How to survive a camping trip with kids

While the thought of a major road trip with kids may strike fear into the heart of the hardiest traveller, there are several tactics addled parents can employ to smooth the journey...

Trust me, as a parent who loves nothing more than a long-haul, multi-state, often off-road adventure, I’ve made my share of mistakes and paid the price – and the resulting meltdowns, of both kids and adults alike. It sure isn’t anyone’s idea of holiday bliss...

And while my two sons, who are aged two years apart, are now into their high school years, my wife and I have experienced the full gamut of age-specific issues, from when our eldest was carted off on his first camping trip at a few months of age.

So, if you’re about to set off on a big trip around the country or even just a one-day interstate sprint, let me give you some advice. And if the following hints give your family some peace, then my parental pain has not been in vain…

Preparation for a long car trip with kids is key. Create a checklist and pack the car the night before, ticking things off as you go. Pack a water bottle for each kid that they can easily access, along with a variety of snacks (which stay up front, where mum or dad can dish them out as required).

Try to have a mix of snacks – not just sugary stuff. Anyone who has seen a child in full flight on a sugar rush will know why.

If your kids use electronic devices, make sure they’re fully charged and ensure you have appropriately long cables so they can charge them on the go. Maybe download a new game or two before departure, along with some movies or TV shows. And unless you like listening to endless Angry Birds sound effects, pack headphones for the kids too.

Have a pillow for each kid so they can get comfy or doze, and don’t forget the sick bags – having one in each door pocket can save untold road-trip misery…

When it comes to the initial planning stage for a road trip, the golden rule is don’t bite off more than you (or your kids) can chew. You and your partner might be up for knocking over a big interstate run in record time, but your kids won’t.

We made this mistake on a Simpson Desert crossing some years back, where we covered around 5000km in two weeks. While the trip was memorable for many reasons, the high daily kilometre count also led to short fuses, and some spectacular family rows.

You know your own kids best, so consider carefully what they can realistically handle. If your road trip sees you constantly on the move, build in a day here or there where you stay put in the one place. The opportunity to rest and recharge should restore family harmony.

Entertained kids are happy kids, and that makes life for the driver infinitely easier. What kids naturally gravitate towards will of course vary, but whether it’s ‘I Spy’ or ‘iPads’, having some activities on hand will keep young minds busy and ward off the dreaded: “I’m bored!” or, “How much further?”.

Pack a couple of favourite books too, but for any activity that involves the kids looking down, be warned: carsickness can come on very quickly. We have a ‘devices or books down’ policy whenever the road gets twisty, for which our car’s carpet is very much thankful.

While we’re considering the odd rest day, don’t forget to factor in regular daily rest stops too. Road authorities recommend a stop every two hours to keep fatigue at bay for drivers, but kids – especially young ones – need them too.

To stretch their legs and to find a toilet, get off the freeway, head into a country town, and head straight for a park and playground. Ideally, one parent can then mind the kids, while the other hunts down a coffee.

Getting some fresh air and exercise will refresh the whole family and should see you through to your next break without frustration and boredom rearing its head.

A pinch here, a push there – as parents are all too aware, on a long journey it doesn’t take much to trigger World War III in the back seat. While we do all we can to keep our two kids entertained and happy in the second row, sometimes the incessant ‘tit for tat’ tactics demand a more drastic intervention.

On some of our long off-road adventures we’re loaded to the hilt, to the point that on some trips (Simpson Desert/Cape York) our kids have been physically divided in the back by gear – cue no more back-seat brawls.

However, for a softer approach for bigger kids who don’t need boosters, you can always try reshuffling the seating, with one adult in the back and one kid in the front.

Whether your big road trip is the main attraction or merely a commute to get you to your happy holiday grounds, keep in mind that, for most, quality family time together is the bigger objective.

How successfully you achieve that objective will largely be down to you and your approach, but if you plan your trip with a little foresight – and remember that kids have inherently shorter attention spans – your time on the road can indeed be enjoyable, or at least relatively fuss-free.

And if all else fails, there’s always ear plugs…