Perhaps you have never camped before. Or perhaps it’s been years, and now you want to go on outdoor adventures with your family. It is overwhelming now knowing where to start! In this article, I will show you that having a successful first family camping trip is not as hard as you think.
After reading this post, you will know 1) how to choose your first destination, 2) how to simplify the planning process, and 3) how to prioritize what you need to bring. So read on!
We were Inexperienced, too…
Dan and I had been together for almost five years before we welcomed our son into the world in 2015. Before then, we had gone camping one time. That’s right. JUST.ONE.TIME. I had gone camping a couple of times with other people, and he had too. In general, we were not terribly experienced with camping together and we did not have a system.
Indeed, we did not start camping consistently until our son was over a year old.
This is just to show you that you do not need to be an experienced camper in your pre-baby days before you start planning family camping trips. It is ok totally to be inexperienced!
Our First Family Camping Trip
The only way to fix inexperience is with experience. We needed to rip that bandaid off and get over our worries. It was necessary to try it out one time to see how it went and to see that it was possible. So that is what we did!
By the time our daughter was born, we had a better system and were more comfortable with the process. So, we started taking her when she was much younger.
So now it is your turn. You want to give it a try and perhaps make camping a more regular occurrence, but you don’t know where to begin. Well, this is how you begin camping with your family: baby steps.
What about technical details?
I have noticed a lot of tips for beginners revolve around the technical aspects: how to set up a tent, where to pitch a tent, how to start a fire, how to sleep comfortably, etc. A lot of these details will depend on your equipment, where you are camping, and when you are camping.
My intent with this article is to help you plan your first family camping trip in a way that will be manageable and successful. You will learn most of these technical aspects from experience.
Related: Best Instant Tents for Families
Planning your First Family Camping Trip
Choose a nearby location
This will depend on where you live, of course, but I would advise camping within one hour of your home. Why? It will take some pressure off.
Knowing that you are close to home will greatly reduce the anxiety associated with trying something for the first time. Also, if you forget something, there is the option of going home to pick it up and go back to the campsite.
To get started finding a campsite near you, go to Reserve America and choose your city, state, or zip code.
Camp during Dry Season and Mild Temperatures
It is certainly possible to camp in the rain and many tents are designed with inclement weather in mind. That being said, camping during extreme cold or hot conditions, or in heavy downpours will require additional gear and preparation.
This is your first time camping, so you are not ready for that.
Indeed, this is part of the reason we did not go camping with our son sooner. In Florida, the summer months are extremely hot and humid. Also, strong afternoon thunderstorms are a near-daily occurrence. They don’t call Florida the lightning capital of the U.S. for no reason! (fun fact: the lightning capital of the world is Maracaibo, Venezuela, where my father was born <3). So, we waited until the drier, cooler months of the year before giving camping a try.
You are probably familiar with the weather patterns in your region. If you are new to your area, then you can use this US climate website which will give you an idea of the best time to book your camping spot.
Stick to places with amenities
To make your first time more comfortable, I recommend sticking to campgrounds that offer water, electricity, and bathhouses.
This will also reduce the amount of gear you need to pack. You won’t generally need electricity unless you want to charge something or inflate a mattress, but it is good to have it. This will allow you to bring coffee pots, phone chargers, and lamps. This will also allow you to inflate air mattresses. Make sure you bring an extension cord!
Having a water spigot on your site will allow you to wash hands, rinse gear, and brush your teeth.
Bathhouses are convenient because you won’t have to worry about “going” in the woods. You won’t need to pack toilet paper, and you will be able to take comfortable showers. For the most part, they are clean and well maintained. Even now that we have a travel trailer with a shower, we still use campground bathhouses for showering and, um, other stuff.
Is it fun to do primitive camping? Yes, it is! Is primitive camping a more authentic experience? I think so. It would certainly allow you to camp further into the wilderness. Perhaps, you will get there at some point. Honestly, we have not attempted it with our kids because we are still fairly new to camping. We pick our battles, and so far we have enjoyed our system.
Start with Just One Night
The amount of gear, clothes, and food you need to pack for just one night is significantly smaller than for two nights. Again, we are finding ways to make your first experience easy and take some pressure off of your shoulders.
Don’t get me wrong. There is still a lot you need just for one night.
Yet, if you camp for one night close to home, you will be able to stick to the bare minimum. If you forget something, you may still be able to make it work for just one night. Remember, this is a trial run! This experience will inform you of what you will need the next time you try camping again.
Get Take Out
If you are camping for just one night, consider doing take out for dinner. Is this the authentic camping experience you are shooting for? Maybe not. But like I said, baby steps. You already have a lot to think about, so I recommend keeping your meals as simple as possible.
We are all for healthy eating, but the first time we camped, we had McDonald’s for dinner. Our 1-year-old son had store-bought baby food. For breakfast, we had untoasted bagels and cream cheese. We did have a small stove for coffee because, well, we need coffee. Granola bars, chips, other non-perishable foods are the way to go. Not the most nutritious ensemble, but we survived!
Again, this is made possible by doing just a one-night stay. Staying more than one night would require more meal planning. As you get more comfortable going camping, you will be able to decide what works best for your family in terms of food.
Use Disposable Plates and Cutlery
I want to clarify here: this is something I am completely against doing for people like us that camp often. I think it is unnecessary and goes against what nature-lovers should be exemplifying.
But again, this is your first time. Cut yourself some slack and choose your battles. If you choose take-out and meals that do not require the use of cutlery (hot dogs, burgers, etc), you can keep the use of disposable cutlery to a minimum.
Choose your Activities Wisely
Maybe you want to go kayaking, and biking, and hiking, and fishing. All of those activities would require different gear and planning, so for the first time camping, keep it simple.
Pick one activity, maybe two.
Just remember that if you camp just one night, you will have a very limited amount of time to do activities. For that reason, I would recommend sticking to hiking. If you have fishing gear and it is something you love doing, then that is a simple option as well.
Biking and kayaking are more complicated. You need to have a vehicle or racks to transport your bikes and kayaks. You already have a lot of things to bring, so I would wait on those until you have more time and are more comfortable with all the other details of camping. The exception to this is if there is kayak or bike rentals in your chosen park!
What about entertaining the kids? I am all about letting kids find ways to entertain themselves, especially when they are out in nature. Give them sticks, rocks, and some dirt to dig and they will have an amazing time. But you know your kids better than anyone! If you think they could benefit from other sources of entertainment, even if it is to get them excited about camping, I wrote a guide with gift ideas here.
Keep Gear to a Minimum
You probably see a ton of ideas and hacks for camping. Some of them are indeed great, and I would encourage you to try them out AFTER you get comfortable with the basics.
At this point, I am going under the assumption that you will just start with ONE NIGHT for your FIRST family camping trip. In addition to clothes, medication, and toiletries, all you need is a tent, a sleeping surface, and sleeping bags. At least, as far a bulky gear goes. Camping chairs are a plus, and if you have an infant, here are a couple of other recommendations for gear.
Cookware will depend on your meal plans (as I mentioned above, get take out if it’s just one night). Other things include bug spray, sunscreen, towels, paper towels, trash bags, flashlights, spare batteries, and a first aid kit. This is not an exhaustive list (I am working on making a printable list), but you get the idea.
Related: Best Camping Cots for Families
A Campfire is Not a Requirement
Yes, campfires are awesome, but you need to know how to build them. There are a number of things you need for it and some safety precautions as well. So, for your first time, don’t stress about this.
If you are adamant about doing this, here is a nice article from REI about how to build a campfire. You will need to buy a firewood bundle from the park (call them ahead of time to make sure they sell it) or a grocery store nearby. NEVER collect wood from the park. It is a big no-no.
Camp with Experienced Friends!
If you have friends or family camping nearby, join them for a night! You would still need to bring your own gear, but it will be easier to camp with people that have done this before.
They would help you navigate the campground, teach you campground etiquette, and show you what is normal and what is not (is that howl a possum or the chupacabra?). This would actually be the best way to learn to build that campfire, too 😉
Related: 37 Best Gifts for Campers
If camping is still too much…
Perhaps you are intimidated by the amount of gear needed. The idea of having to research and choose tents, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags is too time-consuming at this point in your life.
Yet, you want to start going on more outdoor adventures with your family.
If that is the case, there is always the option of renting a cabin. You can rent private ones through Airbnb or other home rentals services, or you can look for cabins at nearby state and national parks.
If you are a Florida resident or simply visiting, I wrote a full guide about Florida State Park Cabins you can check out to get you started.
In Summary
There is a lot of preparation that goes into camping. That makes it scary to go the first time around, especially when children are involved! But just like with anything, the trick is to start small. This is what I suggest you do to plan your first family camping trip:
- Stay close to home – it reduces stress and makes it easy to bail if something goes wrong (although more than likely, you’ll be ok!)
- Plan around the weather in your area –
- Try to ensure access to running water, electricity, and a bathhouse – to reduce the amount of gear you need
- Start with just one night – again, it reduces the amount of gear you will need
- Get Take Out – simplify cookware and meal planning by getting take-out for dinner, and easy breakfast for the next day.
- Use disposable cutlery – normally against this, but this is your first time.
- Choose simple activities – such as hiking that will require minimal gear.
- Stick to basic gear – don’t get carried away by all the tips and hacks out there. You will get there, but for this first night, stick to the basics.
- Unless you have some experience, don’t worry about building a campfire this time.
- Camp with experienced friends or family – no better way to learn the basics of camping. And a great bonding experience!
I hope this guide encourages you to give camping a try. As you can see, you do not need to go all out. You do not need to learn all about survival in the wilderness before you go, learn how to hunt and gather, or go the opposite way and buy a camper.
After you try the first time, you will see what worked and what did not work. You will see what you would like to bring next time, what you can leave behind, and the types of places you would want to go to.
I challenge you to try camping with your family this year. Just give yourself one night of sleeping under the stars and make some memories with your family. You’ll be left wanting more!
Have you gone camping for the first time? What did you find more or less helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
I have been wanting to take my daughter camping for the first time, but have been nervous because it is so different than a hotel. Thanks for the great tips…I think I will give it a go when the weather warms up. Thanks for sharing!
Melissa, I hope these tips help you see that it is totally doable! Keep it small, keep it close, and you’ll have a great time!
So much fun when an adventure is spent with the family. Congratulations on your adventure!
Thanks! We love (almost!) every minute of it 🙂
I don’t have kids but camping seems to be a great activity for children, as they are more in contact with nature.
Yes, and it is a very budget-friendly and kid-friendly traveling option!
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