This week we have an update to our Camping section focusing on group camping.
As always, we love hearing feedback from readers so we can make this page as helpful as possible.
This advice is based on our experience camping in groups organized by our good friends who have amazing organization experience.
- Plan for no more than about 6-8 families of about 4 people
- Have one person book a group campsite or multiple campsites that are close together
- Use the campground maps on the reservation websites to find sites nearby (don’t assume consecutive numbers mean they’re close together!)
- Use a google sheet to like this one that our friends made to organize the planning
- Collect information on what gear people are bringing so everyone doesn’t need to bring 1 of everything (for example you don’t need 8 stoves, etc)
- Keep track of what dietary restrictions everyone has
- Ideas for meal plans:
- Consider not planning meals the night everyone arrives – people sometimes come late
- Divide up the cooking responsibilities so each family cooks once (everyone who doesn’t cook helps clean)
- Include a make-your-own brown bag lunch station
- Clean up suggestions:
- Set up dishwashing tubs (soap/rinse)
- Use a mesh bag for hanging dishes dry
- Organization ideas:
- If people bring identical items suggest people label stuff (or use climbing tape)
- Have one central dining spot so kids can eat at one table and parents can make a circle of camp chairs or eat at another table while still supervising
- Consider bringing a folding table for the “buffet”
- Suggested activities:
- Plan a group activity, like hiking or playing in a river/lake
- Bring stuff for campfire/smores
- Glowsticks (they also come in handy for keeping track of kids in the dark)
