I’m sure everyone has things they take camping that they wouldn’t be without. In case you are looking for more ideas, here is a list I put together of some of the things that my family loves.
My kids love these Rainbow fire sticks. They turn the campfire flames pretty blue and green colors. We buy a box of 24 and stretch it out for the whole camping season. We don’t use them every night, but they are a quick way to impress your guests. The color isn’t quite as vivid as shown on the website, but it is pretty and lasts about 25 minutes, depending on the size of your campfire. For bigger fires/flames you may want to use two of them.
We were introduced to the game Pit last summer and now it is a family favorite. It’s a card game that is fun for the whole family, I would suggest ages 6 and up. It is easy to get excited and a little loud so it is best for daytime playing ! It’s easy to learn and doesn’t take up much room inside the RV.
We found this collapsible container at Camping World and it works well for all kinds of things. Trash can, empty can holder, kids toys, dirty clothes, etc. It can be used inside or out. They are inexpensive and probably need to be replaced every 1-2 seasons with heavy use.
For those that travel with dogs, we found these doggie bags at Pet Supplies Plus. You can find them now at just about any pet supplies store. We had been using plastic grocery bags to clean up their mess, but we found these blue bags works much better and take up less room in our pet drawer. You can buy the bags alone, or with a little container that clips onto a retractable leash.
I’ve been using these Crayola Color Wonders markers for a couple of years now. They are GREAT for using on the road. My kids like to sit at the dinette while we are on the road and draw all kinds of pictures. The markers only work on the special paper, so if you hit a bump and the marker slides off the paper, no problem. There is a whole line of these products available with different kinds of markers, paper and books. Even my oldest daughter gets caught up with them sometimes. They tape the pictures up in their bunks and it helps to make them feel more at home. These would even work for someone who has grandkids that visit them at the campsite. You can keep a basket full of color wonder products and the kids can use them inside or out for mess free fun.
I will add more to our list in the future.
Only one more month until SPRING !!
Shannone
Check out our family camping forum at RV.net
Louella Giddings
I use old bread wrappers to pick up after my dog. It is a great cheap way to recycle them and handy, too.
I love to do puzzles and bought a puzzle mat ( made of felt ), you just put the puzzle together on the mat and just roll it up when need the table for other things. When you unroll it everything is still in place.
Doug
You can also make the Rainbow Fire Sticks, using copper pipe (5-6 inch piece) and a piece of an old garden hose. Stick the hose inside the pipe and drill some holes all over it. After using pull the pipe from the fire pit and reolad, using it again and again.
David C Crowe
Another source for the doggie bags is Camping World. They carry a “Bags on Board” retractable leash with a built in bag dispenser and refill packs for the dispenser.