29 Vital Tips for First-Time Campers

Camping is a great family trip! But it can be daunting if you’re new to this whole sleeping-and-eating-outdoors thing.

First-time campers should focus on the essentials: getting a good night’s sleep, eating tasty food, and making campfires safe and straightforward. Try these 25 vital tips for first-time campers to have a no-stress, fun trip.

And definitely read Why You Should Go Camping for Your Vacation This Summer, while you’re at it.

Sleeping Tips

#1. Practice Setting up Your Tent Beforehand

Fumbling with a tent when you’ve just arrived, and your kids are ready to explore is frustrating. Set it up once or twice at home, so you know just what to do.

#2. Arrive Well Before Dark

Plan to arrive at your site at least two hours before sunset. That will give you ample time to get to your campsite and set-up correctly, as well as allowing for time if something doesn’t go quite as planned.

#3. Clear the Area Under Your Tent

Before pitching your tent, move large rocks and sticks to give yourself a smooth foundation. You don’t want a sharp rock tearing through your tent during your trip.

#4 Make a Doormat

Use a large canvas tarp at the front of your tent to contain dirt and debris. A little rug at the doorstep also helps trap dirt and wetness. Have your kids leave their shoes on the tarp.

#5 Use an Inflatable Air Mattress

Bring an air mattress that a whole family can lay their sleeping bags on. Don’t forget the pump or batteries, depending on what kind of bed you own.

#6 Store Clothes for Tomorrow in Your Tent

This allows kids to just hop into their day clothes, and leave pajamas in the tent. It’s especially essential if it is cold outside!

Fire Essentials

#7 Use the Fire Ring

Major campgrounds have a permanent fire ring in each site. It’s safer and better for the environment to use this established area for fires.

#7 Bring a Shovel

Shovels are essential tools to help move logs in your fire or cover up the coals before you go to bed. If you don’t want to bring your traditional long-handled shovel, then buy a mini version.

#8 Use Fire Starters

Dip some cotton balls in inexpensive petroleum jelly and store them in a plastic bag. These cheap and easy firestarters will get your camp fire roaring in no time.

#9 Properly Extinguish Your Fire!

This is possibly the most important tip: Drown your fire liberally with water or cover with dirt before sleeping or leaving your campsite. Be sure to stir the water or soil to make sure all embers out. If it’s not cool to the touch, it’s not safe to leave.

Ideas for Cooking & Food

#10 Plan Your Meals Beforehand

Before you leave home, decide what meals you want to have on your trip. Pick up breakfast staples, lunch and dinner items as well as plenty of snacks. You don’t want to end up with no food or no plan in the woods.

#11 Keep Meals Simple

Easy, one-pot dishes are perfect for camping. You have to haul everything there and clean up afterward. Now is not the time for tricky, elaborate recipes.

#12 Save Cooler Space

Your food cooler will end up being full: try to bring canned items or things that don’t need refrigeration. Foods such as canned beans, pre-cooked bacon or cereal will save precious cooler space.

#13 Meal Prep at Home

And it’s even easier to cook when you simply reheat the meals you already made at home! Rather than cooking meat sauce for pasta at the campground, brown the ground beef and mix it with sauce in your kitchen. Bring the finished sauce and simply boil some pasta on your trip.

#14 Bring Your Cast Iron

When we talk about cookware for the grill, cast iron is the only way to go. A large cast iron skillet is essential and cooks all your favorite items: eggs, bacon, sauces or stews. Aluminum foil is always helpful in case the grill isn’t very clean. (which is likely)

#15 You Need Two Coolers

It’s beneficial to have separate coolers for food and drinks. The beverage cooler will be opened frequently, and you want your food, especially things that are raw, to stay as cold as possible. It’s ok if your drinks cooler is small; you can refill it each evening.

#16 Use Frozen Water Bottles

Ice is helpful to spread out the chill, but freeze bottles of water to add to your coolers for extended low temps. They won’t water everything down as they thaw, and you end up having extra drinking water for later in your trip.

#17 Plastic Totes Make Transport Easy

Use large plastic tubs to store food, disposable dinnerware and anything related to eating. You can snap the lid on at night to make sure everything stays fresh and secure.

#18 Take Extra Food

It doesn’t hurt to have an extra meal or two, and plenty of snacks for hungry campers. Your plans might change, or something may go awry. It’s easy to throw in extra chips, beans and rice that might save the day.

Respecting Your Surroundings

#19 Don’t Burn Unnecessary Items in the Fire

Kids sometimes get carried away with the magic of fire and its power to melt and scar anything it touches. But burning plastics or even food can give off unpleasant odors that can bother your family or others nearby. Dispose of trash properly.

#20 Hang up Garbage Bags

Speaking of trash, bring plenty of garbage bags and hang them up to make it easy for everyone to throw things away. Take it to the campground’s dumpster as needed.

#21 Leave No Trace

Be kind to your campsite: no pulling branches off the tree to burn or making fires outside the ring. Take photos of animals, but don’t harass them. When you leave, your site should look identical to how you found it.

#22 Keep Quiet After 10 pm

You will most likely be camping near other families. Respect others by turning off music and limiting noise after 10 pm.

Handy Helpers

#23 Bring Entertainment

Games and cards are great for family bonding and will keep your kids happy if you have to wait out a rainy afternoon in the tent.

#24 Other Essentials: Chairs, Flashlights, Batteries

Don’t forget a foldable chair and flashlight for each person. The picnic table at your site will be used for food and food prep mostly. Plus, those wooden benches are hard on your bottom. Extra batteries are always helpful to have on hand.

#25 Make a Clothes Line

Hang up towels or anything that needs to dry on a simple clothesline strung between trees. You can also put your garbage bag or a light on the line for evenings.

#26 Do Dishes Properly

Use three small tubs to do dishes: one to wash, one to rinse and one with a tiny bit of bleach. You don’t want a few bacteria to wreak havoc on your vacation.

#27 Last Tip: Try to Keep it Simple for Your First Trip!

You can spend a fortune at a sporting goods store, but give it one or two trips to gauge how much your family loves camping. Ask friends if they have any essentials that you can borrow, such as chairs, a tent or little extras.

Camping is an outstanding outing for families. It’s so gratifying to see your kids immediately start to wonder at the world around them when we can finally get them away from screens!

I hope your first camping trip will be as easy as possible. Relax and enjoy the outdoors with your kids.

Looking for a new place to visit? Find out the 7 Best Family Vacations Spots in the U.S. here!