We have a big two-room tent for our family of five that allows us to stand up inside and walk upright, which is a big deal if you plan to spend more than one night. If you have a smaller family, you can handle a smaller tent in diameter, but I'd say you should still opt for the tallest tent you can afford. Check out REI tents for a great selection of high-quality shelters.
My other advice? Before you hit the woods, set up the tent once in your apartment or backyard and label all of the poles to make it easier to assemble when you arrive at the campsite (especially when night is falling and you're trying to keep an eye on the kids). And please, don't forget to lay down a tarp first!
5. Let there be (some) light Camping is dark. D-A-R-K. We have sturdy Coleman lanterns, flashlights of every size, as well as the kid-friendly TerraKids lantern which helps provide enough light for us to play games in the evening, get dressed for bedtime, and make it to and from the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Headlamps are great too, especially for reading a story while you're snuggled under the covers, plus kids never want to take them off. Try one like this Black Diamond Children's Headlamp which is a solid brand. You might also get a light that can double as a nightlight, especially if your kids are used to one at home. 6. Get some sleep If you want to be able to walk in the morning, I recommend investing in a couple of large, well-made camping air mattresses. Ours come with rechargeable blowers that inflate our two big mattresses in under five minutes. Once inflated, I can't feel those lumps and bumps and branches under our bums at all.If you don't already own sleeping bags, however, I think this is one area you can improvise. We've camped by making our air mattresses into "beds" with plenty of blankets (above and below--air mattresses are cold!), our own pillows, and super-warm PJs with heavy socks. (And sometimes even a knit hat.)On cold nights, a proper sleeping bag can be a lifesaver of course, but not every kid is comfortable in one, including my son. Have you ever tried to stuff a sleeping seven-year-old back into a sleeping bag in the pitch black?
7. No, really, please go to sleep
It usually takes me two nights to get used to the night sounds of camping. Even a faraway highway or crashing ocean waves can wake me. And footsteps walking by our campsite towards a bathroom can sound extra loud when you are sleeping on the ground. Kids over three may prefer wearing earplugs. And I know some families who play ambient noises using an app like White Noise.
8. Food, glorious food I take away a lot of the hassle of mealtime by cooking ahead of time. Pre-made chili, stews, or pasta dishes can be frozen and thrown in a cooler: They'll defrost en route and be ready to heat up at mealtime. Our propane-fueled cookstove has been around for at least a dozen years and is worth the investment, even if you plan to eat out most meals. MSR is one good brand to look for, and Jetboil stoves (below) get great reviews, depending on your needs. A mug of hot chocolate or bowl of steaming oatmeal may be necessary to get the kids out from under the covers on a chilly morning.And my kids will tell you that nothing beats hot dogs over a campfire. Followed by S'mores of course.
9. Plan for fun and games
Camping is a great way to unplug and spend time without staring into screens (the recent father-son-and-a-Nexus 7 ad notwithstanding). But no one wants to look for tiny pieces in the dark that get buried in sleeping bag crevices, so we prefer card games. Gamewright makes some of our favorites. And their Story Cubes also are fun to play with at night since the whole family can get involved in the bedtime story--and the cubes are way bigger than monopoly pieces.
Also, don't forget that chores can sound fun to little ones. Who wants to sweep up the tent? Rinse off the dishes? Collect kindling? Do it before they are old enough to realize they are working. 10. Plan for rain Nothing tests the mettle of even the biggest camping advocate as a rainy day with little kids in a tent. If you have enough games, a tarp on the ground, and a good tent, you should be able to weather the storm. Or, if you can't beat it, join it. Throw on the rain gear and go for a hike in the woods, or on the deserted beach. Yes, you'll get soaked, and may need to sit in the car with the heaters on high to dry off. But you may also have some of your most memorable family experiences, too. Plus, if you took my first bit of advice and you're only 20 minutes from home, there's no saying you can't just run home to wait out the storm. Remember: Your goal is to make sure the kids want to take a second camping trip someday.
