Adventure camping with children,

a beginner’s guide

TravelAdventure camping

What is Adventure Camping?

Adventure camping is any camping trip that leans into the unexpected. Your transport might be a boat or bike. Or you might be car-camping across a national park. But the trip is focused on the new experience or the challenge. Creature comforts are minimal; you’re not trying to replicate your home. And the release or relaxation is found in nature rather than hours clocked in a lounge chair by the pool (which I also love, but differently).

Heightened experiences are scientifically proven to be more memorable. I can still remember the sharp smell of the snow while hiking in the Himalayas, the taste of stew and chips at a rest stop off the B1 to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, the melty feel of my bar tape in the afternoon heat cycling across the US.

Adventure can be bind a family together and help change your perspective. When planning a family adventure, here are some key thing to consider:

Adventure mindset

Setting family expectations for an outdoor adventure like camping is important to get the best outcome. But how do we embrace the unexpected? Here’s a checklist for your family to use when setting up expectations together for your adventure.

Before going, take time to paint a picture of what the trip is going to be like. Getting in touch with how special it is to wake up outside in the fresh air, hearing bird songs or crashing waves. Tune-in to the quiet. There won’t be music or TV. Ask what everyone wants to get out of the trip. My three-old wanted to climb a mountain when we went to Wales. And we used that goal to refocus her when she became fussy. It’s helpful to keep these adventure plans top of mind and remind everyone that adventure means the unexpected. Things won’t always go according to plan and we need to be okay with that and see it as part of the fun. Remind everyone to stay flexible, adapt to the changing weather and eat what’s available.

Gear

Some people like the atmosphere of a bell tent or frying up breakfast on a stove. I’m not about creature comforts when I go camping. I don’t want the gear to get in the way of the adventure, so my gear list is minimal. I’m always thinking, what can I ditch? How can this bag be lighter? I like a camping trip to be a break from the life accessories at home that need cleaning and organising. The more you take, the more immobile you are so here are some of my recommendations for the non-negotiables.

Tent – We have a Big Agnes four person back-packing tent, which means it’s light enough to hike with or pack when flying. It can also be assembled in less than 10 minutes, which means you can arrive late after taking some extra time at Tintern Abbey or cycle to the next destination without set-up being a barrier to your family exploring together. Review of our Big Agnes - coming soon.
Sleeping bags – For the toddlers, we invested in adult two season down mummy bags, which we expect to last the next 15 years. We only camp in relatively warm temperatures, so a half empty adult bag hasn’t been a problem for the kiddies staying warm at night. A good value: Decathlon Forclaz MT900, £99.99.
Sleeping mat – We use ¾ length ribbed inflatable sleeping mats. They pack down smaller and you mostly need a layer under your shoulders back and bottom. Every bit counts. Sufficient for children. Decathlon Forclaz MT500, £29.

A full printable gear list - coming soon.

Bedtime

When we’re on an adventure, we all sleep in one tent. We tend to pack our days with action and as parents (and stage managers), we’re exhausted by bedtime. So we find it easier to calm the kiddies if we all go to sleep at the same time. We do the bedtime clean up routine together, brushing teeth, toilet stop, using some towelettes if there’s no shower block. And then all get in the tent and tell stories to bring the excitement levels down.

Especially in the summer with extended daylight hours in northern Europe, we find it’s key to not force sleep at normal bedtime to avoid hours of tent rambunctiousness.

Food

We focus on eating one nice meal out a day when traveling with kids. Anything more, I find too fussy, time consuming and it gets expensive. It’s nice to spend the money on experiences rather than fries.

By nice meal, I mean sit down, with cutlery and a menu, rather than the panini we make do with from a kiosk on Oxwich Bay beach. When planning the route, I try look up some interesting restaurants to have for reference. Sometimes it might be melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork but other times it’s a fantastic view over the Mediterranean with perfectly fine tapas.

Here’s a shopping list for pack friendly staples - coming soon.

Weather

We subscribe to the “there’s no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing” school of thought. So we always have layers, prints to disguise spills and wellies if we’re car camping.

Showering

We let bathing go while camping. Bring a couple quick dry camping towels. Our whole family shares a tangle tezzer while away. It’s good to have all toiletries consolidated in one tote bag that you can bring. We try to shower late afternoon, before dinner so we’re not waiting in lines and it’s warmer to air dry.

Here are some of my favourite campsites with a view in the UK.