Outdoor Kid Handbook - Wiki

(See General Advice page for general first aid, gear buying, etc advice that apply to all activities - this should be reserved for items specifically related to camping)

Gear Selection

This section is a summarization of the gear tips for camping that are included in the different camping sections, with some additional tips added. Since the philosophy of this website is to not recommend certain specific gear brands instead to give criteria of what to look for when selecting gear, that is what you'll find here.

General

Packing for car camping is a lot faster if you are not filling up every square inch of your car when packing.
- If you have a smaller car, consider spending a small amount extra on key items in order to get them in a smaller version if possible or look for which items on your list you can leave behind to give yourself that extra space in the car.
Lighter gear isn't important unless you will be using the gear for backpacking also (for example sleeping bags and pads).
Try to buy gear that can be used for multiple activities, so if you also go backpacking, don't buy completely separate gear for car camping.
Buy color-coded gear for each family member if possible, otherwise label clearly with names.
- Examples: clothing duffel bag, mug, toiletry kit.

Sleeping

Buy a tent that has easy to use stuff-sack.
- For example one with different compartments for different components instead of lots of separate bags for stakes, poles, etc like the Big Agnes Big House.
- The tent should easily fit in the stuff-sack and not require a lot of time to fit it in tightly.
Sleeping bag:
- Consider how much space you have in your car and then decide if you need one that packs up small or not.
- Get one that isn't excessively longer than the kid if possible. (For example, a toddler or little kid-length sleeping bag is good when they are young).
- If your kid moves around a lot, get one that attaches to the sleeping pad like this one.
Sleeping pad:
- If size or weight is a consideration, get a 3/4 length pad.
- Otherwise, get a full-length one they can still use as a teenager (although many adults backpack with 3/4 length pads).

Personal Gear

Headlamps - don't need anything fancy since the kids will try to lose them.
Toiletry kit - something simple and small that the kids can manage and keep track of on their own.

Cooking

Stove:
- Get one that has reviews for durability and can simmer if you need it to.
- Pick the fuel system you are comfortable with:
  - Liquid fuel that can be refilled easily on your own vs gas fuel that needs disposable canisters or to be refilled at a shop.
- Consider the number of burners needed for your family and the amount of cooking you like to do.
Dedicated camp kitchen box:
- Rubbermaid or similar box with a locking lid.
- Shallower ones let you find things more easily, but if they are too shallow they don't fit the washbasin.
- Alternately, could use a plastic set of drawers.
Cooler:
- You don't need a super-expensive brand-name one, although they do look cool.
- Read up on how to pre-chill a cooler before filling it (when you have time, are going on a longer trip or somewhere warm).
- Consider freezing your own ice blocks (such as with small size juice containers).
Washbasin: could just buy simple stacking ones, or consider fold up one.
Water container: they come in handy in places with less water, don't get one too big, look for one with an optional nozzle, and be careful of leakage in the car.
Table:
- Useful if you have extra space or if you camp in places without good tables.
- Roll-up lidded tables fold up small, which is useful if you are tight on space.
Food storage:
- Have dedicated storage (bags or bins) for food in camp.
- For longer trips, consider having bags labeled "breakfast", "lunch", "dinner", "snack" to make it easier to find food.
Cooking extras:
- Buy a separate small cheese grater/measuring cup/measuring spoons/can opener/wine opener that you can leave in the kitchen to save on packing time.
- Campfire extras like Rolla Roasters for roasting marshmallows.

Extras

Hammock - a small one is fun, doesn't need to be fancy or brand name.
Sun/rain/wind shade:
- Look for one that is strong enough to withstand the weather you expect.
- Example: strong enough not to be destroyed in wind or has good reviews that the roof won't sag from too much rain.
Folding chairs:
- Consider kid-sized ones for smaller kids.
- They can take up a lot of space so consider getting smaller ones to make pack up easier.

Hiking Gear and Clothing

See the Gear Selection section of our Hiking page.

Extra Car Storage

First, consider if you really need the extra storage space, or can you take the money you would have spent on the box and buy smaller versions of some of your camping items so that you don't need it.
Then make sure you know where you'll store the extra box or bag before you buy it.
- If you need to leave it on the car, are you ok with the lower gas mileage that you'll get?
Understand who is capable of putting it on the car: Does it need 2 people? Are both of you strong enough?
Consider how hard it will be to use for each person: Is someone too short to reach it on top? Or do they need a step ladder?
Extra storage options are:
- Roof bag - it only requires a small storage area, but you need to carefully tie down all the straps each time you use it or you'll get flapping noise while driving.
- Roof box - you'll need to find a space to store it, and you may need 2 people to put it on the roof.
- Trailer hitch box - easy to reach for shorter people, sometimes blocks the trunk access, needs a trailer hitch, and two people to install and you need to find a space to store it.
When you decide to purchase one, check out websites like Craigslist because you can often get a good deal on barely used boxes.

Group Camping

Plan for no more than about 6-8 families of about 4 people.
Have one person book a group campsite or multiple campsites that are close together.
- Use the campground maps on the reservation websites to find sites nearby (don’t assume consecutive numbers mean they’re close together!).
Use a google sheet to like this one that OKH interviewee Shannon made to organize the planning.
- Collect information on what gear people are bringing so everyone doesn’t need to bring 1 of everything (for example you don’t need 8 stoves, etc).
- Keep track of what dietary restrictions everyone has.
Ideas for meal plans:
- Consider not planning meals the night everyone arrives - people sometimes come late.
- Divide up the cooking responsibilities so each family cooks once (everyone who doesn’t cook helps clean).
- Include a make-your-own brown bag lunch station.
Clean up suggestions:
- Set up dishwashing tubs (soap/rinse).
- Use a mesh bag for hanging dishes dry.
- Consider putting the kids in charge of cleaning, with the big kids on quality control.
Organization ideas:
- If people bring identical items suggest people label stuff (or use climbing tape).
- Have one central dining spot so kids can eat at one table and parents can make a circle of camp chairs or eat at another table while still supervising.
- Consider bringing a folding table for the “buffet”.
Suggested activities:
- Plan a group activity, like hiking or playing in a river/lake.
- Bring stuff for campfire/smores.
- Glowsticks (they also come in handy for keeping track of kids in the dark).

Packing Tips: How to Pack and Unpack Quickly

The key to fast packing and unpacking is carefully picking what you bring with you - the more you bring the more painful the packing and unpacking is. This means being honest with yourself about what you actually will use and understanding how many comfort items you need to still have a good time, without going overboard. You do have to spend some time thinking about this ahead of time, but document the plan on a packing list that you can use over and over again and occasionally revisit it to keep it up to date as kids grow. This will help you to avoid getting sucked into camping lifestyle inflation over time. One great resource for learning more about being mindful about what you bring is the blog Becoming Minimalist.

This minimalism philosophy is especially important if you’re only staying a night or two and it's even more important to pack quickly however, if you’re staying longer it can be worth it to indulge in bringing more stuff. These might be items that you’re more likely to use on a longer trip or it might be worth it to you to bring more comfort items.

High-level recommendations for getting out of town quickly after work

Keep the packing list simple - don’t bring all the toys (for kids or grown-ups).
Pack as much as possible ahead of time or just keep it ready to go at all times.
Dedicate certain items to camping so they're always ready to go.
Use teamwork - include the kids in packing whenever possible to minimize work for the parents.

High-level packing list

Sleeping stuff (sleeping bags, pads, headlamps)
Tent
Camp kitchen (stove, fuel, box of kitchen stuff) and camp chairs
Small daypack for each person with a few personal items (book, water bottle, small toys or hiking entertainment, first aid kit, etc)
Clothes & toiletries
Food
Last minute items (pillows, books, wallet, cellphone)

Three stages of packing

Pack ahead of time - always ready to go (Items 1, 2, 3): These should be stored in easy to reach places.
Pack ahead of time - assembly required (items 4 & 5): Hand out packing lists to each family member, one person to ensure it gets done and packed.
Last-minute (items 6 & 7): Pack right before leaving.

Other packing recommendations

Use packing cubes - one color per family member, use two-sided ones with one side labeled dirty and one clean.
- Alternately, use one duffel bag per kid - color-coded.
Keep the hiking backpacks stored ready to go with water bladders and any hiking toys for the kids.
Keep the camping kitchen in a storage box close to the kitchen so it's quick to clean everything and restock it, ensuring it's always ready to go.
Create laminated packing lists and cross-off items that aren't needed for that particular trip before handing it out to everyone to pack.
- Use packing lists with drawings for the kids who can't read yet.
If you can, don’t bring so much stuff so you have to zero space the car - that adds extra time to packing.
- If you do end up with a very full car, develop a packing system of which items go where and stick to the same system.
- Consider a roof bag if it makes packing faster for you.
Buy a tent that has easy to use stuff-sack.
- For example one with different compartments for different components instead of lots of separate bags for stakes, poles, etc like this one.
- The tent should easily fit in the stuff-sack and not require a lot of time to fit it in tightly.

Recommendations for packing up camp

Have the kids pack up their own clothes and sleeping bags - it helps if they have their own duffle bag or packing cube.
Have a dishwashing system that you trust enough so you don’t have to wash the dishes a second time when you get home.
- When you have to wash the dishes at home, often those dishes sit around in the kitchen for a while before getting put away in the camp kitchen or they can get put in the regular kitchen stuff and forgotten the next time you go camping.

Unpacking

If possible, get home with enough time to unpack the vehicle before you go to bed. If you have a fast system, unpacking isn’t much of a burden so you don’t have to get home much earlier. Additionally, unpacking the next day is never fun when you’re all back to work and school, especially if you forget and leave stuff in the cooler and it goes bad.

Example fast unpacking system:

Phase 1 - unpacking the car:
- Someone unloads the car and puts things in the right general area (example: just inside the front door of the house vs the garage).
- Someone else puts things in the final destination room (we have our kids do this).
  - For example - duffel bags go to each person’s room, sleeping bags go to the storage spot, food bags and the cooler go to the kitchen.
  - Even 3-year-olds can help if you give them simple directions.
Phase 2 - putting items away:
- One person works in the kitchen unpacking the food bags and the cooler and washing any dishes that are needed.
- One person works on putting away sleeping gear/tents/other camp items.
- Kids take care of their own clothes bags - put toiletries away, put dirty and clean clothes where they belong (help them if they’re too little).

NOTE: modify this system for your house/storage area layout and the age(s) of your kids.

Using these tips, you should be able to pack for a weekend trip in less than 1 hr ahead of time plus 30 min the day of and then unpack in less than 30 min.

One final note: when you're packing for a short trip, don't spend too much time ensuring you have every single item on your packing list (except of course for any especially critical or life-saving items). The extra time required to go from 95% correct to 100% correct can be 1-2 hours which isn't often worth it for a short trip. If you do forget something, use it as a teaching opportunity for the kids to learn how to live without having everything. Most outdoor parents have experienced forgetting something on a trip and it makes for good stories.

Handling Weather

Unless you only camp if the weather is perfect (like summertime in California) you’re going to have to have contingency plans to deal with weather when you’re camping. When you’re an adult, it’s a lot easier to just wing it when the weather is bad but with kids having a good plan can make all the difference. Here are some recommendations to keep everyone happy when the weather isn’t perfect:

Cold

Don’t take them camping in cold weather until:
- You know they can stay in their sleeping bag and stay warm reliably.
- Or if they’re small and trapped in a sleep sack, until you feel comfortable that they will be warm enough or can tell you that they’re not warm enough, especially on their fingers and toes.
Bring more layers for everyone than you think you need - someone might be colder than expected and that way you can usually share something.
Get kids into warmer gear in the afternoon/evening before it gets cold or as soon as you stop exercising.
- They might not believe you that it’s important, but when it’s cold later, ask them if they’re glad they did it and remind them the next day that they were happy they did it.
Feed them lots of warm drinks and meals.
- If you need to, let them sleep in while you make them some hot cocoa in the morning.
Make a campfire for them to sit around in the evening (of course, not if there’s fire danger).
- Watch out for kids wanting to get too close to the fire to get warm! Our kids have almost melted their shoes for example.
Consider an earlier bedtime to get them into their sleeping bag to get warm.
Just like with adults, have them take off some of their layers when they get in the sleeping bag and have them put any clothes for the next day in the bottom of their sleeping bag (or yours).
- Consider having them change underwear or long underwear into clean clothes the night before when they’re warm so they don’t need to do it in the morning when they’re cold.

Rain

A tent over the cooking area is key for rainy camping days - consider one with removable wall panels that can also function as a screen tent when it’s not rainy.
A vestibule for your sleeping tent is useful as a place to take off your rain clothes before getting into the tent.
Prepare your tent for the rain: if you know it will rain, stake out all the guy lines and double-check the tightness before the rain.
- Consider having the kids sleep in the middle part of the tent, not touching the walls, so their sleeping bags don’t get wet wicking through the tent walls.
Make sure you have good rain gear for the kids and parents: rain pants or bib, jacket, boots, hat or hood, and maybe mittens.
- Also have plenty of extra dry clothes, especially socks, to change into after playing in the rain.
Have a plan for rainy-day outside activities:
- First: understand if there’s any potential for lightning danger that day.
- Hiking (with your good rain clothes) - look for the things that happen in nature when it’s raining or look for natural shelters in caves or under trees.
- Swimming (if there’s no lightning danger and it’s warm enough).
- Keep a close eye on the kids to make sure they’re not getting too wet or cold.
Prepare a “rainy day box” with activities to do in the tent - only bring this out when camping in bad weather so that everything in there is exciting and special.
If you need to do something outside, have a list of places inside that you can drive to, such as a bookstore or library, indoor play area, small local shop, or restaurant.
- Save these places to go to if it’s rainy so they’re still special, and make this plan before you go on the trip.

Wind

Similar to rainy days, bring the right kind of shelter:
- Make sure to have a wind shelter for cooking, and watch out for the winds getting so strong they break poles.
- Stake out all the guy lines on the tent really well.
- Pick a tent with a vestibule big enough for eating (not cooking!!) so you can use that as a backup plan to the wind shelter.
Make sure to have wind-proof layers for everyone, including warm hats and gloves.
Plan hikes to sheltered areas, and if there’s nothing good then see the list of rainy-day inside activities above.

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Camping