If you were following along and watching my stories on IG during the weeks leading up to our camping trip, you might have caught my over-planning tendencies. I was worried about a few things but mainly the weather and keeping warm at night since I was camping in a tent for the first time and temperatures were dropping to mid-forties. In the end, I cannot tell you how much fun we had! My favorite part ended up being the very thing I was worried about the most – there is something magical about sleeping within nature’s sounds and beautiful night lights! Plus, nothing like camping in the fall. Put camping on your bucket list if you have yet to go!
Location
We camped at Westmoreland Park in Montross Virginia. And I highly recommend it! The campsite sits on the Potomac River’s Northern Neck. You don’t have immediate water views but you hit Fossil Beach at the end of the hiking trails. There are plenty of campgrounds and cabins – and some cabins might have water views which would be beautiful. During the summer, you can enjoy an Olympic-sized swimming pool. There is also a nice meeting hall overlooking the views of the Potomac River and it just so happens a wedding was going on while we were there.
We booked fairly late in the season and weren’t able to book a camp site with electric or water hookup. But we were just fine! We were able to do anything and everything without electricity. For our phones, we had portable chargers and used the cars a few times. If you would rather have a campsite with electric or water hookup, be sure to reserve early in the season.
And of course, there are also bathrooms with showers on site.
Gear
I scoured Pinterest for camping trip packing lists. You will find multiple lists depending on the season and your camping accommodations. For example, tent vs. cabin camping requires different items. Or fall vs. summer camping requires different items.
Essentials for tent camping are:
1. Tent
We love ours! It is an 11-person tent so it has plenty of room and insulates us well.
2. Well-insulated Sleeping Bag
I was extremely comfortable and toasty in this one. I bought the kids a different brand that did not keep them warm enough so theirs got returned and ordering more of mine.
3. Air Bed
These are your best friends! They make sleeping so much more comfortable and insulate the body from the cold ground. We got two queen-sized air beds.
4. Camping Tea Kettle
This was a hit! We loved our open-fire tea kettle. Water boiled quickly and nothing beats a warm cup of coffee or tea first thing in the morning.
5. Lantern
While compact, this has a lot of light power and different lighting settings. You can hold as a lantern or can hang it from your tent ceiling.
6. Cooler
Make sure you have a cooler or two for your perishable foods. Our friends had the Yeti cooler and they swear by it!
7. Cooking Items
You can cook open fire for which you will need a cast-iron skillet with a grate. Or you can bring a camp stove. We did open fire cooking.
Grate
Skillet
Camp Stove
8. Body Warmers
I ended up having to use these at night for the girls to keep their hands and feet warm. Do not apply directly on skin. You can layer between socks or multiple gloves.
9. Flash Lights
We got these compact ones and they had amazing light power to them.
10. Storage Bins
We packed most our items in clear plastic bins. These were easy to rummage through because they are clear and kept things well organized – kitchen items, gear, etc.
11. First-aid Kit
No introductions needed for this one but found this kit on Amazon.
Activities
How silly of me to think that we would be bored! It is the opposite. Between outdoor play, hiking, s’mores, the day flew by. Don’t over pack too much in this area because you will be surprised how kids end up entertaining themselves just being outdoors. One thing we will be sure to do next time is pack up the bikes.
Meals
We camped with another family and we divided up meal duty. We were there for just the weekend and kept the menu simple. Breakfast: eggs, bagels/cream cheese, turkey bacon. Lunch: Hot dogs and burgers. Dinner: Grilled chicken and veggies. And plan to have on-the-go snacks.
Tips
1. Know in advance about campsite amenities. You might not need to take hand soap for example if the bathrooms onsite provide them.
2. Keep checking on the weather conditions to make last minute adjustments if needed. Rain in the forecast? Take those ponchos or rain jackets! And a tent tarp for extra protection.
3. Your clothes will smell like smoke. Your clothes may get muddy and dirty. You are outdoors after all so have a backup for everything including your outer layers (jackets/coats) and hiking boots/shoes.
4. Make sure you have DRY firewood. The location had some on site but they leave them out and they were damp. We had the hardest time starting fires the entire weekend.
5. Decorate your tent. We added pixie lights and it was magical at night.
6. Use the restrooms right before bed 🙂 You will not want to get up in the middle of the night and walk out to the restrooms after you got warm and toasty.
7. Bring a door/floor mat to place right outside your tent to wipe your feet before stepping in.
8. Bring moccasins (winter/fall) or flip-flops (summer) to walk around your tent instead of your outside shoes.
9. Start your packing early. Use clear stackable bins and label them for easy organization.
10. Bring extra batteries for all your electric gear.
I hope this was helpful and gets you excited for your family camping trip! Let me know if you have any questions below.
