One of the main things you’ll learn quickly while spending time in the great outdoors is that you need to go with the flow. A lot of activities are dictated by weather. If it’s a torrential rainstorm that day but you really wanted to go see a waterfall you need to adjust your plans and decide that reading in the tent and hanging out close to your campsite is a good idea. Another example is that depending on how remote you are and how much signal you have, if your GPS isn’t working and you can’t find a particular trail head, you need to be OK with launching from a site you CAN find. I prefer to do my research a week or so beforehand on activities and great hikes in the area. Luckily with the power of the world wide web that’s fairly simple to do. I keep a Pinterest board on each destination we go to. It’s nice because then if we decide to head back to that area everything I looked at is all in one place to visit again. I do always check the weather forecast as well, but as you know things change and the weathermen don’t always get it right. I try and find a few backups for if the weather isn’t favorable. Most places have some nice nature centers with sites indoors. Also if it’s going to be extremely hot having hikes with water or waterfalls can be a really nice welcome break, plus if you’re taking dogs with you having accessible drinking water during the day is a must.
Most of our days camping the agenda goes like this:
Wake up
Get dressed
Have breakfast
Clean up from breakfast
Prep for the day
Prepare campsite for take off
Activity for the day
Have dinner
Clean up from dinner
Campfire
Evening Activity
Lights out and bedtime
Wake up
We’re not those types of campers that get up with the sunrise. I suppose one of these days we’ll have a hike planned where that will be necessary, actually I hope we do. I long to see a mountain sunrise! For now though, we sleep in. Our sleeping arrangements are so nice with our cots that it’s actually really comfortable.
Get dressed
It’s important that during this step you know what your activity is for the day. The activity should really dictate what you wear. If you’re going to hike up a mountain then you need proper footwear and socks. If you’re going to take a scenic drive and maybe get out to have a picnic lunch and snap a few “we were here” photos then you’ll want to make sure you’re in comfortable driving clothes, hiking boots are necessarily appropriate. I prefer to layer and have a backpack handy to take off or add as needed. I also prefer light weight long sleeves even in somewhat warm weather because I am very prone to bug bites. Hats are really important too. More detail about what I love to wear while camping is here.
Have breakfast
I’m normally not a big breakfast eater, but there’s something magical about enjoying coffee outside! I LOVE it!! I do it on vacation too, why I don’t go outside on my deck at home and have coffee and read I’m really not sure. We do a variety of breakfast options while camping. One of my favorites is ziploc omelets. I have a collection of recipes here. The camp stove was the BEST investment ever because it meant that we get to the coffee quicker!
Clean up from Breakfast
It’s really important to keep your campsite as clean as possible. Depending on what part of the country you’re in will depend on what visitors you might have. The more you have left out the higher chances of an unwelcome guest. We have camping totes and everything has it’s proper place. It only all fits if you get it back where it came from!
Prep for the day
We do this while cleaning up from breakfast because it has a high potential to create dishes that need to be cleaned as well. In this step we make lunches, grab snack bags, cut up veggies and fruit if we need it and fill our water reservoirs. It’s important that when heading out for the day you’re prepared for whatever elements you may face. Having enough snacks and water can make a huge difference in your ability to complete a hike. While I have made sandwiches out of the back of our car in an empty trailhead parking lot and a busy McDonald’s parking lot, I prefer to do it level headed in the comfort of the picnic table with the right tools. Some baby wipes and hand sanitizer is good too!
This is also the time to make sure that your backpack has the right stuff in it too. Bug spray, sunscreen and a light jacket can make or break a day of hiking. You might want extra socks, toilet paper (and a bag to bring it back in), and if you didn’t put your hat on while getting dressed, grab it now and either put it on or put it in your backpack.
Double check you have the right camera gear and navigation system. I like to bring my camera, extra battery, extra sim card and my cell phone (that’s what I use to track our hikes).
Prepare campsite for take off
Grab all of the trash. Put the totes under the picnic table (will protect from rain). Zip up tents, also important in case of rain- you don’t want to return to a wet bed.
Activity for the day
Typically we really like to hike and enjoy nature while we’re camping. There are several different types of hikes to take. First you need to determine the proximity to where you are camping. When you like to camp as remotely as we do, everything isn’t as centrally located as you might think. When we were in Colorado, we were a good 20 minutes up the mountain. After you’ve decided how far you’re willing to travel to enjoy nature decide how hard you want to work to view it. Also knowing what you like to see can be important too. My son really likes waterfalls. He enjoyed those hikes the absolute best when we were in Wisconsin.
We normally eat lunch and have a snack while hiking. It’s nice to have something portable and easy to pack in, eat, and pack out the trash when done.
If hiking isn’t your thing or you wanted a break there are usually some really great nature centers to visit as well. Some other landmarks also offer a great break from a regular hike. With a little research ahead of time you can find activities going on in the area too. When we were in Wisconsin there was a special event at a discovery center that included free admission and bonus activities, we were able to use a canoe!
Have dinner
After a long hike it’s nice to come back and enjoy a meal together. I love that we have a camp stove and can have something close to like what we would have at home. We’re able to have a lot with the combination of an open fire and the stove. A lot of times we opt for one pot meals though because they are fairly simple and hearty. We bring our seasonings and sauces with us so that everything will taste just as good there as it does at home.
Clean up from dinner
It’s important to get the dishes done while there is still some daylight. Yes we have lanterns and stuff but it’s just nice to have it done.
Campfire
I love the sounds and smell of the campfire.
Evening Activity
Sometimes we have s’mores or ice cream cones with chocolate, fruit and marshmallows in it. The evening activity doesn’t have to revolve around food though. Sometimes we play card games.
Lights out and bedtime
Since the days are jam packed with action and physical activity it’s important to get a good night’s rest.
Misc
Throughout the day I also do a lot of reading and writing. For some reason when I get out in the fresh air my mind starts racing and I can finally capture a lot of my thoughts. I’m able to dig deeper than I ever have before.