START IN THE BACKYARD
Before venturing to more primitive
locations, try camping in your own backyard
first. Here the entire family can have the
luxuries and closeness of home – including
electricity and bathroom facilities – while
still learning campout basics. In the
backyard, children can learn how to find a
prime piece of real estate for their tent
and how to set it up. They’ll discover what
it takes to build a campsite and how
everyone pitches in and works together. As a
family, you’ll be able to bond next to the
campfire (or lanterns) and settle in to the
sweet nighttime lullaby of crickets.
WHAT TO PACK
When packing for a camping trip, it’s
important to be well prepared. While you
don’t want to carry too many items with you,
consider taking these before heading out on
your next trip.
- Map of area in which you will be camping
- Compass
- Flashlight with extra batteries
and bulbs
- Extra food
Extra clothing, including raingear
- First-aid kit
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Pocketknife
- Waterproof matches
- Adequate supply of clean drinking water or a
water purifier
- Insect repellent, including DEET for ticks
- Waterproof and lightweight tent
- Ground insulation for sleeping
- Sleeping bag
- Small cooking kit, a cup and utensils
- Stove for cooking
FUN & GAMES CHECKLIST
Kids are great at finding things to do at
camp, but when boredom, exhaustion or rainy
weather set in, be prepared to have fun
activities on hand. Take advantage of quiet
downtime or engage the kids in a new
adventure with games and activities you can
play together.
- Playing Cards
- Board games, like cribbage, checkers or
backgammon
- Bicycles (bike chain and lock)
- Binoculars
- Books
- Field Guides
- Song Book
- Camera and film
- Video Camera
- CD Player and discs
- Radio
- Baseball or Softball Equipment
- Beach Ball
- Surfboard or Boogie Board
- Frisbee
- Kite
- Maps
- Sketch Pad
- Chalk and Crayons
- Fishing Poles and tackle
Spend time gazing at the stars, listening
for the sounds of nocturnal animals, and
swapping stories by the light of the lantern
or campfire. And what’s a night of camping
without s’mores? Camping out in the yard is
so easy, anyone can do it – even
first-timers!
Connect with nature in your own backyard!
It’s easy when you join in National Wildlife
Federation’s third annual Great American
Backyard Campout™ on Saturday, June 23.
Gather the kids, grandkids, neighbors and
friends to join in the fun. Last year
thousands across the country united for this
great event.
Go online to
www.backyardcampout.org to register your
campsite, share information with other
backyard campers and find group campouts in
the metro Atlanta area.
CAMPFIRE COOKING
Food always taste better cooked over a
campfire. You’ll definitely want to try out
these recipes on your next camping
adventure. If you have not tried it before,
you should consider trying out these recipes
over the fire on your camping trip.
Campfire Banana Splits
Makes 6 servings
- 6 large bananas, unpeeled, stems removed
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 (10.5 ounce) package miniature
marshmallows
Other toppings to try: M&M’s, nuts,
Reese's
pieces, mini snickers, etc.
- Non-stick foil
- Have a can of whipped cream on hand plus a
jar of cherries when they come off the
campfire
Spray 4 sheets of aluminum foil, large
enough to wrap bananas, with cooking spray.
Slice the peel of the banana from stem to
bottom, while slicing the banana inside
lengthwise. The bananas can be cut into
slices instead if you like, (while still in
the peel) for easier handling later.
Carefully open the banana just wide enough
to place the chocolate chips and
marshmallows inside the peel with the
banana.
Stuff with chocolate chips and marshmallows
as desired.
Wrap the bananas with the aluminum foil and
place directly in the coals of a fire. Leave
in long enough to melt the chips and the
marshmallows, about 5 minutes. Unwrap
bananas, open the peels wide, and eat with a
spoon.
www.allrecipes.com
Egg In an Orange
- Knife
- Aluminum foil
- 1 orange
- 2 eggs
- spices
Parents will need to cut the orange, but
older kids can scoop out the inside and
crack the egg and sprinkle the spices.
Cut the orange in half cross-ways. Scoop
out and eat the orange contents.
Pull out any left-over orange sections,
leaving the peel intact. Place the peel on a
sheet of foil.
Crack the egg into the peel. Sprinkle with
spices. Wrap foil over orange.
Place directly in hot coals. Repeat with
other orange half. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
www.boyscouttrail.com
Hobo Meal
Makes 1 serving
- Aluminum foil
- Paper towels
- Long fire tongs
- 1/4 lb. hamburger
- 1 potato
- 1 carrot
- Ketchup or BBQ sauce
- 1/4 onion, optional
- Seasonings
Create a foil wrapper for each person by
sandwiching a wet paper towel between two
squares of foil. This will help even the
heat and prevent burning.
Wash, peel, and dice the vegetables. With
clean fingers, pull the hamburger into bits
and place on foil wrapper.
Season hamburger and add vegetables and
sauce as desired.
Fold foil into a flat package sealed well.
Place the dinner on coals. Cook for 10
minutes, then flip and cook 10 more.
Unwrap and check one dinner to see if they
are done.
www.boyscouttrail.com
Where to Go
Eager to try some great camping spots beyond
your backyard? Here are some terrific spots
for car, tent or RV camping. From primitive
sites with no electricity or running water,
to rustic cabins at state parks, the variety
of camping possibilities can suit any
family’s needs. Amenities like swimming
pools or lakes, fishing or hiking, and
canoeing or horseback riding are available
throughout Georgia and the U.S. Always call
before you go, as most campgrounds require
reservations.
 More than 30 state parks in Georgia offer
campgrounds with breathtaking views of the
mountains or lakes.
www.gastateparks.org
Stone Mountain Park is the largest Georgia
campground in the state, boasting more than
400 campsites with primitive sites or those
with full hookups for electricity and water.
www.stonemountainpark.com/lodging-camping
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Park, located in the
Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina
and Tennessee has beautiful camping sites
among its cove hardwood forests.
www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/
joycekilmer.pdf.
Cherokee, NC offers more than 20 different
campgrounds in the region, where the
Cherokees have lived among the mountains and
maintained their traditions for generations.
www.cherokee-nc.com/lodging_campgrounds.htmlcamping
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
is
host to dozens of campsites in the North
Carolina/Tennessee region. Some sites
require hiking to campsites in the park’s
beautiful backcountry.
www.nps.gov/grsm
Head east to Helen or west toward
Dahlonega for a camping and hiking
experience. Check out several campgrounds
with many amenities available in each
region.
www.innorthgeorgia.com/camping or
www.georgiamountains.worldweb.com
TIPS FOR CAMPING
WITH KIDS
Camping with kids is great family fun. We
are all kids at heart when it’s time to go
camping, but when your camping trip includes
young children some extra planning and
precautions will make the trip more
memorable. Here are some tips to help you
start thinking ahead about camping with
children.
Teach young children to stay within
eyesight, and older children within earshot.
Teach children to stay where they are if
they discover they are lost. Instruct them
to find a nearby tree and stay there until
they are found.
Children over the age of four can carry a
simple survival kit, or at least a whistle
around their neck to call for help when
lost. The standard distress signal is three
blows to indicate “I’m lost” or “I need
help.”
Sort and pack each day of your children’s
clothes within individual small plastic
grocery bags in his/her suitcase. This way
your child can grab a bag in the morning and
have a full set of clothes for the day, and
at night he/she can stuff the dirty ones
back in the bag thus not mixing up the rest
of the suitcase.
Children get cold faster than adults. The
key to comfortable camping with kids is to
dress them in several layers, which can be
peeled off as they get warm or added on as
they cool off.
Provide each child with a flashlight. To
prevent any arguments, make sure each one
has their own. Children love to play with
the flashlights, and having one also makes
them more at ease after dark. They are also
handy when making trips to the restroom, for
making shadow puppets on tent walls, and for
reading before bed.
Teach your kids to treat the outdoors
kindly. Make sure all trash is disposed of
properly when camping or hiking along the
trails.
Camping with children is more fun when you
bring a playmate along. Two or more children
will entertain themselves for longer periods
than will a single child.
FAMILY TENT TIPS
Your family camping tent will be your house
and home. The tent you choose will probably
be the most important piece of gear you buy.
A good tent, taken care of properly, will
last a lifetime. A good tent will let you
sleep soundly at night without needing to
worry about rain, wind, bugs or other
creatures of the night. Here are some tips
to help you get off to a good start.
Set up a new tent before your trip. This
lets you check its condition, and learn how
to set it up without the pressure of
darkness or rain.
The seams on all nylon tents must be
sealed before using a new tent, and
periodically thereafter. Seam sealer is sold
in applicator bottles, which you rub along
the inside of all waterproof seams.
The rainfly is a special tarp that is
spread over the top of the tent to make it
waterproof. Most tents include a matching
rainfly. The rainfly should allow the tent
windows to remain open for ventilation while
protecting the seams from potential leaks.
Avoid setting up camp next to stagnant
water, which is home to biting insects.
Don’t set up the tent in a low spot or
depression. Rainwater will collect under the
tent and soak through into your sleeping
bag. Put a plastic tarp on the ground under
the tent. It should match the “footprint” of
the tent so that it doesn’t gather
rainwater. This groundsheet protects the
floor of your tent from stones, sticks, and
general wear and tear.
Get the sturdiest aluminum tent stakes
possible. Most campgrounds build sites with
gravel, and this hard ground will bend or
break most lightweight and plastic stakes.
Keep a whiskbroom in the tent for sweeping
out dirt and leaves. Use an old towel or
small piece of carpet as a door mat for
wiping off feet before entering the tent.
CAMPFIRE TIPS
Campfires are an enjoyable and favorite part
of being outdoors, but they may not always
be allowed at your campsite. Be sure to
check with the campground manager or the
local forest service about possible
restrictions due to forest fire hazards.
Here are some tips to get the most out of
your campfire experience.
Keep fire small and never leave it
unattended.
Softwoods, like pine, fir, and cedar, are
best for starting a fire. Use only dead wood
lying on the ground. Do not cut live trees,
or branches from trees near the campsite.
Have water available to extinguish the
fire properly.
Maintain a debris-free area around the
fire,
so sparks cannot ignite vegetation and
spread the fire.
Build fires only in fire rings, stoves or
fireplaces and leave your fire ring clean
for the next campers.
Start the fire by building a small teepee
of dry sticks and igniting it with a match.
As the fire gets started, add larger pieces
of wood.
Extinguish all fires by pouring water on
them, stirring the ashes and pouring more
water. Make sure ashes are cold when you
leave the fire.
Learn Before You Go
Books and websites
LL Bean Family Camping Handbook by Keith
McCafferty takes the worry out of camping
for families with children, offering tips on
everything the first-time camper needs to
know.
The Joy of Family Camping by Herb Gordon is
an introductory guide which covers
age-appropriate activities, trailside family
meals, safety, equipment and practical
advice to make family camping a joy.
Guide to Happy Family Camping by Tammerie
Spires offers practical tips on family
outdoor adventures from a veteran camper and
mom.
www.koa.com – a list of campgrounds along
with activities to do with the kids,
campfire songs and recipes
www.a1familycamping.com – an excellent site
for first-time campers needing more
inspiration.
www.camping.about.com – get tips from
parents who camp with their families and
learn what it takes to have fun while
camping near home or away.
– Tiffany Capuano
contributed to this article
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