Penny Pinching Peach

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Tag Archives: camping with kids


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Seven Things You Will Miss When Living In a Camper

Seven Things You Will Miss When Living In a Camper Full Time

Seven Things You Will Miss When Living In a Camper Full Time

We have been living in a camper with our three small children for almost a full year now.

I have thinking about the numerous unusual things I have learned and experienced this year. I thought that anyone considering long term camping should know what we take for granted every day they are likely to miss,  and ways to cope with that. Here’s presenting my personal list, and hoping someone finds it useful!

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Seven Things You Will Miss When Living In a Camper!

    1. Long hot showers! You will learn to turn the water off to soap up, shampoo and shave your legs. If you don’t,  you will feel the freeze! Even then, hurry up, buttercup! Want a luxuriously long shower? Get a portable shower caddy for your shower necessities, then camp where they have very clean and well kept bath houses or visit relatives!
    2. Not rocking during storms! You will become very in tune with the moods of nature. It can be amazing in some aspects, but it is a whole different experience to be quite literally rocked by storms!
    3. Insulation! Even if your camper is “four seasons”, it is not remotely close to an actual house in terms of insulation.  If you are going to be staying in a camper during all seasons,  choose your rig carefully and research numerous tips for riding out changing seasons. My biggest tip for summer is shade, shade, SHADE!!!! My biggest tip for winter is to add insulation where you can and buy an infrared heater.
    4. Any semblance of privacy! You hear, see, feel and smell almost everything together when you live in a camper! I am already extremely in tune to people around me,  so this can be overwhelming.  For night, an amazing sound machine like this one I have is a lifesaver! Trust me on this, y’all! Also, three kids can and will crowd into the teeny tiny bathroom with me most times.  There is no lock!
    5. Extra space…for anything! Minimalism is your friend!  Every item must have a use and a place, or it must go! If you have children,  this can get tricky. I limit the toys allowed inside to the things they live most and play with constantly. (I plan a whole post just for managing toys in small spaces without going nuts or living in a toy box.)
    6. Real toilet paper!  I had forgotten how soft regular toilet paper can be after a year of one ply rv toilet paper, until I visited a conventional home. It’s like sandpaper versus clouds!
    7. In home laundry! Unless you are lucky enough to have space for something like this mini washer and dryer, you are going to get acquainted with laundromats or find alternative solutions to get your laundry done. My husband takes most of ours with him on shift.

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Do you live in  a camper? What would you add to this list?

Want to hear from the beginning of this adventure? Read about our Life in a Tiny House on Wheels- Full Time Camping!


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Camping With the Cuties

Want a relatively cheap way to spend a weekend with the family? How about trying camping?

With the weather warming up, this is the perfect time to plan a fishing and camping trip! With a little planning, you can have oodles of fun without breaking the bank!

First, where are you going to sleep? Do you have an RV or tent already?

Okay, then are you going to stay on private land, at a campsite or what? Make sure you have any necessary permission or reservations to avoid a last minute scramble to find somewhere to park your sleeping bags! If you don’t have an RV or tent and don’t plan to acquire one, see if you know anyone who will let you borrow one or if there is an inexpensive campsite with cabins for rent (like a National Forest). Wherever you choose to stay, don’t forget to make sure you have comfortable sleeping gear, like sleeping bags or blow up mattresses.

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Next, what are you going to eat? Think about EVERY meal and snacks!

(If you have small children and don’t pack snacks, I promise that you will regret it.) We often pack hot dogs and marshmallows to roast over the campfire, which covers one meal and a fun dessert of s’mores for an easy prep. Lunch can be something simple like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, premade for zero prep other than taking them out of the cooler to gobble up. Also, make sure you have whatever it takes to prepare the meal when you get there, whether it be a portable grill like this fairly inexpensive one my husband uses constantly, even at home Backyard Grill 278-sq in Portable Charcoal Grill, Black, matches or a butter knife. It’s not going to magically appear in the wilderness! 😉

Don’t forget to grab the gear for whatever activities you have planned

Fishing poles and all the accessories, if that’s your chosen pastime (and could provide a meal, but have a back-up plan in case the fish don’t wanna come to dinner! 😉 ). Comfy shoes and water bottles for hiking. Binoculars & camera for bird watching. Buckets and containers to store berries in for berry picking. Reusable bags if you decide to scavenge for hidden treasures like arrowheads and interesting rocks. There are sooooo many fun things you can do outdoors that cost very little! Whatever you are doing, don’t forget the sunscreen, sunglasses and bug spray! Trust me, I’m talking from my own painful & itchy experiences here, y’all!! 🙂

If you are camping with small children, make sure to bring their “comfort objects”.

Add them into the headcount while packing up to go home, whether it’s the teddy bear who rides with them in their car seat or the rocket ship they must have tucked in next to them to be able to rest at night or any special blankets. I love to bring these cute flashlight pals Flashlight Friends – The Huggable Loveable Child’s Flash Light and/or dream lights Pillow Pets Dream Lites – Pink Butterfly 11″ with us, because it helps make up for the absence of a regular night light with my scared-of-the-dark little ones. Both of my kids have their own, and they love them for home and especially for travel. My son has the blue camo dog in the dream lites and the dinosaur flash light pal, while my daughter has the butterfly dream lite and the unicorn flash light friend. They are AWESOME!!

What is your best tip for camping with kids?

Camping can be fun, just make sure you are well prepared with everything possible that your little ones may need or be accustomed to. It will make a huge difference in the outcome of your trip if you go prepared instead of flying by the seat of your pants. Need tips for traveling with little ones? Head on over to Traveling With Little Riders! Looking for gift ideas for your outdoorsman? You need THIS LIST!!!

For more great summer kids posts, check out:

Simply Rachel