It’s Friiiiiday, I’m in love! (The Cure song reference, in case you wondered.) We’re packing up the car for a weekend getaway! — looking forward to some good old-fashioned family time, camping with my in-laws this weekend.
Caleb and I (and the rest of his family) are “real” campers, as we like to call ourselves — as in, when we say we’re going camping, we mean we’re going to be sleeping in a TENT, and making ALL our food over an open fire. Getting back to the basics and connecting with nature, baby!
Here are some of our favorites, that we won’t leave for a campground without.
- Trash bag holder — such a brilliant invention! Beats trying to tie a garbage bag to a tree branch or having it on the ground in a heap, by a long shot.
- Empty laundry detergent bottle upcycled into a hand-washing station — inspired by this pin a long time ago…fill it with water and set it on a rock or an end of the picnic table with a bottle of hand soap and towel close by, and this obsessive hand-washer (ahem) is a happy camper.
- My homemade all-natural bug spray (recipe here) is an obvious must-have!
- These citronella candles not only help to keep the bugs at bay, but also add to the campsite aesthetic and ambiance.
- This super cheap hammock from Target (online only) might be my favorite purchase of the YEAR. What’s camping without a good hammock, anyhow?
Not pictured:
- Our trusty double sleeping bag makes the nighttime cozy!
- My [awesome] eye mask from AllNaturalSleepShop…because when I’m on vacation, I want to sleeeeeeep in and early morning light in the tent is not so conducive to that. 😉
- Nutella, because s’mores…enough said.
- This flashlight is TOP of the line as far as flashlights are concerned. A bit pricey maybe, but you’ll never buy another — and yes, that’s pretty much a personal guarantee. We give these as gifts sometimes because they are SO good.
If you’re a camper, what are some of the things YOU have to take with you? I’d love to hear about your tried-and-true favorites!
I have a long list of items I like to have when camping, but the top items are always two knives and two fire starting methods. Whether camping at a family campground or trekking deep into the backcountry, these are essentials.
Another incredibly useful item to have is parachute cord. I’ve never camped (or canoed) when I didn’t find it useful. Here’s a short list of uses:
The Many Uses of Parachute Cord
Hey, Duncan! Knives and fire are definite musts! I’ll have to check out that parachute cord…thanks!
What a great list, Melanie!! I’ll have to get some of these items ASAP! thanks for sharing!! 🙂
I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
[…] back from a weekend of camping with family! (Friday’s post was a list of our camping essentials, if you missed […]