Taking a camping family vacation is a great way to bond with your kids and distract them from their everyday activities and technology, such as watching television or playing video games. Spending time in the outdoors will help improve your family member's happiness and health, reads the article titled "City Stresses Importance of Outdoors," written by Lauren Weber for the Granite Bay Press Tribune in Roseville, California. Simple tricks make camping an affordable vacation without compromising fun activities or time to fully enjoy the trip.
Step 1
Pack only the essentials. Make a preliminary list of all the things you want to bring on your camping trip and then eliminate things that you wont need. Its important to remember that when you go camping you will have a lot to do by simply exploring your campsite and nearby hiking trails. Leave any electronic devices at home and prepare to enjoy nature. The lighter you pack the less weight you will add to the car and you will get better mileage, which will save you money on gas.
Step 2
Include in your list all the food you will need for the trip. The more you plan your meals the less money you will spend on eating out at your campsite or having to buy food at a store that may be more expensive than your regular grocery store. Bring your own cooking utensils and camping stove to cook your food and also pack snacks that you can take with you while you are hiking.
Step 3
Contact your department of parks and recreation to ask for any incentives or special deal on family campgrounds. An example is how the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation offers free camping on Friday and Saturday nights in the months of July and August to families who join the Urban Park Rangers.
Step 4
Take bags to put your dirty clothes in and wash them at home. Coin-operated laundry machines in campsites can be expensive, especially if you need to use the dryers.
Step 5
Choose sites that are close to where you live to save on gas money. You don't always need to go far away to find fun and exiting places to camp and adventure, do research on what is available in the vicinity of where you live.
Step 6
Camp using a tent as opposed to renting a cabin. Most campsites have very affordable prices for tent sites and it offers a more adventurous vacation opportunity for your family.
Tips and Warnings
- Let your children become involved in the entire process of camping, from packing to setting up the tent and tearing it down. This will make them great traveling partners and will teach them camping skill they will be happy to have learned for future explorations.
Things You'll Need
- Campsite close to home
- Food
- Packing list with essentials
- Tent
Member Comments