Family Camping Tips

If you are looking for a great camping experience look no further than the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Nestled in the south eastern part of the US, the Smokies (as it is often called by locals) possesses some of the best camping locations in the southeast.

My family and I have camped for many years and the Smoky Mountains is one of our favorite camping destinations.  The park itself is located in east Tennessee and boarders North Carolina but can be accessed easily by many other states.  There are ten tent camping sites in the park .  They are well-maintained and scattered throughout the many acres.  Our favorite is Cades Cove.

Camping at Cades Cove is great because of the natural setting and the proximity to the cove which is a beautiful open area full of wildlife.  The campground is located on the edge of the cove in a densely wooded area.  The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a camping trip planner that is a great resource for anyone thinking about visiting the park.

The one drawback, and “deal breaker” for some, is the lack of showers in the national park.  The bathrooms only have cold running water and toilets.  There are places outside the park where you can take a shower but that involves at least 5-10 minute drive.  But if that doesn’t bother you, it is worth it to experience the Smoky Mountains up-close and personal.

courtesy of Wikipedia

Outside the park there are numerous campgrounds to choose from depending on your preference.  Campgrounds located on the Little Pigeon River in Townsend, Tennessee offer camping by the river which is nice.

The weather in the Smokies is very pleasant in the summer mostly due to the elevation and the nights are usually cool.  It’s a good idea to pack jackets and blankets just in case.  So if you’re looking for a great place to camp look no further than the Smoky Mountains.

There are few things that are worse when you’re camping than waking up in the middle of the night to traipse out in the woods to pee.  The alternatives are trekking all the way to the public bathroom or trying to wait until morning.  I don’t know about you but for me that is the most uncomfortable feeling.

So you un-zip the sleeping bag, locate your shoes, find a flashlight, make sure your not naked and try not to step on anyone else as you find the door to the tent.  Once you’re outside, you look around for a suitable place to do your business (as my mother used to say).  This can be fairly tricky depending on where you are camping and where other campers are located.  If it’s a crowded area or if your not near the woods, you’ll want to schlep it up to the bathroom facilities, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars.

But let’s say you are in the woods and there aren’t many other campers around.  Your next task is to find a spot far enough away from civilization.  This also means trampling through foliage that could possibly be hiding poison ivy or worse (I’m talking snakes and other critters here).  Depending on how badly you had to go in the first place, you may be in a lot of pain from holding it by now.

There are other things to consider at this juncture.  Let’s face it, men definitely have the advantage in this situation.  If you’re a woman, positioning in itself is a problem.  Then, chances are, you forgot to bring the toilet paper with you.  Anyway, you get the picture.  It’s all enough to make most women think twice about going camping or at least refusing to drink any fluids from 6pm on to avoid the above scenario.

There is an easier solution to this whole mess – a camping toilet.  It seems through the years people have come up with ways to solve this night time dilemma.  When our boys were small, an empty coffee can with a lid worked nicely – for them anyway.  More adventurous types have used a large bucket and a toilet seat.  Leave it up to camping gear manufacturers to come up with a whole line of camping toilets to choose from.

Camping toilets can range in price from a $20 stand with a bag and a seat to over $1000 for a stand-alone toilet shelter.  In the end, its really all about personal preference.  Be sure to consider your particular family and their needs and what will work best for everyone.

Way back before time began, we would always forget something important when we went camping.  On the one hand it forced us to become fairly inventive – like using a rock to pound in the tent stakes.  But more likely than not, we would end up buying what we already had at home in order to enjoy the experience.  Then I started using a camping checklist and I have never looked back.

The great thing about a camping checklist is you can use it for each camping trip.  And if you really use it you won’t forget anything important.

It is easy to put a camping checklist together and if you put the checklist on your computer you will be able to add or change it until you get it just the way you want it.  At FamilyCampingPlanner.com you can sign up for their free camping checklist.