We eat much the same while camping as at home, but some of our favorites are:

Snacks

• Watermelon (pre-cut if possible)
• any other fruit
  
• Pirate's Booty

Lunch

• Hummus and something to dip (baby carrots, crackers)
• Cheese and crackers

Dinner

• Tortellini with pesto
• Quesadillas

Dessert

• s'mores, of course!
  

When my son was younger and incabable of getting out of his portable crib, we brought that camping for easy naps.  Now that he uses a sleeping bag and can explore it's nearly impossible to get him to nap in the tent.  Espcially on a hot day!  Our key to success is to time a hike at naptime, throw him in the Kelty backpack, and he's out in no time!  It's usually not a long nap, but way better than nothing.

We are planning to take our toddler to a 4 day music festival starting tomorrow.  Just yesterday I made these Breakfast cookies and they're great!  He loves them and their packed with lots of good stuff for a quick morning snack.

http://food.momcentral.com/2010/07/breakfast-cookies-to-the-rescue.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MomCentralFood+%28Mom+Central+Food%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

We'll hae a cooler with us, so we can be more flexible, but some of the other foods I plan to bring are rice milk & cereal, PB&J, fruit, fig bars and granola.

Taking a day off to go camping for a long weekend can be a great way to go out on a mini vacation but sometimes the best of intentions goes a little awry.

We had very little time to prepare for this trip so we had decided to only bring a bit of food and once we had established our campsite I would go grocery shopping in town.  Off we went to find a campground in Moab. It is a three hour drive from our house so we ended up stopping in Grand Junction for dinner.

We decided to stop and grab a quick pizza.  We unloaded the car and walked to the restaurant only to find out there was a block party going on with clowns making balloons, music on the road, and a twenty minute wait at the pizza joint.  Once out of the car it is kind of impossible to pile back in with two hungry children.  So we took an hour and a half for dinner.

By the time we got to Moab it was dark and past 8:00 p.m.  We drove to all the campsites we could think of and never found an empty spot.  Some of the nicest spots were taken by a film crew but most spots were taken by ATV’ers and RV’ers.  We were pretty frustrated.  Near midnight we headed south out of town and checked out a few other places.  Again full, so we ended up pitching our tent on a 4x4 road.  We stuck it between a tree and our car to make sure we would not get run over.  Sure enough we heard a few Jeeps driving by later on that night.  We awoke sometime in the early morning, packed everything up and went to eat breakfast at a local bakery.

By the time we found an empty site it was past lunch and we still had done no fun activity with the kids.  So, we went for a hike on the Negro Bill Trail.  Of course by the time we were done this wonderful hike we still had not bought groceries so we had to go out to eat for dinner.

For some reason we decided to take our huge, very tall 6 person tent with us even though we knew it would be a windy trip.  So we took at least one hour rigging tethers so that our tent would not fly away.  We had placed out tent the regular way with all our gear and our cooler and the wind still was able to make it tumble and crush down like a pancake.  We had to place rocks in each corner inside the tent and attach tethers half way up each pole to different stable objects around the site as well as one from the top.

Although we had some great moments on this trip while just taking time together as a family, hiking on new trails, biking on the BMX course in Moab, it was a good teaching trip for us.  It reminded me that with poor planning, camping with kids can become really hard and that we should offer even more support to families who have not tried this out yet.

Maybe the conclusion of this is that you should not trust any outdoor family tips I share with you, since I planned pretty poorly.

Heidi

This is the first summer our daughter Anna, who is now 2, has been sleeping consistently through the night.  Since now we don't have to worry about waking up our fellow campers, we decided to see how she liked camping. 

We had a beautiful weekend in Ridgeway, CO - with lots of hiking and relaxing in the hotsprings at the end of the day.  Anna loves to hike, look for animals and bugs, and play in the water, so it was the perfect weekend for her.  Despite our great time, I did have a few questions for the seasoned campers with kids out there to make our next trip smoother:

Any good ideas for fun toddler camp food?

Are there any Colorado campsites with good shade?  Our naps were non existent in a sweltering hot tent, and napping would make for a happier toddler in the evening, and more relaxed parents.

Any tips for potty training in the wild?

Any tips for not falling asleep when putting your toddler to bed and missing the romantic campfire with your hubby?

We have previously written about the beautiful camping sites at Fisher Towers and a guest posted a story about Onion Creek near Moab Utah.  This is another campsite suggestion for the area.

Finding a beautiful camp site near Moab can be a real challenge.  The area is so beautiful and offers so many outdoor recreation activities that it tends to attract many campers.  This spring we drove for hours trying to find a good campsite and ended up sleeping on the side of a 4x4 road at 1:00 a.m. in the morning.  The next day we woke up early to try and find an established site.

Moab has many mediocre camping areas managed by the National Forest.  They are surrounded by beauty next to the Colorado River and adequately taken care of, but they are right next to a major highway and offer no privacy from your neighbors. The campsites themselves are small and unattractive.

On our way to a day hike we discovered Moonflower Campground; A group site (8) that is tucked away in a canyon that offers shade from the many large trees, a small hike to a pond, and a rock scramble up the red rock cliffs that seals the cozy, comfy feeling of this site.  You will be camping with others but the sites are mostly far away from each other.  A few hikers may walk through your site but you will not be seeing cars drive by like most campgrounds around Moab.

Specs:

Fee: $ 8 per car

Sites:  8 individual sites but all are near each other, pit toilets, first come, first serve and walk in (your car will be a little bit away from you)

How to get there:   From southern Moab take Kane Creek blvd.  The campground is located 3.5 miles from the junction of Highway 191.

BLM website

This is part of my "Camping Skills" series. Others posts in the series are listed at the bottom.

There's something instinctive and primitive about building a campfire. Whether it is in the backcountry next to an alpine lake, a campground or even in your own backyard, sitting around a fire and staring into the flames brings the tribe (or family) together.

Throw in some s'mores and you have the perfect evening.

Here's how to safely build a campfire.

1. Choose an area that is flat and away from trees or overhanging branches. Mineral soil is the best surface, so areas near rivers or lakes work well. Otherwise, clear away the duff and other burnable material as best possible. (If you are backpacking there may be certain areas where fires are and are not allowed. In a campground, you'll likely need to use a designated fire pit. For the backyard we use a firebowl to keep from setting the house on fire.)
2. Use rocks to create a small circle and clear the area around the pit of duff and twigs for at least 10 feet.
3. Gather:
* Tinder - dry pine needles, shredded bark, or wood shavings.
* Kindling – dead twigs, small dry branches, no thicker than a pencil.
* Fuel – wood larger than kindling and about the size of your arm.
4. Place the tinder in the middle of the firepit and arrange the kindling around it like a tepee.
5. Light the tinder with a match or lighter.
6. Once the kindling catches fire start adding the fuel in a tepee shape. Be sure to allow plenty of space between the wood, since fire needs oxygen to burn.
7. Continue adding wood to the tepee as earlier logs burn out.

Don't forget to put your fire all the way out when you are done. The best way to do this is to douse it heavily with water, stir it and douse it again. You should be able to stick you hand in the pit when you are done, but I don't recommend trying that.

Need more skills?
How to Tie Knots
Bear Hang How-to
Build a Campfire
How to Cross a River

I'm a sucker for wildflowers. Calypso orchids, wild geranium, bluebells, larkspur...you name it, I love it. Looking for and at wildflowers is something we incorporate into our family hikes and camping trips. Even my three year old son can identify a handful of flowers.

We keep our floral memories two ways: through photographs and by pressing flowers.

Next time you are prepping for a camping trip think about packing the tools needed for pressing flowers. It's a great way to get to know the botanical beauties around your campsite and it gives the kids something to do.

Here's what you you need to know to press flowers.

First you get yourself a press. This can be a fancy, store-bought press (see below), one you made, or simply a book.

Make a press

1. Cut two pieces of plywood (or whatever you have laying around) to your desired size. I like a 12 X 12 sized press.
2. Cut several pieces of blotting paper (or newspaper) and cardboard to fit between the pieces of wood.
3. Alternate the layers of cardboard and blotting paper and stack between the wood pieces as follows: cardboard, 2 pieces of blotting paper and cardboard. Continue this pattern for as many layers as you like.
4. Place flowers between the pieces of blotting paper.
5. Use two straps to wrap around the press and pull tight. Wait a couple weeks, then enjoy your pressed flowers.

Book press

Place flower between 2 sheets of paper to protect the pages of the book. Leave at least 1/8" of pages between pressings, weigh the book down and wait a couple of weeks.

You can put the book with flowers and paper in the microwave and zap in short bursts, (30 seconds to a minute at a time, checking between to see if they're done.) Repeat until almost done, then put in a another book or press to finish.

I use my flower identification book so I have a sample the next time I head out.

Tips for choosing flowers

Look for flowers that will lay flat without being too bulky.
Know that the colors of most flowers will fade when they dry.
Never pick flowers that are rare or in places where it is forbidden. I don't like to pick flowers unless they are a lot of other ones nearby.

Once you have a bevy of pressed flowers they can be used to decorate note cards, bookmarks or whatever you like!

A version of this story originally appeared at YourWildChild.

Around here, summer time is camping time. We have just a few short months of warm weather, so we need to take full advantage of it.

With an almost 2.5-year-old and a 11-month-old, camping can be a little bit of a challenge. At least, more than it was when it was just me and my dog.

Some of the challenges we've faced are:

* mosquitoes
* rain
* setting up a tent in the rain and mosquitoes with a crying baby
* kid activities (Apparently, watching me read a book just isn't enough)
* bedtimes
* hygiene

There are lots of articles about camping with kids and a few are listed at the bottom of the post, but here is how we have dealt with some of these challenges and managed to have really fun camping trips.

Mosquitoes

I don't want to use DEET, unfortunately that is the most effective mosquito deterrent out there. We've tried several "natural" sprays and found that most work ok, but only for a short time--good for when you are cooking, eating or doing something where you have to stay in one spot.

Better to cover up. White clothing is supposed to keep them away, but I haven't seen that one color works better than another. Long pants, long-sleeve shirt and a hat are your best bet. Of course, the material has to be thick enough that mosquitoes can't bite through it.

Sometimes it is just too hot to cover up, so we hop in the tent and play games or read books when it becomes insufferable. Or hike quickly. For us this means carrying the boys since the 2-year-old can't outpace buzzing mosquitoes. Or hop in a lake and stay mostly submerged. I think if the bugs were really horrible, we'd have to resort to DEET, but I'll avoid it as long as I can.

A friend in the Midwest suggested Bug Bands. She lives near a lake and I imagine the mosquitoes are horrible. She says these work really well.

Rain

On one camping trip it was just me and the boys. I was setting up our humongous tent by myself when it started raining. The baby was sitting in the dirt (quickly becoming mud) and crying. Anders was "helping", which was making the whole process take even longer.

So, what do you do about rain? Revel in it! Unless you are worried about the kids getting too cold, play in it, splash in it, get wet and muddy. Kids love rain. And if it is cold, make sure you have the right rain gear. "There's no bad weather, only bad gear."

We also use it as an excuse to play in the tent a bit. I don't know why, but both boys LOVE the tent. Maybe it's the novelty.

Kids activities

Nature pretty much provides all the activity my boys need. Anders plays with rocks, Finn chews on rocks. Anders throws sticks in the creek, Finn chews on sticks.

I do bring a couple buckets and shovels (the little plastic ones you get for the beach) and some books and toys for in the tent. I just love how even the baby can entertain himself outside. My job is to just make sure no one falls in a creek or gets hurt. (And to skip a few stones myself!)

Older kids might like a scavenger hunt of items that can be found around the campsite (rock, pine cone, fallen leaf etc.). If you need more ideas, check out my post on trail games. Many of them can be used as is or adapted to a campground.

Bedtime

This is the toughest one for us. With all four of us in the tent, there are a lot of distractions that keep little ones from going to sleep. We still haven't quite figured it out, but here is where we are so far.

First, we let them stay up later hoping they will be more tired (or putting off all the effort is it going to take us...). Then one of us puts the baby to sleep first. This involves a bottle and a lot of rocking. Once Finn is asleep we bring Anders in the tent, read a couple books and get him in his sleeping bag. Then we lay there, without talking to him. Last time, my husband and I fell asleep before Anders did! It's not a perfect system.

When I had the boys alone, I resorted to putting them in the car and driving for 20 minutes. Then, I carried their sleeping bodies into the tent. I'm not proud, but it worked.

Basically, we've had to give up the idea of romantically sitting in front of the campfire, sipping glasses of wine while the boys doze peacefully in the tent. Maybe when they get older.

Hygiene

This has gone the way of sleep. I swipe them with a wet wipe now and again and call it good. Bonus if there is water we can swim in. They get a bath when we get home.

What tips do you have on camping with little ones?

Other articles on camping with kids

GORP
Amazing moms
Love the outdoors
KOA

This post originally appeared at Your Wild Child.

We got a lot of laughs when we told friends and colleagues that we were going camping in L.A. over spring break.  With a little planning we were able to pull off a low cost  family vacation that included camping, hiking, beach time and big city attractions.

Although L.A is notorious for it’s huge traffic jams, we were able to avoid the negative parts of visiting a big city.  We drove one hour north on the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway 1) to Leo Carrillo State Park.  This campsite has 180 sites with basic toilets, token-operated showers and no amenities at the sites.  Most sites are quite large and can accommodate a few tents or a camper and RV.  There are definitely some mediocre sites and some fabulous sites on this state run land.  Make reservations and arrive early since site selection is on a first come first serve basis.  The amazingly helpful California Sate Park rangers will help you find a site or allow you to change sites once one becomes available.  On weekends the campground can be completely full and a bit loud (toilets a bit dirty as well), but it is worth staying at this wonderfully shaded state park.  What better place to stay, just five minutes from your tent is the Pacific Ocean and blond-colored sand.  When you are tired of basking in the sun, just walk back to your tent site which will offer some shade.

Leo Carrillo State Park is a great destination for families.  We met many Californian families that visit this park every year.  Since the park is so accessible and offers so many great nature activities nearby, families can relax and enjoy their vacation rather than driving around all the time.

What to do near Leo Carrillo State Park?

Go on many of the surrounding hikes that overlook the ocean.

Go to the beach, go fishing, and watch surfers, pelicans and seagulls

Visit Santa Monica, Malibu, Santa Barbara or many fruit orchards nearby

Go to five star restaurants

What does Leo Carrillo State Park offer?

Large shaded campsites

Great service

Wi-fi but no electricity

Safe and quick walk to the beach

Flush toilets and token operated showers

Store with basic necessities or a ten minute drive to a grocery store.

Beautiful vegetation and three hikes that start directly from the campground -- one easily accomplished with three year olds or people in wheel chairs.

Many wheel chair accessible sites.

Dry creek near some sites for great nature exploration.

Things you should know about Leo Carrillo State Park:

Make reservations

Bring water

First come first serve site selection

You can’t see the beach from your site, but you can walk to it.

Picnic tables are made of wood (4 inches thick) so clip on high chairs do not work on them.

Visit the California State Park Website for more details.

Heidi Ahrens

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Our family of 4 (children 14mos and 3 1/2) and 2 golden retrievers (along with 3 other families) just returned from our first camping trip of the 2010 season. We headed to Upper Onion Creek, here are some of the details:

Location

Half way mark along the 29 mile stretch of Hwy 128 between Cisco and Moab. Clear sign on the Hwy to Onion Creek.

The Sites
Two group sites, A and B, can accomodate up to 30 people each.

Loved site B for its proximity to the creek/wash and privacy at the end of the road. In mid April the water was flowing and safe enough for 3 year olds to play in for hours! My girls were making chocolate soup, mud pies and giving themselves mud baths with the fine soft desert sand. The views of Fischer Tower and the La Salle Mountains are breathtaking.

ATVers

Unfortunately the main Onion Creek forest service road is a favorite for ATVers during the busy weekend days. It is completely overrun with RVs, trailers and huge trucks from Moab. We had to block our camp site entrance so the unending RVs and trucks hauling ATV trailers stopped trying to park and drive through our reserved site. They actually "keyed" our truck along the whole drivers side door and wheel well because we politely asked them not to park and drive through our site when the main parking lot was full. The other sad impact of the ATVers was that in the morning Onion Creek wash was crystal clear and I was picking out stones from the stream with my girls and by 10am when the ATVers were criss-crossing through the stream up river the water turned muddy brown and red through the whole day. Even the next morning the water was still tinted red. The impact of their motorized vehicles is really sad. For most of the day we heard a faint humming of their motors and saw the dust clouds they were forming.

Fun Activities Near By
We had so much fun going on a morning hike at nearby Fischer Tower. The trail is well maintained and dips up and down with some scrabbling making it really fun for kids. Our 3-4 year olds loved it and reached the first Tower for snack. Turn right out of Onion Creek Rd onto Hwy 128, take next right up unmarked Fischer Tower Rd to parking lot and trail head.

Camping with Other Families

Or family loves to camp and in the past we have always gone alone. This time we jumped at the opportunity to camp with 3 other families with children the same age. It was a blast. Our 3 1/2 year old had so much fun playing with the other 3-4 year olds going exploring, climbing the red rocks and splashing in the stream. As parents we took turns watching them which freed us up to relax or cook. The kids were so tired in the evenings after playing so hard that they told us they were tired and wanted to go to sleep!

We hope to plan many more camping trips with friends this summer!

Janine Cuthbertson

www.CarbondaleMomsforMoms.com

One of the things we enjoy about camping is planning meals, and figuring out how to make some traditional favorites in camping and backpacking conditions.   One technique we've been exploring lately is steam baking, inspired by this online article (see this page as well).  We have four little silicone cupcake molds with feet (these Silly Feet), and we fill them with baking mix, and then steam them.  We've used a Trader Joe's baking mix (sometimes supplemented with fresh huckleberries) and we've also used Betty Crocker's Warm Delights microwaveable cake mix.  I'm planning on experimenting further in the future to figure out an instant cake mix with more pronounceable ingredients...

Dinner always tastes better after a long day of hiking, but sometimes it's nice to have an extra treat, and have fresh cooked biscuits to go with your soup or stew, or warm chocolate cake for dessert!