Camping Shenanigans

We love to camp!

We love being outdoors, taking walks, playing games, sitting by the fire, and roasting marshmallows.

This past weekend our whole family went camping to Gordonia Altamaha State Park. It’s an interesting little state park almost smack dab in the middle of downtown Reidsville, Georgia.

We had 15 people, 3 tents, 1 RV, a whole bunch of food, lots of hot chocolate, apple cider, coffee, and firewood.

When we made our plans to go camping about 6 months ago, we knew this time of year could be cold, warm, or hot. We ended up with warm and COLD! The secret to surviving camping is being prepared. Our kids with tents came with portable heaters, sleeping bags, blankets, quilts, and plenty of layers. Because of all of my medical issues, we rented an RV. They delivered it, set it up, and picked it up for us. Can’t beat that service.

I think my favorite part of camping is simply spending time with one another around the campfire talking. Something about the flames and the warmth makes all of the stress of everyday life fade away. The campfire is where memories are shared and new memories are created. Little ones get to experience cooking over the fire (with lots of help), and master the art of roasting a marshmallow for the perfect smore. They also get to experience burning one to oblivion, and watching a fabulously gooey marshmallow slide off the roasting stick into the fire with much horror. The only upside is that you get to roast another marshmallow. LOL!

I think our first camping trip with our boys was almost 21 years ago when we lived in Texas. Money was tight, but our love for adventure outweighed the lack of money. We discovered how to have fun without going broke. Over the years we continued to camp because our kids told us that it is some of their favorite memories, and because we have enjoyed it so much.

Here are a few camping tips that we have learned over the years:

1. Make a master list. Add to it as the years go by. We are prepared for a multitude of issues–even tornadoes in Texas many years ago. Ha!
2. Bring layers. You can always take off or put on clothes as the day warms or cools.
3. Buy sleeping bags geared for colder climates. It’s worth the investment. In the summer months you can simply sleep on top and add a light sheet.
4. Buy camping chairs that fit the people camping. They actually make chairs for tall folks, chairs for big folks, and chairs for both big and tall. Another worthwhile investment.
5. Pre-make some of your meals. One of our favorite meals to take camping is Hobo Chicken Packs. We pre-make each camper their own personalized meal. We buy boneless/skinless chicken breast, golden or red potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, onions, and corn on the cob. We begin by cutting the chicken and potatoes into 1 inch x 1 inch bite size pieces. Next, we cut baby carrots in half, and the broccoli florets into smaller pieces. Once all of the prep work is complete, we use heavy duty tinfoil and begin putting the packets together. The nice part is that each person gets to put what they want in their packet. Once they finish loading it up, we add seasonings like garlic, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, butter and 2 or 3 icecubes. Finally, we wrap it up in 3 layers of tinfoil and label it with the person’s name using a sharpie pen. Once they are prepared, you store it in your freezer until you go camping. The day you plan to eat them, you defrost them and then cook over the open fire on a grate. It usually takes around 45 minutes depending on how warm/hot your fire is at the time. Yummy! and little clean up at the camp site.
6. Shower shoes are a must! Thankfully our state parks have been in pretty good condition–but I don’t want to share germs with my fellow campers. Shower shoes are high on my list. After this weekend with the RV–I’m totally ok with RV Camping Life and no need to share a shower.
7. Share the responsibilities. Before we went, we divided up the cooking responsibilities for each family. Everyone took turns preparing meals and it was not a big deal or chore for any one person. I like the team work involved and everyone gets to participate.
8. DON’T buy GREEN firewood! Enough said! LOL!

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ACCOMPLISH: MAKE MEMORIES!

This weekend we did just that. On Saturday, we divided our crew into 2 teams and gave them this list. They spent almost 3 hours creating some of the funniest videos to share. We gave each team points for creativity and declared an overall team winner. One of the teams reenacted a Blair Witch Project type of video on their hunt for a quick animal. The other team rented paddle boats for their “water” picture. But the dance move videos and the team camp song videos were the “Best!” Because I have been threatened with physical harm if I ever shared these videos, I won’t, but trust me when I say that we might be a little dance challenged. However, there was a great effort made, and we did gets some good laughs.

On Sunday morning we took time out of packing up and had a short but sweet devotion on the attributes of God. My Ladies Bible Study is using the book on Colossians by Asheritah Ciuciu and she had us do this as part of our study. I loved it so much that I used it as a basis for our devotion on Sunday. We created A – Z attributes of God. (Note: I am going to use the answers we came up with as a gift for each family as part of their Christmas. I’ll share the results of this in a blog in January.) The best part is that we ended our camping adventure thinking of ways that God is at work in our lives and all around us. I love how the Bible is filled with words that describe God’s character and how by remembering these words we can praise and worship Him.

So what are you waiting for? Your babies are not too young, you are not too old, you are not too poor or too restricted. I’m challenging you to get outdoors, get away from the stress of the day to day, and go make some memories with your family. Chances are you’ll sit back one day and be thankful you did.