Last weekend, my husband finally convinced me to take our kids camping [1]. He's always loved every aspect of spending a weekend in the great outdoors [2]; I prefer visiting nature during the day, then returning home to my own bed, where two closed doors and several dozen feet separate me and our sleeping children. Our compromise? We'd rent an RV (we found ours through Outdoorsy [3]), bringing our own bathroom, refrigerator, microwave, television, and electricity to a campsite a few hours from home. Also coming along? Our two kids, ages 4 and 7, and our 15-week-old puppy [4]. What could go wrong?
More than we expected, as it turns out (we won't talk about the tow truck we had to call when we made a wrong turn out of the campsite and landed our front right wheel in a ditch). Camping [5], even when you're bringing along the equivalent of a tiny apartment on wheels, requires a lot of work: before, during, and after your trip. I definitely didn't leave the experience a camping enthusiast [6], but I did learn a lot from our family adventure [7], including just how many of my mom friends were also interested in planning an RV trip for their own families. Everyone from my fanciest girlfriends to my most outdoorsy ones seemed intrigued. If you are, too, here's what you need to know before you brave the elements on your own RV camping trip.
Give Yourself Plenty of Prep and Unloading Time
One of the biggest surprises was just how much time it took to load up an RV the day we left. All in, I spent at least four hours getting everything situated: finding nooks and crannies for all our clothes, food and cooking items, games and activities, and toiletries. I consulted this comprehensive packing guide from RV Adventures With Kids [9], which pretty much covers everything you'd possibly need. I could have cut back on the clothing options (we ended up changing clothes once and waiting to shower until we got home), but we used almost everything else we brought. And as desperate as I was for a shower and some space once we got home, we had a deadline to return the RV, so I spent another few hours upon our return unloading and starting the six-plus loads of laundry we'd created (mostly bedding, pillows, and towels).
Expect a Bumpy Ride
I had envisioned a leisurely 3-hour ride to the campsite, with the kids watching a couple of movies while I read a book and perhaps napped in the bed I'd stocked with plenty of fluffy pillows and warm blankets. Um, no. The ride was slow and stressful. We couldn't get the DVD player to work (Figure that one out before you hit the road!), the kids wanted to explore everything, climbing and falling all over and opening the refrigerator and depositing its contents on the floor, and I didn't read a single page or shut my eyes for a minute. On the way home, I had movies at the ready and bribed the kids to stay in one spot during the majority of the drive.
Night With an RV: Still Dark
For some reason, I didn't anticipate that nighttime camping activities would be as difficult with an RV, but they are. Limited space makes prepping or cooking anything inside super annoying, so try to do your chopping and most of your cooking before the sun goes down. And don't forget to pack plenty of flashlights, firewood, lanterns, and candles; you'll need them all if you want to spend time outside after dark, and after a few hours in a camper, believe me, you'll be craving open space.
Plan Meals in Advance
This is not the time to see what looks good in your tiny fridge. Plan your meals in advance (check out these 30 family camping recipes [10] for inspiration), and you get bonus points for bringing ready-to-serve dishes that you can heat up in a slow cooker [11]. Be sure to bring plenty of tin foil and a cast-iron pan if you plan to cook on the fire. We made sausages, pancakes, eggs, burgers, grilled veggies, and s'mores with varying degrees of success. Also, pack a couple of easy-to-serve items like cereal and peanut butter and jelly if you're concerned about cooking everything on an open flame. Don't forget paper plates, bowls, disposable flatware, and plenty of paper towels.
Plan Daytime Activities
The best part of camping with your family is undoubtedly the quality time it gives you, free of the distractions of electronics, toys, and home in general, but little kids can only sit around a fire and chat for so long without getting antsy. Our campsite, in a state park in Wisconsin, included some great hiking trails, a beach with a playground, and a boat and kayak rental area. If you can't find a similar spot, be sure to bring plenty of games and kid-friendly activities that will keep younger kids occupied when Mother Nature just isn't cutting it.