Family camping can be a fun experience for you and your children but it can also be stressful for parents. Living without the conveniences of home for any amount of time can be quite challenging, especially with young children. Here are some tips other parents have shared that will, hopefully, make your next family camping trip more enjoyable.
From ATM-Mom:
This one is kind of a cooking/camping tip. Crack a dozen or so eggs into a plastic bottle shaped container and put it in the cooler. By the time you get to your destination, the eggs will be shaken enough for scrambled eggs! Just pour them into your frying pan in the morning. You won't have to worry about them breaking and you probably pay less at your local supermarket than the small store in town.
From Alicia:
Take along a handful of super strong rubber bands. If we have a water spigot at our site I'll use the rubber bands to attach a pump soap bottle to the spigot post. Then it keeps the soap off the ground and easy to access for hand- or dish-washing. Rubber bands always come in handy - pull up your hair, keep utensils together, etc.
Ziplock Bags:
The zip locks bags come in handy for lots of things when camping; good for keeping matches dry. I would also mix up pancake mix in the bags then all I had to do was add water to it and mix-then I would unzip it just enough to let out batter for pancakes. - Marsha
If you can get those big, 2 gallon ziplock freezer bags from the Dollar Store, they are good for packing clothes. We used them for underwear and socks. You can use one for each person, then pack them in a suitcase or whatever you put the other clothes in. They keep clothes dry in case of rain or dew, plus you can push out all the air and they don't take up much room. AND, they keep things organized. Nice for us with 4 males in the family; all their socks and underwear tend to look alike, so this tip keeps them all separate. - Barbara
Sleeping Bag Zippers:
WD-40 will lubricate sleeping bag zippers so they close much easier. - Barbara
A lead pencil will work on the zipper if you forget the WD-40. - Marsha
Removing Sap:
At a pinch peanut butter will remove sap, sticky marks etc. - Hanan
WD-40 removes sap from trees that gets on your hands. It also removes tar. - Barb
From Regis:
If you can still get the "strike anywhere" Ohio Blue Tip matches in your area...get a box of them and dip all the tips in wax. That gives them a thin coating of waterproofing. The tips stay dry and lighting is never a problem.