(This post contains Amazon associate links)
I am a very indoorsy girl who married into a very outdoorsy family! It’s been 20 years of learning, not only to survive camping, but to actually enjoy it. Justin‘s family has camped in the same campground for over 60 years. It’s on the southeast border of Yellowstone, surrounded by forests and waterfalls, and is truly a piece of heaven on earth.
But spoiler alert: camping trips trigger major anxiety for me! Because of this, I’m constantly looking for ideas/supplies to make our outdoor experiences safer, simpler, and more functional. Although my camping anxiety may never fully go away, it has definitely decreased over time as we’ve made the adjustments that best serve our family (and having my kids get a little older and more independent definitely hasn’t hurt).
PACKING
For starters, I wanted to share the ultimate camping packing list that we use every year–I made it into a nice checklist for you, divided into categories! Download it HERE. It’s almost embarrassing how much stuff we pack for these adventures, but when you’re off the grid and an hour away from any stores, you gotta be prepared. To see my full Amazon Camping Collection, click here. I’ve broken it down into categories for your convenience: Hiking/Fishing, Camping Gear, Camper (trailer) Must-Haves, Bug Bites, and Clothing.
Even though we have a larger SUV for our family of six, we want to make sure everyone can sit comfortably. These Thule rooftop cargo boxes are awesome for giving you that extra space.
CLOTHING
Finding the right clothes to wear when you’re going to be solely outside makes all the difference. I’ve learned that function far outweighs fashion, however there are some cute finds in there as well. Click THIS LINK to see my Amazon Camping Clothing collection!
HOME BASE
The single best decision we ever made was to stop cramming all six of us into a tent, where organization was nearly impossible, and we would roast during the day and freeze at night. Until we invested in our own trailer, we would use Outdoorsy! It’s basically the AirBNB of trailer rentals. When you book a trailer, you are given the option to have the owner deliver, set-up, and then pick-up the trailer at the end of your trip. It takes zero effort on our part, and we get the benefit of a comfortable, stress-free sleeping arrangement.
This was our first year in our very own trailer though! We got the Forest River Surveyor Legend Trailer, and it has been the perfect addition to our annual vacay. It’s a little cozy for a family of 6 (with three teenage boys in there) but I honestly love the simplicity of it! I did a lot of organization research before hand, and highly recommend checking out my Camper Must-Haves list here. Our two keys to survival? Fans and hooks! We applied command hooks all over the trailer, and still we found ourselves needing more. It really helped keep things off the floor and out of the way!
DESIGNATED KID AREA
A few years ago, my mother-in-law realized we needed a designated “kid zone”. So each year they set up one of these large screen houses, throw down some tarps, and set up chairs so the parents can relax and visit while the kids play in the dirt, do crafts, braid hair, etc. It’s seriously been revolutionary.
HAMMOCK ZONE
As our boys have gotten older, and aged out of the kid area, they have loved having their own space to hang out, joke around, read, and bond. We just locate a good cluster of trees in the campsites and set up all of the hammocks in one spot. They seriously have a BLAST, and it gives them that taste of independence, while still being close to the family. These hammocks have over 42k positive reviews on Amazon and have been perfect for us.
MOSQUITOS
Hands down the hardest part of camping for me. I literally get eaten alive and have crazy allergic reactions to the bites. I’ve tried every repellent on the market, and none proved to be affective for me. But GUESS WHAT?? I FINALLY found an affective way to repel mosquitoes! I found THIS REEL that recommended mixing vanilla extract with water (1 tbsp pure vanilla with 1 cup of water, and a dash of cinnamon). It seemed super hokey at first, but honestly I was willing to try anything. I was seriously SHOCKED. Instead of the usual 100+ bites (not even kidding) that I usually get, I only got around 10!
What about attracting animals with that sweet smell? It honestly wasn’t any stronger than a shampoo/deodorant scent, and it definitely didn’t outshine the smells of our camp cooking.
To see all of my mosquito prevention/bite relief tools, go to my Bug Bite Amazon list here!
FOOD
Since our trip also serves as a family-reunion of Justin’s siblings/parents, we each provide our own breakfasts/lunches for our individuals families, and we take turns making/cleaning up dinners. This has been an awesome way to divvy up work and allow families the chance to learn how to cook in dutch ovens and prepare meals for large groups.
We love to do “Camp-etizers” as a whole group as well, things like breads & spreads, crackers & stackers (charcuterie), and chips & dips to break up the day with snacks. I can’t emphasize enough how many snacks to have!
GROUP ACTIVITIES
While most of our time is spent fishing, catching frogs, playing cards, and sitting around a campfire, each family also brings one group activity for all of the kids to do together. In the past I secured a kids’ size Stanley cup for each kiddo, and bought these massive packs of water bottle stickers from Amazon. They had so much fun customizing their individual cups, and learning more about each other by what they chose. I would 10/10 recommend this activity for your next family gathering.
Something our family also does is provide each kid with a “camping badge necklace” and they can earn beads for helping out around camp, displaying bravery, and being a friend to everyone. My mother-in-law gets the supplies (necklace thread and a variety of beads) and the kids get SO excited to create their necklaces as the week goes on!
Each year we dig up the time capsule from the year prior, where everybody has written letters to themselves, and we get to hand them al out for each person to read. Then we write new letters and bury them for the next year! All of us, kids and adults, love this tradition.
Seeing my children display endurance on big hikes, show their bravery climbing waterfalls, develop basic life skills, and just connect with nature on a deeper level is such a privilege. As hard as it can be at times, I am truly grateful to step out of my comfort zone and have these experiences as a family.
Happy camping!
XO ASHLEY
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