What to do if you get struck by “camping fever”

Have you ever heard your friends talking about how much fun camping is but you weren’t quite sure what all the hype was about?

Let this be a warning! It only takes one time of going camping before you have the possibility of catching “camping fever.”
Most people begin by saying they are going to start small and invest in a tent so they can just try it out.
They say things to themselves like “surely I am not going to catch camping fever.”
However, any experienced camper can tell you it only takes one good exposure to camping before you get infected immediately by this fever! Watch out!
Before you know it, this fever will turn your tent into a trailer and later on down the road you will find that trailer is now a hot RV with style.

Here are some symptoms to look for in case you might be catching the fever:

  • Your ears perk up to listen when your friends talk about camping
  • After going camping for the first time you can’t wait to go back
  • You start looking at your budget for the type of camper you can afford
  • Your kids or spouse start talking about “just being together”
  •  You start dreaming about your next camping experience

If any of these symptoms have occurred, you should not put off your fever any longer.

There is a remedy that is easy to follow and should take effect immediately.
Get in your vehicle and head to Modern Trailer Sales.
Upon arrival, all you will need to do is let them know your symptoms and they will be able to take care of your needs right away.
Read below about a similar camper’s experience:

As a kid, I caught the “camping fever” when I was on my first camping trip with my family.
After growing up and having kids of my own the symptoms still didn’t seem to stop me from taking the plunge and letting my whole family experience camping.

We headed out on our first family camping adventure about 14 years ago to a place called “Turkey Run State Park.”  I would recommend this place to anybody who is thinking about camping for the first time. It is located in the foothills of southern Indiana and the park has great hiking trails, a nice pool, paved camp sites, horse- back riding and canoeing. As expected though, after our first trip camping, my entire family was exposed and caught the fever! Due to such a high camping fever, our family now schedules regular, annual visits to such places like Turkey Run and also Van Buren State Park.

If you are a camper that is currently experiencing symptoms, you should definitely try Van Buren. It is on Lake Michigan housing a simple campground with bike trails, nice beach area and sand dunes for the kids.  Your symptoms can also be relieved by the sheer enjoyment of warmth from a fireplace on a cool evening.

Over the years, there are a few things we have found to help us. We have found that it definitely helps to have support from people who know what it’s like to have this fever. The group of people that seemed to understand our family’s symptoms the most was Modern Trailer Sales. This is probably because they are the oldest RV dealership in Indiana. They seemed to take us in like their own family and inform us on everything we needed to know for this experience.

Modern Trailer Sales even has a special program called VIC (very important camper) to help support people that have this camping fever. It includes things like top-notch service, clarity on pricing, and never encourages people to over purchase on extra items for symptom relief. As good as this support sounds, be aware that these are just things you can do to relieve symptoms. As of this date, there is no cure for camping fever! It always seems to return when your least expecting it. Our family experiences the fever returning most often on the way home from yet another great camping adventure.

We start thinking about the great memories we made spending time together away from the busy schedules of life. Our two daughters are usually talking about their fun through bringing friends along to our camping destinations. My wife and I have found a few of our own ways to relieve our fever symptoms including a strong support group. We now have a great deal of camping buddies who meet us at the site for food pitch-ins like taco night, chili cheese dog night and firing up the smoker for ribs and chicken. We eat well and everyone enjoys many laughs, however, shortly after returning home, our fever spikes and we once again have to start scheduling another visit on our calendar.

You might be thinking catching this fever might not be worth the risk of having your own camping experience. The reason we continue to take our chances every year is because we know it is easy to get too busy in this world. We are committed to never putting the important things in life like spending time together with family and friends on the back burner. Therefore, we say “bring it on” camping fever!

Fun Family Activities while Camping

Camping trips can be really fun for families, particularly if family activities are planned ahead of time. Some of our favorite family memories have involved camping and family activities.

So, after consulting the camping fun experts in the Kinsey family, we recommend these activities for family camping trips.

Games. Playing games together on a camping outing is a popular choice for many families. We have a few favorite board games like Apples to Apples and Balderdash that pack easily and that are great for gathering around the picnic table. Card games are another good choice because they are small and can fit into a backpack or just slipped into a camping bin. One of our favorites is UNO, which has many variations and options for play.

Active Games. If you want your family to get out in the meadow or clearing and have a more active experience, playing some camping games that get the family moving is a great idea. Our kids particularly have enjoyed flag football, ultimate frisbee and Capture the Flag. A favorite of the younger children around the campfire is Duck Duck Goose.  The adults also enjoy games like Wahers, Cornhole, & Hillybilly Golf which work well at the campground.

Hiking. Admittedly, our favorite family camping activity is a good hike. A hike in the mountains can be invigorating, and it does tend to tire out the kids so they will sleep all night in their sleeping bag.

A variation on the hiking theme is a nature scavenger hunt. Children love a scavenger hunt, and using nature items (and maybe digital cameras) as the things to find can be lots of fun.

We would love to hear what your family enjoys doing together while camping. Please share your favorite camping activities in the comment area below.

Happy Camping!

The secret to raising happy, healthy kids… togetherness

Top 10 reasons families love to camp

  1. Get out and enjoy the outdoors
  2. Enjoy an affordable vacation
  3. Spend time with your family
  4. Relax and Enjoy a change of pace
  5. Hang out with friends
  6. Get away from the city
  7. It’s FUN
  8. Try something different
  9. Stay active and healthy
  10.  Enjoy a back to nature experience with all the comfort of home.

Take a moment to click on “comment” below and share the reasons you and your family love to camp.