Five Pro Tips for Tear-Free Camping with Kids

Hi, I’m Nic,  a father of two young girls and the founder of Xscape Pod, a Portland based company specializing in camping gear rentals and trip planning. If you’re like me and my wife, you enjoyed camping as a kid or young adult- you recall it being a care-free magical adventure back to nature with waterfall swimming and nighttime star-gazing. Fast forward a few years and the thought of camping with your kids induces a slight panic attack complete with hives and you searching for a paper bag to breathe into. I’m kidding of course, but taking on the task of planning and executing a successful camping trip can be overwhelming to some parents, especially those with young kids. Fear not, here are our top five pro tips to ensure a stress free family camping trip this summer.  

Tip #1: Find the Perfect Campsite

As you may already know, booking a campsite can be challenging. Reserving a national or state park campground site in the PNW on recreation.gov or reserveamerica.com is where most people go, but these sites are cumbersome to navigate and this time of year most in-demand campgrounds are booked solid. If you’re striking out, try these websites that often have great last minute sites- hipcamp.com and KOA.com. Both platforms let you search by drive time distance from Portland and amenities such as bathrooms, showers, pet friendly, and so on. These are our go-to campsite booking platforms for the busy summer months. 

Tip #2: The Company You Keep

This may seem obvious, but camping with other families with children around the same age as yours helps to ensure everyone is on the same page. If your two year-old decides that the middle of the campsite is a perfect place for a 10 minute tantrum you’ll at least be met with sympathetic eyes from your camping compatriots. Same goes for accommodating nap times, mealtimes and bedtimes. It’s always nice when the group has a similar schedule and expectations for the trip. 

Tip #3: Preplan & Prepare Your Meals

To take the stress out of meal time we recommend preparing meals in-advance. Our favorites include tinfoil dinners by preparing freshly chopped vegetables in a double wrapped tinfoil packet complete with your favorite pre-cooked protein. Some great tinfoil dinner recipes can be found here. We also like to prepare our morning meals ahead of time too by pre-making breakfast burritos. Simply wrap up your favorite burrito ingredients like eggs, bacon and cheese into soft tortilla shells, wrap in tinfoil and place them into a gallon ziploc bag.  When it’s breakfast time, put tinfoil burritos over indirect campfire or camp stove heat for 5 minutes and viola, breakfast burritos for the troop! Other handy prepacked favorites include fresh veggies and dips, Hebrew National hotdogs and Nature Valley granola bars and of course, s’mores. 

Tip #4: Navigating Naptime

For the youngest of campers naptime is essential to EVERYONE’s enjoyment. Our favorite move is to do as much driving as possible during naptime. We have our best luck when leaving home right before naptime after the kids have eaten lunch to ensure at least 1-2 hours of quality rest before arriving to camp. If naptime needs to happen while at camp, be sure to set up your tent and a cozy sleeping space first so it’s ready when needed. Ideally, choose a location out of the sun and midday heat. 

Tip #5: The Right Equipment

Most families here in the Northwest have at least some camping equipment. A great way to find additional camping equipment without a bank-breaking trip to REI is to ask friends and family if you can borrow their gear. Facebook is a great network resource to find gear. Alternatively, if you’re looking for an affordable turnkey solution, Xscape Pod rents family camping kits and has several handy add-ons like child carriers for hiking, sunshades, picnic table highchairs and more. Visit XscapePod.com for more info or call 971-599-6025 for help planning your next trip. 

Finally, we’d be remiss not to remind you that deciding to get out in nature with your kids is a win in itself.  Every trip won’t be perfect, but your kids will remember these times and appreciate the bonding experiences you’re sure to have. Now get out there and make some memories!