We're back from out big camping trip

[Ali]

I tried to be a good sport about it and think happy thoughts. But I *really* didn't like it. {sigh}

I was cold both nights. I hate to be cold. Hate, hate, hate it! It started raining the second night about 7:30 and continued until about 8am. We didn't get wet, but everything was muddy and dirty. Oh, and don't forget the raccoons! Yehaw :rolleyes: We were home at 9:30 Sunday.

My biggest complaints (now that we've done it) are . . . .

We can't fit all our crap in one vehicle. Sleeping bags take up a lot of space! LOL We had a dog crate, three coolers, three bikes, two tents, chairs, etc. We have an extended SUV (although not as long as a Suburban) and dh's pickup. Both vehicles were crammed full. We could put some stuff on top on the Envoy. I just need to pack better/different.

Which brings me to my next complaint. I took to much stuff. The crockpot food was nice, but it took up to much room. I didn't listen to you all, either, and took kid fruit drinks and bottled water. They didn't care, and hardly any got drank. We do have one of those collapsible water thingies, but seriously, do you drink warm water from it or what? LOL In other words, how do you keep the water cold?

Towels for showering and the pool, another huge waste. I'm a bit weird about my towel, it needs to be mine and not shared or touching other people's stuff. But as far as I know, I am the only one with this problem :-P Next time I'm taking one towel per person for the whole weekend.

If we do this again, and we are talking about going rustic in August, my goal will be to have everything packed into one vehicle. I still don't get the food thing, though. How can we take enough for 4 people (this time we had 7) for three days, including beer ;-) , without using coolers and ice and smashing the bread?

Also, this site was only 30 minutes from out house. Remember how we are 20 minutes from everything? LOL So there wasn't even that much to do there, other than swim, that we can't do here. No site seeing, no different scenery, or wildlife. It was a bit boring.

Yesterday I spent all day cleaning up putting away. All day. I told dh if we do this again, we need to do it differently. I just can't do that again. And it's not like I was doing it all, he had stuff to clean up and put up as well. I'm sure, once we get stuff set up, it will be easier. {sigh} The whole weekend just wasn't any fun for me.

[jump4joy]

I'm sorry you didn't have the greatest time. Sometimes it takes awhile to get into the swing of things, and rain always makes it harder (and messier!!).

If you're interested, here's how I pack for four people (it all fits in the back of my mini-van, with no cargo carrier or anything extra:


Tent+tent poles in stuff sack
Three tarps, folded flat
4 Sleeping bags, in stuff sacks
2 inflatable mattresses + foot pump
1 tupperware bin with dishes, utensils, pots, pans, dishtowels, potholders, tablecloth, etc.
1 tupperware bin with matches, ax, newspaper for firestarter, flashlights, spare batteries, sunscreen, bug spray, playing cards, emergency whistles (I make kids wear around their neck if playing in woods)
1 Coleman 2-burner camp stove + propane
4 camp chairs, in sacks
Collapsible water jug, filled up (yes, we drink it warm)
1 duffel bag with jackets, hats, gloves, wool socks, rain jackets, etc.
1 suitcase with all of our clothes
1 medium cooler with: Milk, eggs, pancake batter, hot dogs, mayo, mustard, catsup (in small squeeze bottles), butter, syrup, fruit and veggies (cut up and bagged if I have time), cheese, lunch meat, and beer + 1 soda for each kid.
2 cloth grocery sacks with oatmeal packets, bread, tortillas, cans of beans, jar of spaghetti sauce, graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, hot dog buns, cereal, PB & J, and any other snacks we're bringing
If we're going to the beach, I throw in a beach bag with swimsuits, goggles, sunscreen, and towels.
If we have room, I throw in extra blankets and pillows, plus the kids bring a small bag with games, toys, stuffed animals, etc.

Bikes go on the bike rack on the back.

When we get home, I can unpack the car in about 30 minutes. Everything from the dish bin goes in the dishwasher. If anything has gotten wet, I hang it out to dry. Clothes and towels go through the wash, and it all gets packed away again. I think the trick is to having most of this stuff packed up already (like my dish bin, which I filled with stuff from thrift stores, I don't take anything out of our kitchen). So, already packed is my dish bin, my camping bin, the duffel bag with coats, the beach bag, and all of the camping stuff is assembled on a shelf in the garage. I only have to pack up the suitcase with clothes and the food and we can go on an hour or two notice.

Like I said before, I keep food simple. Pancakes, oatmeal, cereal for breakfasts, sandwiches for lunch with fruits and veggies, dinner is pasta, hot dogs, and burritos. Same menu every time. I fill up water bottles for drinking, you can keep them in the cooler if you have extra room. The kids each get one soda per camping trip. I don't bring a lot of junk or a lot of extras. The kids look forward to the s'mores, which we only do while camping.

[Kari]

(((Ali)))

We used to freeze one-gallon jugs of water & use them both for keeping food in the cooler cold (big block of ice takes longer to thaw than smaller ice packs....) and for getting drinks of cold water if we wanted (pour out the thawed water into a cup to drink).

(ETA - Wanted to add that I generally drink my water at room temperature anyway, however, so the lukewarm water that wasn't kept in the cooler was fine with me....)

I hate being cold, too. I can't remember if you had a therma-rest type pad for under your sleeping bag? I got one when I had to spend a few nights in a tent for an fundraising walk I did a couple of years ago. You can find them inexpensively at campmor.com or at Target. They have the double bonus of giving a more comfortable surface for sleeping and for keeping you off the cold ground, as well.