all in 26 hours

My plans to drive up to Montana fell through last week (still pouting about that one) and Robby was buried in a final project for school.....our weekend was looking to be pretty lame. But after a (very, very) last minute decision we decided to go camping for the night. We very rarely go camping for just one night--after all the efforts to pack up and set up, it's so much more worth it to stay a couple nights. But thanks to homework, and my lingering nausea from those stupid wisdom teeth (still holding a huge grudge) we only had one night to spare. 

So we just did it. 

We were away from our house for a total of about 26 hours--and even though it was quick, it was very much worth it. The perfect escape.

In 26 hours we:

...drove to the Unitas.....such a pretty drive that I never tire of. 

...found the PERFECT campsite.....I still can't get over how pretty it was....

meadow. lake. wildflowers. 

...unpacked. set up our site. 

...braved the WIND. so funny setting up a tent in crazy wind.

....fetch with charly in the lake.

...dutch oven dinner

...more crazy wind.

...hot cocoa.

...kids in jammies, giggling in the tent. 

...nightime. fire. stars. us two.

...ghost stories in the tent.

...sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

...birds wake up around 4:30am. 

they get louder

and louder 

and LOUDER. 

so many birds!!!

...tent starts to warm.

...charly up. kids up. we're up. 

...fire. breakfast. run around through the meadow.

...fishing. fishing. fishing. 

...lunch.

...s'mores.

...more meadow and lake play.

...playing catch.

...packing up. breaking down camp.

...goodbye perfect campsite.

...drive through the mountains.

...pit stop at Hi-Mountain Drug in Kamas. 

yes it's a drug store, and yes it has great burgers and shakes.

...drive home.

all photos taken at Trial Lake, Utah

How to Camp

I have promised posts on how to play outside, and I will do my best to give some camping tips. 

It's a little bit hard because we have both camped our whole lives, so we just kind of know what works best for us. 

If you have never camped, here are a few very basic tips. 

I won't get into a lot of gear details--as far as gear goes it really depends on how comfortable you want to be. You can bring as little as a sleeping bag and a pot to cook oatmeal, or go all out and bring everything--a tent, air mattress,a giant camp stove to cook up a feast, an extra table, a tent for the kids, a portable shower......it's really up to you. 

We keep all our camping stuff together, and have a giant tote of necessities so we can load up the car quickly and go.

Some of the items in our tote include:

-dishes, silverware

-vinyl tablecloth

-pot, pan, a few utensils

-a kettle to heat water

-dutch oven

-tub for washing dishes, soap, brush

-small rope for a clothesline to hang wet clothes/towels

-lantern

-small one burner stove

-lighter

-first aid kit

-a grid we can put in the fire to cook/heat food on (similar to this)

-rain ponchos

other necessities that I pack up before we go:

-sunscreen

-mosquito repellent (ALWAYS pack this, no matter where you are going)

-some washing supplies-soap, baby wipes, a washcloth and a towel

-fishing gear/binoculars/balls/frisbee/any fun activity your family likes to do

-flashlights/headlamps (the kids LOVE their headlamps)

-lots of water

-firewood (most campsite hosts sell firewood but if you have wood at home you save a lot of $)

food

I LOVE cooking over the fire! 

Here is what we ate--I will share our other camp meals throughout the summer as well.

Dinner (see photo and recipe below): Dutch Oven Chicken Tacos

Breakfast: Ham, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

-scrambled eggs (we add a few slices of ham to the eggs while they cook)

-melted swiss on whole wheat english muffins (with a little bit of mustard) toasted over the fire

Lunch: we kept it easy and brought stuff for sandwiches

I packed a few kinds of fruit, some chips, and a few other snacks as well. I also like to pack whatever veggies we have from the garden to wrap in foil and cook with dinner.

Dutch Oven Chicken Tacos

this fed my family of 4 

you'll need:

2 chicken breasts (cut in half so they'll cook a bit faster)

1 can of black beans

dutch oven and charcoal briquettes 

Chipotle Sauce (make at home)

in food processor combine:

A few ripe tomatoes (or one can of diced tomatoes)

1 small onion
2 garlic cloves

1 chile in adobo sauce (or even 1/2 a pepper if you don't want it too spicy.....those things are hot)

a large handful of cilantro

splash of vinegar and pinch of salt

take it for a few spins in the food processor until it's smooth and then add to chicken and beans in a container with a lid.

You can pull this out of your cooler at the campsite and dump it in the dutch oven and you are ready to go!

taco toppings

I put small amounts into little containers to save space in the cooler

-shredded cheese

-sour cream

-tomatos

-cilantro

-tortillas (we wrapped these in foil and warmed them in the fire)

With charcoal briquettes on the top and bottom of the dutch oven, it only took about 30 minutes to cook. We shredded the chicken and served it in warm tortillas.

A few more camping tips:

Never been before?

Consider doing a "practice" campout in your backyard. 

This will ensure that you have what you need, and get your kids used to sleeping in a tent if they never have (they will love it)

Let it be known: your kids will be filthy. 

Let them be, and don't worry about it. 

I always heat water at night to wash hands and faces, and there's always hand sanitizer to use before meals if you want.

Camping is dirty--but it's all part of the fun. Have them wear older clothes that can get dirty and wet. 

Bring extra shoes for your kids. 

Feet will somehow always end up wet and that can make for a miserable time for little toes.

Share Responsibilities
Give everyone a job! The kids helped haul wood, gather kindling, and pack and unpack the campsite.
They searched for rocks to hold down the tablecloth, and combed the site for garbage after we packed up.
Give them some of their own "gear", so they feel big. A water bottle, a headlamp, a compass.....they love it.

Bring lots of layers. 

Temps can range from 40s-80s up in the mountains in just one day.
bring extra jackets and always bring warm hats for evenings/mornings.

Leave No Trace

I can't stand seeing trash on the ground when we are out in the mountains. 

Pick up your campsite! Even if you find trash that isn't yours--pick it up!

thank you.

.......so there are a few basics. 

If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer right back in the comments. 

And PLEASE feel free to add your own camping tips--

what makes it easy for you?