Everyone knows the first twenty minutes of camping can be the most stressful. You’ve got to get the setup, everyone is anxious to finally get out of the car – and usually hungry. You’ve got to get set up, and you’ve got to do it as quickly as possible.
Here are a some of my DADhacks to make the set up, the take down, and the camping experience just a little easier – for everyone.
Bring an Impact Gun | An impact gun makes putting down the jacks a breeze on an RV. Instead of lowering the legs using a hand wrench, you can get the job done in seconds. You can find an impact gun at your local home renovation store for under a hundred bucks, well worth the frustration it’s going to save you in the campground.
Buy a Box of Disposable Gloves | Instead of using the same rubber gloves over and over when you’re disposing of the grey and black water (you know, the poop), grab a box of gloves that you can throw in the trash when you’re finished – and don’t forget the gloves!
Turn the Bathroom into a Dryer | We had a few wet days out on our most recent camping trips – and were thankful to have the features of the Keystone Cougar SQB. One thing we learned fast was how quickly the bathroom heats up when you turn on the heat in the trailer. For wet clothes or damp blankets that the kids have dragged outside, drape them over the shower curtain with the heat on, and they’ll dry quicker.
Don’t forget the Tomahawk | From chopping up kindling to cutting open a watermelon, you’re going to want to have a small tool available – the tomahawk did the trick, and impressed the kids at the same time when they got to eat breakfast consisting of a freshly tomahawk-halved, watermelon.
Go for the Convenience | Choosing a trailer that comes with the latest bells and whistles, like a remote for the slides and awning, makes it easier when you’re traveling with your pregnant wife who would rather catch up on Instagram than help with the trailer setup. Luckily, the trailer from Go RV was a breeze to set up, as a one man show. This goes for food too - make the food easy, like the quick to prepare meal above, with the bagged salads and perogies already in a container ready to cook on the campfire (or the outdoor kitchen on the RV).
Magic Fire | At the end of a long day of exploring, when the kids are a mess, something to entertain them (and lull them to sleep) before bed, comes in handy. Magic fire can be purchased at most campground stores, or the checkout line of your favourite camping store and changes the flames of the fire into a rainbow of colors. It’s a cheap trick – and an easy way to convince your kids that you’re a rock star.
This feature is a part of a series that we’re working on to encourage families to get outside. We’ve teamed up with Go RV to explore four campgrounds in Alberta. To make it easier for your family to get out there and discover a new Alberta campground, Go RV is giving one reader the chance to win a week long RV rental to see what the RV Experience is all about.
