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Camping With Kids: Complete Guide to Car Tent and RV Camping
Learn the basics of family camping from longtime outdoorswoman Goldie Silverman and the legion of experienced kid and parent campers that lent their voices to this authoritative, yet fun and whimsical book. Novice and experienced campers alike will find the tips in Camping with Kids invaluable. Whether car, tent, or RV-camping, you will find everything you need to know from preparing your family for a camping trip, to setting up camp, to what to do if things should go awry. It also tells you how to step beyond car camping into backpacking, canoe touring, and other extended adventures.
- GenresNonfiction
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 1, 2017
Based on the title, I was expecting more details, and specifically about camping with kids. Much of this book is an intro to camping, and seemed written for those who have never camped, with or without kids. It's very anecdotal, based mainly on the personal experiences of the author and her friends. The writing style is a bit amateurish.
Notes
What Do We Need?
Campmor.com for camping gear.
Goose down is lightweight and very warm, so preferred by backpackers. Disadvantage: loses insulating qualities when wet. Duck down is less expensive, but has same problem when wet.
Synthetic, less-expensive materials like Polarguard or Hollofil are heavier than down but stay warm while wet (important if kids wet the bed).
You can make fleece sleeping bags for kids, which dry quickly.
Kids can sleep on tent floor (without mattress) if it's not cold. Or they can sleep on an exercise mat.
Put milk jugs full of frozen water in cooler to keep it cold. Melting ice doesn't get food wet, and water can be used later.
Fire logs (made of compressed sawdust and wax) in campfires burn with less smoke and ash.
Use clips to fasten vinyl tablecloth to picnic table so it doesn't blow around.
Put covers on food trays to keep insects off food.
Dress children in bright colors so you can find them.
Use a big garbage back as a temporary raincoat.
First-Aid Kit
Bottle of water and soap
Tweezers
Antibiotic ointment
Band-Aids
Itch medicine
Scissors
Headache remedy
Pain medicine (e.g., children's Tylenol)
Anti-inflammatory for insect bites (e.g., hydrocortisone)
Hand sanitizer
How Do We Cook in Camp?
Foil packet desserts: apple or pear or peach halves sprinkled with brown sugar, nuts, raisins, cooked on coals for 5-10 mins.
What Should We Do for Fun?
When children have other kids to play with, they hardly need toys, games, or planned activities.
Keep young kids hiking by giving "power pills" (small candies, raisins, etc.).
Bring little cardboard boxes for kids to glue shells, stones, etc. onto.
Use glue to make sand pictures.
Staying Safe, Sound, and Happy
When hiking, wear a bell to scare away bears and other animals. Scare off a bear by making a much noise as possible. Scare off a mountain lion by making yourself as big as possible; raise arms, flap jacket overhead, make noise.
If camping in bear country, remove all food and candy wrappers from pockets before bed. Don't sleep in same clothes you cooked in. Store food 100 yards downwind.
Carry pepper spray, and have children walk between parents.
If a tick's bite seems inflamed, dab with antibiotic ointment. Tuck child's pant legs into socks to keep ticks off skin.
Keep snake venom from traveling by keeping victim calm and quiet, and applying ice between bite and heart, closer to bite.
Give kids whistles in case they get lost. Parents should have them too. Choose a recognizable signal.
Carry brightly-colored tape and use it to mark forks in trails you take, or wooded entrances to trails. If you don't have tape, draw an arrow in the dirt, or make one out of stones.
Teach children if they get lost to sit down and wait, not to run. Tell them it's OK to talk to strangers in this case. Tell them to make themselves big and visible, and show brightest colors.
Notes
What Do We Need?
Campmor.com for camping gear.
Goose down is lightweight and very warm, so preferred by backpackers. Disadvantage: loses insulating qualities when wet. Duck down is less expensive, but has same problem when wet.
Synthetic, less-expensive materials like Polarguard or Hollofil are heavier than down but stay warm while wet (important if kids wet the bed).
You can make fleece sleeping bags for kids, which dry quickly.
Kids can sleep on tent floor (without mattress) if it's not cold. Or they can sleep on an exercise mat.
Put milk jugs full of frozen water in cooler to keep it cold. Melting ice doesn't get food wet, and water can be used later.
Fire logs (made of compressed sawdust and wax) in campfires burn with less smoke and ash.
Use clips to fasten vinyl tablecloth to picnic table so it doesn't blow around.
Put covers on food trays to keep insects off food.
Dress children in bright colors so you can find them.
Use a big garbage back as a temporary raincoat.
First-Aid Kit
Bottle of water and soap
Tweezers
Antibiotic ointment
Band-Aids
Itch medicine
Scissors
Headache remedy
Pain medicine (e.g., children's Tylenol)
Anti-inflammatory for insect bites (e.g., hydrocortisone)
Hand sanitizer
How Do We Cook in Camp?
Foil packet desserts: apple or pear or peach halves sprinkled with brown sugar, nuts, raisins, cooked on coals for 5-10 mins.
What Should We Do for Fun?
When children have other kids to play with, they hardly need toys, games, or planned activities.
Keep young kids hiking by giving "power pills" (small candies, raisins, etc.).
Bring little cardboard boxes for kids to glue shells, stones, etc. onto.
Use glue to make sand pictures.
Staying Safe, Sound, and Happy
When hiking, wear a bell to scare away bears and other animals. Scare off a bear by making a much noise as possible. Scare off a mountain lion by making yourself as big as possible; raise arms, flap jacket overhead, make noise.
If camping in bear country, remove all food and candy wrappers from pockets before bed. Don't sleep in same clothes you cooked in. Store food 100 yards downwind.
Carry pepper spray, and have children walk between parents.
If a tick's bite seems inflamed, dab with antibiotic ointment. Tuck child's pant legs into socks to keep ticks off skin.
Keep snake venom from traveling by keeping victim calm and quiet, and applying ice between bite and heart, closer to bite.
Give kids whistles in case they get lost. Parents should have them too. Choose a recognizable signal.
Carry brightly-colored tape and use it to mark forks in trails you take, or wooded entrances to trails. If you don't have tape, draw an arrow in the dirt, or make one out of stones.
Teach children if they get lost to sit down and wait, not to run. Tell them it's OK to talk to strangers in this case. Tell them to make themselves big and visible, and show brightest colors.
July 22, 2016
Extremely thorough first-timer' guide
The author covers camping by seemingly every possible angle. Peppered with personal anecdotes or from those she has interviewed, the information contained in this interesting guide is exhaustive. Once in a while, she belabors a topic to the point of lecture, but these are few and far between. A must-read for anyone (like me!) who has always wanted to camp but didn't grow up in a camping family!
The author covers camping by seemingly every possible angle. Peppered with personal anecdotes or from those she has interviewed, the information contained in this interesting guide is exhaustive. Once in a while, she belabors a topic to the point of lecture, but these are few and far between. A must-read for anyone (like me!) who has always wanted to camp but didn't grow up in a camping family!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews