Family Camping: How to Convince Your Family Camping Is a Good Idea

A family camping trip is a great way to reconnect, create stronger bonds, and make priceless memories.

Yet every time you propose the idea, you’re met with cold stares, dismissive shrugs, or an adamant no.

If this is your current situation, your family may be scared of leaving the comfort of their home for the unknown—and aren’t sure of what to expect.

Table of Contents

• Tip 1 - Share Your Thrilling Camping Adventures
• Tip 2 - Show Your Family Surreal Pictures
• Tip 3 - Entice Your Family With Simple Yet Delicious Camping Meals
• Tip 4 - Involve Your Family in Planning for the Camping Trip
• Tip 5 - Assure Your Family of Some Comfort in the Wild
• Get Your Outdoor Shower From Joolca

We’ll give you some surefire tips that’ll help you reframe your camping experience and show your loved ones how much fun they can have in the wild.

Tip 1 - Share Your Thrilling Camping Adventures

Your family has already heard many doom and gloom camping stories, so share the stories that are more thrilling.

For now, every time you bring up the idea of a camping trip, your family probably pictures:

• Sleeping in the freezing cold
• Suffering from bug bites
• Climbing rocky mountains with overweight backpacks
• Every bad outcome that lurks in the deep woods

While we know that these challenges make intriguing campfire stories, your family doesn't need to hear them yet.

First, pique their interest with your most exhilarating experiences in the wild.

Tell your family about:

• Waking up to a burst of radiant sunshine and chirping birds on a lazy Saturday morning.
• The scenic sites with beautiful landscapes, filled with greenery and exotic wildflowers.
• Exciting camping games and fun activities they can indulge.

Anything, really, that will get your family itching to join your next outdoor excursion.

Tip 2 - Show Your Family Surreal Pictures

Source: Joolca Instagram

A picture says more than a thousand words.

A cliche, we know, but those Instagram-worthy snaps you took on your last camping trip might be all you need to convince your teens to pack up.

Here are some thrilling moments you can capture when camping:

• Adventurous activities like rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, or swimming
• Stunning shots of wildlife—remember to keep a safe distance
• Exhilarating snaps of beautiful scenery—sunsets provide a breathtaking backdrop for your pictures

Accompany your well-documented gallery with exciting stories—and you’ll have them sold.

Expert Tip: Allow them to bring along a camera or their phones so that they can capture all the fun they’ll have for their social media.

Tip 3 - Entice Your Family With Simple Yet Delicious Camping Meals

Your family may be toying with the idea of camping, yet eating cold gruel and bland dehydrated meals for days turns them off.

Thankfully, there are lots of recipes for easy-to-prepare and tasty camping meals that can help you change their minds—from snacking on mouth-watering s’mores to having grilled shrimp foil packets for dinner.

Start by making these camping meals at home to give them a taste of what your family will be having in the wild.

Also, involve your family and let them come up with creative recipes that they want to try at the camping site.

Looking for some simple camping food ideas?

For breakfast, prepare a hot cup of coffee accompanied with grilled cinnamon rolls, banana bread pancakes, or a satisfying sandwich.

For dinner, you want a hearty meal that’s quick to prepare and easy to clean up to allow you plenty of time to rest.

Our favorite dinner ideas include:

• Cheesy campfire nachos with tortilla chips, black beans and salsa
• Healthy veggie burger with pre-prepped sweet potato, black beans and spices for the filling
• Classic mac and cheese

Make your camping cooking experience a breeze by:

• Testing your camping stove to make sure it’s working before you leave
• Planning your meals and prepping what you can beforehand
• Packing only the cookware you need to save on space and avoid unnecessary luggage

Tip 4 - Involve Your Family in Planning for the Camping Trip

The best way to get your family on board is to involve them in the planning process. This way, they can tailor the trip to their liking, and you can still chip in to manage their expectations.

Allow your family to share their thoughts on:

Their Ideal Camping Destination

If the idea of living off minimal supplies with no access to showers and WiFi is a deal-breaker, ditch off-grid camping for a camping site with modern amenities.

Make a bucket list of their dream camping sites and start with the most practical one depending on your budget, available time, and destination's proximity.

Fun Games and Activities

Let your kids research exciting activities they want to try out during the camping trip.

Involving your kids makes them enthusiastic about camping and gives them a sense of responsibility.

Looking for some camping game ideas that both adults and kids can enjoy?

• Cornhole: This classic lawn game only requires a cornhole board, bean bags, and eager players. The team that tosses the most bean bags in the cornhole takes the crown.
• Capture the flag: This game is perfect for burning those extra calories and practicing teamwork skills. Each team hides a flag in their territory and then sets off to retrieve their opponent's flags without being captured.
• Ring toss: Simple but enjoyable, the players compete to throw rings around soda bottles.
• Water balloon fight: What better way is there to cool down under the hot afternoon sun than with an exciting water game? Change into your swimming gear and remember to play away from your camping site to keep it dry.
• Card games: Choose your favorite card game to play at the end of the day around the campfire.

Tip 5 - Assure Your Family of Some Comfort in the Wild

Thanks to the ever-evolving outdoor gear and equipment industry, your family doesn’t have to endure sleeping on a rocky tent floor, taking chilling showers in the nearby river, or ‘going’ in the woods.

Start by making a camping gear essentials checklist and include items such as:

• Tents
• Sleeping bags and sleeping pads
• Lantern, headlamps, or flashlights (plus extra batteries)
• First aid kit (including sunscreen and insect repellant)
• Weather-appropriate clothing (including sunglasses and hats for the hot sun and water-proof gear for abrupt rainfall)

Camping Tip: Remember to pack only eco-friendly toiletries to help protect our environment from chemical pollution.

Besides the necessities, promise your first-time campers some extra comforts that’ll make the campsite homey.

Here are some items to help you pitch:

Camping Chairs and Hammocks

Your loved ones will love having a designated cozy area to lounge in and watch the sunset after a fun-filled day.

Kids will love napping in hammocks while adults will appreciate the back support of sturdy camping chairs.

Camping Coolers

A cooler will ensure that your family drinks their favorite refreshments when cool.

Be sure to choose a suitable cooler to avoid disappointments during your gateway.

This table compares some of the coolers available in the market to help you pick the right one:

Type of Cooler	Cooling Duration	Advantages
Soft-sided cooler	1–2 days	Small and lightweight, making it ideal for single-day trips
Hard-sided cooler	4–5 days	Highly durable material—perfect for longer, rugged adventures
Styrofoam coolers	1 day	Large but light and portable
Electric cooler	Unlimited provided you have a power source	Chills your drinks and food for as long as you need Can be powered by a car’s DC outlet or a portable generator

Camping Showers and Portable Toilets

Source: Joolca Instagram

If you’re planning to visit a remote camping site, chances are there’ll be no modern bathrooms.

While a seasoned camper won’t mind using an open outhouse with a hole in the ground, this can be enough reason for your family to cancel a camping trip.

Carrying portable toilets and outdoor showers will ensure your loved ones feel at ease in the woods and enjoy the trip more.

Camping Tip: Always check if the camping site has a designated drain for disposing of your wastewater. If they don’t, ensure your waste doesn't get into nearby water sources to prevent contamination and pollution.

Get Your Outdoor Shower From Joolca

Your family will love winding down the day with a hot shower followed by a hearty dinner and animated stories about the day’s adventures sitting around a campfire.

You can have hot water anywhere, anytime with our HOTTAP outdoor shower.

You’ll love that the portable shower is:

• Easy to set up with a shower-head that can be mounted or handheld
• Powered by a propane bottle and can run up to 15 hours on a single gas tank
• Safe and scald free with an internal microprocessor that prevents water temperatures from going above +122℉

See what our customers think:

Want to try the HOTTAP outdoor shower in your backyard before your camping trip?

We’ll offer you a 30-day trial and ship your order for free*. If you don’t like it, we’ll give you a full refund and pay for the return shipping too.

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