*This post has affiliate links. This means we have been compensated for some of the links in this post. As always, they are linked to products we actually use and love.
My parents instilled in me a love of camping when I was a little girl. Our first camping trip was to what was then called Helmer-Myre State Park. It is now known as Myre-Big Island State Park. We camped all over Minnesota and the midwest. Now, as a parent, it is my turn to teach my kids a love of the outdoors. I want to share with you my favorite camping items.
My cast iron cookware
I love my cast iron cookware so much. We usually bring our dutch oven, a six-inch skillet, and a twelve-inch skillet. Although depending on how many people we will be cooking for determines the other cast iron cookware we bring.
We also bring our cast iron pie irons. The dutch oven works perfectly to make delicious stews, cobblers, and even a pizza. We attempted to make cinnamon rolls in our pie irons while camping at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch and it worked perfectly.
Quality Sandals
Sometimes the best pair of shoes while camping is bare feet, but when walking in creek beds and hiking trails a good pair of shoes can make all the difference.
We love Keens, Chacos, or Tevas for sandals. In our experience, these sandals are durable, have excellent traction, and function in cities or the middle of the woods. Our kids love creek walking in their Keens. I love it because their toes are covered. They love it because they can still wear sandals.
I personally love Chacos. I love the tan lines they leave on my feet. On the practical side, I like how they hold up to creek walking while I’m fishing or swimming with my kids while camping. They have good traction on slippery surfaces like wet docks, mossy rocks, or slippery pool decks.
Durable rain clothes
Rain clothes and galoshes are a must for us while camping. Mark and I love Mountain Hardware, REI, Lands End, Patagonia or Black Diamond. I have had my Mountain Hardware shell for fifteen years and it is still going strong. We have yet to find a brand we are dedicated to using for our kiddos. It’s hard to shell out good money when their feet grow two sizes in a month. What is your favorite brand of rain gear for your kiddos?
Fire starters
With four hungry kids, Mark and I prefer not to cook our meals on the engine of our car because the rain won’t let up. Yes, we have attempted this, and it was successful. This cooking technique was before we had kids when we were camping with our friends in the mountains. It had rained all day, and our campsite was soaked. We were hungry. So we wrapped our food in aluminum foil and attempted to cook on supper on the engine of the suburban. Although it took twice as long and if you can avoid it, I recommend it.
My sister introduced us to Pine Mountain Firestarters. They are fantastic and make starting a fire a cinch. I’m all for flint and steel, but in a pinch, with hungry kids, these are the next best thing. If you like to be frugal you can also make fire starters with egg cartons and dryer lint. We did this for years and if I didn’t work full time I probably still would.
Easy Meals
Easy meals are essential to a successfull camping trip. Whether we are hiking, spending a day at a beach, or fishing we want to come back and easily fill our tummies.
- Pie iron sandwiches
- Hot dogs and Brats over the fire
- Premade meals I can put in my crockpot, set, and have ready when we come back from our adventures.
- Anything we can throw on the grill
Water cooler
I found an inexpensive water cooler at a garage sale. This works fantastic because we fill it once, maybe twice a day and we have our water source for the day.
An open mind
Flexibility is the name of the game while camping. The weather can change at any moment, but if you wait five minutes, it will change again. When we go into each day with the willingness to allow our plans to change it helps everyone have a great, memorable time.
*This post has affiliate links. This means we have been compensated for some of the links in this post. As always, they are linked to products we actually use and love.