First camping trip with the family - tips for a dad new to this? | DadHQ

First camping trip with the family - tips for a dad new to this?

3d ago1 min read

Planning our first real camping trip for next month and I'm nervous I'm gonna mess it up. We're going to a state park about 2 hours away for 3 nights. Got a tent, sleeping bags, cooler, all that. But what am I forgetting? My wife keeps saying I need to think about food prep but I figured we'd just bring some hot dogs and burgers. Also how early do you guys show up to secure a good spot? Any advice would be appreciated before I embarrass myself in front of the kids.

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Comments(8)

SSteve H.New Dad1d ago

You're gonna be fine. Start with a car camping spot, not backcountry. Pack way more snacks than you think you need. Your kids will remember this forever.

SSteve H.New Dad1d ago

Invest in a good tent and test it in your backyard first. Trust me on this one.

TTylerNew Dad1d ago

First camping trip is chaos but in a good way. Bring extra layers, kids get cold at night. And maybe some glow sticks because they'll want them.

RRobertNew Dad1d ago

You can't really mess it up at the first timer level. Bring more snacks than you think you need, pack extra socks, and let the kids sleep in the tent even if it's rough the first night. They'll remember it forever.

SSteve H.New Dad2d ago

Get a good tent setup ahead of time if you can. Don't go figuring that out in the dark. And bring activities for downtime because there's always more of that than you expect.

TTylerNew Dad1d ago

First camping trip is more about the family doing something together than perfect execution. We brought way too much stuff and it was fine. Just don't forget the flashlights.

BBrianRegular1d ago

Don't stress too much about messing it up. My first camping trip was a disaster and my kids still talk about how fun it was. They're forgiving that age.

KKevin M.New Dad2d ago

What's the age range? That matters a lot. Little kids need way different camping than older ones. And honestly the first trip is always kind of a disaster and that's totally normal.