This coming weekend my family is heading to New Hampshire for our 4th annual camping trip with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece.

On our honeymoon 10 years ago, surrounded by families at our campsite in Acadia, my husband and I decided that we wanted to be a family that camps. I’m so proud that we’ve followed through on that promise and that we’re raising kids who love to go camping with us.

I know it’s is not something that appeals to everyone, but if it is, here are a few tips that have helped us on our camping adventures.

Go with another family. 👪

This tradition has been such a beautiful way to connect with my brother’s family. We get adjoining campsites which not only makes our campfires more cozy and fun, but extra hands and eyes help with so many logistics from food prep, to firewood runs, to having backup supplies on hand.

Invest in a family tent. 🏕

We bought a giant tent (advertised to fit 9-10 people) for the 4 of us. This tent fits 3 air mattresses (or 2 mattresses and a pack’n’play our first year) and is tall enough for us to stand up in. It's truly enormous, obviously only appropriate for car camping, and allows us to be close to our kids if they need us overnight while still having a little bit of space.

Consider Autumn. 🍁

Our first camping trip with the girls was in August and after losing most of our body weight in sweat that trip we decided to give October a try. The comfortable days and cool nights are perfect for camping, and we’ve also found the campsites to be practically empty, making it a much more pleasant experience overall.

I am so excited to escape to the forest for a couple of days with my family. It gives us a chance to unplug, gather around the campfire together, and reconnect with the rhythms of Mother Nature right here in our little corner of the world.

Have you ever gone camping with your kids? Does this inspire you to give it a try? Or solidify that you are not a family who camps? Feel free to write back and let me know!

Warmly,

Dr. Lizzie