Gearing Up to Go Camping With Kids

INSIDE: GEARING UP TO GO CAMPING WITH KIDS WAS SO FUN, SEE HOW WE DO IT!!

Yes, yes we are crazy!! We decided to go camping with the kids!

Spring break is approaching and we need to figure this out! Summer vacations are not something we can participate in because of my husband’s job. Sooooo we do the next best thing, get away for Spring break!! One time it was Disney, another time was a trip to Arizona to see Dad and step-mom (Grand Canyon was a bonus!), then there was the time we surprised the kids with Great Wolf Lodge…you get the idea.

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This year Spring Break is really close to hubby’s BIG birthday so we are able to ‘kill 2 birds with 1 stone.’ He has been BEGGING me to go camping but I’ve been holding off for several reasons.

The girls are scared to death of every bug that ever lived. If one of them is ok with one bug….the other runs away screaming like a mass murderer is chasing her.
They are creatures of habit. Sleeping posed a problem, as they like white noise. Going to bed around the same time, waking up at the same time, and being comfy….
I’m old and sleeping on the ground does not seem like something that is going to help my crinkly hips and bad back.
Too hot or too cold…..can’t handle either….so we needed the perfect time of year.

We have finally made all of the above possible. We decided Spring Break at a SC mountain lake would be perfect. And someone suggested that we document our journey….so this is the beginning of our camping adventure……

Figure out what we already have

My husband is an avid outdoors man so he has a LOT of the necessary equipment. Tents, sleeping bags, burners, lanterns, etc….

One night after work, my husband and son brought all of the camping stuff into the kitchen and we unloaded EVERY.SINGLE.THING. We had to open it, make sure it worked, and of course…..some things did not work. I made a list of the things we needed to replace and the things we “wanted” more of.

AMAZON SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG……this was so fun! So here is the list of what we needed to buy (whether replacing what we had to throw away or just needed extra stuff)

Because the girls will need their own sleeping bags, anything to keep them out of ours!

Hiking backpack for mama….it also has a built in water jug with tube (although I think other liquids would go better in there)

I think this is going to be a game changer….

Can be used as flashlights or hang in the tent like a light fixture.

Pink ones for the girls, a blue one for dad and mom and
Liam get stuck with the old gray ones.

We have a set but they are starting to chip….so we upgraded to strong plastic set. And since there are 5 of us…..we will bring the other set too.

This will make it so we don’t have a trashy mess….it will also help during backyard parties….

To charge phones….blow up air mattresses, plug in a fan

When you want to be close to the fire but need a table to play cards on.

This thing is HUGE!!! Pretty sure 3 queen size air mattresses will fit in here.

Receive, open, and play with our new stuff

I realized as I was video taping the opening of all the goodies that we needed a selfie stick….to be able to document this “fun” adventure, of course. I went to Amazon again, DUH!