Okay here's the thing. Personally I hate camping. But its affordable, my DH and the midgets love it so am seriously outnumbered. So I need to learn how to pack everything, without taking the kitchen sink along too...and yet still not forget whatever weenie item it is that is highly important. Like rope. We went camping this spring and ended up taking both the SUV AND the F150 just because I hate being unprepared. We have a two room tent and a screen tent but because the baby is only 4 months old then we have all this other crap (at least there's no bottles). So what is the BARE minimum that I need to take? and how on EARTH do you pack those coolers with the meat without it thawing out by the second day and leaking all over the place? Do I just pre-freeze the steaks in marinades or something? Are hamburgers feasible because they always thaw out on me by about the middle of day two. I usually have about 3 days notice before my husband decides that he wants to go camping but if I have everything already in one place - then theoretically it should only take me a few hours to throw it all into the truck right?
Ok quick question...how long do you guys go camping? Get in place Friday night and pull out Sunday morning? For that, even with an infant, your packing list can be incredibly short.
3 or 4 days? Thats a breeze. I think the one thing you need to keep in mind is that you wont be primitive camping. You'll be doing car camping. So when it comes to food you can just make quick runs to the nearest mini mart or super market. But you should need a tent, sleeping bags, a light or lights (I like the coleman propane lamps), a small collapsible table (say 2' x 4'), utensils, matches, a propane stove, two pots (one for cooking, one to use as a wash basin) a pan, a folding chair or two, a rubber mallet, some sort of bow saw, maybe a light ax, a knife or two, 1st aid kit, a 5 gallon water container, and a cooler filled with ice for the food. You should be able to pack that and the babys stuff quickly and eaisly in the back of a truck. Now you wanna get more complicated, Id add a second cooler packed full of ice. The meats and milk should last if oyu pack em in enough ice between the two coolers. Oh and youll need to bring more water with you if you are making formula. But I have a better idea, tell hubby that with an infant, he needs to take a break from camping or go with out you. Camping with an infant can be a major hassel and honestly, its not worth it to me. YOu cant really enjoy it at that stage of the game.
Meats can stay good for 3 or 4 days, depending on the type of meat - and if you pack it frozen, you've got an extra day. I always left the hot dogs and lunch meats for the last day, and ate/cooked the steaks and burgers the first two days.
Dry Ice anyone?? Camping with infants can be good. But it's better with an extended family camping trip. My daughter was 5 weeks on her first camping trip if even that. But we were with his parents and sister. I would take a smaller cooler for the meat with dry ice in it and make sure it is an awesome cooler. We have one that will keep ice for 3 or 4 days without refilling. And a larger one for milk, juice, mayo, lunch meat, and so on. And possibly another smaller one for pop and water so that you can open it a lot and not let so much cool out of the food chests.
One thing I do when I go camping is that I have one cooler set aside just for meat and other food that needs to stay cold and I open it as little as possible. The ice can last quite a while if you have a good cooler and don't open it very often. Take another ice chest for drinks or other food that will be consumed quickly with lots of opening and closing of the cooler.
I've never used dry ice - wouldn't even know where to buy it. So, I can't comment on that. But, definately use different coolers for the different uses - that's a given. And if you can find a spot that's always shady, that's the best place for the coolers. If not, you just have to keep rotating them around the campsite.
oooo thanks!! I was wondering if it wasn't our cooler that was the problem. But we were opening it an awful lot. Hmmm....pack them better next time Actually the baby is the least of my worries. I breastfeed (its amazing how when you breastfeed anything above your shoulders cease to exist for men) and babywear (aka - sling/hiking pack). She happily ate an ant last time. Oh ya as to the store or mini mart. We live waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy out in the boondocks. Seriously. As in moose standing on our doorstep, nearest town 45 minutes away, deer so uncaring about hunters they walk right past us when gardening boondocks. The house we lived in last year had no water and no furnace so I had to pack wood and melt snow on the wood stove (which is NOT the norm, our landlords suckered us). It was fun. But luckily we did have 10 feet of snow then so in hindsight all that snow was a blessing. I moved out here a city girl and am now comfortable doing things you wouldn't even dream people still do. I can even butcher, wrap and package up meat on my own on my kitchen table.
I had no problems with the idea of taking the baby camping. The hubby was the one who was freaking out about it. And now, it's been 5 years since we've been out. I really miss it.
Well this IS the tourist's dream place out here and if your kid is about 5 and my kid is about 3 they would have a great time playing together Its always more fun going camping with other people.
He's actually 4, we didn't camp when I was pregnant, either. But, I'm certain they would get along. We always went camping with another couple. They have two kids. But, they're teens now and probably not so interested in camping anymore.
Sure I'm not too particularly paranoid about telling people where we live. Mainly because they would never be able to find our place without serious directions. We live in Alberta just beside the BC border. British Columbia is the province on the western side ...*snicker* We are around Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway. Sorry I couldn't help but have a bit of fun with that. Perfect hunting and fishing country. My husband is in nervana living out here.
I keep two sets of kit. One is man portable and one is not. The non-man portable kit is what I would use in your situation. I keep everything short of the tent, tables, coolers, and chairs in large plastic totes and then plastic or metal boxes within the totes. That way everything stacks easily for storage and it can be laid out and tied down with netting in the bed of the truck. Doing it that way allows me to pack food, ice, batteries, and then I'm out the door. I like keeping it simple that way because camping, at least to me, isn't fun if there's a lot of hassle. For me, camping is all about sitting around the fire with folks I care about with my feet propped up on rocks in front of the fire. Every piece of kit has got to aid in accomplishing that or it doesn't go. Outside of that, I can't really expand on what frontline and others have said, especially about opening and closing coolers.
If I'm derailing the thread I'll shut up, but I've gone completely the opposite direction in "camping." A couple weekends back I went to Maui for the weekend on a motorcycle, with just a messenger bag and a small rucksack for the weekend. And I sorta want to try it again soon without the ruck. Just a shaving kit, the clothes on my back, and a pair of shorts, T-shirt, and slippers (flip-flops). Of course I sleep in a hotel and eat in restaurants, so you really can't call it camping. Shit, maybe I'll try it a third time and go with the clothes on my back, a toothbrush, deodorant and toothpaste.
You're right, that aint no where near camping. At best its day hiking. In your case, if you are parking and just walking trails, but are getting far enough from the road way, then besides the clothes on my back Id carry some sort of day pack or satchel or bag with the following: Whistle, 'space blanket', multi tool or knife, compass, water, matches / fire starter, tinder (I.e. cotton dipped in wax), a mirror, and a few energy bars. Chances are, besides the water, you wont need a damned one of those things. However if you screw up it will be pretty damned important to have those things. It also doesnt hurt to let someone know where you are going and when you plan to check in with them. It may seem excessive for day hiking, but it wont be if you wind up in a bad situation and no way to get yourself out of it.
That's what my wife calls "camping". When I was in high school and college, my friends and I would go "camping" with only what we could carry in our army surplus fanny packs. These days, I'm like Elwood. I pack my truck to the gills with stuff to make the trip as comfortable as possible.
My mother-in-law, too. And, strangely enough, everyone said that's what they thought of me!(?) But, I love camping. I love waking up to the sounds of nature. I love sleeping in the cool night air (even if surrounded by a tent). I love being outside all day. I even have a camp-shower (don't even go to a campground that has regular showers), and cook over a wood fire - only use the coleman for coffee in emergencies, like if it's raining.
