Nothing compares to sitting in the crisp night air, listening to the crackling fire, surrounded by people you love. The conversations that occur over glowing embers are life-changing. Something about the rawness of nature makes you realize; stuff doesn’t bring happiness. Moments are what make life worth living. Experiencing God’s creation in its natural elements will make you appreciate life.
There are many different ways to camp. Renting a cabin, tent camping and camping by RV are three ways to experience camping based on your personal preferences and level of comfort.
Tent Camping
First things first, make a list. If you’re tent camping, you need a few extra things. Purchasing a tent requires careful research. Borrowing a tent from a friend is an economical way to get away for a weekend, as well as experience camping. At a bare minimum, you need the following when tent camping:
- Tent
- Sleeping Bag
- Cooking Gear
- Lighter for fire
- Ax to chop wood
- First Aid Kit
Luxury items that will make your tent camping experience more comfortable are:
- Air mattress
- Portable shower
- Portable toilet
- Extension cord for electricity (if available)
- Fan
- Camping Chairs
- Grill
RV Camping
Moving into an RV takes camping to an entirely new dimension. From Pop-Up Campers to Fifth Wheels, your level of comfort depends on how much you’re willing to spend. Our first camper cost $3300; we found it on Craig’s List. Luxury RV’s can easily cost $200,000 plus brand new. We purchased our previously owned 2014 Fifth Wheel for $23,000 in 2017. Currently, we’re redecorating our second home. After nine years of use, the furniture needed replacing. In our situation, a defect in the furniture caused the top layer to peel off. Small faux leather pieces clung to whoever sat in the seats. RVs do require constant maintenance. As my husband says, “You’re driving your home behind you at 60 mph hour, things break.”
RV manufacture’s primary goal is to make a trailer with all of the bells and whistles and light. The weight of the trail determines the type of vehicle you need to pull it. Heavier trailers need larger engines to tow them.
RVs also have black and grey tanks; these collect the water from sinks, showers, and sewage, which require regularly dumping. Emptying the tanks is not difficult and takes less than 20 minutes to do when packing up. The longer you camp, the faster you become at setting up and tearing down. Don’t let your first attempts discourage you from enjoying God’s playground; no one does anything well the first time they do it.
Starting on your first RV trip, at a minimum, you will need the following:
- Cooking utensils
- Lighter
- Ax for chopping wood
- First Aid Kit
- Bedding and towels
- Hoses for the Black and Gray tanks
- Chalks for wheel tires
- Extension Cord for Electricity
- Potable Water hose for drinking water
- Camping Chairs
- Grill
Finding a Campground
After you gather supplies, the next thing to decide is where to go. For my husband and I, we’re explorers. Our latest trip was a three-week venture through the New England states in July. Living in Virginia, we wanted to escape the hot heat of summer. Nothing thrilled my husband more than sitting by the campfire at Hid’n Pines in Old Orchard Beach, ME looking at the weather, “It’s 20 degrees cooler here than at home.”
Most importantly, when choosing a place to stay, read the reviews. Campers love to talk about their experiences, take the time to read what they have to say. Several organizations offer memberships that give you discounts at their campgrounds:
My husband’s and I’s best tool for planning our trips is RV Trip Wizard. The advantages of RV trip wizard:
- List Campgrounds all over the country
- Calculates mileage
- Shows Truck Stops
- Central location for reservations
- Calculates travel time between stops
Cabin’s for Camping
You don’t need an RV to enjoy camping. Renting a cabin is also a great option, especially for beginners. Depending on the campground, most offer single or multi-bedroom cabins with basic amenities. There are cabin’s just as luxurious as hotels, and some spacious enough for a family of 20 or more.
One of the advantages of cabin renting is that it’s little to no work on your part. No setting up tents or preparing an RV, just check in and enjoy camp life! There is a lot of planning to be done when you’re camping by RV or tent. As I mentioned previously, finding the right tent, locating campgrounds, etc. are all steps to be considered. Cabin renting on the other hand, takes most of the planning and prep work away. As such, this might be ideal for those with smaller children.
Activities for Kids
There are so many activities to do with kids on a camping trip. Fishing, hiking, and canoeing are a few of the most popular activities. Other ideas include scavenger hunts, fireside storytelling, collecting then painting rocks and stargazing.
Don’t forget the s’mores: marshmallows, Hershey bar, and graham crackers. Toasting takes on a whole new meaning when done with a stick. Warm and gooey, no camping trip is complete without them.
No matter which route you take, camping is a nice getaway and a sure way to make lasting memories.
