Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas can be the best time of year to make memories. Now that you have your RV, why not have a destination holiday? If singing carols and sharing turkey around a fire sound like a great time to you, here are a few ideas to make sure your holiday camping adventure is fun, memorable and safe.
1. Put together a holiday meal shopping guide and preparation requirements list. If you are a traditionalist, but are worried about the big meal on holiday, there are plenty of ways to make sure you can have the bird and all the trimmings at the campsite. Here are a few things that could help:
- Portable Smoker. Perfect for hams and smaller turkeys
- Large grill-grate for a fire pit. you can spread meats and pots over a larger grate, to maximize your fire footprint.
- Allow for extra cooking time. If you are planning on cooking meats their full duration – be aware that grill cooking can be slower and temperatures less constant.
- Extra oven mitts for helping hands and moving food around the fire
- pre-cook and freeze anything that requires an oven, if possible, like stuffing (dressing).
- Pack an extra cooler and ice just for transporting ingredients and pre-prepared dishes. This cooler will come in handy for leftovers on the way home!
2. Plan for extra fire pit time. Between the cooking you may be doing, the extra people that may be coming along and the late-night smo’res – trust us, you will want to over-prepare when it comes to fire. Here are a few campfire tips for holiday weekend camping:
- Bring 3x the firewood you would normally bring. If your campsite of choice does not allow outside firewood, see if you can call ahead and pre-pay for several bundles.
- Consider two fire sources: one for cooking, another for hanging around and warmth. This way, you won’t be fighting the kids for space while you are trying to cook, and no one will drop a stick or marshmallow into your green bean casserole.
- Put one person or group, such as your older teens, in charge of keeping the fire stoked. Between all of the normal campsite activities and food prep, you will be glad you decided to hand off this chore to someone else.
- Pack lots of tinfoil and fire-friendly turning utensils! Nothing is worse than watching something yummy fall into the fire.
3. Plan your mealtime and table. There is no need to skimp on the fun stuff! Pack a festive tablecloth, your good silverware. Find some sturdy holiday-themed disposable plates, bowls and serving dishes. Bring tape for the tablecloths in case of wind, and use some fun decor from home to serve as napkin / plate weights. And – don’t forget the kid’s table! Bring a portable or folding table along, and set it up just like home. Decorations make a campsite so festive!
4. Holiday games! Put one of the other adults or kiddos in charge of pre-meal entertainment. If you can keep the crew occupied while you are prepping for the big meals, this will ease the pressure of a long holiday outdoor weekend.
5. Find clever ways to hide gifts and other surprises. If gift opening is part of your celebration, hiding things in your personal bag, or other places kids are not likely to go is key. A fun idea is “bag in a tree” – simply put all gifts in a trash bag, and when the kids take off at the campground – hoist it into a tree! The kids will love watching the bag “fall” at gift opening time when you lower it.
6. And finally, find ways to celebrate your tradition. Whether it is with prayer, giving thanks around a circle, lighting candles or scripture reading, be sure to keep these important family rituals alive.
We hope you have a warm, fun, memorable holiday camping adventure this year!