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One of my best childhood memories is our annual family camping trips. My parents would take us a couple of times a year, kicking off my love for camping. I can still picture myself playing cards and other games by the campfire. But what stands out most is being surrounded by nature and loving the quality time with my family.
As I got older, camping sort of faded away. I became so wrapped up in city life that camping didn’t even cross my mind until my husband and I started having kids. I was pregnant with my oldest the first time we went camping. We grabbed some basic camping gear, and off we went. It was a great experience. But as our daughters were born, our priorities shifted and camping was once again put on hold for several years.
Coming full circle
Fast forward to 2020…we restarted our camping adventures, and have been going twice a year ever since. I can’t imagine us not camping anymore. We live in such stressful times, constantly bombarded by chores, to-do lists, and of course, electronics that seem to swallow hours of free time without even noticing.
That’s why I love camping – being in nature is incredibly healing and relaxing. Most of the time, the phone signal is terrible, and we’re forced to unplug. And you know what? I love it!
Being away from the city hustle and noise feels like a gift. Instead, it’s just nature, peace, family time, reading, games, and doing whatever your heart desires. One of our favorite activities is simply sitting around the fire after dark, watching the flames flicker and the embers glow. There’s something so calming and mesmerizing about it.
I’m thrilled that my kids are now getting to experience camping too, and I hope they’ll keep up the tradition when they’re older.
My key to camping success
After so many trips, we’ve gotten pretty good at the whole camping thing. But there have been plenty of times when we’ve said, “I completely forgot to bring…” or “I really wish we had….” Sound familiar?
I hate to forget things and it’s very easy to when you’re packing and hustling to get on the road. Everything changed when I finally got smart and started making a “camping essentials” checklist. This list has saved me so much time and stress. No more scrambling to remember if I packed everything; now I just go down the list, cross things off, and I’m good to go.
As a time-saving reminder, my checklist helps take the guesswork out of packing. It’s a tried-and-true list I use for my own family. If you’re not using one I highly suggest it…it’ll make your next adventure a lot smoother.
Also, your checklist will evolve the more you camp and your needs change. We’re always adjusting and adding things to the list while trying to be mindful of our traveling space. We’re also eliminating items when we don’t use it…no need to bring things you won’t use, especially when storage is tight.
Wanna see what’s on my camping essentials checklist? Be sure to check out my next post!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using these links (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
