Camping with Kids – What to Bring

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With summer winding down, and fall nipping at our heels, it’s the perfect time to look at great camping gear. My personal favorite times to camp are fall and spring- great weather, less crowds, and plenty of fun to be had. So what to pack? Here are some fun and easy ideas for a perfect family camping trip.

You can’t go camping without the perfect tent. For a small family, I love this Carbon River 3 Person Tent from Eddie Bauer. It fits 3 (including large adults) comfortably, with room to spare for gear and supplies. “55 inch height makes for more room when moving about the tent, and it comes with a full rain fly and two vestibules for lots of weather protection, but is still easy to get in and out of the openings.

Color-coded poles make this oversized tent easy to pitch and easy to see and put together even when it’s getting dark and you might be getting tired. Bright yellow stakes keep the tent planted in the ground and easy to see (no one needs to be tripping over stakes when you get out to use the bathroom or stubbing toes on them).

For more, visit http://www.eddiebauer.com

Sleeping bags would be the next necessity on a camping trip. For the taller camper, or one who desires extra room, check out the Snowline. An honest to goodness 3-season performer (this saving you money and room having to buy multiples), this bag comes in regular size or a long option. Goose Down insulation covered by a ripstop nylon shell, this mummy style bag is tough and will keep you warm on cool nights without overheating on warmer ones. It comes with it’s own stuff sack and storage bag, and is machine washable (although I hung it to dry, and think you will want to as well). Weighing in at only 3 pounds, it’s easy to take along for those sites you need to hike to, or the glamping trips you still want to be comfortable on.

For more, visit http://www.eddiebauer.com

For the little campers, I think that the Lucky Bums Sleeping Bag is both fun and functional. While still whimsical and eye catching to the kids, it offers the warmth and durability that is needed for camping in different seasons. A good performer in multiple seasons, it is rated for use down to 10 degrees. The mummy style has a full right side length zipper with Velcro enclosure at top, an ergonomic hood with drawstring, an internal drawstring to keep campers extra toasty, and comes with it’s own stuff bag. At less then 3 pounds, even the youngest campers can help carry this one to the site.

For more, visit http://www.afterschool.com

Looking to cookout while camping? The easy to use Coleman NXT Grills are great for camping (and will double for use tailgating or at a beach BBQ later on). Created with backyard grill cooking area and abilities in a compact,wheeled, portable package that fits in a trunk, the Coleman NXT Grill evenly cooks on 321 square inches of cooking surface, and has the power to sear in flavor. Cooking over a campfire is a lovely thought and very nostalgic, but for serious eaters or those who don’t want to mess around, they will want to have a fully functional grill on hand to make meals on. It’s hard and time consuming to cook on an open fire- that’s why we don’t often do it at home!

For more, visit http://www.coleman.com