Summer Camping Project - Great Gear for Happy Campers

As I mentioned in my last post, Summer Camping Project - Lessons on Community, we've just finished 41 nights of camping over the past 4 months. During that time we learned a lot about which items we consider to be essential car camping comfort items, luxury items we want to buy for next season, and items that we'd never camp without. Christmas is coming so this is a good opportunity to start making those wish lists for next year's camping season too.

Below are a few things we grew fond of this summer while camping - some new to us, and others that just remain awesome each year.  I've also included my wish list items at the end of the post that we might try to pick up before the 2014 season. 

The 2013 Camping Project all started with our new trailer

A few things we really loved: 

 

1.  Our new trailer 

This die-hard tenting family finally caved and bought a small hybrid trailer this spring at the prospect of camping for 40 nights.  The result?  LOVE the trailer.  Will never camp without it again.  Tents are awesome in the backcountry.  Car camping though - might as well make it as comfortable as possible, right?

We stocked our trailer with everything from toys to dishes, pantry food and spices, toiletry items, and about 80% of the other items we had to pack up each and every time we went camping the previous summer.  The end result was 1 hour of packing before each trip, gathering clothes, food, and a few last minute items.  It was so sweet and easy.  We're official RV converts now.  While we still don't have a shower or toilet in our trailer, and while we have soft sided pull-outs, we are much more comfortable and I sleep better in the trailer than I do at home now.

Our trailer with camp kitchen

2.  Our kayak and stand up paddleboard

I fell in love with stand up paddleboarding last August when I tried it in the Okanagan.  I bought my own board at the end of the last season but never got to use it on any camping trips until this year.  Actually, I guess I never really got to use it on any camping trip because I bought a new board this summer to replace the second-hand one I had originally purchased.  

We planned most of our trips around places we could paddle this summer and bought a two-person recreational kayak so that my husband and son could join me out on the water.  We had a blast becoming a paddling family and will definitely be choosing more water-friendly campgrounds next summer as well.

One thing we learned though this summer was that when a campground is advertised as being across from the beach, near the beach, or even that it has a beach, this still does not mean you will be camped close enough to the water to just put your boats in anytime you want.  We will be searching out waterfront camping sites next summer so that I can actually put my board in at sunrise or sunset without carrying it half a mile (or further as was often the case).

Our Tandem Recreational Kayak 

SUP - my not so secret passion!

3.  Our screen tent 

In July when mosquitoes are at their worst, camping is absolutely miserable unless you have a screen tent to shelter you from the blood sucking monsters.   The same can be said for late August when wasps buzz around campsites in a vengeance to get at any piece of meat, garbage, or food item they can find.  Even our screen tent couldn't completely ward off the offenders, but it was a start.  (and it was much easier to kill them with a fly swatter from within the confines of a tent than out in the open.)

Our trailer and screen tent made for a cozy home away from home this summer

4. Our down blankets

Get a down blanket and you won't need to worry about ever being cold when camping!  Yeah, we have a trailer, but it still gets really cold in a trailer when you're camping in May or September and we don't use our heater while we sleep. 

We used real sheets, blankets, and a down duvet on our bed but it was still a bit chilly for me at times.  On those nights, I'd taco myself in my down blanket, get into bed, and within 5 minutes it felt like I was wrapped in an electric blanket.  The KEY to ultimate warmth is that you have to put the down blanket next to your skin and layer the other blankets over top. Our son didn't like the cool fabric against his skin so his was layered over his first blanket and he was never as warm as I was.

Best Christmas present last year!!

5.  Keen sandals

In previous years when we've gone camping, I've had to bring sandals, biking shoes, water shoes, hiking boots, and a plethora of other footwear.  This year, I camped in my Keen sandals and used them for everything!  I even used them for backpacking this summer.  They are that awesome!  The only time I had to switch to other shoes was when they were drying out after using them in the water.

The solution for next year will be to get one pair that I reserve for the water so that I always have a pair of dry ones.

Water time in my Keen sandals

6.  Our ENO Hammock

If you haven't checked out the gear review I did for our new Eagles Nest Outfitters hammock, take a look and add a double nest hammock to your Christmas list.  Best camping investment ever (aside from the trailer maybe). Our campsite was always popular thanks to the hammock and I'm sure we've had at least 6 kids in the hammock at one time.

Fun in the ENO hammock (5 kids in this time)

7.  Our camp kitchen

Last summer we bought a deluxe camp kitchen from Bass Pro Shops and used it in our screen tent to add a bit of comfort to our car camping.  This year we set the table up against the side of our trailer and it gave us an outside kitchen for ultimate camp comfort.  We could do our dishes right there with the built in sink (rather than hauling them to the campground sinks), leave the dishes out to dry on the attached table, and do our cooking on the stove rack.  It was brilliant and we loved it. 

Our camp kitchen in front of our trailer

8.  Our RV matt

You can't get a trailer and not buy one of those giant carpets to place under your awning.  It helped keep dirt out of the trailer and I enjoyed the civilized atmosphere it created.  Between the awning, carpet, the outdoor kitchen, and our lawn chairs, we created a small outdoor room in front of our trailer.  Our son would sit on the carpet to play with his toys and sometimes I sat there to play guitar as well when I needed quiet time.

Our Camping home

2013 Summer Camping Project - Lessons on Community

2013 Summer Camping Project - Lessons on Commun