Relaxing Family Camping Trips

I want to get a little personal here. Dad's, pay careful attention to this advise. It's not about all the cool places that you are going to see. Want a news flash? The kids really don't care how pretty the mountain peaks are. They are not interested in hiking up a 14,000 foot peak either. I bet your wife aint too thrilled about everything that you have planned either.

Family Camping Trips are about and for your kids. Don't go driving 500 miles a day. I'm a guy and this is what I want to do....but I don't. Bring things for your kids to do. We bring bug catchers for the boys. I rigged up a DVD player too for the boys to watch when the driving gets boring.

My wife makes up these treasure bags full of cute little toys for them to play with in the car. We carry puppets and stuffed animals. A few trains. Most of the stuff will get lost along the way any ways, so don't worry about room-you will loose so much stuff by accident or on purpose that it's beyond being funny.

Husbands-Do you want your wife happy on your family camping trips? Do all the hard work including washing dishes. Your wife is not excited about a trip of doing more than she does at home. This is her time to relax. You are the one that wants to go camping. Treat her like a princess. She will boast about your family camping trips and how easy they are!

Every year, I start planning our family camping trips in January. This is 7 months prior to our leaving. I do this because I want to start the creative process. I get a rough idea of where we are camping start researching on Google. All of our family camping trips are well thought and planned. Our fun is not accidental.

I found this great web site that is jam packed with all kinds of great advice for every level of family camping.  It's called 12 Steps To Tent Camping.

Another resource that I found was put together by a guy that had 25 years of camping experience with the Boy Scouts. Check this book out The Secrets Of Family Camping Trips.

I know that most of you are on a budget when planning your family camping trip. If you were not, you would be staying at 5 star hotels!

I buy high quality equipment that I will be using for years. I like to buy most of my camping gear at REI because of their generous return policy. Basically, if you don't like the product, you can return it at any time.

Walmart and Target are great for things like flashlights and other small items that one tends to lose or misplace.

When going on family camping trips I have found the that best tent for any money is again from REI. Why? Because they are guaranteed for life.

My rule is that I need to be able to put the tent up by myself in less than 10 minutes. I want it to be self supporting if needed. I want to be able to stay completely dry even in severe weather conditions.

My choice is still the REI Base Camp. The tent has plenty of room for 4 people. My wife can stand up inside it. It does not leak. It will keep you warm. It's easy to set up.

My favorite camping trips sleeping bags are from LL Bean. They are not fancy. Just light weight and warm. For less than $200 you can get a 0 degree F bag that weighs less than 4 lbs. They pack very small. We love the rectangular bags because you can move around freely. Guaranteed for life

The other bag that comes close to LL Bean bags are the Dolomite bag made by The North Face.

For the kids, I really like The North Face Tiger. They are light weight and will keep your little kiddies warm!

If you don't stay warm on your family camping trips, nobody will be happy. Invest in the best!

I know that this may sound foo-foo. But if you really want a good nights sleep, purchase an air mattress. For family camping trips will forever be better. For years I slept on foam pads and never felt really rested. After purchasing an air mattress and portable air pump that plugs into my cigarette lighter, I sleep as good or better than I sleep at home.

Another fantastic option is the
Therm-A-Rest Dream Time Sleeping Pad (Fall 2009)

Therm-A-Rest Dream Time Sleeping Pad (Fall 2009)

The DreamTime Sleeping Pad by Therm-A-Rest offers unmatched warmth and comfort in a pillow-top mattress system. Specifications (size large): Weight: 6 lbs. 13 oz. (3090 g) Rolled Size: 25 x 11 in. (66 x 28 cm) R-Value: 8.0 Thickness: 3.0 in. (8 cm) Features: Uses: The ultimate car-camping mattress or replacement bed in a camper Luxurious: Premium three-layer design includes removable mattress - cushy pillow top - and plush fleece cover Convenient: Rolls up quickly with compression straps for easy storage Easy Care: Removable fleece cover is machine-washable.

I make several trips to AAA for free maps and camping books. AAA is a great resource if you are a member. If you are not a member, no problem. Maps cost only a few bucks each.

What I do like are the large camping guides for cheap campsites.

Watch this video to make free online maps from AAA for your family camping trips. Go to AAA and get your free online Trip Tik maps today!

If you really are on a tight budget, the best free family camping trips campgrounds are the US National Forest. Basically, you can camp in undeveloped US Forest land. Check with each national forest for details and regulations. You will need maps. There are no picnic tables, water, or bath rooms. But free is free!

The alternative to the free camping are the primitive developed camp grounds. They are basic and cheap. We love them. Check out the link that I posted below.

US National Forest Service Campground Directory