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What to Do When You are Camping

Check out my books on camping

Let’s tackle where to go camping and what to do when you get there.

Picking a campsite.

If you choose a campsite at ten thousand feet overlooking half the state, well, that’s awesome. But there’s probably not a lot to do up there unless you’re into epic hiking or rock climbing or bouldering. If your family’s not, or you have young kids, you will not meet with success. If you want views and relaxation, then this is the place for you. But, if you want to be near water you’re probably going to be closer to the valley.

One of the advantages of a campground is that other people are around and they may have amenities. There might be a game room with a pool table or a foosball table or air hockey table. There might be a lake with canoes and a place you can fish. Also, there are usually other people around so your kids may be able to find someone to play and have fun with. A place like Bear Den Campground, in Spruce Pine North Carolina, is a good example.

Another campground choice is to camp near where you want to explore. For example, Asheville has the Biltmore Estate and art galleries and loads of shopping. Perhaps that’s part of the camping experience. You camp where you can be close enough to Asheville. Say you have lunch in downtown Biltmore, then walk through a bunch of art galleries. That makes everybody in your family happy. In the afternoon, you go back and sit by the campfire. Another day you may have a totally different experience where you spend a day at Sliding Rock. And the next day you hike waterfalls on Mills River, or you hike up some mountain, or visit the Carl Sandberg home or Moses Cone estate. The list is endless. And all these activities are within a thirty-minute drive of the campsite you chose.

Now the downside to a campground is that you’ve got other people around, which means you’re not going to have that “I’m alone and there’s no one within fifty miles of me” experience. The flipside is the higher the concentration of people, the more there is to do. I recommend checking what’s available in that national forest or that campground or that state forest, and then check what there is to do in the neighboring towns. Usually if there is tourism, there are other things to do besides camping.

Check reviews. Make a plan.

I recommend choosing your campsite based on the activities you want to do and the places you want to go. Also, always check reviews and look for a variety of activities. Another idea is to get in the car and drive around. It all depends on whether you like to plan and schedule ahead of time or figure it out as you go.

Some historical sites can be fun for even young children. For example, Moses Cones Manor, off the Blue Ridge Parkway, has several thousand acres with gorgeous views, a lake, and paths. That’s a nice choice for young and old!

Everywhere you go is different. Some hikes that have spectacular views may be hard to get to, so you have to ask yourself is it worth it. There are many shorter and moderate hikes that have equally amazing views, so investigate and ask around.

Need a fishing license?

When you think about fishing, you need to check on the fishing license in that state. In North Carolina you must have a license to fish anywhere other than private property. So, if you plan on fishing, check out the license issue ahead of time.

Non-active pursuits while camping.

A non-active experience is when you’re sitting around the campfire, reading a book, napping, or spending time on your smart phone. It could also be where you’ve camped on the top of the ridge at six thousand feet, and the sun is rising across the mountains, and it is the most gorgeous sunrise or sunset you’ve ever seen in your entire lifetime. This is something you can experience without leaving the comfort of your camping chair. Maybe even your tent, depending on which way your tent faces. Passive experiences aren’t bad, they are just different. There are times when non-active is the way to go.

Active options.

Hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding are options. Water options include: canoeing, paddle boating, fishing, rafting, or kayaking. Consider taking a lesson in rock climbing, horseback riding, kayaking, or rafting class. If you’re in Western North Carolina, slide down Sliding Rock—trust me it is so much fun! Another fun spot is The Historic Orchard at Altapass, which allows you to go apple picking, shop, eat ice cream, and sometimes they even have live music.

Depending on who is in your camping group, you may decide to go out to lunch, shop in the next town over, walk through an art gallery, a zoo, or museum. Consider your audience. The point of each trip is to have fun and have everyone want to go on another camping trip.

You might want to do a ropes course, where you’re fifty foot up in a tree, climbing. Keep in mind that it’s safe because that’s the only way these companies will be in business tomorrow. For example, the Nantahala Outdoor Center will teach you a short course on how to raft. And then they’ll put you on the river, and you can enjoy a more family-oriented day of rafting. If you want to go big water, go to the Gauley; it’s not for young kids but it’s awesome for adults.

Passive vs. active, own it!

I want to give you an example of my lovely wife. We can be in the most amazing spot and Connie is completely content sitting by the campfire in the afternoon, reading a book. And I’ll say, do you want to go for a hike? And she’ll look at me and say, no go ahead without me. She is completely content. We’ve been doing this camping thing awhile, so Connie knows what she likes. I’m not going to force her into something she doesn’t like. She enjoys the somewhat passive experience a lot of times when we go camping. So during our down-time when we could be hiking or biking or canoeing, she’d rather read. But when it comes to meals, we work as a team.

What is your stance on a smart phone while camping?

When your kids get to be teenagers, they may be tethered to their phone. Now, this is your fight to fight. But, camping is a great opportunity to set some new house rules. Use your judgment because if you completely take something away that they’re used to having, maybe they respond well to that, maybe they don’t. You don’t want anger and frustration to be the imprint of your camping weekend. You need to figure out what works for your family. It may be tough for someone to give up unless they really, really want to. I think that’s important to keep in mind. There are different ways to approach that. You could leave the phones at home. You could have them an hour a day. You could have a morning and evening time where phones can be used, but otherwise not at all. I really think it depends on the situation and how busy you’re going to be and where you are and what personalities you are dealing with.

Music venues on the cheap.

If you are near Marshall, North Carolina, every Friday night at the train depot they have music. Everybody’s doing covers for the most part, think Johnny Cash tunes. Mostly local people attend this community gathering and everybody has a great time singin’ and pickin’ and grinnin’. There is a small donation to get in. Kids will possibly hear music they don’t hear otherwise, and see a different culture that is totally different than what they’re used to.

Another good example of musical venues is Shindig on The Green in Asheville, every Saturday night. That’s you and a couple thousand of your closest friends on the grass at City County Plaza enjoying bluegrass music sitting in your camping chair. Many of these events are family-oriented, but do your research first. Check the venue, the type of music, use good judgment. A lot of these gatherings happen regularly and they are really cool. They are a great way to break up your camping experience.

Other “civilized” activities.

Maybe go listen to a few hours of music, or go to an arts and crafts festival. Get away from the campsite. Give everybody a little touch of home, so they feel “civilized” again. I think that’s important because you don’t want camping to become this horrendously intimidating epic-or-nothing type adventure. Instead ease into it so everyone has a positive experience. Make sure to only push the comfort zone so far, and that way everybody wants a return camping trip. Maybe the next time you push a little further.

Campfire rules.

Think about setting what I call “truck rules.” Guidelines that may not be acceptable in the home, but in a truck or camping, they are for your family. One example we have is that in a truck you can make bodily noises that wouldn’t be socially acceptable otherwise. It’s about letting go of some finer points of decorum so your kids don’t feel like their sitting in the dining room surrounded by china. This is the time to let everybody unwind a little bit.

You’ve got to figure out what’s appropriate for your family. I’m not suggesting that all of a sudden you allow your kids to call you by your first name. I’m saying, if a kid farts you laugh about it; you don’t fuss at him. If they spill beans on their lap, you laugh. And you don’t quit laughing. Because you’re making a precious moment; relish these times.

I’d also like to remind you not to overindulge in alcohol. First, you’re out in the woods and if someone gets hurt and no one can legally drive, there’s no way to get to the emergency room. Second is that you’re out in the woods and you need to keep your wits about you. If you’re going to drink, drink lightly and be smart.

Let kids be kids.

Camping is the perfect time to encourage kids to enjoy outdoor activities, not just organized ones, but impromptu fun. If they want to play in a creek, let them! Assuming they know how to swim and are aware of the dangers, keep an eye on them from a distance and allow them to be kids. This is a great opportunity to give them clear guidelines and begin to let go. If you’re on this gigantic place of open woodland, forest, desert, whatever, tell your kids the extent of where they can go, keep track of them. But let them go be kids. Sometimes they need that unstructured play.

Now, obviously, if you have a three-year-old and they want to play by the lake, you need to be there. You must keep an eye on young children, but if a ten-year-old wants some latitude, now’s the time to give it to them. Always use your judgment as a parent, but keep in mind they’ve probably never had the kind of freedom they are looking at during this camping trip. They will not get these opportunities in the city and maybe even in a lot of suburbs.

So, ask yourself what unstructured activities you can encourage your kids to partake in. Near water, or no? Climbing trees with thick, low branches? Fishing is always fun, but you can keep it simple by using a cane pole with natural bait. You don’t have to be a well-equipped fisherman to have a good time. Sometimes the simplest things are the better.

I have found that when you get equipment in the way, the equipment occupies your attention, not your kid. Be attention heavy to your kids, because when you get that brand-new five-hundred-dollar fly reel and you’re in four hundred-dollar waders, you’re worried about that stuff, not helping your kid cast that rod and reel.

Keep things in perspective.

I think perspective is important. Part of the reason I’m throwing these parenting ideas out there is because there are areas I’ve messed up. Sometimes I wonder if I should have given my little kids more freedom and less structure playing when we camped. I feel they would have enjoyed the experiences more. I hope you can learn from some of my missteps so that your camping trips are chock-filled with priceless moments.

What will everyone remember?

Will it be the hike, or the view, or the campfire, or the messy S’mores? Perhaps it’ll be the game room or snack shop at the campground. Who knows, for twenty years they may talk about that game room and snack shop with their sister and the amazing ice cream they got their every year.

Everybody has a different take away from all these things and sometimes it’s tough to put yourself in other people’s shoes and understand what they will remember. Who knows, they might remember the time they saw a bear, and that might lead to them to study bears in college so they can be a forest ranger. Or it may just be a story they fondly talk about.

My recommendation is to try different things over the years. Personally I don’t like being cooped up in a car so I think the more time you can spend out of the car is probably good. If it takes two days to drive somewhere and you’re there for one day, and it takes two days to drive back, I don’t think you have a winning plan. If you really want to go to that location, consider flying. But you need to ask yourself what your comfort zone is.

Wonderful moments can be unscripted.

Some of the memories my kids have about camping are surprising. Some of them have been totally unscripted and wonderful moments that I didn’t even see coming, but, you know, the kids said let’s do this. So, we went and did whatever on a lark, and then, you know, an hour later, it’s like Wow!

A great example of a wow moment is a last minute hike. My daughter and I took a last minute hike and the view across this mountain top field with the fog rolling in was totally amazing. Words could never do the view justice so I won’t try. If we hadn’t gone, based on her suggestion, we would have missed out on an amazing moment. Other times I planned things well in advance that turned out great. It’s kind of tough to predict that ahead of time.

The trick is planning the trip and getting to the campsite. That’s where the winning occurs. You may have camping trips that are difficult. If it rains all weekend, consider playing cards in the tent, or go to the nearest town and go bowling or play laser tag.

Don’t feel like your plan is set in stone, roll with the punches. The point is to be together, have fun, and make memories. The tent could fall down and you think it’s a total disaster, but because you laugh about it and handle the situation with patience and calm, that is the good memory your kids take away from the trip. Who knows, they may talk about it for years to come! So remember, your attitude can make or break those precious moments.

Unscripted decisions can lead to fun!

On a funny note we were camping one time, and a thunderstorm started rolling in. We’d been hiking all day on Mount Mitchell, when we returned about three quarters of the people at our campground had already left. The people who were still there were packing furiously. Since we had been off-line all day, I asked why everyone was leaving and discovered the weathermen were predicting a thunderstorm worse than any they’ve had for a hundred years was going to hit in about four hours. We had already planned to be away that weekend, so we decided to stay and ride it out. Guess what, my daughters and I had a lot of good memories riding out Tropical Storm Bob in a tent. To this day we laugh about that weekend and carry sweet memories around it. We kept ourselves safe, we had a solid backup plan so there was no real danger. Bottom line, I think roll with the punches, enjoy it, plan out the activities and let’s go camping!

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Chapter 4 – Importance of Traditions

While camping, one thing you’ll end up developing are traditions. Some are big, some are gigantic, some are small, but all are valuable.

How to build traditions.

Over time, enjoyable repeated activities can grow into traditions. Or, traditions can happen by accident. Something may work well once, so you repeat it. By the tenth time you realize you have a tradition. Keep in mind that when you do something that is comfortable and enjoyable, you’ll keep doing it. You may find that it is important to your family to go camping on a certain date or a particular place because it brings back special memories and there is an expectation that you’re going to make more good memories—that’s a tradition.

Four wheeling, camping and smiling

Repetition builds traditions.

I’ll give you an easy example. There’s a restaurant in Winston-Salem, TJ’s Deli, that Connie and I tend to stop at when we’re headed for the mountains because it’s on our way. They have awesome, homemade sandwiches and to-die-for fried mushrooms. Now, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a fancy place, more like a hole-in-the-wall, but the draw is the food and the tradition. We order the same meal every time, a gigantic sandwich and fried mushrooms on the side—I always save some of the mushrooms for the remaining drive. Even when we travel with friends, we stop there. Every time.

Is having a meal partway to your destination part of camping? No, but it can be part of the entire camping experience. When we head west to camp, we usually work our departure around stopping at TJ’s Deli for a meal, which we both look forward to. The detour helps break up the trip and I think the tradition is nifty.

Another tradition we have is camping at Troublesome Gap every Memorial Day weekend. We are so predictable that friends call to ask if we are going this year. Those calls made me realize traditions can even spark a camping interest with friends.

Tradition looks different to different people.

You may never go to the same restaurant twice, but you may have a tradition of stopping at some restaurant on your way to the camping site. You may never camp at the same location, but you may set your supplies up in the same order every time. Or you’ll always be sure to have a campfire. Or roast marshmallows.

You could lean towards more open spaces because you like to throw your daughter up in the air in the middle of a grassy field. Or perhaps you like to take a morning walk right as the sun is beginning to rise and dew still licks the grass blades. Maybe one of your kids is an early riser who likes to get up with you and help build the morning fire, which is a teachable moment by the way.

Priceless moments.

You guessed it, when a tradition is created, most likely a priceless moment will as well. Look for those traditions, spur them along, and allow them to happen. Some occur organically. Some we purposefully build. You can’t force them, but you can encourage and grow and build them.

Keep up with traditions.

When camping with others, they’re watching. So if you always have a ham sandwich with onions the second day for lunch or you always have s’mores the first night over a roaring campfire, then your family may be disappointed when the activity doesn’t happen. Usually these traditions are special camping experiences, not something you normally do at home. Some traditions are hard and fast, and some of them aren’t. You’ll just have to work that out depending on your family.

Bonding over food cooked at the campsite

Anyone can start a tradition.

Sometimes you’ll do the most obscure activity with your kids, maybe throwing knives into an old stump or forging your own path in the woods. It may not make an impact on you, but your child doesn’t forget and wants to do the same activity the next time you go camping. It’s usually the simplest things.

Perhaps you take your family on a spectacular hike and see breathtaking scenery, but the thing your kids remember from their day is the mound of soil behind the apple tree they created dirt castles from. Whenever you get the chance to interact with your children, do so. Even if it’s making dirt castles under a canopy of low-lying tree limbs. Those are the moments to grab and revel in.

If you are single and reading this book, then you can still build great traditions while camping with friends or family, or going on a solo trip. If you are divorced or widowed, a camping trip could be just the thing you need to get out of your day-to-day rut and create wonderful new experiences. While I’m spending a lot of time talking about family camping, there are still many ways to enjoy a trip while single, divorced, or widowed.

Be flexible.

If you’re into schedules, that’s great. But keep in mind, if someone in the family is enjoying an activity, put that hike off for an hour. If there’s rain in the forecast, consider doing an activity closer to the campsite. Agendas don’t matter, the memories and time together does.

Memories that last a lifetime

Stories grow over time.

Kids remember events. Some of those stories grow like fish that you caught. You know the story of an angler who catches a twelve inch fish and by the time he tells the story about six times, its two feet long. Well, sometimes memories are that way too. Sometimes they’re precise; other timess they’re not even close. But, what matters is the memory.

I’ll give you an example that’s not camping related. When one of my daughters was in elementary school, I began going to school and having lunch with her once a week. Kids won’t be young forever, in fact there may come a time when they don’t want to spend much time with you. Anticipating this, I made a point of making that weekly meal a priority. A number of years into this tradition, my daughter noted I’d been coming to have lunch with her every week since whatever grade. She enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, and so it remained a tradition, a thing between just the two of us. She valued the time I carved out for us. Over the years when she’d tell the story, she’d share we’d been lunching together longer than we actually had. Should I correct her? No. Am I trying to encourage her to be inaccurate? No. I guess the thing is it pleased her that we had lunch together once a week. And so, it was a big deal that became a bigger and bigger part of her life. And her nailing down exactly when we started doing it really didn’t matter. What mattered was how appreciative she was because we were making lifelong memories.

Interests change.

Your kid’s interests will change over the years. Be flexible. Something that is important to him this year may be boring four years from now. This means your camping trips may change. The important thing is to give your kids attention, relate to them, and listen to what they want.

At some point you or your kids will look back and be thankful you hiked every waterfall trail in North Carolina, or made s’mores every night around the camp fire, or took the time to find a thick enough branch to make a walking stick the first night of each trip. Those were traditions and you enjoyed yourselves and made memories. But, there may come a day when your kids decide they’d rather spend time with their friends and that’s okay. You need to roll with it. You’ve spent years developing a set of experiences and memories that you can share and remember forever.

Continually ask questions and listen to see what the people in your family want to do this year and next. If we can be flexible and go with the flow as interests and needs change, then we have the chance of keeping the tradition of camping alive and the opportunity for creating more memories. In fact, a lifetime of them.

Also keep in mind that your interests and capabilities change. Maybe you used to be able to hike ten miles a day when you were younger, but now perhaps four is your max. Or maybe you used to hike only difficult trails, but you’ve learned that moderate means success. On the other hand, if you want to push yourself then take a long hike. Maybe you used to hike moderate trails, but after hiking a challenging trail you realized you have the capability to hike longer and more difficult trails, so push yourself and revel in that accomplishment. If you are camping solo, then this may be a good time to enjoy the fruits of your physical fitness efforts with a long challenging hike. Alternatively, taking your athletic, teenage kids, on a difficult hike may be something they really enjoy. Just keep your capabilities and stamina in mind so everyone, including you, can enjoy the physical challenge.

Quality time.

Whether it is a yearly guy’s trip, or a monthly trip with young kids, or maybe a romantic getaway with your wife, the important thing is to be free from distractions and spend quality time with loved ones. If you have more than one child, each parent should try to spend concentrated time with individual kids. You may find your children consider this quality time a tradition. Now, note that tradition for traditions sake is worthless, unless you are accomplishing something important.

Traditions are usually simple.

Many times traditions aren’t bound up in spending some ridiculous amount of money, but are instead simple. It may be somewhere you ate, and spent the majority of the meal laughing. It may be playing in the mud behind the apple tree. It may be hiking a specific trail that you’ve hiked every year for twenty years.

For example, if your wife or child is asking to go on a particular hike again, you need to figure out if they want to go on a general hike or a specific trail and for what reason. What do they really want? What’s important to them? Ask questions and dig. Because they may be looking for the smiles, laughter, and love they felt on a past hike. Maybe it was just you and them on that trail. Perhaps Mom wasn’t there, or maybe Dad wasn’t there, and was just the two of y’all. That’s the moment you’ll realize there is a new tradition of going on this hike, perhaps just the two of you. And it’ll be a special time. Then you make your plans based on this information and how you can make it work.

Don’t try to please everyone.

Depending on the age of your children and how many you have, satisfying only one for the next ten minutes might be your only option. Sometimes everybody’s in tune and sometimes they’re not. In those challenging moments, you may want to break up your group. If you have two children with two totally different interests at the moment, maybe Mom goes with one child and Dad with the other. Breaking that up gives you the opportunity to pursue those varied interests. And there again, build those great memories. But, maybe you have a situation where everybody wants to do something together. You can figure it out even if it’s not always easy.

Plan, but don’t plan.

One tip I suggest is make a list of activities available for your location. If you don’t plan, but instead wait until the last second, generally whatever you wanted to do won’t happen. Say there’s a national forest right down the road; maybe you pack into the car and go there to experience the wonder of it all. Perhaps there’s a body of water close by so you get into a canoe or a row boat or a paddle boat. That can be fun as well. Keep in mind though, you may have camping trips where what everybody wants to do is sit by the fire and relax. And all of a sudden, it may explode into a hiking trip, and then they go back to sitting by the fire. So, planning is great, but also be flexible and see what happens. But, don’t forget the simple things like running around in the woods to just explore. You can also make a game of the mundane activities that it takes to put together a campsite—like, accumulating stones to edge the fire or gathering kindling and firewood. My point is to make time for organized hikes or rafting trips, but leave gaps available for exploration and inspired play time. Sometimes the simplest and least expensive things are what we remember.

Always keep budget in mind.

I have found it’s not the amount of money you spend; it’s the fun, fellowship, and relationship building. Keep in mind, if you spend money on something and it stresses you out, everyone will pick up on the stress and fun diminishes. Perhaps you can do something that costs close to nothing and still enjoy yourselves. I have found the best trips right-size your activities with your budget, your physical capabilities, and everyone’s expectations.

In the process of talking with folks about this book, I’m not surprised to hear they have such fond memories of camping as a child. I hope you can find your own traditions, and develop those priceless moments everybody will cherish for a lifetime.

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Chapter 3 – Finding Priceless Moments

Remember the Meme on Pinterest that I talked about in the first chapter? It showed a Prius at the top of the image, and at the bottom a Jeep in the desert sitting on the crest of a hill, in front of a sunset. A guy and his kids are in the Jeep enjoying the sun setting in this majestic place. The closing message of the meme said, “Your kids will never, ever remember you getting fifty-five miles per gallon. However, they will remember the night you watched the sun set over the mountains.” Let’s talk about some camping basics today.

Check out my books on camping

Why go camping today?

Because there will never be another today. In the Prius Meme, the point is that things don’t matter, experiences matter. Perhaps you can make a daily drive fun with some singing or frivolity. Or perhaps ride to the top of a mountain to watch a sunset. Those are the priceless moments to chase after. I encourage you to get out and enjoy life. Not everything has to be constrained, and I think in many ways that’s what camping is all about.

Don’t allow challenges to get in the way.

When you consider camping, there can be challenges: you might get rained on, it could be extremely hot or cold, the bugs might be extra annoying, dry kindling may be hard to find, etc. But, at the end of the day, the goal is to build memories. There are only so many opportunities to go camping with your children or your spouse or even take a solo trip. Right now it seems as though you have all the time in the world, but you really don’t. Your kids will be in college or active in other things before you know it. So grab those moments while you can.

The experience matters, not the stuff.

Someone who had a very nice late-model sedan asked about my Jeep. He indicated that if only he had an off-road vehicle, he would try camping. Why go camping if you can’t go trail-riding, he said. That’s the wrong attitude. True, driving on thirty-five inch tires with a four inch lift and a bunch of modified stuff is great. It’s nice when you’re riding around on a spring day with no top and you’ve got no doors. But you can still create those priceless memories by rolling down your windows and opening your moon roof.

Persevere.

The trick with camping is that you can find yourself in a rugged situation, for example it might rain the whole weekend leaving you nothing to do but play cards in the tent, or after rain from the first night all the kindling is wet and you can’t start a fire, maybe an animal got into your food supply and now you have nothing to eat. It doesn’t matter what happens, the secret is in how you handle the situation.

Don’t give up, persevere. Sometimes camping makes no apologies. Your skills might be tested, but I am going to promise you that you will still have opportunities, even on those off weekends, of making solid memories. You might be sitting around the campfire or hiking or hearing the coyotes howl or watching the sun set or building a fire with your child—those priceless moments can’t be bought so grab a hold of them.

Keep a look-out for memories of a lifetime.

Keep your outlook fun and positive because you can’t predict when memories will be created. But trust me, your kids will remember and they’ll tell their children about these special times one day. Just put yourself in a good situation to have those moments. They may occur in your Prius getting forty-five miles per gallon because of the song you sang. Or perhaps when you’re sitting on top of the mountain and out of your element as you watch in fear as a bear ambles by. Be available and put yourself in situations to achieve those priceless moments.

Coming up, we’re going to look at convenient, low-cost, low-pain, and low-suffering ways to be in a good situation to discover joy. By attaining that joy, you get those memories that will live on because you taught the next generation skills. And one day, your kids will not only pass along the skills to their children but will share their childhood priceless moments around a roaring campfire.

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Chapter 2 – Types of Camping

Check out my books on camping

There are many different levels of engagement when you’re camping. Anywhere between an epic adventure like Man vs. Wild or perhaps one where more creature comforts are brought from home. Either is fine as long as you can physically pull it off and afford it. The goal is to have a good time and enjoy your time. For me, I like to camp with a tent, I’m not an RV guy. I don’t mind taking a shower on the side of the mountain or backpacking in. Sometimes the best way to really see and experience a location is to backpack to the camping site. But, say my wife joins me, she prefers a larger tent, more organization, more creature comforts. If Connie’s coming, then what we bring changes and where we stay may change. For both of us to have an enjoyable time, compromises need to happen. Let’s talk about some different options.

Live off the land for a weekend.

One option would be to head out into the woods with a knife, some tinder, flint and steel, a waterproof jacket, and a wool blanket. The idea is to live off the land for a weekend. If you’ve got the skills to do it and you enjoy that level of difficulty, go and have fun! There are certainly people that thrive on this primitive I’m-gonna-figure-out-as-I-go-build-me-a-lean-to-in-the-woods-and-feel-close-to-nature type of thing. However, keep in mind your skills and your traveling companions. For example, if you are taking your five-year-old daughter and wife who have never been camping, it would be wise to rethink the details otherwise the trip will end quickly. And, the ride home will be the squirmy kind of uncomfortable.

Purchase an expensive RV for camping.

Another option is to head to your local RV store and buy a half-million dollar motor-home, don’t forget your checkbook. Now, you’re probably laughing and about to fall off the couch right now as most people don’t have that kind of money to invest in a hobby. Or perhaps you have the type of disposable income to make this dream come true. With an RV, you could spend a year driving around the United States. If so, enjoy yourselves and send me a postcard.

But honestly, most of us don’t have the means to pay for a million dollar motor home. So as we look at other forms of camping, be aware of what you can afford. If you want to participate in the RV lifestyle but don’t want to buy one, then consider renting one for your trip.

Camping shouldn’t involve stress over money.

Because stressing over money doesn’t equal fun, keep the scope of your camping trip and equipment in-line with your income. If you have to save for a hundred-dollar tent, instead buy the fifty-dollar option and choose the contingency of camping close to home in case a catastrophe happens so you can head home easily. People can enjoy different levels of camping, regardless of their financial ability. Also, consider borrowing supplies from family, friends, or neighbors. Once you decide you want to invest in pieces, you’ll know better what works for you.

Survivor Man versus backpacking.

These are two extremes. One is to hike the Appalachian Trail maybe something similar to doing the Survivor Man thing for five to seven months. For that epic trip, you’ll need to delve into other books to succeed. For this book, let’s talk about backpacking. That means you have what you need on your back, and you’re going some distance. It may be the whole length of the Appalachian Trail; but more likely it’s something like four miles through your local woods.

With backpacking, everyone will bring what they need for the jaunt in their pack. The goal is to have a lightweight and comfortable backpack and equipment that doesn’t weigh much. Consider eating dehydrated food as it is light. If you don’t take these suggestions into consideration you’ll end up hauling a fifty-pound pack instead of a twenty pound one for miles and miles. Trust me, the weight on your back will make a difference with each step. Backpacking isn’t for everyone and may be difficult to pull off with your family in tow, especially if this is the first camping trip.

Car-camping.

This is pretty simple. All the things you need are in your car and you drive to the campsite. You unload a popup shelter or tent and a sleeping bag. You might have kitchen items to cook by the fire or you may choose to eat at local restaurants. Whether you build a fire or not, you’re experiencing the version of camping that works for you, so embrace it. I highly recommend this for your first outing, especially if you have a family.

Supplies for backpacking versus car camping.

Personally, I think there’s a good chance you will enjoy the outdoors. Which means that eventually you will end up with two setups—one for backpacking and the other for car camping. Backpacking provisions need to be ultra-light, whereas supplies for car camping can be bulky and perhaps less expensive.

Advancing further.

You’ve got to right-size your trip with what your family wants so that camping is a successful experience. You may need to take several simple car-camping trips before progressing further. Or, your group may be content with this simplest kind of adventure. But, maybe it grows into more. Perhaps add a campfire to the next trip, or cooking over the open flame, or a longer more involved hike. The trick is that if it’s a family thing, go slow and let everybody ask for more so they don’t feel forced. I have found the biggest objection about camping is that people don’t want to get out of their comfort zone.

Car glamping.

Which means bringing every creature comfort from home. There are different levels of glamping. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I glamp when we go to our place in the mountains because of the luxury items we haul with us. The over-the-top items we could bring are a super-big tent, which we’ll talk about later, a flat screen, an Xbox, a generator, maybe some gilded throw pillows. I’m sure you’ve heard of the glamping sites where you can go live in a tent that’s a lot like your house. They can even have air-conditioning!

Economy glamping.

Connie and I go “economy glamping.” We bring a ten by twenty feet tent. My choice would be much smaller, but it’s all about compromise. I want her with me and happy, so we’ve figured out what each party needs to feel comfortable for a weekend. That includes an inflatable mattress. We don’t wear shoes in the tent, which keeps it much cleaner. There is a small area designated for shoes and dirty clothing. We also have a cozy spot to sit down. These are things we do to make the clean up easier and the space more comfortable. Given these conditions, Connie will gladly come camping with me.

With a big tent, you have room for an air-mattress. In fact, a big tent will usually allow everyone to sleep under the same roof, which goes a long way to a good night’s slumber for all. The more comfortable you can make camping for your loved ones, the better the chance that your kids will want to have epic, hard-core adventures in the future.

Camping without camping, is it possible?

What works for your family? You can always stay in a hotel or a bed-and-breakfast that’s close by to your activities and then do day trips. I’ll argue that you’re not camping per se, but those day hikes and discovering waterfalls, will still get you outdoors. It will allow you to spend quality time with loved ones and set yourself up for those priceless moments with your family. If staying in a hotel and having day time adventures works, then do it!

What will work for you?

As you can see, there is a vast range of options for camping. Are you an RV kind of guy where you plug in at a campsite with power and air-conditioning and running water? Perhaps it’s going to be something simple, where you have a tent and minimal equipment and eat at restaurants. Or maybe you’ll go for something in between. There’s no wrong answer as long as you’re getting everyone outdoors and create those family memories.

What are my goals and intentions?

As you can see, the camping experience can span quite a range from a tent and a sleeping bag, to many of the creature comforts of home. Ask yourself:

  • Where’s your comfort zone?
  • What do you want to accomplish?
  • How much effort do you want to exert?
  • How much do you want to spend?
  • How much time do you want to be at the site?

Getting everyone together to create memories.

The goal is you want to get your family outdoors and allow everybody to have a great time. Depending on if you choose an RV, a pop-up, or a tent, may or may not affect whether or not you have that priceless moment. I think with an RV you’re a little more separated from things. But people have different comfort zones. If the only way you can get your people to camp is to rent a pop-up or an RV for the weekend, then do what you need to do. You’re achieving some of your goal, everybody’s having a great time, and you’re creating family memories, which make it all worth it.

Don’t feel pressure if camping is new to you.

There’s no pressure to be Mr. Outdoors. Because if you’re the kind of person who has never been in the wilderness before, no one would expect you to build a fire with flint and steel and some cotton you pulled out of your pocket. Feel free to use matches. Keep it simple when you build your first fire, and maybe even your tenth. Later on we’ll talk about some of these other skills. But, my goal here is to give perspective on your different options.

Most of my camping experiences revolve around family trips or Boy Scouts. As a result this book really focuses on family camping. However, the same principles, skills, and knowledge apply to a single person or family. Maybe you are a single man or woman who wants to experience camping for the first time. You could be a widow or widower, or newly divorced. There are many people in lots of different situations that head out to enjoy camping. This book spends a lot of time talking about family interactions and considerations, but the skills and knowledge apply to a variety of life circumstances. If you don’t want to go by yourself, then consider joining an outing club. It’s a great way to go with a group and enjoy the camping experience.

Build up your skill set.

You may need new outdoors skills. Or perhaps it’s time to teach those techniques to your kids or spouse. You never know when you need to build a fire. Your car may break down in a place that has no cell service and the only thing to keep you alive overnight is to build a fire. Does this happen to everybody? No. But, the simple ability of building a fire could be a lifesaver. One reason to continue to camp regularly is to keep our skill set sharpened. This gives peace of mind and boosts confidence. Learning outdoor knowledge improves self-reliance that translates to other areas of life. These regular camping trips build a happier, well-adjusted, better-prepared-for-life family member who is more available to partake in those priceless moments.

It’s not a question of how rugged someone is. The question is what they want. Some people at different points in their lives simply don’t want to spend the weekend working hard outside doing camping stuff. Sometimes you want the fun component and not the work part. So instead of a tent and open flame cooking, they might choose an RV and restaurant food. Or perhaps they’d rather do something at home that weekend.

Compromise.

There are trips when Connie doesn’t come because I am hunting and I’m fine with that. Sometimes it’s nice to be on a solo trip, or a trip with the guys. It’s an opportunity to go with a smaller tent and do different activities. The point is to keep the perspective that there are a lot of ways to get a win out of camping—backpacking, economy glamping, hunting backpacking are just three. They all have their pluses.

First trip could be a solo one.

If you are unsure about camping for the first time with the entire family, then consider just going solo, or with your spouse. Then bring the kids on the next trip Camping can be enjoyed in lots of different scenarios from the whole family going, or individuals without children going solo (or with a group), or situations where only one parent takes the kids.

The key is to figure out what works for you, at this time in your life, with whoever is going camping with you. Don’t feel pressured to be Mr. REI, because that won’t make you happy and it isn’t what your loved ones are looking for. Kids are seeking quality time spent with Mom and Dad. Your spouse is looking for the same thing. Leave your pride and ego at home. Camping is about those priceless moments.

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Why Go Camping?

So, you’ve almost decided to go camping; but you’re wondering what you can expect. Will there be stress or relaxation? You may experience physical pain from usually unused muscles, or perhaps the benefits will outweigh the perceived negatives. This is a good thought process to have.

Properly planned camping trips can cause relaxation.

Planned properly, camping can be relaxing. But, beware of the potential physical exhaustion which can occur with ill-informed choices. Depending on decisions like where you go, how you camp, the length of your stay, and what you bring, relaxation may only be a longed-for dream. But there is hope, so keep on reading and I’ll help you design a successful camping trip.

Improve attitude.

Often times, getting out of your current environment and replacing your daily concerns with activities like building a fire, sleeping in a sleeping bag, or making s’mores over a campfire can help to push out your usual concerns and allow you to relax in the comfort of simplicity. You get a fresh perspective on life and family that you wouldn’t normally get in the day-to-day grind. The campsite is there waiting for you. You just have to take the hardest step of all and walk out your front door and get in the car to head out for an adventure you won’t regret.

Personally, I feel at home in the mountains. I love being there with the views and the hikes and the trees. The people and music are great. There are so many awesome things to see and do there. Find your passion by going out and experiencing the world. You can experience it slow, in a tent or on foot. You’ll see views from your campsite and on your hikes that you’ll totally miss through your car window or on your TV. Just go and enjoy the journey.

A new normal provides instant gratification.

When we get away and into a different context, our brain can back-out of the humdrum or stress of day-to-day life. While camping you are in a temporary new routine, which can be a nice health adjustment for your mind. Mentally we push out concerns from the old normal and replace them with immediate activities. This process allows instant gratification by being out of your ordinary circumstance.

Exercise benefit.

When you camp, you’re not performing your normal activities so your body adapts to what you ask of it. We fall into ruts by repetitively doing the same physical exercises. Conversely, there are times we do nothing. While camping, you’re throwing new actions at your body and those new endeavors keep you in motion much of the time, they also challenge your body and spirit. That is a good thing. You may be tired at the end of the day, but you’ve recharged your mind and body in a beneficial way that will positively impact you for days or weeks to come after you get back home.

In daily life, you may attempt to minimize your motion. We tend curtail the number of steps while cooking a meal or travel to our job with the shortest route, or in our office most of us sit around typing on a computer. While camping, we’re in a position where we can be constantly moving which forces our bodies to adjust. What that means is that we’re burning energy on creative work which I think is very enjoyable and rewarding.

No interruptions allow for deep conversations.

Possibly, the most wonderful thing about camping is the one-on-one time spent with loved ones without the normal of interruptions of daily life. When at home or at work, many things demand our attention. But, when camping, it’s a totally different situation. Diverse issues vie for our concentration. Cell coverage may be non-existent or limited. Because of this, there’s a good chance you’re going to have conversations at a level you probably didn’t otherwise. At home you can turn on the TV or pick up your phone or login to your computer to check email. When camping, you may not even have a cell signal. Sitting around the campfire with laughter filling the air and joy in your hearts, that’s the goal.

You will want to plan ahead for how to handle electronic usage at the campsite. Today’s kids are often addicted or borderline addicted to constant contact through a smart phone. If you totally take them away, that may create frustrations that will keep your children from enjoying the trip. It may be that no electronics use is too much to ask, that may seem like punishment. Look beyond the whining and moaning and complaining and figure out a win-win situation that works for your family. Your kids win because they are looking up from their phone long enough to enjoy the outdoors. So if completely taking away the phones is going to really be an impediment to them savoring the weekend, then allow your kids to use them a couple of hours a day. Another option is to not let them recharge electronics. When the battery dies, then your phone usage ends for the weekend. This is a great way to teach them how to budget a resource. Whatever you do, let your children know a set of clear rules. Camping is a new situation for everyone and if letting you kids have their phones for a few minutes makes them more receptive to camping, then maybe that is a good plan.

Seek out priceless moments.

One of the things I crave and look forward to when camping are priceless moments. You may be alone and look out across the valley to see the opposite mountain or you may take in a deep breath and enjoy the rare view. It may just be you because you’re the first one up in the morning and you’re enjoying the quiet and the beauty. Or perhaps someone you love laughs which makes you revel in joy. Possibly you’re the one laughing. Maybe everyone is laughing around the campfire.

Camping is one of the greatest ways to generate these special times. In later chapters we’ll talk about the ways you can set yourself up for success or failure. If you let them, you will find priceless moments camping. Then you will have memories and stories that you and your kids will cherish for years to come.

I saw a meme on Pinterest that had a Prius at the top of the image, and at the bottom a Jeep in the desert sitting on the crest of a hill, in front of a sunset. A guy and his kids are in the Jeep enjoying the sun setting in this majestic place. The closing message of the meme said, “Your kids will never, ever remember you getting fifty-five miles per gallon. However, they will remember the night you watched the sun set over the mountains.”

Be receptive to what will be beautiful memories.

One way to generate your own memories is through camping. My goal in this book is to lead you through how to discover them. When you are well prepared, have knowledge and training and proper equipment, then, you’ve put some of the adversity behind you and you’re in a good situation for those priceless moments to occur. The all you have to do is be receptive to catch them and revel in them.

Knowledge is power and weighs nothing. You can take this knowledge and couple it with a list of skills for your trip. It is that simple! As you’re camping, you’re not worried about a sleeping bag getting wet; you’re enjoying the memories created with your loved ones.

So, let’s get started! I’d be honored if you’d let me share what I’ve learned and some of my many camping experiences. My hope is this book will enrich your camping trips and help you find those priceless moments.

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Helping Out in Hot Springs After Helene and Camping on Troublesome Gap

We were blessed to have the opportunity to help out with the recovery in Hot Springs, NC. The amount of damage was hard to see, but the local businesses are working hard to get back up and running. It is going to take a while.

I think the attitude was best expressed by the sign in the widow of Gentry Hardware

Here are some pictures of the damage from the hurricane

We had a great time camping on Troublesome Gap with friends! Thanks to everyone for joining us and helping out.

One morning we were treated to a valley full of fog, where the tops of the mountains looked like islands, simply amazing

Some of the sunrises were amazing

It was a wonderful weekend

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Damage from Hurricane Helene

We had the privilege of going to help with the recovery for a few days. The damage is hard to describe. One of the major problems is that the power and data infrastructure can’t be repair because major swathes of power lines and power poles are just gone. Power poles snaped in half. Cars wrapped around trees. We were working in an area where power may not be restored for 6-9 months. Thanks so much for everyone in our crew and the many people coming to help out and sending supplies. Here are some pictures

No Campsite Damage

Surprisingly there was no damage to the campsite, so we are ready for you to come join us

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Western NC Hurricane Damage Update

The damage in WNC is horrible. We have family we can’t contact. If you need to check on family, here is a tool that allows you to see which roads are blocked.

https://drivenc.gov

You can also use google maps to select a route. The DriveNC site is more pessimistic than the google maps. When I trying to work out a route to check on family that we can’t reach. The DriveNC site shows roads blocked that google maps doesn’t. The damage up there was horrible. Carefully consider the situation before travelling to the area.

Campsite Reopening

We are planning to work on the campsite on the weekend of