Our family just took our first camping trip last weekend and we had a great time. We just took a quick overnight to Cunningham Falls (MD) where we did a little hiking, visited a nearby zoo, and climbed the falls.
I actually think we managed pretty well considering we had no idea what we were doing! But from wandering around the campgrounds and seeing how the more experienced campers were doing things, we realized we had a lot of questions. Since our fellow DISers are so knowledgeable about everything else, I was hoping some people here might be able to help us out with a few of our camping questions. Would anyone mind steering us in the right direction?
1) Fire - ok, we got it started but couldn't keep it going. I am pretty sure that we were not using enough wood or large enough logs. We started with just charcoal for grilling dinner, but when we moved to wood, the fire would catch and then just die within a few minutes. We didn't have any big logs, just small branches. Do we need bigger logs? A starter log like for fireplaces? Or is there something else we should be doing?
2) We did quick and dirty meals since we were only eat breakfast and dinner. But waking up to cold bagels on a chilly morning while everyone else had a fire going for hot breakfast clued us in there was definitely better choices! Can anyone give us breakfast suggestions? We didn't have a grill this time (just the one over the fire pit) but we will probably buy one of those portable grills with a flat grill pan if we can find one.
3) Dishes - we used paper for our two meals. But it seems like for a longer period maybe we'd be better off using real plates and washing them? But how do you wash your dishes? Our campgrounds didn't allow dishwashing in the sinks so presumably you'd use the pumps? Our neighbors seemed to have a big tub filled with soapy water they were using. Is that how it is normally done?
4) Sleeping pads - We put down some blankets at the bottom of the tent under our sleeping bags, but we definitely need more padding next time (at least DH and my creaky bones do, kids seemed to do fine). Should I just get some of those inflatable mats that go under each person's sleeping bag? Is there a "best kind" to get? Or something else better?
Sorry for so many questions, we just don't have anyone else to ask. We really enjoyed camping and hope to go again next summer for longer. We appreciate any tips you guys have! Thanks everyone! JJ
I actually think we managed pretty well considering we had no idea what we were doing! But from wandering around the campgrounds and seeing how the more experienced campers were doing things, we realized we had a lot of questions. Since our fellow DISers are so knowledgeable about everything else, I was hoping some people here might be able to help us out with a few of our camping questions. Would anyone mind steering us in the right direction?
1) Fire - ok, we got it started but couldn't keep it going. I am pretty sure that we were not using enough wood or large enough logs. We started with just charcoal for grilling dinner, but when we moved to wood, the fire would catch and then just die within a few minutes. We didn't have any big logs, just small branches. Do we need bigger logs? A starter log like for fireplaces? Or is there something else we should be doing?
2) We did quick and dirty meals since we were only eat breakfast and dinner. But waking up to cold bagels on a chilly morning while everyone else had a fire going for hot breakfast clued us in there was definitely better choices! Can anyone give us breakfast suggestions? We didn't have a grill this time (just the one over the fire pit) but we will probably buy one of those portable grills with a flat grill pan if we can find one.
3) Dishes - we used paper for our two meals. But it seems like for a longer period maybe we'd be better off using real plates and washing them? But how do you wash your dishes? Our campgrounds didn't allow dishwashing in the sinks so presumably you'd use the pumps? Our neighbors seemed to have a big tub filled with soapy water they were using. Is that how it is normally done?
4) Sleeping pads - We put down some blankets at the bottom of the tent under our sleeping bags, but we definitely need more padding next time (at least DH and my creaky bones do, kids seemed to do fine). Should I just get some of those inflatable mats that go under each person's sleeping bag? Is there a "best kind" to get? Or something else better?
Sorry for so many questions, we just don't have anyone else to ask. We really enjoyed camping and hope to go again next summer for longer. We appreciate any tips you guys have! Thanks everyone! JJ