are done. If you do
  start a fire, never use wood from live trees.