Tent Camping

[bcla]

I'd practice setting up the tent a few times, because some tents can be really tricky. I've camped with a fairly simple backpacking style tent with just two cross poles, although it's kind of small. However, it was enough to sleep in for myself and my wife. And I could set it up in less than a minute. Putting on the rainfly took longer. I did get a larger tent. They call it a 4 person tent, but the footprint is a lot larger than most called 4 person. These have aluminum tent poles, which are nicer but cost a lot more than fiberglass.

Some tents can't be set up freestanding, so you might need to find a piece of ground to pound stakes to practice setup. I've got one backpacking tent with just one main pole, and relies on the corners and the pole sleeves being staked to the ground in order to keep the pole from flopping over.

It might also be worth it to have extra stakes on hand in case they get lost or damaged. They don't have to match the style that came with the tent. Definitely get a mallet. I once tried pounding stakes with a rock and they looked they got pounded with a rock. It's also difficult to remove stakes without some sort of tool, and some mallets can be used for that. I've got a couple including a rubber head and a complete plastic one. The plastic one is light and has holes in the handle. I can use the end of the handle (almost like a hook) to pull out stakes. Mine is similar to this:

The rubber head mallet had a hook at the end, but it was horrible and I removed it. It would get caught and possibly damage things it was stored with, and when I tried to pull up a stake it bent.

 

[bcla]

Get a wasps sting kit they can be very handy if you get a stinger.
And if your going to use a cooler buy a good one
I know over the years a cheap one will run through ice fast
We used to have two on hand one for just drinks and such the other for food

I always bring Benadryl for insect bites. Also bug spray.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

Most car camping tents suck. I’d set it up in your backyard and see how it handles a rain storm. I usually opt for heavy backpacking tents for car camping.

I’ve never used an AC unit with a tent. I wish you the best of luck.

Camping is fun if your gear is dialed in and your meals are planned out.

I don't have one, but a lot of tents now have a flap to use to vent a portable ac unit.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Another thing to check...if your tent is new, it may need to have the seams sealed with sealant before you use it. There should be instructions sewn onto the bag it is in somewhere, or some paper that came with it that would tell you. Our tent needed to be sealed before use, but I'm sure there are some designed so that they are good to go.

Also, you can never go wrong adding a bit of duct tap to your emergency kit for minor fixes or whatever.

 

[bcla]

I haven’t been camping in a while, but back when I did camp often we would keep our food in our car overnight to avoid the chance of animals getting into it.

That may work depending on where you're camping. I remember not having enough room in the trunk, and park rangers in the PNW said it was OK to store coolers in plain sight in the passenger compartment. They were basically worried about squirrels or birds getting into food, and bears tended to stay away from people. In the Rockies I was told the trunk was OK.

But in Yosemite - no way. That's why the bear box was invented. They'll dig their claws into the door frame and pull until the window shatters. They sniff for food in a car. If food (or just the smell) is in the trunk they'll claw into the upholstery until there's a hole big enough to reach the trunk.

 

[JenBush]

That may work depending on where you're camping. I remember not having enough room in the trunk, and park rangers in the PNW said it was OK to store coolers in plain sight in the passenger compartment. They were basically worried about squirrels or birds getting into food, and bears tended to stay away from people. In the Rockies I was told the trunk was OK.

But in Yosemite - no way. That's why the bear box was invented. They'll dig their claws into the door frame and pull until the window shatters. They sniff for food in a car. If food (or just the smell) is in the trunk they'll claw into the upholstery until there's a hole big enough to reach the trunk.

Oh wow, where I used to camp our biggest concern was squirrels and raccoons haha

 

[Turn the Page]

Get a few lawn games like bocce ball or something to play.

If you are going somewhere that gets cold at night consider getting a reflective emergency blanket. I got ours for like $12 at Walmart. The air in the air matress will match ambient temperature so if it is 45 degrees out so is your bed.

Hot dog forks are key. Great for roasting hot dogs or marshmallows over the fire.


If you are going to a commercial campground don't be intimidated by other campers and their set ups. Your list, and a couple of the tips on this thread, will set you up nicely for your first few trips. As you get more experience you will find what works for your family and what doesn't. You will see people with giant motor homes with granite counters, satellite, wifi, and play stations. To each their own but I could never figure out why you would even bother going if you are just going to sit in front of a screen the whole time. You may as well just stay home. You do NOT need all that stuff to have fun camping with your kids.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Our boyscout troop won't let Moms go camping

Our troop allowed it, if they were scoutmasters, or committee members.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I want something to do with the boys this summer since pools and probably our local theme park will remain closed. I bought a tent, and would love tips and tricks you have learned thru camping.

I have purchased the following:
12 person tent with an air conditioner flap. We have a small room air conditioner I plan to use with it.
air mattress
Lanterns
Pot and pan and a few utensils
Dad is giving me small propane stove
Small camp tables
Collapsible tub to wash dishes
Chairs
Rubbermaid tub to keep things like can opener, paper towels, trash bags, paper plates, etc.... in
Collapsible laundry hamper for dirty clothes.

Spray your tent and any soft surfaces with this to keep bugs away:

https://www.rei.com/product/768970/...V0QiICR3oZA6bEAQYASABEgJxAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
It's also sold at many Walmart stores.
Smells horribly for about 30 minutes and then the smell dissipates.
High percentage DEET for skin. Personal favorite is Repel wipes w/ 30% DEET. Much more accurate placement than sprays and creams plus no missed spots.

An inexpensive shower liner as a tablecloth. Great way to cover the table when it rains and keeps napkins and such dry. I generally shop the clearance sales and pay about 5-10 bucks for one.

Over sized book binders from the stationary store can replace tablecloth holders and cost less too.
They are also great for keeping drying towels, clothing in place on a line as well as closes up chips and stuff.

I don't see a cooler on your list? A good one at a decent price is the Coleman Extreme line. Costs between 40 and 50 bucks and holds the cold longer than many other brands. A 50- 70 qt will hold food for 4 people up to a week if packed w/ care. Only taking one cooler? Divide it in half using resin cutting board(s). IKEA used to sell a pack of 3 for about 10.00...probably still do. Makes it easier to organize your food.

Make block ice with frozen juice/drink inside to conserve space, keep food cold longer. As it defrosts, drink the contents. Place one container in each corner and another in the center if your the space.
Ditch as many supermarket containers as possible and store food in Ziploc bags by a day's meal. Book binders (the smaller ones) come in handy to "pin" them together.

I rarely bring a can opener since the man has one on his Swiss knife plus I tend to open items in advance at home like canned beans and store in the Ziploc bags. Great to add seasonings in advance to and avoid carrying them in separate containers. Those little plastic bags are great to marinate meat at home and freeze it altogether too.

If your propane stove is the single burner type, plan your meals in advance with care, and try to do as much prep and cooking at home in advance.

You've gotten some great ideas from the DIS posters so have fun out there!

 

[Katie Dawn]

@#1hoosierfan There are great suggestions here! I would also recommend you go straight the the camping board right here on the DIS. They mostly talk about Fort Wilderness but they camp all over so will have great suggestions for you!

 

[AlohaNow]

Kids might enjoy headlamps over flashlights. Paracord is handy and has many uses!

The thing that cracks me up about tent camping is you think, “We’ll head out into nature and live simply for a few days.” Then you compile your camp packing list and start piling up all the fabulous gear you’ve accumulated over the years. And you realize that half a house is coming along with you! We have a campsite reserved in August for the Perseid meteor shower. Can’t wait!

Have fun planning and have a great time!

 

[Hikergirl]

We tent camped with the kids for years and my gear list grew every year but you can get away with just the basics for sure.
Get a collapsible (or not) 5 gallon water container if you don't have water at your site. It makes washing hands and dishes more convenient.
Mat for front of tent, and a broom to sweep the inside. I used to put a stackable wire shelf in ours for shoes.
Air mattress and pump- sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag sucks.
Check online for camping checklists so you can go through and make sure you don't forget something.
Check the weather- if it's going to be raining bring a tarp large enough to cover your tent.
Bring scissors- you never realize how often you have to cut something until you don't have the ability too LOL
Do simple meals (walking tacos, hot dogs, sandwiches) and prep and pre-cook what you can at home.
Bring games- yard and board, cards, fishing gear or just nets and buckets if you will be near water.
I'm a fan of the Cooler Shock Ice Packs over ice cubes, your stuff doesn't end up sitting in water by the last day.
Dont forget stuff for smores!

 

[NYCgrrl]

I'd practice setting up the tent a few times, because some tents can be really tricky. I've camped with a fairly simple backpacking style tent with just two cross poles, although it's kind of small. However, it was enough to sleep in for myself and my wife. And I could set it up in less than a minute. Putting on the rainfly took longer. I did get a larger tent. They call it a 4 person tent, but the footprint is a lot larger than most called 4 person. These have aluminum tent poles, which are nicer but cost a lot more than fiberglass.

Some tents can't be set up freestanding, so you might need to find a piece of ground to pound stakes to practice setup. I've got one backpacking tent with just one main pole, and relies on the corners and the pole sleeves being staked to the ground in order to keep the pole from flopping over.

It might also be worth it to have extra stakes on hand in case they get lost or damaged. They don't have to match the style that came with the tent. Definitely get a mallet. I once tried pounding stakes with a rock and they looked they got pounded with a rock. It's also difficult to remove stakes without some sort of tool, and some mallets can be used for that. I've got a couple including a rubber head and a complete plastic one. The plastic one is light and has holes in the handle. I can use the end of the handle (almost like a hook) to pull out stakes. Mine is similar to this:

The rubber head mallet had a hook at the end, but it was horrible and I removed it. It would get caught and possibly damage things it was stored with, and when I tried to pull up a stake it bent.

That plastic mallet is a horror (no weight for hammering and doesn't work well to pull out some "J" stakes) and I know what you mean about the rubber headed mallet. I drilled a deeper hole in the rubber mallet's bottom and replaced the existing cup holder hook with a longer one that was made of s/s. No more bent hook removing pegs and less work pounding in the the tent pegs as well.
Wouldn't buy these unless I knew I'd be camping for a while but they are the best general pegs I've ever bought:

https://www.rei.com/product/682543/msr-ground-hog-stakeStakes all the way down and uses the cord to pull out;, hard to break; things of beauty.

 

[bcla]

That plastic mallet is a horror (no weight for hammering and doesn't work well to pull out some "J" stakes) and I know what you mean about the rubber headed mallet. I drilled a deeper hole in the rubber mallet's bottom and replaced the existing cup holder hook with a longer one that was made of s/s. No more bent hook removing pegs and less work pounding in the the tent pegs as well.
Wouldn't buy these unless I knew I'd be camping for a while but they are the best general pegs I've ever bought:

https://www.rei.com/product/682543/msr-ground-hog-stakeStakes all the way down and uses the cord to pull out;, hard to break; things of beauty.

I've never used J stakes. All my backpacking tents came with Y stakes with notches for pulling. They worked great on the cheap L stakes that came with many car camping tents. But it really depends. I thought that most J stakes have notches, and even if they don't there's usually a rope that can be pulled by hand. I found my plastic mallet works exceptionally well. Even without the weight it's well balanced and all I need to do is drive it rather than let the weight do the work. I never had a problem driving any stake into the ground unless there were rocks. And the rocks would be a problem with any stake or mallet.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

You guys are brave. For me, camping is staying in a hotel with fewer than 4 stars. That's really roughing it!

 

[firefly_ris]

Oh and one of these guys, you can make sandwiches, pies, smores and stuff over the fire --

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Camp-Che...809690?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=2179

 

[NYCgrrl]

I've never used J stakes. All my backpacking tents came with Y stakes with notches for pulling. They worked great on the cheap L stakes that came with many car camping tents. But it really depends. I thought that most J stakes have notches, and even if they don't there's usually a rope that can be pulled by hand. I found my plastic mallet works exceptionally well. Even without the weight it's well balanced and all I need to do is drive it rather than let the weight do the work. I never had a problem driving any stake into the ground unless there were rocks. And the rocks would be a problem with any stake or mallet.

My problem with the "L" hooks is they frequently bend (the tops) when being pulled out. Never bought a tent that came with "Y" stakes in recent times since we've been car camping with a cabin style tent. Those tents tend to come with the plastic pegs("J"?) or malleable metal hooks ("L"), all of which break pretty easily. Maybe I'm using the terminology wrong but I thought a "J" hook looked like this:


and are made of a type of plastic.
When I used to lightweight tent camp transportation was via bicycles so no stakes at all in general. Sometimes poles got left at home too and we just guylined the tent to lower branches; anything to bring the carrying weight down, LOL.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

You guys are all awesome. I think we will definitely do a dry run in the backyard.

In Indiana our state campgrounds opened this past weekend. Several private ones did as well. The one bummer is none of the state parks are opening their pools this year.

 

[bcla]

You guys are all awesome. I think we will definitely do a dry run in the backyard.

In Indiana our state campgrounds opened this past weekend. Several private ones did as well. The one bummer is none of the state parks are opening their pools this year.

Absolutely it's important to to a trial run. It takes practice especially with some of the larger tents. It's also important to practice putting the tent back in the bag. That can be a real challenge too - especially with a lot of the car camping tents that come in a box shape with a zipper and look like they were squeezed in using a machine.

 

[Searc]

You guys are brave. For me, camping is staying in a hotel with fewer than 4 stars. That's really roughing it!

I loved lakefront camping for two weeks at a time when I was a kid...because I didn't have to do any of the work. Now, as a grown up who is in charge of all the work, nope, not doing it. LOL