My First Camping Trip!
This weekend I set out to plan and execute my first camping trip. I’ve been camping before with my family but I had never planned it all myself. I knew I was in for a bit of a challenge. It was difficult to know where to start.
First, was doing research on good camping spots in Washington State. I didn’t want to go backpacking into the wilderness. Don’t get me wrong, that sounds awesome, but for the first camping trip I wanted to take it easy. I settled on travelling no more than 1.5 hours from Seattle and do some car camping, which landed me in the Cle Elum area. There are a few campgrounds out that way with lakes. I wanted a lake to go swimming in and I wanted mountain views. That brought me to Lake Easton or Lake Kachees and both looked great. The only problem was that I was planning this trip last minute and that means FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE sites. They fill up fast on beautiful weekends, so you have to get there early.
Also, I forgot to mention, I don’t even own a car! I had to rent a car and trying to book a rental car last minute in Seattle can also get really expensive. Here’s a tip- if you are renting a car, get one from the airport because it’s a lot cheaper than the downtown locations.
The next step was to do some research on the gear I would need. I made a mental list of the things my parents used to bring along with but REI also has a handy site here: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/family-camping-checklist.html. I knew that not everything on the list would be applicable though, so I made my own. The items with ** are things I forgot and would like to have for next time!
Sleeping
- Extra Blanket (in case it gets cold) **
- Pillows
- Lantern
- Flashlights
- Spare Batteries
- Sleeping Pad Or Blow up Mattress
- Sleeping Bag
- Battery Operated or Foot Pump **
- Tent and stakes
I was fortunately able to rent the sleeping pads and sleeping bags through BC’s Wellness Center (thanks Peter Prescott!!). However, I would highly recommend bringing something other than the sleeping pads they provide as they are very thin, but lightweight and great if you are going backpacking. I borrowed a blow up sleeping pad from a friend and it was much more comfortable. I also borrowed my tent from a friend, but you can also rent them from the Wellness Center.
Cooking
- Cooking pots X2- Small and Large
- Frying Pan X2- Small and Large
- Bottle opener
- Can opener
- Marshmallow roasting sticks (metal)
- Trash bags
- Tablecloth and camping clips
- 1 chef knife
- Steak knives
- Forks
- Spoons
- Scissors
- Plates
- Cups
- Bowls
- Cooking oil/spray
- Paper Towel
- Kettle
- Mixing Bowls X2
- Ziplock Bags- Small and Large
- A couple of Tupperware containers**
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Cutting Board
- Tin Foil
- Dish Soap
- Sponge
- Dish Towels
- Drying Rack
- Oven Mitts
- Fuel for Camp Stove
- Large Cooler
- Smaller drinks cooler bag (take to the beach!)
- Camp Dishwashing Container (Plastic Tub)
- Large Water Container
- Camp Stove
- Propane
- Stove Table Stand
- Cutlery Organizer **
I started out going to Walmart and was able to get most of the items on this list for a lot cheaper than on Amazon. As I mentioned not having a vehicle, I was a bit limited as to what I could carry on the bus L. I probably would have purchased everything from there, or looked to see what I could find at Goodwill or on the internet if I had more time. The rest of the materials (ie camp stove) I purchased from Amazon and it arrived right before my trip! I also had the majority of things like forks, spoons, plates, cooking pots, in my kitchen already so I was able to save a lot of money.
Fun
- Clothes Line with pegs
- Towels
- Hiking Boots
- Backpack
- Basketball
- Water bottles
- Fire Starter
- BBQ Flame Thrower
- Hammock and Ropes
- First Aid Kit
- Citronella Candle
- Floaty Mats for Water
- Tarp
- Spare Rope **
- Camp Chairs
- Something to Throw Around
- Bug Spray
- Sunscreen
- Boom Box (Bluetooth)
- Car phone charger
- Cards
- A book
- Umbrella (in case of rain)
Lake Easton had a basketball court so it was fun to bring some basketballs and shoot some hoops! Unfortunately the Cle Elum area had a fire ban when I arrived, so that meant no campfires for us, which was very disappointing. The fire starters did not get used, and we sat around our citronella candle at night as our “fire”. It was warm outside though, and the stars were beautiful. We saw quite a few shooting stars!
On to my journey, I left quite early to go get a site and the first come-first serve sites were already full from the day before! Fortunately for me, Lake Easton had one non-reservable site that they save for unknown reasons and they allowed me to book it for 2 nights, even though they originally only said 1 night. Moral of the story- MAKE RESERVATIONS. I got lucky, but that won’t always happen. There are a lot of cancellations even week of but make sure you lock something down before you go. Also, don’t forget to check Yelp Reviews! There is a good site to make reservations at state campgrounds here: https://washington.goingtocamp.com/WashingtonStateParks
Now you may be wondering what we ate while camping. I made a grocery list and had it all prepared before I left. I actually had a bit too much food for 2, which is why I suggest bringing some Tupperware containers. It’s also good to come prepared with some pre-frozen ice packs for the bottom of your cooler, and buy extra ice at a grocery store near your campground or at the campground itself. We opted for the latter. Here was my “menu”, and all of the perishables fit in my cooler! The rest I stored in a large reusable grocery bag. We did have to buy a couple more bags of ice throughout the weekend as it slowly melted, but the cooler kept everything cold.
First Dinner
- Steak
- Potatoes
- Salad- Lettuce or Spinach
- Salad Dressing
- Cucumber
- Tomato
- Butter **
- Steak Seasoning
Second Dinner
- Pasta Noodles
- Pasta Sauce
- Green Peppers
- Onion
- Spinach
- Ground Sausage
- Italian Seasoning
- Hot Chili Flakes
First Breakfast
- Bacon
- Eggs
- Fruit
- Coffee
- Tea
Second Breakfast
- Oatmeal
- Fruit
- Tea
- Coffee
First Lunch
- Burgers
- Burger Buns
- Avocado
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Hot Peppers
- Cheese (pre-sliced!)
Second Lunch
- Bread
- Deli Meats
- Cheese (pre-sliced!)
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Mustard
Snacks
- Goldfish crackers
- Jiffy Pop ** (awesome campfire popcorn)
- Cookies
- Yogurt
- Fruit
- Sparking Water
- Ginger Ale
- Marshmallows
- Graham Crackers
- Chocolate
- Hummus and Crackers
- Protein Bars
All of these meals were easily prepared and cleaned up at the campsite. Using our large water jug, we collected water from the campground taps and used our dishwashing bin to wash the dishes. It was great to have a drying rack to leave the dishes on as well. For the most part, we used the trunk of the car as a staging area for our cooler (keeps the animals out) and cooking supplies. I would like to be a bit more organized next time (see pic).
Setting up and taking down the tent was quite easy and took us less than 20 minutes, then again we were blessed with perfect weather. I highly recommend bringing a hammock to hang around in the trees, and a clothes line for when your towels and bathing suits get wet! Overall, it was a fantastic camping trip and I can’t wait to go again now that I have all the gear. Next time, I’m hoping to go a bit further out to Lake Chelan or Deception Pass. If you have any questions about car camping, I would love to chat! Email sustainability@bellevuecollege.edu
Last Updated August 15, 2016