How to Pack for a Camping Trip for Kids

Going Camping is fun but if you are camping with children, things can get grumpy pretty quickly without a bit of forethought on your part. Here are some tips to help you plan your trip around your child's interests and needs.

Steps

1. 1 Do your research. Ask yourself the following:
   • What are our monetary restraints?
   • How far can we reasonably expect to drive/travel with our child before he/she gets grumpy or out of sorts? A wonderful destination can be completely ruined for a child if the trip to and from that destination is uncomfortable.
   • What points of interests are within a reasonable distance and within our price range?
   • What types of natural phenomenon interest your child? Look for things that he/she will have an interest in. A trip to the natural history museum may excite you... but your child may prefer to play around on the shore of a lake or ocean instead.
   • What sorts of outdoor activities interest your child? If you happen to like mountain climbing, that's great... but does your child also enjoy it? You could let yourself in for a very tiresome trip if you are lugging along a complaining, over tired child.
2. 2 Consider your method(s) of transportation. How many hours travel can your child tolerate? If a destination has high interest value to your child, they "may" tolerate a much less comfortable trip. If, however, the destination is not to their liking? Your dreams of a stress free trip can quickly become a nightmare.
3. 3 Start with short trips. If you forget something on a day trip, it's not a major issue. If, however, you forget something on a long trip? It can be quite costly in terms of time and family cohesiveness.
4. 4 Consider the climate and activities you plan to engage in. Pack clothing suitable for those activities. Try to make clothing items do double duty whenever possible. Too much luggage can tire out a child as quickly as too much activity.
5. 5 Google packing lists that other parents have used for the type of activities you hope to enjoy. Many others have gone where you are thinking of going, and many of them are kind enough to have told about their experiences for the education (and sometimes amusement) of the rest of us. The easiest way to avoid mistakes is to let someone else make them and then warn you about them.  
6. 6 Set a reasonable limit for the volume of things your child can take along. One bag per person in addition to the tent and sleeping bags is a good starting point.