Camping: The frugal family vacation

photo by Dano
The world is split between those who camp and those who don’t. I have never figured out the fascination with it. I love nature, hiking, cooking outdoors and being away from it all, but I just can’t get into “roughing” it.
Camping friends have told me that my previous camping experiences weren’t well planned or my trips were too long for a novice camper. I think it’s because I’m fond of bathrooms and showers, and the thought of going behind a shrub doesn’t appeal to me. Yes, I know, I could camp at a campground, in a recreational vehicle or rent a cabin, but once I start considering those options, then I might as well stay home, right?
Glamping, which is a new vacation trend and short for glamorous camping, seems more my speed. Bring on the luxury! At the price glamping trips cost, my husband won’t mention camping again for a while.
Today, readers share camping tips that have me almost convinced to give traditional camping another chance.
GOODBYE, BUGS: Take a small box of dryer sheets. Bugs tend to stay away from them. I stick a few in my sleeping bags and at the entrance of the tent. — Missy, Colorado
CAREFUL PACKING: Don’t pack the tent first, forcing you to unpack the trunk to get to it. If it rains, all your stuff will be soaked while you’re fighting to get to the tent. If you’re going to a place that has comfort stations, bring shower flip-flops to use in there, and don’t set up camp too close to the comfort station. It’s noisy, and it smells. — Shorty, Canada
BE PREPARED: The more you haul, the more comfortable you will be. It’s just a fact of life when camping. If you’re tenting, inflatable mattresses are great. Bring lawn chairs. Picnic tables have no back support and can get really uncomfortable. Keep your food and garbage in your vehicle. Food draws wildlife like a magnet. Block ice is better than cubes because it will last longer. Better yet, freeze clean soda bottles full of water, and, as they defrost, you can drink it or use it for cleaning up. — pkellyc, Connecticut
Bring a camping box for nonperishable kitchen stuff, such as a can opener, dishes, pans, cutlery, dishpan, dishwashing supplies, etc. We just wash everything after we use it, and it all goes back into the box. Don’t forget the antihistamines, bug spray, adhesive bandages, antibacterial soap and pain relievers. Large plastic containers are good for this and rainproof. Bring your own garbage bags. Bring plastic bags for dirty/wet clothes. Use two coolers, one for the food and one for drinks. You don’t want the food cooler opened often. — Kim, e-mail
LET THERE BE FIRE: Find out in advance about firewood. Some camps don’t have any. — Missy, Kentucky
SHAKE IT UP: For scrambled eggs, place the egg mixture in a jar. All you need to do is shake vigorously. — Marcia, Missouri
PRECOOKED PLANNING:
I take things that are already cooked and require some reheating. These are easy enough for kids to help with the cooking. Pancakes warmed in foil next to the coals are a lot easier than trying to mix and cook them. — Lori, Illinois
HELPFUL REMINDERS: Pack flashlights for young children so they aren’t afraid of the dark. Don’t pitch a tent near standing water because of critters. Invest in tarps for the top of your tent and to use as a groundsheet. Pack a small broom to sweep out your tent. — Dina, e-mail
DON’T FORGET: If you’ve recently purchased new gear, give it a test run before your trip. Upon arrival at your campsite, set up the tent first. Don’t wait until dusk. Don’t forget camping etiquette. Keep noise to a minimum after 10 p.m. I learned the hard way that a two-person tent doesn’t fit two people. — Jen, e-mail


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[...] Sara Noel at Frugal Village took on camping tips as her topic for her Sunday newspaper column this week. You’ll find it on page 3E of Sunday’s print and e-editions of The Monroe Evening News, or here at Sara’s web site. [...]
If you were looking for tips on how to make your camping experience more of a glamping experience check out my post at: http://www.rongibson.org/blogs/index.php/2008/08/07/how-to-glamp-up-your-camping-experience
Everyone gets a blob of shampoo on the top of their head before heading to the showers. The shampoo serves as body wash too. You can leave the bars of soap and shampoo at the campsite.
If you forget a wash cloth just use a sock.
I can’t cook at a campsite without an electric skillet. I plug it into site hookup. We cook bacon, hamburgers, weinies, pancakes, potatoes, french toast. Scrub the skillet with a wad of foil.
Walmart sacks are great too. They keep trash around the campsite to a minimum. Fill one without holes with water and wash the picnic table. During walks, everyone gets a sack and polices the area. They are great for dirty clothes from the bathhouse.
Listerine keeps the bugs away. It is an astringent. Everyone takes a paper towel dampened with Listerine when they go to the restroom to wipe the toilet seat. Brush your teeth outside. Swish your mouth with Listerine before brushing and again after brushing. Leave the toothpaste at home.
Crocs are better than flip flops. Crocs from Dollar General do not flip dirt up on the back of your legs.
Debbie, That’s a fabulous idea for the rolling pin.
Charlotte, Thank you for the tips. Great idea using Crocs instead of flip flops.
My husband and I go camping and we rough it a lot, we go usually 4th of July weekend. We go to an RV sales place and buy mothball flakes to use. You spread them on the grass around the campsite, this keeps down the bugs. When we pack out tent, air mattress, blankets, pillows, including clothes we go to pawn shop and buy the big army duffle bags and it all fits inside real well.
We do not precook anything, instead we preslice onions, green peppers, etc and put them in baggies, we put eggs in a gallon milk jug or a large mayo jar. We take old propane tanks the 20 pounders that you can no longer regill, cut them open and turn them into charcoal grills we take two, we put the charcoal or wood inside until we use them. The food we put in coolers.
I have made scrambled eggs, steak with onions and green peppers, etc. and it taste like you made it on the stove, but better. The idea is to let the grill get good and hot before you start cooking. wait 10 minutes. It works like a charm.
We also take chairs, table for cooking etc. This we put on our 3 wheel motorcycles each year and drive 2 hours or more to camp. There are showers and flushing toilets, but also the outhouse type.
We pitch our tent in the shade near the water and never have any problem with bugs. We do not camp near the road because of the dust and noise, plus it is more in the sun.
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