b) Cook for Yourself
Cooking for yourself is a cheaper option, leads to some interesting activities with your older children, and can provide quick and nutritious meals on the go. Advance planning is definitely needed in order to save time, money, and heartache. The Once a Month Cooking approach is a really good idea to consider when either camping, on the road in an RV, or when staying at a hotel with an in-suite kitchen. Freezing all or even some of your meals beforehand can give you quick meals that are easily prepared. No need to shop, no need to worry that your family's favorites are not readily available. Dried food lend themselves well to the camping experience as well - on top of the financial savings, you can also fit more into your pack, car, or RV, with less waste, mess, weight and space.
a) Infants
Bring: disposable diapers (less mess, less changes are needed); snap-crotch outfits (easier changing, less mess, fewer lost clothing items); sunhat.
b) Older Children
Bring: velcro attaching sandals (no socks needed, can be used in the water); numerous items that are the same styles and colors (no need to worry if something gets lost, everything matches, if something is in the wash, then you need not wait for it to be clean as there will be another, similar item already available); sun hat.
Walking Around
a) Child Carriers
When traveling children under the age of approximately 18 months, child carriers are a compact, relatively cheap and very portable way of taking your child(ren) with you. A sling (Baby Bundler (800) 253-3502, Baby Wrap (800) 432-0494, Better Baby Sling, Heart to Heart, Over the Shoulder Baby Holder), backpack (Antelope Mountain Sports (408) 364-1772 (custom made carriers), L.L. Bean (800) 221-4221, Tough Traveler (800) GO-TOUGH) and the ever-popular front pack (Baby Trekker (800) 665-3957) are all great alternatives, especially when space and/or weight are of the essence.
b) Strollers
Make sure that the stroller that you take along with you is lightweight, portable, and folds and unfolds easily, while still ensuring that basic safety standards are being met.
c) Older Kids
Remembering that, even with older children, they can only walk so far, you will need to come up with some creative ways to get your child(ren) from point A to point B with less stress and fuss. The easiest way is to take advantage of any new or unusual forms of transportation that you come across during your trip. This includes things like trams, double decker buses, taxis, horse carriages, bicycles, rollerblades, and elevators. The more creative you are, the more fun your child(ren) will have, and less angst for everyone.
