Gathering around the campsite with friends and family can be the highlight of your summer, but getting to the relaxation part of a group camping trip takes careful planning. Read on for our advice on organizing a memorable group camping trip.
1. Nominate a Leader
Start by nominating someone to take charge of the important details like making the campsite reservation, collecting the campsite fee from each camper, keeping planning on track, and communicated to all group members.
2. Make a Reservation
When camping as a large group, it’s best to have a reservation to ensure you have a site or group of sites that will accommodate your whole crowd. Depending on your numbers, check out designated group camping sites for larger gatherings or double sites for smaller groups.
3. Review Campground rules
Don’t be surprised by extra car charges or limits to the number of RVs or tents per site. Review your campground’s rules before you make the booking.
4. Keep Communication Open
Use shared documents like Google Docs or apps like Evernote to keep everyone in the planning loop. This allows all group members access to the documents for collaborating on packing lists, meal plans, and suggested itineraries.
5. Meal Plan
Decide as a group how you’ll be managing meals during the trip. Choose which meals you’ll be sharing and how that will look. You could take turns cooking dinner or make them potlucks, and don’t forget to share dishwashing responsibilities!
6. Pool your Supplies
Coordinate camping gear with a shared packing list so you’re not all bringing unneeded duplicates, it’ll lighten everyone’s loads.
7. Communicate Expectations
Do you love to relax fireside or to find challenging hikes (or a nice mix of both?) while you’re camping? Make sure you have an open and honest conversation as a group about what makes a good camping trip for all parties, and do your best to be flexible and accommodating so each group member can carve out time for their favourite camping pursuits.
8. Don’t Over Schedule
In the midst of all your planning, don’t forget to leave time for unplanned fun and relaxing!
Are you planning a group camping trip this summer? Be sure to share your experience with us on social.
This article originally appeared on www.rvcare.ca
