Camping Ice Box
Family Camping Trips Planner
It has often been said that family camping trips are some of the greatest times ever for a family to experience. Growing up in Minnesota, some of my best memories were the simple family camping trips sleeping in a tent at local and state parks. As our family progressed to more modern methods such as a trailer or the RV, it became more of chore. We carried so much junk that it took forever to pack, set up camp, and clean up.
I try to make our family camping trips as simple as possible. We pack everything into our small Subaru station wagon. I have a Thule cargo carrier for the roof. Everything is totally organized.
I start my planning by developing a simple list of must have items:
Tent
Sleeping bags
Air mattresses
Camp stove
Camp lantern
Basic cook kit
Pressure cooker
Basic eating utensils
Plates, bowls, cups
Toilet paper
Lighter
5 gallon water jug
Flashlights
Wash basin
Hatchet/hammer
Rope
Manual coffee grinder
Coffee drip cones and or French presses
The more stuff that you take, the more of a hassle the trip becomes.
Storage
Every item that we carry is stored in rectangular Sterilite plastic storage boxes. We pack 4 of them into the back of our station wagon. It makes it so easy to set up camp. We just pull the storage boxes out and grab what we need when we need them. At night, we place them securely in the back of our station wagon. All of our sleeping gear goes in the cargo box on the roof.
Cooking Kit
Our cooking kit is our pressure cooker. We store our bowls, utensils, cups, and anything that is loose inside the pressure cooker. Pressure cookers are awesome for Car Camping because things like beans and rice can be cooked extremely fast. My wife adds a gourmet Kitchen wok for all stir fry delicacies.
Easy Family Camping Food
You don’t need special camping food. We tend to eat about the same way that we eat at home. We buy lots of fresh fruits and veggies at local markets. We bring a various assortment of whole grain pastas, dried beans, brown rice, and our famous super porridge breakfast grains. My wife calls this our pantry. We have sea salt, whole pepper corns, soy sauce, hot sauce, and lots of our favorite things that we may not be able to buy on the road.
Large Cooler For Perishables
We found this great Coleman cooler that keeps food cold for up to 4 days (honest!). We buy fresh chicken, fish, beef, fruits, and vegetables on the road and store them in the cooler with a block of ice or dried ice.
When you have the right equipment, your family camping trips will be so much more enjoyable!
However, even if you have the greatest equipment available, your trip will not be fun if you don’t plan on doing things that your family enjoys. The trip is not a race! Take your time and slow down.
We have 2 young boys. We bring bug catchers for them to play with. My wife packs lots of small toys and books for them. They watch DVD’s when we are traveling for extended periods of time. We do all the junior ranger program for our boys. They love them! I take them for moon walks at night. Even if there is not a full moon, the boys want the adventure of walking at night with flashlights.
We like to stay at each campground for at least 2 days. It makes the experience fantastic when you are not setting up camp every day. We bring some light weight lounge chairs for my wife and me. Just kicking back, drinking coffee, and reading books is good enough entertainment for us.
James Danielson has been family camping for over 40 years. You can visit him at Family Camping Gear, Family Camping Trips, and Camping Cooking Equipment.
About the Author
James Danielson has been family camping for over 40 years. You can visit him at
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Techni ice box & Chester (aka family dog)
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Coleman 62-Quart Xtreme Wheeled Cooler (Blue) $48.26 Stores ice up to 5 days at 90° F and holds (85) cans. Lid accommodates 24″ elastic cords for additional storage. (Cords sold separately.) Blue. Made in USA.Features: ? Hinged lid with beverage holders? Two-way handles for flexible, easy carrying? Comfortable tow handle for one-hand operation? Rustproof, leak-resistant channel drain for no-tilt easy draining? Large wheels for moving heavy loads ea… |
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Coleman 70-Quart Xtreme Cooler (Blue) $45.00 Xtreme Cooler keeps ice up to 5 days at 90° F Holds 98 cans with ice Hinged lid with four beverage holders Lid designed to accommodate 24 elastic cords for additional storage (cords sold separately) Two-way handles for easy lifting and transporting Channel Drain for easy, no-tilt draining of liquids Dimensions: 18.25 x 31.5 x 16… |
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Rubbermaid 1080-16-220 Blue Ice Block Module Ice Pack $2.04 Rubbermaid, Blue Block Module Pack Ice Substitute, Blue Ice Brand, 3.5″ x 1.5″ x 6.8″, Ice Without The Mess, Hard, Block Modules Snap Together Back To Back Or Side To Side…. |
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O2Cool 1086 Cool Box Personal Air Conditioner with Smart Power Technology $89.99 By using the built-in rechargeable batteries, supplied AC adapter, vehicle charger or eight D batteries, you can enjoy air-conditioned comfort wherever you go. No more uncomfortable nights in hot tents or campers. This unit uses ice, a potent fan and misting technology to lower a room’s temperature. A fully charged unit with battery backup will run up to 24 hours, or run it off a regular home outl… |
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Portable Military Camping Tent Steel Wood Stove Heater (STOVE-2346) $69.95 This is a great stove you can use to cook your dinner, dry your gear, heat your shelter, or just warm your hands and feet on a cold winter’s night. Safer than an open fire. Small enough to transport in your car and hand carry to your campsite. The ample cook top space gives you room to cook up lots of tasty dishes. When you’re not cooking, you can rotate the cook top outward to dry wet socks and g… |
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Extra Cold Gel Ice Packs – 2 pack Replacement 3oz Gel Packs for Medicool Dia Pak Daymate, Medport Wallet ,Medport Daily Organizer $4.98 For use Medicool Dia Pak Daymate, Medport Wallet ,Medport Daily Organizer and Medport Pen & Meter Wallet… |
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Super-Size Fun Ice Reusable Ice Pack … |
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Promar 5 LED Light Stick – White $4.99 Battery operated and replaceable LED glow sticks are just what the doctor ordered. Incased in a glow-in-the-dark housing, these chemical-free light sticks are not only practical and environmentally friendly, but they save money. Ideal for illuminating floats, boats, rod tips, and kayaks. They’re also great for attaching to your person for increased visibility. The 5 sticks come in white or blue an… |
