With the economy the way it is today, people are searching for ways to vacation without breaking the bank account. We work and save all year for that long-awaited family vacation. How do we get the most for our money? One of the best ways is by taking a family camping trip. Camping has many advantages over other types of vacations. Camping allows for the family to get away from the everyday distractions of life and spend more quality time together. There are many camping choices available for the family to choose from. RV camping and car camping are the most popular for families. However, back-packing is good for individuals and small groups and tent camping in parks can be for any size group.

The most valuable part of a camping trip is to know what to take. The types of supplies you take are essential to having a memorable camping experience. The camping supplies can be determined by the type camping trip, weather conditions, and the number of people in the group. Once the family has decided where they are going and for how long, a checklist may be needed to assure you have what is needed. A good idea for tent campers is to pack each room separately. Have the children put all their belonging together with their sleeping bag.

Traveling to and from a campground in an RV can be much cheaper than other types of transportation. Not to mention, the advantages of being able to enjoy the towns and the beauty of the countryside. The largest saving will come in the evenings. A family can stay in a campground three to four nights for the cost of a one night hotel stay. On top of the cost of the hotel, every meal has to be eaten in a restaurant, which can get quite expensive. On the other hand, eating at a campground can be a pleasant experience, not to mention it’s a home cooked meal.

The best part of camping is cooking and eating outdoors. For some reason when one cooks outdoors, food just seems to smell and taste better. Of course you will need a camping stove or an outdoor camping grill to cook on. The main three types of outdoor camping stoves are light weight canister stoves, liquid-fuel stoves, and propane stoves. For grills you have charcoal, propane, and electric. The biggest drawback of using a charcoal grill is you have to carry the charcoal. For family camping, the propane stove is the best choice. The propane stove comes with single burner, duel burners, and burner with grill.

With the fast pace of today’s society, spending quality time with family members have become rare events. Rare moments can be built between family members while sitting around a campfire, under clear skies lit by stars roasting marshmallows with a Coughlan’s Campfire Cooking Fork and telling stories. These memories will be cherished for a lifetime. So, lets’ get the family together and go enjoy the great outdoors.