If you love camping and opened this article, then it’s safe to assume that you’re planning a family outing soon, right? That’s great! Few experiences are as fun and great for bringing the family together like spending a night or two sleeping under the stars, making breakfast over a campfire, and taking in the beauty of natural open spaces far from daily life. You should, however, remember that there’s a lot to prepare for, especially if you’re bringing kids with you.

If that’s the case, then you’ve come to the right family camping checklist. We’ll tell you about all the necessary things for camping from the moment you leave your driveway to when you close the car door and drive back home. The truth is that packing up for a family camping trip, while needing to double check a couple of things, is not as daunting as it looks, and you’ll be able to adapt this list to better suit your needs. Ready now? Let’s check it out!

Base camp

Tent: You don’t want to be sleeping directly under the stars, do you? Get a tent that’s spacious enough for the whole family if you have kids, or a separate one if they’re older teens. Make sure to also bring your tent pegs, mallet, and windbreak to set it up properly.

Sleeping bags: One for each family member, of course, while resistant and warm enough to let you sleep comfortably through the night. Bring along a pillow for each person as well, since you’ll find the floor a little uncomfortable in comparison.

Airbed and pump: If sleeping bags are not your thing, bring a large airbed and enough blankets to accommodate everyone. If space becomes an issue within a single tent, you’ll probably need to bring along two sets of each, one for each parent and a group of kids. The air pump is a basic since you’ll never manage to inflate on your own; a mechanical one will take some more effort, but you won’t risk draining all the juice from your car like with an electric one.

Tent awning, carpet, doormat, and dustpan: These are all together because they serve a similar function, which is keeping the inside of your tent super clean (don’t you wish it was that easy in real life?). An awning will help you keep the morning dew away from your tent, further protecting you from humidity or rain; a doormat will keep the dirt clinging to your shoes from going in, while the dustpan and brush will help you take out any straggling soil. Finally, the rug will protect the floor of your tent from pebbles or other rough objects that could damage it, making it unusable.

Camp clothing and personal hygiene basics

Shoes and boots: Always bring proper footwear on your camping trips. If you plan on hiking, a sturdy pair of outdoorsy boots are a must. Wellingtons are also good to have in case the soil or the area itself are a little humid.

An outfit for each day: We’re talking shorts, t-shirts, socks, underwear, and pants. Jumpers and coats can be worn repeatedly, but you don’t want to carry around the same sweaty clothes on you for the entirety of your stay, right?

Weather-appropriate accessories: Sun hats, rain gear, bathing suits, snowshoes, etc.

Toiletries: Liquid and bar soap, shampoos or shower gels, deodorant, toothpaste and brush, toilet paper, lots of sunscreen, a comb or brush.

First-aid kit: Not exactly part of your clothes or toiletries, but you can store this in the same place. Make sure to cover everything; from bruises and scratches or cuts to headaches, nausea, stomach pains, and more. Any personal medication should be included but stored separately.

Food preparation:

Depending on the length of your stay, you may not need to bring along a super complex cooking setup. If you prepare your meals ahead of time, then you won’t have to worry too much about cooking, just be sure to make food that won’t spoil at room temperature, or bring enough non-perishables to feed everyone. In general, the less you have to handle food directly, the better, so steer clear of complex recipes.

You can probably reduce your load to:

Water carrier, stove, fuel, lighter, plates, mugs, a supply of ingredients (properly stored), non-perishables, emergency rations, cutlery.

Miscellaneous useful camping items

Maps: Always useful, but you have to know how to read it.

Reservation record: If you’re camping at a national park, you might need to show proof that you got permission to do so. Keep these documents safe.

Water filter: For the same reason that you bring emergency rations: You’re not anticipating needing it, but you should be prepared for anything.

Fire extinguisher: Nothing is more dangerous than an out of control fire at a campsite. Keep it at hand, away from the fire.

Umbrella: Not just for the beach. Lets you rest in the shade without having to stay inside the tent all day.

Small shovel: Any good campfire is more than just a couple of sticks and stones thrown together. This will help you set it up and put it out.
Spare tire and car tools: You don’t want to suffer a malfunction with no way to repair it.

Most people know from experience that the teenage and pre-teen years can be particularly hard on the relationship between parents and children. There’s no other point in both of their lives where attitudes and opinions differ more, which leads to defiance, rejection and even outright ridicule.

A preadolescent child is no longer the person they were just a year ago. They are changing at an alarming pace, both emotionally, socially and physically. It can be an overwhelming process, but it’s important to know that at this point, they need you more than ever. It won’t be easy, but knowing how to set a strong parent-child relationship while respecting their autonomy is necessary.

Here’s what you should know as a parent to confront your pre-teen carefully.

Taking their independence as rejection

At this age, your children will start relying more on their social circle for everything instead of their family, including your guidance.

So instead of being angry at their new independence, you should understand that it comes from a distance they create to accommodate more people into their life as they grow older.  

The key is to understand that the pre-teen years are the time when children start to actually have their own secrets, and it’s natural that they should want to keep them away from us. Being too inquisitive —or worse, showing low tolerance or a short temper about this— can alienate them from you. If you push too hard, you risk pushing them away entirely.

Expecting the worst every time

Yes, teenagers all through the ages have a reputation for getting in the worst kind of trouble for little (or no) reason at all, but it’s time to look at the role parents can be playing in this. A Wake Forest University study showed that, when you openly expect teens to partake in risky behavior, they are more likely to do so one year later. That is to say; if you constantly fear that your teens to make a mess of their lives and they pick up on this, they won’t feel that you trust them enough to do any different.

Dr. Richard Lerner, director of the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University, advises parents to focus their attention into their child’s interests and hobbies, reinforcing your positive image of them. After all, a lack of real trust is one of the biggest teenage problems with parents.

Intervening in every little problem

It’s understandable that, as a parent, you want the life of your children to be as free from pain, disappointment, and mistakes as possible, even now that they’re teenagers. The thing is, well, mistakes and disappointment are a big part of life, even for adults! Don’t get us wrong, it is important that you try to teach them how to avoid it where possible, but the world is not going to end because a small problem arose from their own decisions, like a bad haircut, a little love disappointment, or taking ages to clean their room.

This doesn’t mean that you should be.

Ignoring the big problems

No matter the time or age, a parent’s two worst fears when it comes to teenagers are sex and drugs. Each of these subjects is usually part of a “big talk” that we have with our children, but it’s important to know that, even if close together, each teenager develops at their own speed, and we shouldn’t force this information until they are ready.

It’s key that you build a strong foundation with them and that you provide developmentally appropriate information and resources on sexuality, drug abuse and eating disorders instead of relying completely on a “big talk” that comes entirely from you. It will help them know that you have their best interest at heart instead of just denying them something outright.
One thing you should never forget during your children’s tween years is that, well, they won’t last forever! It’s a critical stage, and the way you handle it (and help them cope with it at the same time) will set a foundation for your future relationship that will be hard to change down the line. There’s no real secret on how to be a good parent to a teenager, but knowing hot to communicate is necessary at every step of the way.