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Get Out of Town!
A Dad's Guide to Camping with Kids
May, 2011 - Issue #79
Camping with kids brings some unique challenges - and an abundance of fun.
Camping with kids brings some unique challenges - and an abundance of fun.
There's nothing more terrifying nighttime sound when you're camping.

It's worse than hearing a bear rifling through your food. Or someone saying, "The creek's starting to flood; you might want to move your tent." Or hard-partying neighbors telling fart jokes at 2 in the morning.

The last thing I want to hear in the dead of night is "I have to go potty." That means someone is getting out of their warm sleeping bag, fumbling around in the dark for clothes and shoes and then wiping a small bottom while not dropping the flashlight into the pit toilet. And that someone is usually me.

Camping with kids comes with unique hazards. But that doesn't mean it should be avoided. Some of our favorite family memories have been created camping. It just takes a little planning to ensure your camping memories are happy ones.

Since Memorial Day - the unofficial start of the summer camping season - is nearly upon us, I'll share with you in no particular order some tips to cope with the bumps, bites, bruises and barf that sometimes occur while you're out in the wild with little ones.

First Aid
Nothing interrupts a good camping trip like the swine flu - and the high fever, vomiting and diarrhea it brings. It always pays to know the location of the nearest medical facility, be it urgent care, the ER or even a ranger station. Look it up online before you leave, or ask someone when you check in. Either way, you'll sleep better knowing where to go if you need medical attention.

Some problems don't require lab work or X-rays, so be sure to bring a first aid kit. You never know when a 2 year old will decide to touch the outside of the metal fire ring and blister her fingertips. Antibiotic ointment and Band-Aids will soothe the pain, cover the wounds and prevent infection.

In addition to Neosporin, your camping first aid kit should include all of the usual items you carry, plus calamine lotion (poison oak), cortisone cream (bug bites) and aloe vera lotion for cooling sun burns.

Cleaning
Camping occurs outdoors where dirt lives, and since kids attract dirt, it's inevitable that you'll have to clean the children and your tent or RV.

We have a no-shoe rule in the trailer, so that helps. But still, we sweep out what looks to be a shovel full of dust and debris each day. So no matter what you're camping in, bring a broom and a dust pan.

April swears baby wipes are the secret to a successful camping trip, and she definitely has a point. Our kids are out of diapers, but we still bring several packages of the Kirkland brand wipes from Costco. They make short work of smeared s'mores, sandy fingers and dusty feet. They're like a shower in a box.

And speaking of showers, don't forget to bring quarters. Most state parks have coin-operated showers and you won't get hot water without quarters.

We learned this one the hard way - a spray can of Febreze fabric cleaner. We found ourselves unequipped to deal with a bed wetting incident while camping at Jalama Beach, a 40-minute drive from Lompoc. With a soggy sleeping bag and damp bed cushion, it looked like we were in for a few stinky nights. A neighbor heard our plight and loaned us a can of Febreze. A few squirts, followed by a rinse at the nearby spigot, and the crisis was solved.

One last must-have item, especially for beach camping: WD40. Nothing removes nasty, black sticky tar from feet and flip-flops alike with such speed and thoroughness.

Entertainment
This might sound counterintuitive, but the more kids you bring on a camping trip, the easier it is to entertain your own. So when you go, invite friends with kids. One of our favorite trips is an annual affair that involves up to six families and nearly 20 kids. It sounds crazy and it is, but it's so fun you'd be crazy not to try it.

And what do you do when you're roused from slumber by that most terrifying nighttime sound of all? Break out your secret weapon. If you still have one of those plastic training potties hiding in your garage, bring it camping. When nature calls, you have the answer. It holds enough for a kid to use in the middle of the night and will save you from a long, cold walk to a dark and scary campground bathroom.

Eric Harnish parks his tent trailer in Castaic when he's not camping.
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