Did you know that about 40 million people will go camping this year in the U.S.? Camping represents a great opportunity to ?take a break? from everyday life and enjoy the great outdoors. On average, campers aren?t just going once, either — the average camper is planning out nearly give camping trips every year!
Whether you?re planning one trip or planning five, there?s a few tips you can keep in mind so that camping themed family vacations don?t go awry. Here?s what you should know.
Most Things Can be Cooked in a Fire
Whether it?s popcorn or potatoes, you?d be surprised at just how much you can cook in a fire at your campsite. It?s important to bring tinfoil for wrapping any food, and pots for any foods that don?t make sense to simply wrap up. When you build a fire, make sure it is in an open area — otherwise, flying embers can light up tree branches above. You should also aim to surround the fire with rocks so that everyone has an idea of where it is appropriate to stand (especially important with children, who are often fascinated by fire). Be careful that any raw food you want to cook is not only appropriately heated, but is also stored correctly prior to arrival.
Are Vacation Cabins the Way to Go?
There?s no right answer to tent or cabin. Some people don?t feel like they?ve had the full ?outdoor experience? without a tent and sleeping bag involved; others have great memories of staying in cabins during camping trips while young. There?s no right or wrong answer. The benefit of cabin camping is often that it requires less preparation, and can be easy to incorporate with hiking — it?s a lot harder to hike to your camping site if you need to carry a 20 pound tent under your arm. Either option is great if you?re interested in affordable family vacations, as a cabin or tent space are both a very small fraction of the cost of a hotel room.
Do Your Research
What you don?t want to do: arrive at your campgrounds, only to realize belatedly that there?s a great lake for fishing there and you didn?t realize. Or, you pitch your tent only to be told that there?s a great event occurring a few miles away but it?s too late in the day to walk there with your kids. Researching the local area will give you ideas of fun things to do and will ensure that your stay is a unique one this year.
When you go on family vacations, do you look for campgrounds with cabins? Let us know!
