A FIRST TIMERS SURVIVAL GUIDE TO THE MOST POPULAR SUMMER FAMILY ACTIVITY IN QUEBEC – CAMPING WITH KIDS

Are you thinking of experiencing the joys of camping with your kids this Summer?

Being alone in nature with kids can be challenging. You have to set up the tent, start a fire, pull your pants down in the wild to go to the bathroom and hope an insect doesn’t decide to set his own campsite in your underwear. Did I mention battling herds of mosquitoes and scratching the aftermath? Indeed, camping in the wild isn’t always glamorous.

Moreover, camping outdoors can be intimidating when the closest thing to it you’ve experienced was building a fort with blankets over the kitchen table and telling ghost stories underneath it with a flashlight.

Yet, over 1 million adults go camping in Quebec each year, half of which with a tent.

Camping provides opportunities for families to spend time together and create life-long memories. You can’t imagine the thrill of picking a campsite that becomes your home away from home with a starry night ceiling and see through walls. You have to feel it. Live it. Breath it.

Just like when you decide to take a road trip, go away for the week-end or hop on a plane, going camping won’t by any different, you’ll need to be somewhat prepared.

From knowing what gear to buy, dealing with the daily inconveniences to being time efficient, this camping with kids guide will help you prepare for your first time in the wild as a family. And don’t worry, there is no reason to be afraid of the big bad wolf. It’s the raccoons you should worry about.

History of camping

We often believe that the word camping comes from English while in fact it comes from the Latin word campus meaning field. In France, an expression appeared in the 19th century, “faire campos” (make camp), which designated the end of the school year so that children could go to the countryside to work in the fields for the Summer harvest. Luckily, that expression has now taken on a different meaning.

Living in a temporary shelter in the outdoors.

Recreational camping started in the 1860s in the US according to The Dyrt, through William H.H. Murray.  However, it didn’t become mainstream until the Great Depression with 3,000,000 American campers nation wide.

In France, camping became trending during the 30 year post war boom (1945-1975). Campers, now motorized, took off as part of week-end retreats or long vacations with their family using larger square tents and duralium poles which were almost untransportable (source: Wikipedia).

Meanwhile, in Canada, recreational camping began in the 1890s after the opening of Canada’s first National park in Banff in 1885. With its millions of acres of forests and over 30,000 lakes, it’s no wonder that camping is one of the favourite summer pass time of Canadians.

Benefits of camping with kids

While camping with kids can be challenging, I won’t lie, the benefits from it outweighs the inconveniences.

Any decent self-help book will tell you that being outside is beneficial to your body and your soul. It’s not just about breathing in the fresh air. The positive effects are countless such as reducing feelings of stress and anger, building self-confidence and improving self-esteem. Therefore, why not let your kids start benefiting from it when they are young?

But spending time outdoors with the family is more than just improving ones mental health. It’s a way to disconnect from our routine, technology and create memories.

Camping with kids teaches them basic survival skills, how to respect nature, learn about the flora, wildlife and the stars. It also provides them with a wonderful sensory experience. The musky smell of pine needles and the hissing sound the wood makes when its burning will imbue their brain for years to come.

Camping tips for beginners

If you’ve never been camping as a kid it can be intimidating your first time around in the outdoors, especially with kids in tow. Here is a little list of tips and tricks based on our experience.

• One general rule of thumb to respect is to pack as little as possible. Only bring the essentials your first time around. After all, especially if it’s just for two days, you won’t need a lot of stuff. Also, it will be less weight to carry.

• Organize your gear by theme which will make finding things easier when you arrive at your campsite. Put what you’ll need right away up front.

In my or our personal bag, I like to put our sleepwear, sweater, flashlight, towel & toiletry bag on top since that’s what we’ll need to get out first. If you’re arriving at your campsite on a Friday after working all day, chances are you’ll be arriving shortly before dark. Also, it tends to get colder at night. Yes, even during the Summer.

• Instead of buying ice to fill your cooler, freeze jugs of water. It melts slower and you can then use the water to drink, or to wash your hands and feet. Don’t fill the bottle all the way up.

• Use big cups to eat soupe or cereals so that you don’t need to bring bowls.

Setting up camp

• The first thing to do is to pitch your tent. Weather can change in the blink of an eye; there is nothing worse than setting up in the rain. You don’t know how long it’s going to take to set it up and you don’t want to do it in the dark. Not with kids.

• If your kids are too young to help you with the tent, give them chores. Perhaps, they can go and fill up the water bottles or a container for the dirty dishes later on. Have them pick up twigs, little branches so that you can start a fire. You can also give them something to snack on as eating usually keeps them calm and happy.

• Once the tent is set up and before you start making the bed and what not, start your fire. It takes a while to get it started and if you plan on using it to cook, you’ll want to get it going right away.

To make things easier for you, use old tea bags as fire starters. Find out how HERE.

Cost of camping

Camping is the most affordable lodging option, especially if you have kids, when you want to go away for the week-end or a long vacation. A nightly stay at a basic campsite costs on average $35 a night. However, you’ll need to buy fire wood which costs between $8-$10 a bundle, maybe ice, pay to use the shower, etc… To give you an idea, we usually use up close to 4 bundles of wood for a two night stay. Its also because we use the fire pit to cook.

But before booking your campsite, you’re gonna need some gear. We bought our camping gear 9 years ago from MEC and we still use it all. At the time, it cost us $1,000 for a 4 persons tent, 2 big sleeping bags, a cooler, cooking set, plates and cups, cutlery set with chopping board etc., headlamps, and a canister stove. Although MEC tends to be a bit more pricier than other places such as Canadian Tire, I feel like the quality of the items offered is a lot better.

Another option is to check out Kijiji, Facebook Market Place for second-hand gear or ask someone you know if they have gear you can borrow.

Finally, at MEC you can rent camping gear but this service has been put on hold due to the Pandemic. I don’t know how much they usually charge, but if you’re uncertain about camping, this would be a more viable option.

Glamping

If you want to take baby steps into your camping experience with kids, especially if you have a baby, rent a ready-made tent. They tend to cost roughly $125 a night. All you’ll need to bring will be your sleeping bag, food, clothes, and whatever else you consider to be essential. The tent will already be set up with actual beds, possibly a small fridge, cooking utensils, a table and chairs and lighting.

For a more rustic vibe, rent a cabin. Beds will be provided along with a wood burning stove, a table and chairs and a lantern. Check out our experiences at Au Diable Vert.

This is a viable solution if you don’t want to invest in camping gear or run around town to borrow it.

Basic camping gear

Unless you want to sleep as is on the uneven ground, you’re gonna need to bring your own shelter and something to keep you warm at night:

• Tent;
• Sleeping bag that can withstand cold temperatures;
• Soft floor mat (optional). 

You don’t need to bring pillows as you can use a backpack or make one using a towel, jacket, sweater and just put it under your sleeping bag.

To help you, MEC has practicle articles explaining how to pick a TENT and SLEEPING BAG.

You’ll also need to bring a flashlight or head lamp. Instead of bringing a lantern you can easily make one using what you already have. Simply light your flashlight by a big transparent water bottle. You can also bring votive candles as they don’t take up much space in your bag.

If you are camping out near a beach with a baby, bring a Kidco Pea Pod. It’s something we’ve used at the beach and when we moved to Canada. The Pea Pod is very light to carry and easy to set up. Alternatively, you can also use this when you visit the grand-parents, friends and family.

Camping necessities & miscellaneous stuff

Once your shelter gear is taken care of, you’ll need to think of your survival gear.

You’ll need a cooler to store your food and possibly a box with a lid to store your dry food.

Of course you’ll need stackable cookwear, utensils, plates and cups. We got THIS kitchen kit which makes it easy for us to eat, food prep and cook. Also, it’s practical because everything we need need is in one place and its easy to carry.

In terms of actually cooking you could buy a portable stove, but they don’t come cheap. Another more affordable option is buying a canister stove. It’s compact and light and requires low maintenance. You’ll need however to buy a fuel bottle. Bring a spare, just in case.

Alternatively, a more green option we’ve been using is an electricity generating stove by Biolite. All you do is charge it before leaving and then use what ever you find on the ground at your campsite for fuel. You can then use it to charge your phone.

However, most of the time we use the fire pit to cook. We bought a foldable grill to put above the fire as not all fire pits on campsites come with a grill.

Miscellaneous “necessities”

• A first aid kit could come in handy for little scrapes and cuts; with kids you never know.
• Can opener, bottle opener, swiss army knife.
• Small hammer to help install the tent pegs. You can also use a wood log to hammer the pegs in.
• Matches/lighter in a mason jar with lid. It will keep everything dry and dirt/sand free.
• Fire starters: tea bags dipped in beeswax, newspaper.
• A container to put dirty dishes and wash them. Soap dish and dish cloth. You can put your dish soap in a small container so that it takes up less space. A dish cake is practical to use and it won’t spill in the box or bag.

• Rope and a tarp.

This is practical to have to put over the picnic table to keep it dry and in the shade.

• Mosquitoe repellent and cream for the bites.
• Sunscreen.
• Trash bags.
• Little containers for your spices, salt and pepper.  A lighter option is to use small ziplock bags or brown paper bags that you can find in bulk stores for storage.
• Instead of bringing butter, bring olive oil in a small container. It’s easier to store.
• Table cloth that you can also use as a picnic “blanket’ on the beach or if you go off hiking.
• A travel towel because it is compact.

Type of clothing to bring

There is no particular dress code to have when you go camping with kids; just common sense.

Obviously, leave your fancy clothes at home and think practical.

As the evenings tend to be cooler, you’ll need a long pair of pants or PJs, a sweater or hoodie, long sleeve shirt and socks. This also helps (a little) from falling pray to mosquitoes.

Bring a light waterproof jacket in case of rain. But if you check the weather forecast beforehand, you just might not need to.

During the day, if its warm enough, shorts, t-shirt and sandals will be plenty. If you plan on doing some hiking, you’ll need closed off shoes and a small backpack to carry snacks and water bottles.

Pants that can become shorts and vice versa are practical to have as it frees up space in your bag.

Easy camping meals for kids

Finally, any good parent knows that you can’t go anywhere with kids without food. There’s nothing worse than having a whiny hungry child when you want to do an activity.

To keep the weight down of what you bring, think easy to carry and easy to make food.

You can pre-cut vegetables and store them in reusable ziplock bags. This will save you some prep time at camp and generate less waste. Although, I do like peeling carrots at the picnic table while sipping on a glass of wine as I find it soothing. After all, all you have is but time when you camp.

As some things take a while to cook, you can prepare some meals ahead of time to decrease the food prep. Then, all you’ll have to do is heat it up in a pot or pan.

We once had spare ribs that my husband had marinated ahead of time. We cooked it on the grill above the fire pit wrapped in tin foil.

If you’re going to bring meat, consider eating it your first night or for lunch the next day. Ice can only stay hard for so long and you don’t want to have to go out and buy some more. That being said, frozen jugs of water will last longer than an ice bag.

The following are some ideas of food and meals that you can feed the kids with while camping.

Breakfast ideas

• Oatmeal is great to have when you are out camping with kids. It doesn’t require milk and is super light to carry. Don’t bring the box, just the packets that you’ll need.
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are often our go-to breakfast when in the wild.
• Also, apples or apple sauce in reusable food pouches are easy to snack on.
• If you are up for it, you can have a brunch with some sausages and roasted potatoes.

Lunch

We usually try to keep things simple for lunch by not having to heat up or cook anything.

• Tuna sandwich with cream cheese and cucumber.
• Ham and cheese sandwich.

Now, if you are up for it you could make your own pizza. It’s easy, the prep time is minimal and so is the cooking.

Ingredients for a camp site pizza

• Naan bread
• Pizza or tomato sauce mixed in with spices
• Grated cheese
• Sliced pepperoni

Place the naan pizza on the grill on top of the fire pit. You can place tin foil on the grill is you want to keep it clean.

Spread the sauce onto the naan bread, sprinkle the cheese and top it with pepperoni. Wait for the cheese to melt and voilà.

Tip: grate the cheese at home and only bring what you need in a reusable zipllock bag. Same goes for the sauce.

Dinner

There is nothing simpler than having ramen noodles for dinner. It might not sound fancy but we like to add to it cut carrots and precooked chicken strips.

• If you’d like to have pasta for dinner, you might want to cook your pasta beforehand (or not) as to boil water can take a while.

For a really simple pasta recipe, read THIS article.

• Corn on the cob is fun to eat while camping and you can have the kids peel the corn. That will keep them busy for a while.

• Salmon and potatoes. All you need is some herbs, olive oil, onions, salt and pepper.

Cut your potatoes and onions into small chunks and place them in tin foil. Cover them with olive oil and sprinkle the herbs. Fold the tin foil over it. Repeat the process with the fish. Place the whole onto the grill above the fire pit. It can take a while, especially for the potatoes, depending on the strength of your fire. A simpler potato solution is to take a medium size potato, wrap it in tin foil and place it on the fire coals (on the edge). It’s a baked potato!

Fancier meal ideas

• Bring your homemade Chili.

Make it at home and fill a pot from one of your portable camping cooking set. 

Heat it up when you arrive. Sprinkle some shredded cheese, green onions and top it off with some sour cream.

• Potato soup

Here comes the potatoes again, but this time as a soup! Transport it in a container or a large reusable ziplock bag. You can also freeze it prior to transportation which will act as an ice block in your cooler.  Cook the bacon and cut in small parts and store in a reusable container.  Do the same with green onions. Then, all you have to do is heat up the soup and then sprinkle the bacon bits and green onions.

Snacks

Finally, one can’t forget the snacks. They are especially handy if you decide to go for a long walk but don’t want to have to pack a lunch.

Pack some snack bars, nuts, dried raisins/apricots, hard skin fruits (apples, oranges), some pita chips, cookies, etc… Anything you like really, just as long as they don’t require to be kept in a cooler, are easy to carry and won’t melt.

Things to do with kids while camping

One last thing to remember to pack and think about is the entertainment for the kids.

Forget about Ipads and the Nintendo Switch, they’ll have to stay home. While bringing an Ipad to watch a movie on Netflix in the tent one rainy evening can be fun, the goal here is to spend time without technology and connect with each other.

Day activities:

• If you’ll be near a beach, you can bring a foldable pail, frisbee and ball. They are easy for kids to carry and don’t take up too much space.
• Have the kids walk around your campsite with a magnifying glass to see what kind of little creatures are living there.
• Create your own scavenger hunt.
• Locate mushrooms or plants and have the kids draw them (Bring pen, pencils and paper).

Prior to camping, get a children’s book from your local library to help you identify some of the things that you might encounter during your trip. It can also be helpful to help prepare your child for the trip, to get him excited about it. Bring the book with you, so that you can look things up.

Evening activities:

After a full day out and about, relax by your campfire with some marshmallows or popcorn.

• Play a card game, charades, Jenga, Twister.
• A colouring book for some down time.
• Locate the big and little dipper.
• Sing some songs or play some music.
• Tell each other stories.

Campsites around Montreal

There are over 1,000 campgrounds in Quebec which can make it hard to pick from.

When it’s your first time camping and especially if doing so with kids, you might want to find a campground with some amenities. Look for at least a playground. Some campgrounds will have a football field, a beach volley-ball court, a bocce court. Others will have all of the above perhaps and water activities: pool, beach giving you access to canoe/kayak rentals, water tubing, paddle boards.

These private campgrounds are great as they usually provide free entertainment and activities on week-ends for the whole family to enjoy. The only set back is that some campsites will allow you little privacy and you could have an RV parked behind or next to you. Its a fact that those campsites provide an annual spot for RVs where the owners have made themselves quite at home. Don’t be surprised to see outdoor lounge furniture, gazebos, huge BBQs in their front garden.

For the full list of campgrounds, visit the website of Camping Quebec. You can also read about some of the places we tried with our kids and dogs in The Laurentians and The Eastern Townships.

Finally, for a more authentic and wild camping experience, go to a provincial park. The SEPAQ has some beautiful spots for camping (Mont-Tremblant, Orford) and you’ll increase your odds in spotting some wildlife. Although there isn’t any nightly entertainment nor commodities such as a pool or playgrounds, some have beaches and lakes to paddle or canoe on.

Enjoy your first wild family adventure!