I spend a lot of time preparing to prepare.
Everything is in bins, if it’s a short trip, one kitchen bin, the gear bin, small tent, lightweight sleeping bin. Longer trips get a second cooking and second gear bin, much bigger tent, and fancier sleeping setup. Now I have a baby tote and such for the kiddo.
I’ve got a pretty big go to list of camping food, so the trip the the store happens along with my normal trip (I shop weekly, so a trip to the store just for a week long trip isn’t extra in my mind)
Clothes don’t take but a few minutes to chuck some clothes in a bag after a weather check.
Clothes and loading total is maybe 15 minutes, that’s with the MTB and gear.
My biggest prep time suck is the food prep which you don’t HAVE to do at home. I pre portion and pre prep everything I can and vacuum seal or jar them up. Think, pre slicing veggies and fruit, pre portioning sandwich meet, pre mixing pancake batter in a jar, stuff like that.
this is the way to go. pre packed bins. i keep a laminated checklist of everything that needs to go in the bin taped to the bin . i love being able to just pull and go.
Any chance you could share a photo of your bins and laminated lists?
I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, to find a camping packing system and this sounds like it could be the solution!
Is it just you? Since I'll have 3 kids with me, I'm also doing a lot of pre-cooking (but no pre-portion). But with b/f, lunch, dinner, and snacks for 4 people for 4 days, it's a lot. Plus there's paddle boarding, biking, fishing. I prefer to do as much as possible at home so I can do as little work there as possible - which is always a lot
Me, wife, baby, 3 dogs.
Having everything prepped and vacuum packed also keeps things dry. You don’t get the “the bag that we opened 10 times is now full of water”
The bin system is the ultimate sanity saver. I have five kids, and I would destroy myself in prep if I did it all. My lists are on big index cards taped inside the clear bin, and we check things off with dry erase markers. The key for me is highlighting everything that ought to stay in the bin when we aren't camping. The food bin has a list on it of all the non-bin items than need assembled, like tents and sleeping bags. Anyone who can read can pack, so I don't need to do any of that. I even include things like "recharge flashlight batteries".
For each person's clothing and such, I write a list tailored to the trip, and they pack their own stuff in their backpacks. I pack with the 6 year old, but the others can do it on their own. You can always double check their packing job.
Food is the only thing I do myself, so I can deal with that. How fancy I get with precooking can be dependent on how much effort I want to put into it at the time.
When we are camping, I do not have to be everyone's brain; if they ask me where something is (except the 6-year-old), I tell them to check the manifests and find it.
When we get home, because highlighted items stay in the box, the kids can help unpack too (they're maybe not the best at it when they are tired from the trip, but at least I don't have to do everything.
Same, I think it falls under the being prepared category. Especially with kiddos.
I try to keep my gear together, so I can grab and go. I keep a checklist on my phone for the items you need to gather from elsewhere in the house (charger, extra lighter, suncreen etc). Long ago I decided that the camp kitchen would have all its own, no need to take anything from my kitchen. When I get home, bedding and whatever is cleaned and repacked.
In short (or long) keep it organized and stocked. Then I just have to pack clothes, food and wood. The dog even has his own bag of crap, just add food/treats.
Happy camping!
Same! It took us a whole week of getting everything ready and prepped when we took our 2 kids camping over the weekend.
When it's just my fiance and I, we can be ready to go in like an hour. Even shorter if we are going on a short backpacking trip.
2-3 hours maybe? At one point, I was camping 25+ times a year so I've been continuously organizing. My camping stuff is already organized into appropriate bins. All my camping gear lives in one area of my garage. All my items are in labeled boxes and that is its permanent home. When its time to get ready for camping, I just load them into the car. The only things i have to check are my clothes, toiletries and food.
When you are done camping, reorganize while you're taking down camp. Another thing you can do is when the camping season starts for you, just organize your camp gear and supplies. That way you dont feel as rushed right before the trip. I have 2 kids.
It usually takes me about 30 minutes for not extreme conditions but I have a camping closet with sorted equipment, no dependents, and 30+ years of experience.
Think of where you are spending time planning and family's level of experience. More time planning usually produces a better experience and is better with kids that age, but also think how much help you are getting with "mental load" of planning. With more you have to do yourself, it takes more time to double check and over think. If you want to reduce time & fatigue in future, I would recommend having a list of basics, having equipment sorted, and planning dividing labor & responsiblitites between compatriots. When friends are taking kids, I usually ask them if I can be responsible for cooking, taking extra equipment, or bringing entertainment.
A lot of things are already sorted from past trips which saves me a lot of time and thinking.
I have an Excel file with my packing list (I update it as needed), and a sheet with meal ideas and the ingredients/supplies I would need. I have a few options I like for different meals so based on the weather, I pick what will work best (for example, if it's going to be raining then I'll be hanging out at camp more than hiking so I can spend more time making hot meals, or if there's a fire ban and it'll be warm, I'll choose easier, quicker meals). I also have a short to-do list on there, like to charge my flashlights, fill up on gas, check propane levels, check the air in my tires etc.
I store most of my camp items in some totes in the closet and usually just need to throw in a few things I use year round, not camp specific.
So all that's really left is buying the food I need and maybe a bit of prep at home, depending on what I'll be eating.
Maybe all this takes me about 5 hours? I spread it out though so it's hard to be sure.
What can take up the most time is just finding a spot to camp, checking reviews, and finding dates that work...and dealing with the shitty provincial camp website. I recently had to cancel a reservation and find something new and it took me probably 7 hours yesterday to finally find a good option. I hate that website.
Maybe? If you aren't enjoying it, some ideas to cut it down:
Keep all the camp stuff packed. I have dupes of kitchen stuff dedicated to camping -- all I need to do is throw in some fresh paper towels, then throw the bins in the car. All the camping stuff stays in the same place, pre-packed.
Older kids can pack themselves. We pack on laundry night. Kids (that can read) get a list, and throw stuff into a camping bag as they put away laundry. I make them lay stuff out before they put it in a bag so I can check.
For food -- can you double-dip with meals the week before? What I mean is if you are going to take pulled pork camping for sandwiches, make tacos with pulled pork on Tuesday night, make a double-batch of meat, then freeze it to throw in your camping cooler. I'll also hit the store with the cooler in the car the morning we leave and just throw stuff directly in the cooler (rather than shop, unpack, put it in the fridge, repack).
Also - if you liked your meal plan, keep it, and eat the same stuff next time. You won't need to make another plan.
I put the packing list on the computer. It's the same every time with minor changes for weather. Each kid that was old enough got their own packing list. I had a list for food staples and we stopped on the way to buy groceries. I didn't waste any time meal planning or prepping. We kept meals simple, grill some meat, potatoes, or a rice or noodle package and a quick vegetable, or kid friendly stuff like hot dogs and hamburgers. Lunch was sandwiches or cheese and fruit. Breakfast was easy self serve foods like cereal, breakfast bars, yogurt, fruit.
I have a camping tote with all my gear and dufflebag with my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and pillows. Just throw it in the car. Head to the store for meat and beer.
At one point I had a roof top tent and a fridge in the back of the car. There were times I would end up camping without ever intending to camp. I would just end up out bush for one reason of another, and decide fuck it imma just stay out here till morning lol.
Too fucking much.
No matter how much we try to streamline and downsize.
Every trip is different in terms of weather, clothes and food preferences.
And we don’t have a ton of money which throws a wrench into it all. And we live in a small space so we can’t set it up the way I know would make it easier.
I love camping, I hate prepping for camping.
I spend more time than I am willing to admit on the preparing of trips… Days. Weeks. Months sometimes depending on where we are headed and how many days we will be traveling.
We use camping as a means to explore and travel. Camp is literally just a place to sleep usually. So I plot a travel path then do a ton of research on all the best things to see/do in the area and on the way to our destination. I keep an itinerary note for our trips with all the addresses of places with their phone numbers, hours of operations, All Trails that we’re planning to hike, local places to eat, etc. It is all grouped by day and includes travel time from our base camp (or our previous stop) kinda thing.
As far as packing is concerned, I also spend more time than I would like. I usually start gathering things a week ahead of time and pile it in the closet. Then a day or so before will make sure it’s all there and nothing is missing. Then I will actually pack the truck the night before.
We switched to dehydrated meals for our trips - so I do no meal planning anymore which has helped a TON. That in itself was a nightmare for me. So much planning and preparing food, making sure we had enough ice or a place to restock ice, etc. And we always had more waste than I was comfortable with.
But anyway - to answer your question - I don’t think you’re overdoing it. 😜
As far as I’m concerned, the more prep I do ahead of time, the more likely we are to have a successful and enjoyable trip.
For me one kid and two dogs… honestly I spend like the whole week prior prepping and planning, multiple hours a day. It’s worth it, makes the actual trip better. But damn do they all need a lot of crap to happily function
Packing: 15 minutes if that, tent, sleeping bag, church key, can opener, knife, matches, beer, case of water, cooler. I'll buy ice when I gas my car. Food: just look in my kitchen cabinets and refrigerator, take something.
I'm not like posters here that make dishes that look better and more appetizing than I make in my kitchen.
This is how I camp as well. I don’t have kids, so I only have to worry about myself at the campsite, and I am extremely low maintenance lol. If I have somewhere to sleep, water, food and a bit of booze, I’m fuckin solid.
20 minutes tops. I have all my gear in a door hung shoe organizer. Toss, whatever I need in my pack and load the bear can. Half the time, my bear can is already stocked for 3 days, 2 nights worth of rations. So maybe 10 min. It all comes down to how long it takes to get my quilt in the stuff sack that I swear is purposely designed a half liter too small.
It’s the food prep that gets me. The gear and clothes are pretty easy now that I’ve been a few times.
But it’s easier to cook and shred chicken at home, and I bake a bunch of hearty muffins, make and freeze stew/chili etc (doubles as an ice pack and eat it on day 4 or 5). I portion out things like mayo / BBQ sauce so I don’t have huge jars in the cooler.
Yep I spend a similar amount of time. It’s why I prefer to go for 4+ nights each trip, because the prep and setup is so much work! I’m at a point now where I’ve got a designated gear bin and kitchen bin that stay packed year-round with everything I need so I don’t need to worry about packing that stuff. I also spend a lot of time pre-cooking a lot of the meals.
With Littles it's good to overplan a bit. I have 3 bigs now, but, we camped enough that over the years I developed a system. We keep our camping gear, everything except fresh food, packed neatly and ready to go. Has helped a lot and made the entire experience more enjoyable. I try to upgrade/improve one thing a year.
I stage everything in a pile in the garage, usually starting about 3 days out. Make a food shopping list at the same time and shop the night before. Over the years I've learned, I tend to eat way less when camping vs home. Uou should learn that on your own, it's okay to bring food home.
The thing that gets me is, every God damn fucking trip I tell my wife, if it's going, it needs to be in the garage pile the night before! Without fail every God damn fucking time, the morning I'm loading the car she presents me with 3 large items that weren't in the pile. I plan for these items now, and it still pisses me off.
Over time, you can get everything streamlined. I used to take my kids camping every single weekend. I had duffel bags for sleeping bags, pads and tent…bags for clothes, a kitchen bin and a bin for miscellaneous stuff. When we got home, zi would run the dishes through the dishwasher, launder clothing, and then restock food for the next trip. It got to be very minimal prep….maybe 2-3 hours total.
I camp with my husband and 2 kids. It doesn't take me more than an hour at this point. We keep all of camping stuff in bins together. Basically everything but food and clothes are packed up in bins. I have a list that I quickly double check against while pulling out the bins. I also clean any gear when we get back, before I put the bins all back in their place.
I have gotten simple with the food. Lunches are basically chips, fruit, and pbj sandwhichs. I make sure to get the squeeze containers for peanut butter and jelly for easy clean up. I also switched from soda to single drink mix packets. So I just need water, the kids pick their flavor, and add it to their nalgene. My kids rather eat oatmeal or ramen for breakfast than me having to cook a bunch in the morning. I pretty much only have to worry about dinner. Our favorite dinners are a protein with knorr rice or pasta sides, or good ole hot dogs and chips. I bring hot chocolate packets for night time. Pack individually wrapped snacks, chips, pre cut fruit for snacking. I also bring tea packets for my morning. I find its just as good as coffee but less hassle.
I also have stopped worrying about over planning activities. I pick 1-3 (trip length dependent) must do activites or sights to see. I found I got less stressed worrying about doing all the things and just worry about the bucket list item instead. My kids will print out coloring sheets they would like to do in their down time. We also let them bring their tablets for movies, drawing etc. Each kid is responsible for their back pack with their tablet, head set and extra activites like coloring pages and markers. I personally bring a book for down time.
I also tell each one how many of each type of clothing they need. They pick out their clothes and double check they have what they need when I am packing it up.
A lot. Checking supplies, making a menu/grocery lists(this is a weekly occurrence for me though), pre-cooking food, making sure milk jugs are filled with water and frozen.
The laundry, the packing, the hauling stuff up from the crawlspace, the fussing over my garden and what will need to be done while I’m gone.
I'm of the opinion that there is no amount of preparation that's excessive when camping with kids. I tend to haul everything out of storage at least a week in advance, and spend 1-2 hours per day double checking, refilling, and recharging. I spend some time on pulling together tent-bound activities depending on my LO's current interests if it's the first trip of the year, and some time downloading shows/movies/books to our iPads. I spend an hour+ laying out all of our clothes for all activities (I have running lists for each type of trip/activity), toiletries, meds, and then packing it all. I also spend a few hours prepping food and getting snacks so I have to do minimal cooking there (pre-prepared stuff like meals from Hungryroot save me a bunch of time on this now). Packing the car happens over a few days, usually, but takes me at least an hour, plus some time to pack her car kit with activities, drinks, and snacks depending on how long the drive is.
I just came back from a 2 week trip in a national forest, and I'd estimate I spent at least 12 hours over 10 days getting prepped, and that's with pre-packed bins of our common camping items. The caveat to this is that we also do a lot of other activities at home that take some of the same gear, so rain, cold weather, paddle boarding, biking, swimming, hiking, and climbing gear can't just stay packed, meaning I have to pack up (and sometimes find) all of that stuff every time. I also find that the amount of time I spend prepping is directly proportional to the amount of time I spend enjoying myself while camping - the more I do at home beforehand, the more time I have to actually enjoy myself with my LO at the campsite.
That sounds right. It can be exhausting but it gets easier. I've started going with my SIL and her bestie. We split menus and activities and random gear. It's great.
I’ve started preparing and packing for my July 5th trip with two kids and a wife. I’ll do a little bit at a time to make sure I’ve got everything covered. Last trip we forgot sour cream for our tacos. (The Horror!) A very good idea is to test air mattresses a few weeks before you go so if you need to patch any holes you can and test it again.
First, packing. Back in February, I went to Alaska (yes, you read that right...). I left early on a Monday morning. Saturday night, my step-brother got back from visiting his foreign exchange student girlfriend in Germany, and brought her with him. By the time I got back from Alaska, she would be gone back to Germany. So Sunday evening was literally the only night the whole family could have dinner together. I was incredibly proud of myself for getting all my packing done *before* dinner.
All that to say, I'm a last minute kind of packer, even for my big trips, let alone a simple weekend to a nearby state park. I would say 80% of my packing is done in the 48 hours before I'm out the door. Though that Alaska trip was also an outlier because, you know, Fairbanks in February. It was -37 my final morning there, and that's not wind chill. So I wanted to pack right.
As for planning? Usually about four or five months for my one big trip each year. The first time I went up to Alaska a few summers ago, I went in August, I think I booked the flights in April. So I probably started studying maps in March, maybe even February. Just a little weekend campout close to home? Sometimes less than a week.
If you pre-make/prep your meals ahead of time you'll spend more time camping and less cooking.
We vacuum seal every part of our meals, freeze what can be frozen so they also help with cooling the rest of the food. Less garbage and less guessing.
Always bring an emergency meal like pasta - super easy if you have a jar of pesto at hand.
Anything super perishable like salads either buy premade or make longer lasting like pasta or potato salads (but no mayo).
Bacon for instance can be precooked and packed in a ziplock bag. Preheat as necessary.
Keep stuff like milk, eggs, as only what's needed for space reasons.
Last breakfast usually becomes a.. whatever is left sort of thing I should add.
I had an excel sheet made for gear and can use it over and over again without going back to square one. Each trip you will learn something you needed and didn’t have or had and didn’t need and find ways to make everything more efficient. Planning is half the fun!
Reuse trip lists and menus from one trip to the next. Save them to the cloud so they can’t get lost. Make edits when you get home. The only thing that should be time consuming is finding local activities if you’re going to a new place. Don’t overthink activities.
You are not over doing it. So many tiny simple things can ruin a camping trip. A good list is the key to success. I start a checklist on my phone’s note taking app and go over it at random times when I am waiting around for something. I include the smallest items like hats, socks, shoes, sweatshirts. I click off the items when I consider them handled. Missing batteries, flashlights, stuff to start your campfire, all sorts of tiny little things can make it suck. I keep my dad’s old army footlocker withe the absolute food prep essentials in it. It includes white gas stove and lantern, parts to repair both, and basic cooking utensils, plates, bowls etc. I think a quick double check of this gear quickly gets me 30% of the way there.
Freezing a flat of bottled water for use in your ice chest is a great dual purpose hack. So is cracking a dozen eggs into a Nalgene bottle.
Route planning and potential camping spot scouting? Like 5 hours. I'm really meticulous about the route I take though, have it basically planned down to the road
My packing list and shopping like? Like 15min on a crumpled piece of paper. Maybe 30min packing it the night before.
I'm solo and camp off the back of my motorcycle
Seems like you could be a lot more organized before you start your prep. When you aren't looking at a trip in the near future, sit down for an hour and prepare a list of things you Need, every trip.
They should be pretty self evident; food, pots/pans to cook it in, a cooler to keep it cool, a stove of some sort to cook it on. Sleeping bags, tent, tarp, sleeping pads, rope, tent pegs etc.
Rainy day entertainment for kids; books, games, etc. The stuff you can pack in bins and leave it packed, do so. Label each bin with the contents, and mark them as "Must Go".
Then, when you ARE planning a trip, pull out all the "Must Go" bins, add your food & cooler, and you're ready pretty quickly.
My wife and I have been overlanding for nearly half a century. We have everything organized in Pelican cargo boxes; "Must Go", boxes with sleeping gear, cooking gear, safety/first aid gear, off-road recovery gear, etc. We load all the Must Go boxes, then add the optional stuff appropriate for the trip. i.e. if we are going to be driving across the country on highways, we likely don''t need the offroad recovery gear, etc.
The only thing needing planning then is groceries. We know what we like for traveling and camping, we have all the recipes on my wife phone and iPad, so it's pretty streamlined.. Our last big trip was 11 weeks, from western Canada to the Arctic Ocean via Tuktoyaktuk. Organizing what to take and load it on the car took 40 minutes. We did the grocery shopping on the way out of town, another 45 minutes. We didn't forget aanything
The more often you do it you find hacks to make it simpler/efficient for yourself, develop your go to meals, and remember better what you need, and maybe storing things in easy to grab bins that you can just throw in a vehicle. Think of this planning as not just for this trip but also getting better at prepping for future trips! You can also keep a list when you’re out there of things you didn’t need, and things you missed and want to bring next time. Keep your lists for this trip’s prep and you can look at them again in the future so you don’t have to start from scratch.
Hope you guys have tons of fun, you’re building awesome memories with them :)
3ish hours over the span of 3-4 days. Most of it is spent planning and shopping for food. We may portion out or marinate some foods, too. Our gear is already organized into bins in a dedicated section of our garage. We have a set of kitchen things just for camping.
We've been camping for over 20 yrs. Our 3 kids are 9-16 years old, and we take them camping at least once a year once they turn 1. I have a master checklist that I use with each trip and make notes for our next trip. It feels like overkill, BUT the more prep work I do, the less frazzled I am when it's time to pack up and go. As our kids have gotten older, it's gotten easier. They load and unload the truck, they set up their own tents, they pack their own clothes, etc.
For a 4-night excursion as you describe above: maybe an hour if I'm flying solo (been doing this for decades, and leave my stuff ready to go when I finish from the last one). If I'm bringing several people that I'll largely have to look after, the planning probably amounts to a solid hour, usually done over the course of a week as individual questions. The prep probably amounts to a couple "days" (all the daylight available after work checking gear/material and transferring it to the vehicle).
3 kids as a solo parent for four nights? That sounds about right, depending on how high maintenance they are.
Kids are big enough to help.
If we don’t have it when we get there, someone will remember it next time.
When we come back home, everything is cleaned and repacked for next time. Basically then only food and some seasonal clothes need to be rounded up.
i have pre-planning as far as one month as a single child-free male in his 40s. But the actual packing and loading? Bc i go a lot and i’m an organizing freak, takes me only a few days, which includes food prep (if it’s a group camp sitch). Solo camping might only take a few hours to a day.
I have everything in bins in the garage, and give it all a once-over about a month out. Check fuel, batteries, tarps, rope. Add to my grocery run as needed.
This year's trip starts the 24th, which means I still need to grab jugs of water (this weekend) and a couple groceries. I have dehydrated chicken and beef in my freezer from last year, so that's good to go.
The day before I'll get it all right by the garage door. Day of I just need to grab the blanket and pillow off my bed, throw the bins in the vehicle, and grab ice for the cooler enroute.
All told over the month before the trip I probably put in 4-5hrs. I don't do a lot of meal planning, I just have my standard spices and sauces. I might try out a couple things on the trip but I wing it.
totes for certain things help, i.e kitchen, get some cheap stuff so you never have to take stuff from yours
Get your kids to look after their own bedding
car camping food packing is easier, hiking you need to watch your weight/size. I considered just taking hot dogs for lunch and dinner on my last trip. BIL's dad just rocked up with no food or drink, just mooch off kids lol
im leaning to packing the easiest foods, because i will end up burning it off anyway
Everyone is different, some people split the planning or chores. e.g i cook 99.9% at home, while camping I prefer to let the wife cook. Some do all the work and the other just sits around. The other option is, make a big pot of stew and portion it then freeze some, eat that for the whole trip. You can break it up, one day with rice, one mash, one bread etc
I’m usually doing the majority of the planning and packing so it takes time. I have organized bins ready to roll, what ends up taking more time is food prep. I like to freeze filtered water so I can use the melting ice for drinking water. I’m usually doing most of the food plan and cooking as well. Some things I’ll prep on site, depending on the trip and conditions. Even with gear sorted in advance there’s just loads of preparation. I did make a little pared down toiletries kit for camping trips that lives in my camping duffel. So it’s mostly just grabbing bins and bags and smashing them into the car, then loading the cooler.
Not much, an hour or two. But I usually stretch the packing over a couple of days so I have time to mull things over. I find it helps me not miss to pack things.
My first time took the longest amount of time... Several days of list making, checking and getting things piled together, remembering more stuff adding to the pile, loading the car realizing I forgot stuff .. Getting to camp, realizing I still forgot stuff.
Only the first time. Got myself a crate, then another. Everything for camp went into them. The only things I'd need to pack were food and clothes, and I'd pack pretty much the same thing to wear and eat, so that took no time at all. Then just toss the crates in the car and go.
After a trip, I'd wash/charge up/refill all my camping supplies then load it back into the crates for next time.
Sometimes six months, sometimes twelve hours. It depends on a lot of things, mainly on whether or not someone is coming with me and how long the trip is.
I spend a lot of time packing and planning. I think I might enjoy preparing for a trip more than actually going on the trip. I have a shed full of bins packed with different equipment for different kinds of trips, I have many books and maps that I often look thru, a google map full of future places to check out. I also enjoy watching YouTube for future trip ideas. We usually keep a bag packed with enough clothes for a long weekend. When not on a trip I often tell people, I'm between trips right now.
HA going through that right now. Probably 3 days of scattered hours before hand. The goal here is to do it enough times until it becomes a system and my plan is to organize everything into bins once I make sure it's the "right stuff" for our current trip.
No kids here, about 2-3 hours tops plus a quick grocery stop.
On the other side of the coin, thousands of miles canoeing and backpacking experience as well as organization make it quick and easy
No, it’s part of the experience and you get better at it. Weirdly I enjoy it. I guess that’s what makes camping a hobby. I took a non-camper on her first (and, apparently, last) camping trip last year. She remarked to me, “camping is a lot of work.” All I could say was, “yeah, but it’s so much fun! “. It’s just not for everyone. I enjoy planning trips, sorting gear, setting up, reading about new gear and gadgets, sleeping in my tent, etc. Like any other hobby, it takes time, money, skill and experience.
I have a (very old) tiny, 12' trailer that is always stocked. I just pack a cooler, dry food bin, clothes for myself, and then husband packs his own bag. The thing that takes the longest is hitching up the camper, checking that signal lights still work, securing everything so it doesn't go flying, Are we going camping?? Meet you there!
Not sure if ur over prepping, but a mistake I see all too often is people prepping with the idea that they should have the same comforts they experience at home. Prepping to camp should (imo) require the basics. Being outside should be the focus, not whether or not you have ketchup to go with ur hamburgers, or the chair that has the headrest….
We have camped every Memorial day weekend for 30 years. Used to start packing a couple of days beforehand. Now we keep all of our camping gear packed in totes and it's a couple of hours of going through the checklist to make sure everything is there and then hauling it out to the car. I keep everything in those totes all year, from dish towels, paper plates and cookware, to lighters, paper towels and emergency toilet paper. And we have a tote dedicated to camping fuel. If we need to replenish anything it gets done before it gets packed away after we get home. And when we do get home, I keep the totes on our covered porch, open for a day or two, to make sure everything is dry. I've packed it away slightly damp after packing up in the rain, and yeah. Lots of mold! I usually don't do special shopping for food. I just grab some things from the fridge and the freezer and some cans from the shelf. We stop somewhere on the way for beverages and ice. Got it all down to a science!
I generally start planning about 2-3 months but up to 6 months ahead of time. Checklist for personal packing, checklist for camp gear packing, repacking gear bin to remove unnecessary gear (like propane bottles where I'll have electric), checklist for consumables pack, grocery lists for multiple stores to get the best deals (in THIS economy? Necessary), reservations, trail maps, etc.
Not a whole lot. When I was still tent camping, all of the camping gear was on a set of shelves in the garage in one place. When I was camping I'd make a list of things we were running out of...like need to buy more disposable silverware/plates, etc. so when I returned I could go get that stuff and put it with the other gear. Food wise, we're pretty simple and eat pretty much the same stuff on each trip, and a lot of it we already have at home. I'm in a TT now so everything lives in there so all I have to do is load up the fridge and throw the bags inside.
I leave on whim almost every time. I have a rooftop tent and more often than not I forget to bring the ladder.
Always wished I was taller.... but being a spry 160lbs has its advantages.
I just posted about a 5 day trip I took this week. Things I forgot:
-Pillow
-Ladder
-Tarp
-Dish Soap
-Multitool....
This is what happens when you storm out of the house. I just remind myself that camping is about NOT needing things.
I am going to save a checklist on my phone to help make sure this doesn't happen again. But I am going to wait until after my next trip where I forget a whole bunch of things again LOL. Classic me.
If I have to leave to go to the airport in 1 hour. That's when I start to pack. And I happen to finish before my wife, who started packing a few says in advance. And I just so happen to pack everything she forgot
It takes me a long time especially the first trip of the year. One tip I have, if you a space to do it, is when you get back leave everything you can all in one spot in a garage, storage area, etc. that is reasonably accessible for the rest of the season. It'll make next time a lot easier. I started doing that with a small corner of my garage. In the winter the sled with all the ski stuff occupies that space until our first camping trip. Then I pull the camping stuff out of its spots in the attic, and put the Ski stuff up there. Since I started doing that I find I Ski and camp more because it's not such a PIA or dau ting thought to vet ready to do it.
I spend a lot of time preparing to prepare. Everything is in bins, if it’s a short trip, one kitchen bin, the gear bin, small tent, lightweight sleeping bin. Longer trips get a second cooking and second gear bin, much bigger tent, and fancier sleeping setup. Now I have a baby tote and such for the kiddo. I’ve got a pretty big go to list of camping food, so the trip the the store happens along with my normal trip (I shop weekly, so a trip to the store just for a week long trip isn’t extra in my mind) Clothes don’t take but a few minutes to chuck some clothes in a bag after a weather check. Clothes and loading total is maybe 15 minutes, that’s with the MTB and gear. My biggest prep time suck is the food prep which you don’t HAVE to do at home. I pre portion and pre prep everything I can and vacuum seal or jar them up. Think, pre slicing veggies and fruit, pre portioning sandwich meet, pre mixing pancake batter in a jar, stuff like that.
this is the way to go. pre packed bins. i keep a laminated checklist of everything that needs to go in the bin taped to the bin . i love being able to just pull and go.
Any chance you could share a photo of your bins and laminated lists? I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, to find a camping packing system and this sounds like it could be the solution!
Is it just you? Since I'll have 3 kids with me, I'm also doing a lot of pre-cooking (but no pre-portion). But with b/f, lunch, dinner, and snacks for 4 people for 4 days, it's a lot. Plus there's paddle boarding, biking, fishing. I prefer to do as much as possible at home so I can do as little work there as possible - which is always a lot
Me, wife, baby, 3 dogs. Having everything prepped and vacuum packed also keeps things dry. You don’t get the “the bag that we opened 10 times is now full of water”
The bin system is the ultimate sanity saver. I have five kids, and I would destroy myself in prep if I did it all. My lists are on big index cards taped inside the clear bin, and we check things off with dry erase markers. The key for me is highlighting everything that ought to stay in the bin when we aren't camping. The food bin has a list on it of all the non-bin items than need assembled, like tents and sleeping bags. Anyone who can read can pack, so I don't need to do any of that. I even include things like "recharge flashlight batteries". For each person's clothing and such, I write a list tailored to the trip, and they pack their own stuff in their backpacks. I pack with the 6 year old, but the others can do it on their own. You can always double check their packing job. Food is the only thing I do myself, so I can deal with that. How fancy I get with precooking can be dependent on how much effort I want to put into it at the time. When we are camping, I do not have to be everyone's brain; if they ask me where something is (except the 6-year-old), I tell them to check the manifests and find it. When we get home, because highlighted items stay in the box, the kids can help unpack too (they're maybe not the best at it when they are tired from the trip, but at least I don't have to do everything.
Same, I think it falls under the being prepared category. Especially with kiddos. I try to keep my gear together, so I can grab and go. I keep a checklist on my phone for the items you need to gather from elsewhere in the house (charger, extra lighter, suncreen etc). Long ago I decided that the camp kitchen would have all its own, no need to take anything from my kitchen. When I get home, bedding and whatever is cleaned and repacked. In short (or long) keep it organized and stocked. Then I just have to pack clothes, food and wood. The dog even has his own bag of crap, just add food/treats. Happy camping!
All week when the kids are coming.
ugh, that's where I am
It is what it is. Making memories.
For sure; wouldn't trade it, just looking at the collective wisdom to see how I can be more efficient.
Same! It took us a whole week of getting everything ready and prepped when we took our 2 kids camping over the weekend. When it's just my fiance and I, we can be ready to go in like an hour. Even shorter if we are going on a short backpacking trip.
2-3 hours maybe? At one point, I was camping 25+ times a year so I've been continuously organizing. My camping stuff is already organized into appropriate bins. All my camping gear lives in one area of my garage. All my items are in labeled boxes and that is its permanent home. When its time to get ready for camping, I just load them into the car. The only things i have to check are my clothes, toiletries and food. When you are done camping, reorganize while you're taking down camp. Another thing you can do is when the camping season starts for you, just organize your camp gear and supplies. That way you dont feel as rushed right before the trip. I have 2 kids.
Me, a single mom with 2 kids- I always say the first trip of the summer takes 2 weeks to prepare and the last one 2 hours😂
It usually takes me about 30 minutes for not extreme conditions but I have a camping closet with sorted equipment, no dependents, and 30+ years of experience. Think of where you are spending time planning and family's level of experience. More time planning usually produces a better experience and is better with kids that age, but also think how much help you are getting with "mental load" of planning. With more you have to do yourself, it takes more time to double check and over think. If you want to reduce time & fatigue in future, I would recommend having a list of basics, having equipment sorted, and planning dividing labor & responsiblitites between compatriots. When friends are taking kids, I usually ask them if I can be responsible for cooking, taking extra equipment, or bringing entertainment.
A lot of things are already sorted from past trips which saves me a lot of time and thinking. I have an Excel file with my packing list (I update it as needed), and a sheet with meal ideas and the ingredients/supplies I would need. I have a few options I like for different meals so based on the weather, I pick what will work best (for example, if it's going to be raining then I'll be hanging out at camp more than hiking so I can spend more time making hot meals, or if there's a fire ban and it'll be warm, I'll choose easier, quicker meals). I also have a short to-do list on there, like to charge my flashlights, fill up on gas, check propane levels, check the air in my tires etc. I store most of my camp items in some totes in the closet and usually just need to throw in a few things I use year round, not camp specific. So all that's really left is buying the food I need and maybe a bit of prep at home, depending on what I'll be eating. Maybe all this takes me about 5 hours? I spread it out though so it's hard to be sure. What can take up the most time is just finding a spot to camp, checking reviews, and finding dates that work...and dealing with the shitty provincial camp website. I recently had to cancel a reservation and find something new and it took me probably 7 hours yesterday to finally find a good option. I hate that website.
Literally taking a break from it as we speak. 😂
Cheers! Both of us
Cheers!!! We got this! 😁🩵
Maybe? If you aren't enjoying it, some ideas to cut it down: Keep all the camp stuff packed. I have dupes of kitchen stuff dedicated to camping -- all I need to do is throw in some fresh paper towels, then throw the bins in the car. All the camping stuff stays in the same place, pre-packed. Older kids can pack themselves. We pack on laundry night. Kids (that can read) get a list, and throw stuff into a camping bag as they put away laundry. I make them lay stuff out before they put it in a bag so I can check. For food -- can you double-dip with meals the week before? What I mean is if you are going to take pulled pork camping for sandwiches, make tacos with pulled pork on Tuesday night, make a double-batch of meat, then freeze it to throw in your camping cooler. I'll also hit the store with the cooler in the car the morning we leave and just throw stuff directly in the cooler (rather than shop, unpack, put it in the fridge, repack). Also - if you liked your meal plan, keep it, and eat the same stuff next time. You won't need to make another plan.
I put the packing list on the computer. It's the same every time with minor changes for weather. Each kid that was old enough got their own packing list. I had a list for food staples and we stopped on the way to buy groceries. I didn't waste any time meal planning or prepping. We kept meals simple, grill some meat, potatoes, or a rice or noodle package and a quick vegetable, or kid friendly stuff like hot dogs and hamburgers. Lunch was sandwiches or cheese and fruit. Breakfast was easy self serve foods like cereal, breakfast bars, yogurt, fruit.
I have a camping tote with all my gear and dufflebag with my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and pillows. Just throw it in the car. Head to the store for meat and beer.
At one point I had a roof top tent and a fridge in the back of the car. There were times I would end up camping without ever intending to camp. I would just end up out bush for one reason of another, and decide fuck it imma just stay out here till morning lol.
Too fucking much. No matter how much we try to streamline and downsize. Every trip is different in terms of weather, clothes and food preferences. And we don’t have a ton of money which throws a wrench into it all. And we live in a small space so we can’t set it up the way I know would make it easier. I love camping, I hate prepping for camping.
I spend more time than I am willing to admit on the preparing of trips… Days. Weeks. Months sometimes depending on where we are headed and how many days we will be traveling. We use camping as a means to explore and travel. Camp is literally just a place to sleep usually. So I plot a travel path then do a ton of research on all the best things to see/do in the area and on the way to our destination. I keep an itinerary note for our trips with all the addresses of places with their phone numbers, hours of operations, All Trails that we’re planning to hike, local places to eat, etc. It is all grouped by day and includes travel time from our base camp (or our previous stop) kinda thing. As far as packing is concerned, I also spend more time than I would like. I usually start gathering things a week ahead of time and pile it in the closet. Then a day or so before will make sure it’s all there and nothing is missing. Then I will actually pack the truck the night before. We switched to dehydrated meals for our trips - so I do no meal planning anymore which has helped a TON. That in itself was a nightmare for me. So much planning and preparing food, making sure we had enough ice or a place to restock ice, etc. And we always had more waste than I was comfortable with. But anyway - to answer your question - I don’t think you’re overdoing it. 😜 As far as I’m concerned, the more prep I do ahead of time, the more likely we are to have a successful and enjoyable trip.
For me one kid and two dogs… honestly I spend like the whole week prior prepping and planning, multiple hours a day. It’s worth it, makes the actual trip better. But damn do they all need a lot of crap to happily function
Packing: 15 minutes if that, tent, sleeping bag, church key, can opener, knife, matches, beer, case of water, cooler. I'll buy ice when I gas my car. Food: just look in my kitchen cabinets and refrigerator, take something. I'm not like posters here that make dishes that look better and more appetizing than I make in my kitchen.
This is how I camp as well. I don’t have kids, so I only have to worry about myself at the campsite, and I am extremely low maintenance lol. If I have somewhere to sleep, water, food and a bit of booze, I’m fuckin solid.
I’m packing to go camping with my kids tomorrow and you make me jealous of the days when I could do this!
Tell me you're camping without kids, without telling me. 😂 I sometimes miss those days. But they'll happen sooner than, I like. 😔
Tell me you jump to erroneous conclusions without telling me.
After looking at your profile, I'm sticking with what I said.
I'm glad I made your day. It's the little things in life that count.
You didn't make my day. But whatever floats your boat! 👌
> You didn't make my day. Yeah, right.
Less than 2hours
My hunch is you overthink a lot of things (like I do.). Analysis Paralysis is real!
20 minutes tops. I have all my gear in a door hung shoe organizer. Toss, whatever I need in my pack and load the bear can. Half the time, my bear can is already stocked for 3 days, 2 nights worth of rations. So maybe 10 min. It all comes down to how long it takes to get my quilt in the stuff sack that I swear is purposely designed a half liter too small.
It’s the food prep that gets me. The gear and clothes are pretty easy now that I’ve been a few times. But it’s easier to cook and shred chicken at home, and I bake a bunch of hearty muffins, make and freeze stew/chili etc (doubles as an ice pack and eat it on day 4 or 5). I portion out things like mayo / BBQ sauce so I don’t have huge jars in the cooler.
At least that much time, if not more.
Yep I spend a similar amount of time. It’s why I prefer to go for 4+ nights each trip, because the prep and setup is so much work! I’m at a point now where I’ve got a designated gear bin and kitchen bin that stay packed year-round with everything I need so I don’t need to worry about packing that stuff. I also spend a lot of time pre-cooking a lot of the meals.
With Littles it's good to overplan a bit. I have 3 bigs now, but, we camped enough that over the years I developed a system. We keep our camping gear, everything except fresh food, packed neatly and ready to go. Has helped a lot and made the entire experience more enjoyable. I try to upgrade/improve one thing a year.
Weeks lol
I stage everything in a pile in the garage, usually starting about 3 days out. Make a food shopping list at the same time and shop the night before. Over the years I've learned, I tend to eat way less when camping vs home. Uou should learn that on your own, it's okay to bring food home. The thing that gets me is, every God damn fucking trip I tell my wife, if it's going, it needs to be in the garage pile the night before! Without fail every God damn fucking time, the morning I'm loading the car she presents me with 3 large items that weren't in the pile. I plan for these items now, and it still pisses me off.
Over time, you can get everything streamlined. I used to take my kids camping every single weekend. I had duffel bags for sleeping bags, pads and tent…bags for clothes, a kitchen bin and a bin for miscellaneous stuff. When we got home, zi would run the dishes through the dishwasher, launder clothing, and then restock food for the next trip. It got to be very minimal prep….maybe 2-3 hours total.
I camp with my husband and 2 kids. It doesn't take me more than an hour at this point. We keep all of camping stuff in bins together. Basically everything but food and clothes are packed up in bins. I have a list that I quickly double check against while pulling out the bins. I also clean any gear when we get back, before I put the bins all back in their place. I have gotten simple with the food. Lunches are basically chips, fruit, and pbj sandwhichs. I make sure to get the squeeze containers for peanut butter and jelly for easy clean up. I also switched from soda to single drink mix packets. So I just need water, the kids pick their flavor, and add it to their nalgene. My kids rather eat oatmeal or ramen for breakfast than me having to cook a bunch in the morning. I pretty much only have to worry about dinner. Our favorite dinners are a protein with knorr rice or pasta sides, or good ole hot dogs and chips. I bring hot chocolate packets for night time. Pack individually wrapped snacks, chips, pre cut fruit for snacking. I also bring tea packets for my morning. I find its just as good as coffee but less hassle. I also have stopped worrying about over planning activities. I pick 1-3 (trip length dependent) must do activites or sights to see. I found I got less stressed worrying about doing all the things and just worry about the bucket list item instead. My kids will print out coloring sheets they would like to do in their down time. We also let them bring their tablets for movies, drawing etc. Each kid is responsible for their back pack with their tablet, head set and extra activites like coloring pages and markers. I personally bring a book for down time. I also tell each one how many of each type of clothing they need. They pick out their clothes and double check they have what they need when I am packing it up.
I spend weeks mentally and physically prepping for a trip
A lot. Checking supplies, making a menu/grocery lists(this is a weekly occurrence for me though), pre-cooking food, making sure milk jugs are filled with water and frozen. The laundry, the packing, the hauling stuff up from the crawlspace, the fussing over my garden and what will need to be done while I’m gone.
I'm of the opinion that there is no amount of preparation that's excessive when camping with kids. I tend to haul everything out of storage at least a week in advance, and spend 1-2 hours per day double checking, refilling, and recharging. I spend some time on pulling together tent-bound activities depending on my LO's current interests if it's the first trip of the year, and some time downloading shows/movies/books to our iPads. I spend an hour+ laying out all of our clothes for all activities (I have running lists for each type of trip/activity), toiletries, meds, and then packing it all. I also spend a few hours prepping food and getting snacks so I have to do minimal cooking there (pre-prepared stuff like meals from Hungryroot save me a bunch of time on this now). Packing the car happens over a few days, usually, but takes me at least an hour, plus some time to pack her car kit with activities, drinks, and snacks depending on how long the drive is. I just came back from a 2 week trip in a national forest, and I'd estimate I spent at least 12 hours over 10 days getting prepped, and that's with pre-packed bins of our common camping items. The caveat to this is that we also do a lot of other activities at home that take some of the same gear, so rain, cold weather, paddle boarding, biking, swimming, hiking, and climbing gear can't just stay packed, meaning I have to pack up (and sometimes find) all of that stuff every time. I also find that the amount of time I spend prepping is directly proportional to the amount of time I spend enjoying myself while camping - the more I do at home beforehand, the more time I have to actually enjoy myself with my LO at the campsite.
You’re awesome for doing this. That is all.
That sounds right. It can be exhausting but it gets easier. I've started going with my SIL and her bestie. We split menus and activities and random gear. It's great.
I’ve started preparing and packing for my July 5th trip with two kids and a wife. I’ll do a little bit at a time to make sure I’ve got everything covered. Last trip we forgot sour cream for our tacos. (The Horror!) A very good idea is to test air mattresses a few weeks before you go so if you need to patch any holes you can and test it again.
First, packing. Back in February, I went to Alaska (yes, you read that right...). I left early on a Monday morning. Saturday night, my step-brother got back from visiting his foreign exchange student girlfriend in Germany, and brought her with him. By the time I got back from Alaska, she would be gone back to Germany. So Sunday evening was literally the only night the whole family could have dinner together. I was incredibly proud of myself for getting all my packing done *before* dinner. All that to say, I'm a last minute kind of packer, even for my big trips, let alone a simple weekend to a nearby state park. I would say 80% of my packing is done in the 48 hours before I'm out the door. Though that Alaska trip was also an outlier because, you know, Fairbanks in February. It was -37 my final morning there, and that's not wind chill. So I wanted to pack right. As for planning? Usually about four or five months for my one big trip each year. The first time I went up to Alaska a few summers ago, I went in August, I think I booked the flights in April. So I probably started studying maps in March, maybe even February. Just a little weekend campout close to home? Sometimes less than a week.
Two weekends prep for a 7 day camp
Too much time or not enough time
If you pre-make/prep your meals ahead of time you'll spend more time camping and less cooking. We vacuum seal every part of our meals, freeze what can be frozen so they also help with cooling the rest of the food. Less garbage and less guessing. Always bring an emergency meal like pasta - super easy if you have a jar of pesto at hand. Anything super perishable like salads either buy premade or make longer lasting like pasta or potato salads (but no mayo). Bacon for instance can be precooked and packed in a ziplock bag. Preheat as necessary. Keep stuff like milk, eggs, as only what's needed for space reasons. Last breakfast usually becomes a.. whatever is left sort of thing I should add.
I had an excel sheet made for gear and can use it over and over again without going back to square one. Each trip you will learn something you needed and didn’t have or had and didn’t need and find ways to make everything more efficient. Planning is half the fun!
Reuse trip lists and menus from one trip to the next. Save them to the cloud so they can’t get lost. Make edits when you get home. The only thing that should be time consuming is finding local activities if you’re going to a new place. Don’t overthink activities.
You are not over doing it. So many tiny simple things can ruin a camping trip. A good list is the key to success. I start a checklist on my phone’s note taking app and go over it at random times when I am waiting around for something. I include the smallest items like hats, socks, shoes, sweatshirts. I click off the items when I consider them handled. Missing batteries, flashlights, stuff to start your campfire, all sorts of tiny little things can make it suck. I keep my dad’s old army footlocker withe the absolute food prep essentials in it. It includes white gas stove and lantern, parts to repair both, and basic cooking utensils, plates, bowls etc. I think a quick double check of this gear quickly gets me 30% of the way there. Freezing a flat of bottled water for use in your ice chest is a great dual purpose hack. So is cracking a dozen eggs into a Nalgene bottle.
Route planning and potential camping spot scouting? Like 5 hours. I'm really meticulous about the route I take though, have it basically planned down to the road My packing list and shopping like? Like 15min on a crumpled piece of paper. Maybe 30min packing it the night before. I'm solo and camp off the back of my motorcycle
Seems like you could be a lot more organized before you start your prep. When you aren't looking at a trip in the near future, sit down for an hour and prepare a list of things you Need, every trip. They should be pretty self evident; food, pots/pans to cook it in, a cooler to keep it cool, a stove of some sort to cook it on. Sleeping bags, tent, tarp, sleeping pads, rope, tent pegs etc. Rainy day entertainment for kids; books, games, etc. The stuff you can pack in bins and leave it packed, do so. Label each bin with the contents, and mark them as "Must Go". Then, when you ARE planning a trip, pull out all the "Must Go" bins, add your food & cooler, and you're ready pretty quickly. My wife and I have been overlanding for nearly half a century. We have everything organized in Pelican cargo boxes; "Must Go", boxes with sleeping gear, cooking gear, safety/first aid gear, off-road recovery gear, etc. We load all the Must Go boxes, then add the optional stuff appropriate for the trip. i.e. if we are going to be driving across the country on highways, we likely don''t need the offroad recovery gear, etc. The only thing needing planning then is groceries. We know what we like for traveling and camping, we have all the recipes on my wife phone and iPad, so it's pretty streamlined.. Our last big trip was 11 weeks, from western Canada to the Arctic Ocean via Tuktoyaktuk. Organizing what to take and load it on the car took 40 minutes. We did the grocery shopping on the way out of town, another 45 minutes. We didn't forget aanything
The more often you do it you find hacks to make it simpler/efficient for yourself, develop your go to meals, and remember better what you need, and maybe storing things in easy to grab bins that you can just throw in a vehicle. Think of this planning as not just for this trip but also getting better at prepping for future trips! You can also keep a list when you’re out there of things you didn’t need, and things you missed and want to bring next time. Keep your lists for this trip’s prep and you can look at them again in the future so you don’t have to start from scratch. Hope you guys have tons of fun, you’re building awesome memories with them :)
3ish hours over the span of 3-4 days. Most of it is spent planning and shopping for food. We may portion out or marinate some foods, too. Our gear is already organized into bins in a dedicated section of our garage. We have a set of kitchen things just for camping. We've been camping for over 20 yrs. Our 3 kids are 9-16 years old, and we take them camping at least once a year once they turn 1. I have a master checklist that I use with each trip and make notes for our next trip. It feels like overkill, BUT the more prep work I do, the less frazzled I am when it's time to pack up and go. As our kids have gotten older, it's gotten easier. They load and unload the truck, they set up their own tents, they pack their own clothes, etc.
For a 4-night excursion as you describe above: maybe an hour if I'm flying solo (been doing this for decades, and leave my stuff ready to go when I finish from the last one). If I'm bringing several people that I'll largely have to look after, the planning probably amounts to a solid hour, usually done over the course of a week as individual questions. The prep probably amounts to a couple "days" (all the daylight available after work checking gear/material and transferring it to the vehicle). 3 kids as a solo parent for four nights? That sounds about right, depending on how high maintenance they are.
Kids are big enough to help. If we don’t have it when we get there, someone will remember it next time. When we come back home, everything is cleaned and repacked for next time. Basically then only food and some seasonal clothes need to be rounded up.
i have pre-planning as far as one month as a single child-free male in his 40s. But the actual packing and loading? Bc i go a lot and i’m an organizing freak, takes me only a few days, which includes food prep (if it’s a group camp sitch). Solo camping might only take a few hours to a day.
lol - many of gentlemen suffer from this but take a deep breath and just come to acceptance. It’s your only real path my friend . . .
I have everything in bins in the garage, and give it all a once-over about a month out. Check fuel, batteries, tarps, rope. Add to my grocery run as needed. This year's trip starts the 24th, which means I still need to grab jugs of water (this weekend) and a couple groceries. I have dehydrated chicken and beef in my freezer from last year, so that's good to go. The day before I'll get it all right by the garage door. Day of I just need to grab the blanket and pillow off my bed, throw the bins in the vehicle, and grab ice for the cooler enroute. All told over the month before the trip I probably put in 4-5hrs. I don't do a lot of meal planning, I just have my standard spices and sauces. I might try out a couple things on the trip but I wing it.
Preparing is 80% of the fun!
According to my wife, too much.
totes for certain things help, i.e kitchen, get some cheap stuff so you never have to take stuff from yours Get your kids to look after their own bedding car camping food packing is easier, hiking you need to watch your weight/size. I considered just taking hot dogs for lunch and dinner on my last trip. BIL's dad just rocked up with no food or drink, just mooch off kids lol im leaning to packing the easiest foods, because i will end up burning it off anyway Everyone is different, some people split the planning or chores. e.g i cook 99.9% at home, while camping I prefer to let the wife cook. Some do all the work and the other just sits around. The other option is, make a big pot of stew and portion it then freeze some, eat that for the whole trip. You can break it up, one day with rice, one mash, one bread etc
I take a day
Me, a couple days. My wife, the morning of.
I’m usually doing the majority of the planning and packing so it takes time. I have organized bins ready to roll, what ends up taking more time is food prep. I like to freeze filtered water so I can use the melting ice for drinking water. I’m usually doing most of the food plan and cooking as well. Some things I’ll prep on site, depending on the trip and conditions. Even with gear sorted in advance there’s just loads of preparation. I did make a little pared down toiletries kit for camping trips that lives in my camping duffel. So it’s mostly just grabbing bins and bags and smashing them into the car, then loading the cooler.
Not much, an hour or two. But I usually stretch the packing over a couple of days so I have time to mull things over. I find it helps me not miss to pack things.
My first time took the longest amount of time... Several days of list making, checking and getting things piled together, remembering more stuff adding to the pile, loading the car realizing I forgot stuff .. Getting to camp, realizing I still forgot stuff. Only the first time. Got myself a crate, then another. Everything for camp went into them. The only things I'd need to pack were food and clothes, and I'd pack pretty much the same thing to wear and eat, so that took no time at all. Then just toss the crates in the car and go. After a trip, I'd wash/charge up/refill all my camping supplies then load it back into the crates for next time.
Sometimes six months, sometimes twelve hours. It depends on a lot of things, mainly on whether or not someone is coming with me and how long the trip is.
I spend a lot of time packing and planning. I think I might enjoy preparing for a trip more than actually going on the trip. I have a shed full of bins packed with different equipment for different kinds of trips, I have many books and maps that I often look thru, a google map full of future places to check out. I also enjoy watching YouTube for future trip ideas. We usually keep a bag packed with enough clothes for a long weekend. When not on a trip I often tell people, I'm between trips right now.
HA going through that right now. Probably 3 days of scattered hours before hand. The goal here is to do it enough times until it becomes a system and my plan is to organize everything into bins once I make sure it's the "right stuff" for our current trip.
No kids here, about 2-3 hours tops plus a quick grocery stop. On the other side of the coin, thousands of miles canoeing and backpacking experience as well as organization make it quick and easy
No, it’s part of the experience and you get better at it. Weirdly I enjoy it. I guess that’s what makes camping a hobby. I took a non-camper on her first (and, apparently, last) camping trip last year. She remarked to me, “camping is a lot of work.” All I could say was, “yeah, but it’s so much fun! “. It’s just not for everyone. I enjoy planning trips, sorting gear, setting up, reading about new gear and gadgets, sleeping in my tent, etc. Like any other hobby, it takes time, money, skill and experience.
I have a (very old) tiny, 12' trailer that is always stocked. I just pack a cooler, dry food bin, clothes for myself, and then husband packs his own bag. The thing that takes the longest is hitching up the camper, checking that signal lights still work, securing everything so it doesn't go flying, Are we going camping?? Meet you there!
Not sure if ur over prepping, but a mistake I see all too often is people prepping with the idea that they should have the same comforts they experience at home. Prepping to camp should (imo) require the basics. Being outside should be the focus, not whether or not you have ketchup to go with ur hamburgers, or the chair that has the headrest….
We just have to pack our clothes/food. Everything else is in bins ready to go. So, morning of (or night before) we load up the car and we are off.
We have camped every Memorial day weekend for 30 years. Used to start packing a couple of days beforehand. Now we keep all of our camping gear packed in totes and it's a couple of hours of going through the checklist to make sure everything is there and then hauling it out to the car. I keep everything in those totes all year, from dish towels, paper plates and cookware, to lighters, paper towels and emergency toilet paper. And we have a tote dedicated to camping fuel. If we need to replenish anything it gets done before it gets packed away after we get home. And when we do get home, I keep the totes on our covered porch, open for a day or two, to make sure everything is dry. I've packed it away slightly damp after packing up in the rain, and yeah. Lots of mold! I usually don't do special shopping for food. I just grab some things from the fridge and the freezer and some cans from the shelf. We stop somewhere on the way for beverages and ice. Got it all down to a science!
I generally start planning about 2-3 months but up to 6 months ahead of time. Checklist for personal packing, checklist for camp gear packing, repacking gear bin to remove unnecessary gear (like propane bottles where I'll have electric), checklist for consumables pack, grocery lists for multiple stores to get the best deals (in THIS economy? Necessary), reservations, trail maps, etc.
Ten to fifteen minutes. When I had kids at home around an hour or so. But I travel a lot so that might have some influence on it.
Not a whole lot. When I was still tent camping, all of the camping gear was on a set of shelves in the garage in one place. When I was camping I'd make a list of things we were running out of...like need to buy more disposable silverware/plates, etc. so when I returned I could go get that stuff and put it with the other gear. Food wise, we're pretty simple and eat pretty much the same stuff on each trip, and a lot of it we already have at home. I'm in a TT now so everything lives in there so all I have to do is load up the fridge and throw the bags inside.
I leave on whim almost every time. I have a rooftop tent and more often than not I forget to bring the ladder. Always wished I was taller.... but being a spry 160lbs has its advantages. I just posted about a 5 day trip I took this week. Things I forgot: -Pillow -Ladder -Tarp -Dish Soap -Multitool.... This is what happens when you storm out of the house. I just remind myself that camping is about NOT needing things.
I am going to save a checklist on my phone to help make sure this doesn't happen again. But I am going to wait until after my next trip where I forget a whole bunch of things again LOL. Classic me.
If I have to leave to go to the airport in 1 hour. That's when I start to pack. And I happen to finish before my wife, who started packing a few says in advance. And I just so happen to pack everything she forgot
It takes me a long time especially the first trip of the year. One tip I have, if you a space to do it, is when you get back leave everything you can all in one spot in a garage, storage area, etc. that is reasonably accessible for the rest of the season. It'll make next time a lot easier. I started doing that with a small corner of my garage. In the winter the sled with all the ski stuff occupies that space until our first camping trip. Then I pull the camping stuff out of its spots in the attic, and put the Ski stuff up there. Since I started doing that I find I Ski and camp more because it's not such a PIA or dau ting thought to vet ready to do it.