I was left in charge of packing for our camping trip! Big mistake considering I havent been camping with our three younger ones.
I did try camping with our older two sons, but that was many years ago. Only for one weekend, and it was actually while we lived in Mackay, we stayed at Eungella camping grounds. And I hated every minute of it.
There was no grass at all (not sure if there is any there now?), our boys were young and didn’t listen ~ they scared me with how fast they would disappear ~ and we took far too much with us! So that weekend meant that I havent tried a camping trip since.
Times Change, People Change
I guess you could say that my parenting skills have changed since then! I no longer stress about the dirt, nor the lack of grass. I no longer stress about clothes getting dirty! I no longer care about the time and keeping to a routine. I (Mostly) try to go with the flow and look for fun times.
The Amazing Tent ~
we borrowed this from a wonderful lady named Rose!
Camping ~ Yep I Love It!
Even thought I wanted to camp lightly it’s not really possible with three boys. We still need something to sleep on, and things to keep us warm. Yet there are many things that I forgot while on our Camping Trip.
What We Forgot For Our Camping Trip
Here is a list of a few things that we forgot!
- Dust pan n broom ~ we borrowed a lovely ladies tent and we had to use a towel to clean it out before packing it away!
- Salt and Pepper ~ David did all of the cooking over the weekend so we had to go and buy Salt n Pepper for his yummy meals.
- Coffee and Coffee Cups. How silly am I? I never ever get out of bed unless I have a coffee waiting for me….yet I don’t think to pack either?
- Beanies for us. The two younger ones (Cameron and Kyle) had beanies but I forgot everyone else!
- More socks for our boys. I didn’t pack enough socks for three days, two nights at Theresa Dam.
- Davids jeans! Not sure how I missed packing those. He had to wear the same pair for three days ~ sorry about that babe 🙂
- Dish scrubber for the Pots n Pans. David cooked hash browns, pancakes, omelets, and many other amazing dishes but didn’t have anything to scrub the pans with!
- Picnic Rug ~ we ended up using Beach towels to sit on.
- Nicholas forgot his sleeping mat and sleeping bag ~ so he slept on the floor of the tent, and luckily I had sent him back to the motorhome to bring his doona for the weekend ~ not sure what we
woodwould have done if he didn’t have the doona! - Long Winter pants for them all. They didn’t have enough warm clothes so they had to wear a few things for a few days!
- Pillow cases for the new camping pillows.
- Bed socks for me. I ended up borrowing a pair of David’s socks because I can’t stand to be cold 🙂
- A rubber mallet to hammer in the tent begs ~ David got creative and used a tool from the car!
David made this Yummy Salad ~
We ate healthy meals while camping!
A Few Items I Would Love For Next Time ::
- Table and Chairs. Maybe one of those fold out camping set?
- Either a camping mattress or a thicker camping mat. The first night was so cruel on both David and I ~ our backs are so not used to the ground! But the second night was easier….so maybe we would get used to it?
- A warmer tent for us. Our boys slept in the borrowed tent and were so very warm, where we had a smaller tent and we were cold the second night….but mabye that was because we had put the doona under the camping mats!
- A container of items needed ready to go ~ something that had the salt, pepper, cooking spray, paper towel, cooking utensils, cooking pans, dish scrubber, washing liquid, tea towel etc waiting. So that way I don’t forget anything!
- Food…..make sure we have all of our food before we go camping because buying it at the local store can (and did) cost way more!
- Esky ~ Yeah we had to spend a lot of money and purchase an Esky!
I still am keen to try camping once more. I am even looking at going camping one weekend with only my younger ones (by myself) so that David can re-build the ceiling on the inside of our Motorhome. That way he can power ahead the whole weekend without us getting in the way, and I don’t have to see the mess that he will make!
Fingers are crossed that I dont forget as much next time!
Seeing The Sun Going Down ~
Love that about camping…being closer to nature.
I reckon swags would make it so much easier and be way more comfortable!
What Do You Like About Camping?
Cheers
Lisa
New Life on the Road
Camping is always a lot of work, whether in a tent or in a trailer. It always seems to take about 3 hours to set up once you arrive, and that doesn’t include the hours of packing, grocery shopping and organizing that came before even leaving the house.
But once you are set up, there is nothing to do except enjoy the time with your family. I highly recommend camping for at least 3-5 days so that you have time to relax in between all the preparation, set up and take down (and don’t forget all the laundry afterwards). What matters is all the in-between time with your family.
I have also found that if I make a checklist on the computer and print it out prior to each trip, that I tend to forget less things. Now that you’ve been out once, you will will know all the items that are necessary and can add them to your list.
Enjoy your future camping trips!
Susan Promo recently posted..How Businesses Can Give Back
Hi Susan,
I agree – that Camping is a lot of work….but its so very worth it 🙂
I love the fact that we had no electricity so we had to go to bed early. I like the fact that we could wake up to the birds singing, and watch our boys have fun in the playground of where we stayed.
I so like your idea on the check list ~ will have to make one up 🙂
Cheers
Lisa