What to Pack When Child Goes Camping....

I finally got serious with camping trip #2 of 2009 this weekend and put pen to paper in the high tech sense and made a re printable check-list of our must-have's...minus food. And I am sure via our own experiences and the wonderful inputs of this blog's readers it will grow and evolve. I left nearly all inputs as generic, but would like to take a minute in this week's posting and share some products or brands we prefer.

Starting in the Toiletries section. Now I know it is hard to go Eco-friendly (most notably because a lot of these items are expensive) all the time on things such as shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste, wipes, but there is something that truly eats away at my consciousness when I am camping in some of the most pristine and preserved lands in our nation and then leave behind a huge bag of trash or soap scum from the showers. So for our camping provisions I do go out of my way to spend the extra dollar and get products to leave a lesser footprint on these areas I hope survive long enough to see my children's grandchildren one day.

Also in the toiletries section you will find sunscreen and bug spray mentioned. We are huge fans of Avon's SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard SPF 30. At $14 a pop you may feel it is a little pricey, but remember you are getting 2 in 1....bug spray and sunscreen. Also if you keep your eye out you can always find a sale on it about every few weeks. We are also fans of the Off! Towelettes for use on the kids' faces. Spraying their face or wiping on lotion...no matter how hard I try we seem to always be flushing their eyes due to their rubbing or our misdirection. The towelettes dry quickly and are more error free. We are also fans of the Off! Power Pad Lamp. Stronger than 15 citronella candles, flame is protected in lantern from little hands...and a little mood lighting all in one.

When it comes to kitchen supplies we have pretty much stocked our trailer or camping box with very used things from our home kitchen. The only splurges came in some very heavy picnic plates, bowls, silverware, etc.. And even those you can find on sale at the end of summer or even at a dollar store. Again on the environmental front...we try to only use paper goods for perhaps the first meal or the last meal when you are busy unpacking or packing up. Otherwise reusable plastic that can be washed with your enviro soap is a great way to protect the environment...and over time save a dime and offset the expensive Seventh Generation or other Dish Soap.

Otherwise the list is pretty self explanatory...and here's a few closing remarks. We always keep a crate of kids toys at the ready...with sand toys, bug catchers, etc.. Most are very good about this in general, but make sure to pack your kids helmets if they bring their bikes or scooters. If under the age of 18 most campgrounds require a helmet within their properties and rangers will quickly approach any child out for a spin without one and escort them back to their parents. Always have extra batteries...rechargeable that are charged are best. We carry a utility type bucket...this is good for washing dishes, hands, feet, or carrying your stuff to and from the public restroom or shower as there is generally very little space to sit things in or on... and let's be frank...even the cleanest of campground restroom/shower floors are still a little scary. Whether camping via a tent or a trailer a large outdoor carpet or in our case the cheap way out...a huge swath of faux grass from Home Depot serves as a place to leave shoes and dirt before entering the sleeping quarters. We are also big fans of the Alps Mountaineering chairs, tables, and camping gear in general as well as REI. Make sure you shop around...lots of places carry it and the prices can be very different.

I know...we are missing food on here. I will tell you we pack three ways...1 large crate for dry goods, 1 cooler for beverages, and 1 cooler for cold foods. As the summer progresses I will take the time to share some camping recipes and some of our favorite must have beverages, snacks, and foods while in the wild.

Please review our ever evolving list...and share what's on yours or your favorite brands or products.

Packing to avoid fees....

<-- Helping Mom Pack for Jamaica

OK, we are hours before our trip I have mentioned in the last couple of blogs. Our family of four is 99% packed which means I packed myself and the kids and my husband has packed himself. Now packing even before kids stressed me out. My husband and I have two totally different packing styles. This is where we joke...he is the girl and I am the guy. He takes everything, so he can have his entire closet to pick from while he is there. While I try to put together outfits and take just what I need for the destination and our activities. But with the increase in airlines charging for second and as of mid-June even first checked bags we decided to start taking steps to avoid paying the extra fees.

As far as checked baggage we decided to apply the following rules:

• # of Outfits equals ~1/2 days of our trip
• Exception: Additional outfit allowed for special occasion/activity (i.e. wedding, diving, etc..)
• Example: Our trip is 11 days. Each person was allotted 6 outfits plus one additional dress outfit for the wedding we are attending
  
• 90% of outfits match weather forecast
• 10% outfits will cover when the weatherman just doesn't get it right
• Example: Our entire trip is fore casted highs 90's, lows 70's and scattered summer thunderstorms. So 90% of our clothing is warm weather gear with one additional outfit being pants and a jacket.
• WalMarts/Targets/Drug Stores exist about everywhere
  
• Example when I started traveling with children I would pack a sleeve of diapers, my jumbo wipes, etc.. Now I pack enough in carry-ons to cover the trip and an incidental layovers, but otherwise I hit a store or order it at my destination ahead of time
• Pack additional duffel bag collapsed in a checked bag.
• This is great for going to Grandma's house or a destination. Either place you will accumulate things to bring home and this will allow you to do so. Plus I don't know about you, but I can't seem to get everything to fit in as wonderfully as I did outbound.

My son is too young to count, but my daughter at 3&1/2 got put to work in packing. She was told how many hot weather bottoms (shorts, capris, etc) to pick, short sleeve shirts, etc.. She laid them all out for me to review to "Punky Brewster" look she had put together. All in all she did a great job and we discussed weather and did some counting in the process.

So my family of four is currently packed into 2 large rolling duffel bags (which are awesome by the way). A third check...which btw...does NOT count towards your bag count will be a car seat. Which a huge tip is if you are running out of space in your other bags...hold out some large bulky items like coats, etc and stuff them into your car seat bag. Remember I mentioned these great buys in my earlier blog on airplane travel re: lap child, car seats, or seat belt. Also in these bags are a wedding present, anniversary present, and 2 life children's life jackets (for boating trips we have planned).

So I will blog later and let you know how we did with our rules. What worked well and what didn't. But for now if you have any great tips for packing checked bags for a family please leave some comments and share.