Winter camping

    Some people may find it hard to believe camping during the cold months can be a lot of fun. I recently spent a weekend camping with my nine-year-old son and his Cub Scout troop. We did endure some cold nighttime temperatures, however it could not take away from the fun we had.

    We had a great time enjoying the brisk fall air, it was nice not sweating and fighting off bugs. This type of camping certainly requires a different approach but it is a great time. Layers are the key to keeping things enjoyable and pleasant.

    I found it great to be able to enjoy hot chocolate and coffee around a nice warm campfire every night. Personally, I would never camp out when the temperatures drop below twenty degrees but the right gear can make this doable. Kids seem to really thrive in these chilly conditions, trust me once they get running around they forget all about the cold.

    I would try to camp with a group as we did since you can find help quickly. The right sleeping bag and tent is the key to keeping yourself safe and warm. I recommend using a bag rated for below zero degrees since wind chill can really get you fast at night.

    A great idea to help keep you warm is to put the clothes for the next day in the bottom of your sleeping bag; this provides insulation and warms your clothes so you are always comfortable. Summer campers may be a little shocked by the difference between the seasons especially how early it gets dark.

Plan now enjoy later

This is just a quick reminder that now is the best time to plan this summers camping Trip, most popular campgrounds are already booking for the summer. I usually try to have my reservations paid for no latter than the middle of February to ensure I can get the site I really want.

This would be a good time to also get a good idea what the family would like to do on vacation so you can have enough money to enjoy yourself. For the tent campers a good check and inventory of your gear is a very helpful step in trip planning this helps keep the surprises to a minimum when your outdoors.

I have plenlty of helpful ideas on my website Family fun camping
Please feeel free to email me with any questions or comments.

Till next time
Scott

Now is the time to plan the perfect vacation

The hallmark of success has and will always be good planning, the sooner you start the sooner you will finish. Now that simple fact is out of the way lets look at some good ideas to help plan your next family vacation and ensure every one has a great time.

The best way to start is hold a family meeting and agree on the basics where, when, how long and so on, make sure every one gets a voice in this stage of the process so the whole family is in happy with the basic game plan.
Now I am not saying to give every detail to the kids because you would spend years ironing out the details, just make sure every one can see part of what they have expressed is important to them included.

The budget should be the next detail because simply put the best plans are going no where without cash behind them, this is why planning is crucial so you can save and have enough money to enjoy your vacation. Younger kids will most likely be up for the idea of a vacation money jar to help push along the saving efforts.

Once you have a destination and budget under control I would suggest starting to figure out how much gear you will be taking and more specifically how much each camper is allowed. This is where the fighting usually begins in my house, be specific and stick to your guns or you will end up taking the kitchen sink with the rest of your gear.

I would guess you will be driving so depending on the distance plan for entertainment in the vehicle kids get bored quicker than you can blink a eye. I have found offering several options here works best we usually travel with a DVD player, coloring books, blank paper and some reading materials.

The vehicle is not the only place to plan activities for the campsite will be pretty boring for every one with out some toys, sports equipment or bikes. Safety is also a area forgotten so please make sure you have a stocked First Aid kit just in case some one has a accident.

Day trips are our last area to look at, most places worth seeing will have plenty of campgrounds them so finding a place to stay should not be to hard. Planning the money for these trips can be hard so some research on the Internet will do wonders to answer the simple questions and help you make informed choices.

Finally there is one thing you must make room for in the car and at the campsite FUN relax it is a vacation right? Plan for some excitement or just wing it either way plan for some down time and enjoy your self.

Winter Camping Can be a needed change

I have have camped in the fall and winter on many occasions with the Boy Scouts and after you get used to the cold mornings you discover a whole new world. When you take hike int the winter you get to see the woods like never before, even if it has not snowed seeing the trees with out their leaves gives you a new appreciation for nature.


Cooking in the fall is one of my personal favorite activities, you get to keep warm and eat what could be better? Hot chocolate never will taste better trust me. Your opportunities for activities changes a lot as well, skiing,snow shoeing, ice skating etc are a nice break and provide a great way to keep warm.

When you do decide to go winter or even fall camping please keep in mind a lot of your summer sleeping gear Will not be suitable. Please pay careful attention to the temperature your sleeping bags are rated to , most bags used for the summer will handle down to about forty degree F. on average. Remembering to bring extra blankets and some Hot Hands packs can make for a more relaxing and comfortable camping trip.

One piece of equipment you may want to purchase is a propane heater this is strictly for outdoor use only, under no circumstances use this is a tent or screen house. I am sure your parents told you to dress in layers and they were right, multiple layers help retain heat and lets your body regulate its temperature. I will be posting more on this shortly until then feel free to visit my site on camping www.family-fun-camping.com

Family Camping Values

Find Your Family Camping
By Scott David Stone

The modern Family does not get much free time especially family time , how many times this month has your family actually sat down and eaten a real meal together? This creates a serious problem as a parent, how to find time to spend with your children when every thing else seems to get in the Way? Most families are running to sports practices, school and countless other activities. My family has found a simple, inexpensive activity in which the options are limitless; we have started taking a family camping trip every summer. I think most people would be skeptical about going out into the woods and spending a week living out of a tent, this is only one way of camping a lot of families own their own Recreational Vehicles and travel the country enjoying nature with most of the comforts of home.

Camping is as rustic as you want it to be so please do not stick to the old images of canvas tents and simple camping gear, today's camping gear is far more advanced than even twenty years ago with the advent of man made materials and just better construction today's gear is both easy to use and sturdy. My family can set up our site within two hours and be ready for rain and inclement weather very quickly so being afraid of the out doors is not an excuse for forgoing this activity.

The point here is not so much where your staying or how you get there it is having some time just be yourselves and enjoy each others company, family camping is a great place to start teaching younger children a solid respect for nature and the environment. Planning a trip is easy and most of the time more cost effective than staying in a hotel or resort, a lot of people camp out near a major theme park or point of interest.

With the basics out of the way lets explore the real befits of family camping, children love to explore and camping provides a safe way for them to have some serious fun. This is a great way to introduce hiking and nature walks which can help educate and entertain children with some fun and interesting facts about their surroundings, I love answering all the questions my kids have when we hike in the woods.

The confidence children get from being allowed to ride their bikes alone, gather fire wood or help cook a meal is nothing short of amazing. Allowing your kids some more room to move around is going to require you to extend some trust and respect to your children this can be very hard at first, it gets easier trust me. The various campgrounds my family has stayed at have offered some real fun ways of spending our days canoeing, hiking, fishing and tractor rides to name a few, you will find campgrounds are as different as the people running them. This is great news you never have to have the same trip twice just keep staying at different campgrounds and explore the whole country.

I would also like to point out no other vacation option allows you to get away from the cell phones,pdas,I-pods and other technology that crowd our normal everyday life. I always look forward to our week away so I don't have to hear a phone or door bell ringing.

www.family-fun-camping.com is your source for the answers to all your family camping questions, we take away the confusing jargon and leave you the easy to understand facts. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_David_Stone

Tis the season

The fall camping season is here again so its looks like it time to break out the heavier gear, when you camp in areas prone to snow having good tarps is a essential to keep you equipment dry. I suggest looking at the seven day forecast for the area your going into and make sure you take extra clothing and blankets in case the weather turns nasty. There are some great activities that only fall and winter can make available like taking a hike in snow shoes or riding a sled. You would be well advised to bring a lot of "hot hands" warming packs to ensure you are warm and dry enough.
Your sleeping bags are a crucial part of your camping equipment so please make sure you have a bag rated down to the correct temp. Bringing extra fuel for your stoves,heaters and lanterns is a good idea as well.

Time to Camp!

Well its finally spring and that means My family can look forward to our annual camping trip, nothing is more enjoyable than packing up the car and leaving the rat race and retreating to the great outdoors.

You may ask what is so great about camping anyway? Well it is one of the most cost effective,easy to book and just plain fun vacations going . My kids have been camping since they were babies and they are always asking "when are we going camping?"

With fuel prices crazy and the cost of everything going up I think more people may now consider this vacation option., you may have camped as a kid and think you know everything however you would be amazed how much changed in this area.

I know where you can find alot of great info on this subject www.family-fun-camping.com