Camping needn’t be arduous
A great way to spend fun quality time with friends and family while enjoying the outdoors is camping, a classic summertime activity. It provides a step away from the hustle of everyday life. Be it one night by a campfire or a mini-break, spending time outdoors is always fun! Camping, however, does require a lot of planning and energy. Depending on how big your family is or where you live, simply planning a camping trip can be arduous and stressful! But, there are a plethora of ways in which you can make camping less stressful and easier, making it more fun! Moreover, you don’t have to spend big bucks on any fancy or elaborate camping equipment or gear. Listed below are a few camping ideas to help make your next camping experience a lot easier for you, your friends and your family.
Effortless tips for your camping trip
Tacos in a bag
One of the best things about camping trips is that the meals don’t have to be complicated. While enjoying the great outdoors, even the simplest of meals taste absolutely delicious. Tacos in a bag are a great tasting way of keeping things simple, but not boring. What’s better is that they’re loved by kids and adults alike!
Pancakes
A simple breakfast option while camping is homemade ‘shake and pour’ pancake batter. You’ve got to prepare a dry mix ahead of time and store it in a jar, a mason jar for example. When it’s time to get those pancakes cooking in the morning, all you need to do is add an egg, some water and give a good shake, something the kids would enjoy doing. If the batter seems lumpy, don’t worry, they cook beautifully.
Easy Eggs
Another easy breakfast option while on your camping trip, is scrambled eggs. These can be made even easier by cracking eggs into a large jar and then storing them in a cooler until you have to use them. This way you don’t have to worry about broken eggs! All you need to do is shake the can vigorously and pour into a pan. Fuss free eggs!
Campfire Waffle Cones
We can’t forget about dessert now, can we? An absolutely easy and kid friendly camping dessert is a campfire waffle cone. Fill a cone with your favourite sweet toppings like fruits, or chocolate chips, mini marshmallows or any other sweet treat, wrap it in a foil and place it on some coals for about 5 – 10 minutes. Yum!
Scavenger Hunts
Most families like to plan bike rides or hikes during the day when camping, but even the most beautiful views will struggle to keep a child’s attention forever. An easy way to keep them engaged is a nature themed scavenger hunt. Make sure to offer a small treat or a prize for the winner, just for a little added motivation.
Solar Lights
At some point in the night, someone is going to use the bathroom. Even if you think you know your way around a place, it’s always easy to trip over something in the dark. A great way to give yourself some extra light is to have outdoor solar lights. They charge themselves during the day and at night when you need them, there’s light.
Mini Survival Kits
Having a first aid kit or an emergency kit at hand when you go camping is mandatory! Most times, however, it stays in your car or the campsite. It’s essential that you pack a smaller kit that you can carry around at all times in case of emergency. Altoid tins are perfect for this. They’re a great size and can store a surprisingly large amount of things. A whistle, a small compass, flint, steel wool, meds, bandaids, etc. should be a part of the camping checklist!
Bug Repellents
The unfortunate reality you deal with in the great outdoors are mosquitoes! Swarms of them! As effective as these repellents are, you should be prepared to end up with a mosquito bite or three. Citronella essential oils are quite effective repellents.
A few other things to consider
You can always surprise your family and friends with some pizza on your camping trip. Using a premade crust and a dutch oven, you can make any kind of pizza. You can also use canned biscuits to make camping donuts. Just poke a hole in the center and fry them in a cast iron skillet. Dust with cinnamon and sugar, and you’re good to go!
Create a portable loo by attaching a toilet seat to a 5-gallon bucket lined with kitty litter and a plastic garbage bag. Having a portable handwash station on your camping trip is also essential. The best way to keep toilet paper fresh and dry is to store them in empty coffee cans!
Tick your way through this camping checklist to have an enjoyable camping experience, a one to cherish and remember!
