chickenpatty Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 experience more comfortable? Any special tools or tricks of the trade? Tips for comfy sleeping? Fine dining? "Fun" things, like glow necklaces for the kids or things like that? Canopy? How do you keep your food cold for more than 2 days without buying more ice? We love camping & I'd love to find more ways to make it even more pleasant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 If we aren't backpacking, we use a good quality Coleman cooler to keep the food cold. Of course, it's not 110 degrees here, either. My #1 comfort item - foldable camp chair. My #2 comfort item - inflatable air matress (I'm getting old) My #3 comfort item - a big tarp with ropes that DH strings up over my camp chair to keep the rain off and to give a shady spot in case the sun happens to shine. Glow bracelets and glow sticks are super fun and a deck of cards is required. We do most of our cooking in cast iron dutch ovens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Self inflating sleeping pads. I had one too many of those air mattresses die in the middle of the night. Never again! Other than that all I can offer is this: powdered crystal light and vodka is much better tasting than it sounds. Portable, not too messy and effective. Did I mention my family goes camping with my mother for a week once a year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Pads for under your sleeping bag. :) Not going in fifty degree weather, eight months pregnant, or during Oregon's rainy season always makes it more pleasant. :glare: (Sorry, May's camping trip could have been better, lol.) Planned menus, obviously. If it's going to be cold, zip sleeping bags together for children (or Mama & Daddy) comfort & warmth. :D EASY food prep./clean-up Pre-treat your entire tent with that shoe protectant stuff - oh how I LOVED that stuff. Fun stuff: Campfire pie irons for after supper S'mores Morning hot cocoa with marshmallows for everyone! Ball gloves and softball Frisbee A deck of cards or two Spare shoes if you camp by water or the ocean Walkie Talkies are fun for the kids Plant and/or tree identification guide Binoculars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 We have a big two room tent that is super cozy-we also all sleep on thermarests and quality sleeping bags. We also just got cots for my husband and me, it's nice to just be up off the ground sometimes and it makes a storage area in the tent. We also bring a dining fly as a shade/rain shelter... makes a place to do boots/shoes without tracking in the tent. We also bring MP3 speakers so we can play music-I usually make a camping playlist of mellow tunes with everyone from Johnny Cash to Bonnie Raitt. Good folding chairs, a good folding table also. Ice cream ball for the kids sometimes. We always bring books and end up reading some of the time too. Earplugs if you have snorers in the family. I like to sleep in a soft fleece hat. Those perimeter mosquito deterrants. Good headlamps. Gloves. Solar battery recharger. inflatable pillow. multi-tool/leatherman for everyone. Big solar shower for hot water. Paper plates. Wine and beer. :D We have a set of stainless steel dishes and a dutch oven and we bring whatever we need for the menu that week. We've had everything from shrimp and steak to chicken and dumplings. If you can make it at home you can usually figure out a way to make it in the mountains! Pasta dishes, casserole, lasagna, ribs, fried chicken, taco salad, stuffed pork chops... sometimes we bring a cooler and sometimes we don't. We've used a burlap bag as a cooler for quick trips. We take our horses so all of our stuff has to fit space and weight wise on a pack horse-we bring three to carry all our stuff. We spend most weekends in the mountains all summer and fall-we love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi-FL Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 we pre make and freeze as much ahead of time as possible (chili, hamburgers, chicken, whatever) and let it keep the cooler cool with the ice. if they start to thaw, that's a good thing. we've done the mats under the sleeping bags, and air mattresses (which never last for any of us) and after watching a group of 15 college guys unpack their trucks by throwing cots on the ground (no tent, and yes, it did rain), i'm thinking cots are a good way to go. if only we could figure out how to get 9 of them into our 12 passenger vehicle along with all of us.... tent camping is one of our best memory making experiences. although my dh didn't grow up camping at all, he is a good sport about it, knowing how much it means to the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Thermarest pads are worth their weight in gold. They're definitely much better than any air mattress in our opinion (5 of us - 6 if you count my mom). Have nice chairs that fit the person. We eat cold foods the first day. After that, we've switched to non-perishables. The easier, the better. Water tastes just fine without being super cold. For anything else, you pretty much need ice and a good cooler. Keep the cooler in the shade if you can. It'll have to stay in bear boxes if you're in bear country. Those get HOT! Bocci Ball is an easy, portable game many love. We built our own portable ladder golf too. Shaded sites are cooler, but beware under pine trees. Pine sap is a bear to get out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 How do you keep your food cold for more than 2 days without buying more ice? We don't buy anything that needs refrigerating. But we don't have a fridge at home, so that's nothing out of the ordinary for us. When we camp, we eat picnic style so we don't have to bother cooking. With small kids, I have no desire to make a camping trip more work than being home is. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I freeze solid blocks of ice by filling large ziplock bags with water and laying them in the freezer. The big blocks melt more slowly and sealed in plastic they don't soak everything. Anything that's not going to be eaten the first day and can be frozen gets put in the cooler frozen. Cooking things ahead so they only have to be heated up, or using shelf stable things like Bear Creek soup, also make things easier. Last year I took a regular mattress to sleep on, but usually we go with cots, or just sleeping bags if it's not below 50 at night and a short trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 We've taken dry ice before-it kept ice cream frozen for three days in 90* heat. It's not cheap but it works well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Self-inflating thermarest pads are important. Comfy chairs. We live in a place where it never feels above 75 degrees, so as long as we have nice shade, we're okay. I always bring identification books, binoculars, games, books... Charged up iPad for reading at night. :) :bigear: for more ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Other than that all I can offer is this: powdered crystal light and vodka is much better tasting than it sounds. :lol: I once knew a dying old man who sold his condo for pennies on the dollar, bought an old convertible, and drove 3 states "home" drinking this stuff. He passed out on arrival in the front yard of his high school chum, who still lived there, and 911 was called. The last month of his life was not nearly so pretty, but I did feel as if a geriatric Hunter S Thompson had arrived in my ER. All he wanted was C.L and V. It does sound disgusting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I've had my share of crystal light and vodka too-it could be worse but it can be a whole lot better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catalinakel Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 A couple of things... I buy two or three gallon jugs of water, pour out a little and freeze two of them solid. This becomes the ice for our cooler and cold water to drink. I replace the melted ice water with unfrozen water so we always have cold water without having to buy ice. I also like to have a 2.5 gallon jug of water with a spigot at the campsite on the table for washing hands, etc. without having to head to the bathrooms. I keep soap and a hand towel there for convienence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 A few years ago, we travelled all over the western US for 5 weeks in a van with a tent. Some of us slept in the bed in the van and the boys in the tent. I use the bottled water as ice, too. Drinking water plus lasts a little longer than ice cubes in bag. This only lasted the 1st week then we had to buy ice for the cooler. I have a small cooler that also works as a small refridgerator by plugging into the lighter in the car. I love having an inflatable mattress for under the sleeping bags...we also rarely used actual sleeping bags but took the mattress and made it up like a bed...much cooler to be sleeping on sheets in hot weather. For food, I pre-prepared everything I could...veggies chopped and in baggies, sauces pre-made, etc...so dinner was easier. I planned all my meals ahead of time. I cooked a lot with foil and foil bags on a tripod over the fire. A small camp stove was very useful as well when we were in states where campfires weren't allowed. We kept a little porta-potty either in the tent or in the van so no one had to take late night trips to the restroom. Fun things...s-mores are a must, glo sticks, frisbee, bocci, and my kids bring along their instruments for some campfire music. I always keep a container of wipes handy for quick cleanups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChemMommy Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 If you are pitching a tent in one location, I'd recommend cots. They are more comfortable for older backs and you have extra storage underneath for suitcases. Up here, in the great northern plains, I'd recommend sweatshirts and stocking caps, but layers of clothes are always better than one heavy coat. Buy more ice! Or buy and bag blocks for ice. But, too much ice takes up too much room in the cooler. I usually make a trip to the grocery store once a day (since we don't camp in the boonies!!). Meals must be simple: cereal in disposable bowls or mini-doughnuts or muffins. Lunch is deli sandwiches and chips and cookies. Dinners are hobo dinners cooked over the fire, hot dogs on sticks, pizza pockets, or even pizza we pick up. You can make yourself miserable trying to cook over a fire if that's not your thing. Keep It Simple!!! Depending on the ages, board games and cards are big. We usually do a family read-aloud book on trips, read by the camp fire, of course. We have a large, soft-sided frisbee that we take along. Even grandmas can catch that thing. We keep a baggie of small, rubber animals from the dollar store and some cheap lego knock-offs in the camper at all times. The kids love to see those familiar toys on camping trips. We also hike several miles each day. That makes tired and hungry kids that go to sleep easier and don't complain about meals. And, remember that the pace of camping is slower than at home. Preparing and cleaning up the meals will take more time; that's part of the entertainment. We also have a couple of small fans and a good radio for weather information. Lighting helps in the evenings, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmgirl70 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Everyone else here has recommended some good things. Two things to add: Go with self inflating tent pads rather than an air mattress if it will be cold. When it is cold at night the air in the air mattress gets cold and I just freeze! Doesn't happen so much with the self inflating pads. Favorite cooler trick: in addition to freezing some premade food in the freezer, I also fill a milk jug with water for a large block of ice that lasts us a number of days, depending on the heat. When it melts, we have ice water to drink! It's also neater than a bag of ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 If it's cold getting up off the ground on a cot is the ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cat Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 we make "ice" in plastic 2 liter bottles to use in ice chests. We have a coleman 5 day cooler..... it works for a couple of days.... 5 days in winter maybe! I've seen the battery operated tent ceiling fans.... i wonder if they work.... we enjoy our long handled campfire roasters. Great for marshmallows and hot dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 It's a small thing, but we always attach a glow stick to the outside of our tent. Makes it easy to spot on the way back from a late night bathroom run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robyn Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Tarps! We spent a rainy week on an island in Maine and have since become very good at tarping our tent and our screen house for the picnic table. We bring a couple of board games for rainy days (it always rains for at least a day or two when we go). Since we never let the kids get sugary cereal, it is a real treat and has become a tradition when we go camping to buy those multi packs of fruit loops/sugar smack type cereals. I always plan out dinners and do as much food prep as possible before we go. All meat gets cut and marinated, then frozen before being thrown in the cooler. Veggies cut ahead of time...anything I can do in advance. I bring cold cuts for easy lunches and switch to tea over coffee for mornings. We use a lot of disposable plates and cutlery and switch to disposable diapers while we're away. I always feel a bit guilty, but it is, after all, vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 A really good quality self inflating mattress, sheets and duvet and good pillows. Hot water bottle. Chairs Proper coffee using a stove top percolater Lots of yummy snack food Something to keep dirt out of the tent, either windbreak to lay on ground outside, or a door mat inside, or both. And for keeping food cool, we have a 2 way (12 or 24 volt) refridgerator powered by a solar panel and battery. This also powers our LED lights, iphone chargers and JBL stereo speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 :lol: I once knew a dying old man who sold his condo for pennies on the dollar, bought an old convertible, and drove 3 states "home" drinking this stuff. He passed out on arrival in the front yard of his high school chum, who still lived there, and 911 was called. The last month of his life was not nearly so pretty, but I did feel as if a geriatric Hunter S Thompson had arrived in my ER. All he wanted was C.L and V. It does sound disgusting. I think he was doing it wrong. We mix the crystal light with water and add a glug of vodka. It makes those boring nights of sitting in a tent next to sleeping kids, playing game after game of silent Uno go by a little easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne in MN Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 A couple of things...I buy two or three gallon jugs of water, pour out a little and freeze two of them solid. This becomes the ice for our cooler and cold water to drink. I replace the melted ice water with unfrozen water so we always have cold water without having to buy ice. I also like to have a 2.5 gallon jug of water with a spigot at the campsite on the table for washing hands, etc. without having to head to the bathrooms. I keep soap and a hand towel there for convienence. Better yet, use an empty milk jug. Just rinse it out well and use it's lid to cap it off. I keep one in the freezer at all times, so it's just ready to go. Keep your cooler in the shade as best as you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCamper Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Like others, an inflatable mattress. We like having high quality sleeping bags, so we don't have to worry about the kids getting cold. An electric lantern in the tent provides cozy ambiance. Our family tradition is to make chili in advance at home, freeze it in large ziplock bags, and use it for camping. An easy dinner when you add tortilla chips. We always have fun camping and do quite a bit of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Forgot...we also pack all our gear and clothing in large plastic bins so if there is rain, at least some stuff is dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Tell me about thermarest! I gave up on air matresses due to them always deflating, plus I didn't like the hassle of getting them blown up and then deflating them. Are thermarests hard to inflate/deflate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 Thank you for all the replies! Looks like there are a lot of helpful tips. I knew I could count on you guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 We just got home from a week of tent camping with all 8 of us. We brought some interlocking foam mats--like the kind for exercising on--that I got at Walmart and I was surprised at how much better it made the ground! If you don't want to sleep ON the ground in sleeping bags or on pads, it's still nice to have when you're sitting around playing cards during a rainstorm! LOL We freeze water bottles and use those with ice to keep our coolers cold. It took all week for the water bottles to thaw! Then you have cold water to drink, too. I like to store meats (frozen burger patties and marinated chicken kebobs help keep things cold) in one cooler, lunch stuff in another and then have a portable, soft-sided cooler bag for toting things around like fruit and drinks. Not sure what kind of camping site you'll have, but we had porta-potties and it helps to have a flashlight on a neck strap so that you can have hands-free light while using the potty! Tent sealer is a must. We have learned. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 A tent with a GOOD rainfly. We usually end up with some rain on most camping trips. We put thick polarfleece blankets between the foam pads (or my air mattress) and the sleeping bags. This gives extra warmth and cushion. Hats for cold nights. Food that is as quick and easy to prepare as possible. Instant oatmeal, quesadillas, etc. We always have hot breakfasts because it's cold in the mountains in the morning. Headlamps. Bug spray. Warm clothes for after-dark and early morning. Battery lanterns for after-dark. A large kettle to carry water from the faucet. Roasting forks for marshmallows, hot dogs, etc. We want to try cooking bacon over the fire this year. I keep all the clothes in the car in case it rains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 If you are car camping. . . You can freeze 2l bottles or gallong jugs full of water. They'll stay frozen longer than bags of ice cubes. You can even have a spare cooler full of frozen bottles/jugs. Some people use dry ice. If you can get it. . . then, get one cooler just for your dry ice. Fill that cooler with the dry ice PLUS four or six 1-2 l bottles of water. Also, put a couple of frozen bottles in your food cooler to start with, as your cold packs. When they melt, swap them out with the frozen ones in your dry ice cooler. Apparently you can make dry ice a whole week! Simpler than that, we just plan meals that don't use cold food after the first 24 hours. Buy boxed milk and open a new box each meal. (The drink/lunch boxed milk is great.) If you're in a cool place, you'd be shocked how long some things can last. String cheese & squeezy butter/margarine are each good for a week at least in the mountains (60s/70 day time, 40s night time) (We're backpackers, too, so coolers don't go further than the trailhead for us. . . so we've got 5-7 days of cooler-free meals to plan! Cold cut sandwiches our first lunch are usually our last refrigeration required meal, lol) Be sure to have decent sleeping pads. I used to use foam, but now I like my inflatable thermarest. . . I've gotten old and soft. ;) I love to have pillows when I am car camping. I really miss my pillows backpacking. Bring powdered lemonade or similar powder to mix into water bottles. Yumm. Headlamps are great for tinkering around at night, washing up, potty trips, etc. Glow sticks are handy for hanging on the tent so you can find it coming back from a potty trip. Junk food!! Never underestimate the soothing power of sugar. S'mores, etc. Cards. Dice. (Look up some simple dice only games.) Jiffy Pop pop corn is a fun fireside treat -- the kind that comes in it's own little pan. Kids love it. Extra food, especially chocolate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Tell me about thermarest! I gave up on air matresses due to them always deflating, plus I didn't like the hassle of getting them blown up and then deflating them. Are thermarests hard to inflate/deflate? Thermarests are like the gold standard, but there are cheaper versions of the same idea too. Basically it's an airmattress filled with foam that has holes cut into it (for lack of bulk) You open it up, open the air holes, roll it out and it self inflates as the foam expands. Then to roll it back up, you open the holes and roll it tight to squeeze the air out of the foam. We camp with a very large tent and trailor, small tent camping is done with Scouts. So we have a self inflating mattress that is queen bed sized and 10cm thick when inflated, it is as comfortable as our bed at home! It is bulk though, you can't throw it in the boot (trunk) of the car. We have sheets and a duvet on it, so we are very comfy when camping. The kids use stretchers with thinner self inflating mats, blankets and sleeping bags. We camp a lot, at least 5-6 trips a year, and up to 21 days at a time, so comfort is very important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Do the thermarest only come in singles? I searched, but it seems like they only come in single size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartosunshine Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I agree with others about headlamps. Also, we pack stuff into big Rubbermaid bins. That way, they can be left outside the tent & if it rains, no big deal! Oh, and the bread goes into a plastic container so it doesn't get squished! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 We have a two-room tent. The kids each have a twin inflatable Intex mattress that goes on either side of their room and we have a queen size Intex in the other room. We just use regular sheets and blankets and it feels like sleeping at home....only where we camp I can hear the Atlantic Ocean while I'm sleeping ;). We've had very good experiences with the Intex mattresses. They have a self-contained inflater/deflater that requires electricity. They have their own little bag they go in, but are somewhat bulky, if car space is an issue. You've gotten lots of great tips. I can only add that Crocs are great if you're camping near water and bring a little dustpan and broom set for the tent. Oh, and after several years of being good little campers and trying to make coffee over a fire or Coleman stove, we now bring our electric coffee maker and a power strip and don't camp where there's not electricity. It wasn't worth the crankiness waiting for coffee :tongue_smilie:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Do the thermarest only come in singles? I searched, but it seems like they only come in single size. I just had a hunt online to see if they sell what we have in the US but it appears that maybe they don't. That would have to be a first, usually you guys have more choice, not less! This is the type of thing we have, although there are many brands of it. http://www.tentworld.com.au/showitem.aspx?item=60109&title=OZtrail_Queen_Self-Inflating_Leisure_Mat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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