I went camping a lot as a kid. My parents had a trailer and we belonged to a trailer club (I don`t know if such things even exist anymore :+) and we went camping with the club, with friends and on our own. Andrea at [1] a peek inside the fishbowl asked for [2] ideas for what to pack when going camping and as my comment grew longer and longer, I decided I had a [3] Thursday Thirteen in the making. Here is my list of what to take on a camping trip:

1. Multiple bathing suits: I spent as much time in the pool as possible and wearing the same wet bathing suit all day, let alone for days on end is just yucky.
2. Many beach towels: they really don’t get a chance to dry between sessions in the pool, if you’re doing it right. In a pinch, beach towels can double as blankets if it turns out to be colder than you expected.
3. Flipflops for in the shower and going to and from the pool.
4. Running shoes for going on walks in the woods or for bike rides.
5. Bikes for everyone or at least the kids. If you are far from a bathroom or from the bathroom with the shower, bikes are lifesavers.
6. Sand toys: I played with sand toys at camp long after I ceased playing with them at home.
7. Beach ball for playing soccer, kickball, throwing about in the pool or out. A beach ball is very versatile and, when deflated, doesn’t take up much room.
8. Sunscreen, hat and light-weight long sleeved shirts (and pants if you’re in an area where [4] Lyme disease could be a problem).
9. Bug repellent with [5] DEET, or not, according to age and personal opinion.
10. Baking soda (mixed with water) to treat the bites from the bugs that aren’t troubled by the bug repellent.
11. A first aid kit to treat the scrapes resulting from walks through the forest and whatever else might arise.
12. Collapsable “director’s chairs” for fireside seating. Hang the bag that each comes in across the back of the chair so that you can find it when you need it.
13. Marshmallows for toasting over the fire. I think that eating toasted marshmallows is the number one reason I liked camping.

There are, of course, other “grown up” things to consider like food (do as much preparation as you can at home and keep the menu as simple as possible), bedding (sleeping bags aren’t necessary in the summer but I wouldn’t sleep in a tent without an air mattress), clothing (t-shirts, shorts, jeans and a sweatshirt) and the tent/trailer/cabin itself (I’m a KOA cabin-lover myself) but I’ve used up my thirteen places for this week.

View other participants in [3] Thursday Thirteen or look at my [7] previous Thursday Thirteen entries.