Camping for Family Fun

When was the last time you filled your car jam pack full of camping gear & headed out into the bush with your loved ones for some much needed R&R ?

Camping is all about bonding as a family out away from the home , learning new skills without the distractions of tv , video games etc and having quality time bringing you closer together!

It will leave lasting memories for you and your children , memories of struggling with the tent that first time after you bought it ! The marshmallows you toasted on the fire together, the night you got rained out and left in a hurry , walks where you discover plant life you haven't seen before , catching yabbies at Swans Crossing or seeing a waterfall !

Enjoy it while you can before your children are scattered around the country living their own lives and you hardly get to enjoy time with them .

I am happy as I rang my youngest daughter recently and she said she was going camping in the holidays with friends as she had always enjoyed our family camping trips which we did even when she was a baby!

Recently we have enjoyed camping at Walpole down south in Western Australia then the opposite direction in the Ningaloo Reef area !

Where are you going to go camping ?

Are you brave & like us like to go bush where there is a river hole to wash in, drop toilets & a fire place ?!

Free camping is great but sometimes where you want to go you do have to be in a caravan park

so we try pick one that has got shade for us, near water etc.

Have fun as a family wherever you go!

 We were told that Walpole is a nice place to visit by a few people so we decided to check it out & there is more about it in my other hub .

It is well worth a visit !

We stayed at Coalmine beach which is near the ocean & has shade !

We could easily spend more time there when it is out of school holiday time as there is so much to do!

It can be fun shopping if you have the money to buy some nice camping gear but you can have just as much fun buying camping gear at flea markets /garage sales or out of your local paper!

Before you go decide what type of items you are looking for and need for your camping trips.

As an example we are living in the caravan where we of course have table & chairs.

However we prefer to mainly eat and do things outside as much as we can and enjoy a nice view.

So for 2 of us we have 6 chairs ! 2 like the recliner for lazy days , 2 like the fold up ones to take when we go for day trips or with the tent & 2 for sitting at the table for a meal !!

That's why you need to work out what is most practical for you and your family as well as what you can fit in your vehicle easily !

A tent that will suit your family , If there is only 2 of you then you could either start of small or get a reasonable size one for the family to grow into.

If you dont have a lot of money spare there are often second hand tents for sale.

Air mattress.

Table - Chairs

stove

light

matches or lighter

Spare pegs!

Bedding

Cooking items

First Aid Kit

Clothing suitable for camping

Food

Camera

Games

Spare batteries

Toiletries

A SENSE OF HUMOR !

I havent got a comprehensive list here however I will add things as they come to mind!

If you’re planing a long trip and intend taking a portable fridge with you, try running the fridge at home for at least 24 hours before you leave. This will get the fridge cold before you use it on your trip. That way the fridge will perform at its best as soon as you leave, keeping your food fresh and drinks colder.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons pecan chips
• a pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 teaspoon chives
• 1 teaspoon crisp bacon, crumbled
• 1 small onion

Preparation: Rub the butter into the flour. Add salt. When it looks like crumbs, add water and the rest of the ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until it is a sticky dough. Turn out on to a floured board and mold into a round. Place in a well-greased cake tin and cut across to make 8 or 10 servings. Bake (at 35 degrees) for 20 minutes or it sounds hollow when you tap on it. Turn out and serve hot with butter.

This is a great recipe  to try around the campfire with cast-iron pie irons.

• 2 slices of bread
• butter
• pizza sauce
• mozzarella cheese
• pizza toppings
• Preparation: Butter one side of each bread slice. Put one slice, un-buttered side facing up, in the pie iron. Add sauce, cheese and any topping you like. Top this with the other slice of bread, buttered side up, then close the pie iron and lock it. Place the pie iron in the coals of the campfire for about 2 minutes then flip. Cook another 2 minutes then continue flipping and checking until your total cooking time comes to ten minutes. You have yourself a great pizza.

Will you go camping later this year next year with the family ?

Why not try a new camping spot somewhere either by a river with a waterhole for swimming + bushwalks , a lake the beach or just out bush !

I would love to know your favourite camping spots !