I recently met a new family the other day. She is the mother of 5 boys and 1 girl, all under 9 years of age. My children are now good friends with her 6 children and she and I have wonderful conversations about everything under the sun. We recently talked at a picnic and in the conversation I mentioned that our families should go camping together. He confessed that they had never gone camping. I stood there staring in disbelief thinking, how could this be? He added that they also did not own a single piece of camping equipment.

Later that night I shared this information with my husband. Although I was still shocked, it reminded me of the time we went to our local REI and participated in a family camping event. REI loaned equipment to families who were interested in learning more about camping and trying out new gear. They put on a free campfire show with a fantastic Spanish guitarist/storyteller, while we all enjoyed a night camping together.

During that fun trip, we all camped out at a local campground just 20 minutes from our house. We met a dozen wonderful families and were surprised to learn that this was their first time camping. I guess I never realized that there are so many families who have never experienced the joy, adventure and sheer fun of camping. Perhaps the reason is that there is a great fear of the unknown about camping with young children, or they just don’t have any camping gear, so they never really investigated the idea further.

Some basic and simple ideas to start with are:

• Don’t worry about the team. Just find a local KOA where you can rent a cabin for a few dollars for the night.
• Survey the area you are thinking of camping in at first to be safe from cliffs or other dangers to children. Maybe even have a picnic there first.
• Plan overnight excursions at first to get an idea of ​​what quantities of food will be needed for longer trips.
• Bring food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and breakfast again, as well as, of course, healthy snacks.
• Make a checklist to help you pack with confidence for your trip.
• Always carry a first aid kit, just in case.
• Bring some fun toys/games, flashlights, blankets, rain gear and remember to bring a camera.
• Get ready for true relaxation and family bonding time.
• Start thinking about other places to camp and start planning your trips.
• Please bring appropriate clothing and waterproof clothing to stay comfortable in unpredictable weather.
• Remember, you can always rent your gear at local sporting goods stores for reasonable prices, a tent and a few bags should do the trick.

Over the years, I’ve found that camping not only rejuvenates the soul and puts you back in touch with the reality of life and nature, but it’s also one of the most affordable family activities out there.

So my quest is to help new campers find the confidence and information to start the trip of a lifetime, with minimal expense, for the best results.