Tips from a reluctant camper

This summer we went camping with my friend Michelle and her 2 boys. We have been camping with them at least once a summer for the last few years. The notable thing about this is that if I were to pick someone least likely to be on a camping trip with me, Michelle would have been high on my list. Michelle and I met in college and while we have lots in common - art, travel, science - camping was not one of them! But parenting changes you and she has 2 boys who love to be outside so she has embraced camping for their sake. She also has a unique perspective on how to make camping simpler!

You can watch her describe her tips on our youtube channel

Here are her tips for making camping easier

Tip #1: Don't do the dishes at your camp site

What?? I would have never in a million years thought of this! But it is a great tip if dishwashing is what stops you from getting out the door, take a tip from Michelle. Buy a lot of light weight dishes (she got hers from the dollar store) and toss them in a bin as you use them. Once you get home, put them all in the dishwasher. Brilliant!

Tip #2: Block ice lasts longer than cubed ice

This one is a staple in our camping inventory. If you are going for a long time (or even just a hot weekend) and use coolers to keep your food cold, block ice is the way to go. You can buy block ice in many grocery stores, that's what we do, but Michelle has taken it up a notch and made her own by freezing water in jugs. Bonus, they can drink the water once they don't need the ice!

Tip #3: Find places for your stuff

This seems really obvious but our family camped for years without making much of an effort to find a place for the clothes, etc we bring on the trip. Once we did a major organizing effort - wow! We were faster out the door and happier on the trip. You can find some amazing ideas on the internet for how to keep yourself organized. If you have a pop-up camper (or even if you don't) I have gotten lots of tips from The Popup Princess who has a blog about popup camping and tips and modifications for making your popup better organized, among other things.

Tip #4: Bring some comforts from home

Maybe you sleep best on a certain pillow or love a specific coffee in the morning. If it helps you feel more comfortable and happy to be camping, bring it!

What are your best camping tips and hacks for making your camping experience easier?