Camping Newbie Needs Packing and Food Advice

We camp quite a bit and have a 2 year old. Here are essentials I've come to count on: Stove with fuel canisters, air mattress for tent, food pavillion for coverage in case of rain (and a place to retreat to in case of rain), games to play with everyone, fun snacks for kids that they wouldn't usually get to have, flashlights for everyone (fun for kids too), hatchet for chopping wood for fire, lantern, blanket for kids to sit / play on, camping chairs for everyone, marshmallow roasting sticks, rain gear for everyone, extra clothes for everyone, a bin for washing dishes and washing kids at night, water, cast iron skillet, cooking utensils, trash bags, towel / washcloth for washing up, towel / cloth for washing dishes.

for food: grilled cheese, brats, hot dogs, hamburgers, soup (get a starter mix that you just have to add water to), cheese and crackers, fruit, jiffy pop popcorn (fun!), smores, pancake mix that just takes water, egg beaters (easier than eggs). also, if you have time, you can get stuff chopped / marinated prior to camping, so you don't have to do any prep at the campsite.

Just some ideas...

do all the prep work at home, you don't have to bring a sharp knife or worry about having a clean cutting surface...we always have potatoes and eggs for breakfast one morning and I cut up the potatoes at home. I always bring cut up fruit (rinse in water w/a touch of lemon juice to keep from turning brown) so that a healthy snack is right there for the little ones. We're vegetarian now, so keeping meat cold isn't an issue for us. But when we were eating meat, I'd freeze it and put it in the cooler frozen, by the second day it was usually thawed but I didn't worry about whether it had stayed cold enough. Brown hamburger before you leave if you need ground beef and then freeze; marinate the steak and then freeze it, etc. One of our favorite camping meals is "hot dog soup." we got it from a children's book - it's ramen noodles w/cut up hot dogs (morning star). we also take canned veggies and canned beans. skillet pizzas are also a favorite - tortilla layered w/marinera sauce and cheese heated in a skillet w/ a little olive oil.
as for toys - digging toys (i.e., sand toys) and a couple trucks to roll around in the dirt; sports stuff like a soccer ball or bat and ball; a few books for bedtime or when its raining; and a few "inside" toys if you have to sit in the tent during a rain shower. Also be sure each kid has their own flashlight - a special one really gets them excited. And, we also take a glow stick for each night for each child - they love falling asleep w/them next to their head. Have fun!

I would get 2 ice chests ( use dry ice last longer and keeps food colder with both). I would get some chicken, steaks, marinate them. Deli meats for lunches and what ever you do for snacks. We have a camping grill and pans so we always took eggs and bacon/sausage. If you have kids you have bread and cheese so you can make them grilled cheese. Try to keep your drinks in one cooler and your food in the other so that way you don't keep opening the food cooler to let the cold out. Make sure you take some aluminum foil so you can grill your veggies and butter for the base. You can even take hot dogs and and hamburgers. Chips and dips, cut up veggies with dips, fruits. etc etc. If you look at whole foods web site I believe it will tell you how to pack thing safely and other ideas. Your kids are young I would recommend getting some crayons, books, etc in case they need a little bit of time to keep entertained during down time.

We too are about to go camping with our 4 year old, but we've done this for the past 3 years and just love it. I've found that I wouldn't worry about too many toys.. there is usually so much to explore that kids don't need much. One thing we got was a wind-up flashlight for our son, that way it never runs out of batteries and it's great for kids. (get two so they don't fight over it). I like to bring lettuce ready to go in a ziploc then I cut up veges for salad. I often repackage items like dressing or whatever in smaller containers. Pre-made pasta salad makes a good lunch. One time I took flour tortillas and these were very handy -- I made campstove pizza. With some spray oil I heated the tortilla a little then added the sauce, cheese and toping, popped on the lid to let it melt and the bottom to crisp. Then I used the tortillas to make breakfast burritos and then they can be used for wraps. I also like to make easy chili (use a packet) and then get the easy .. bags of rice (just need to pop in boiling water for maybe 10 minutes). Add chips, cheese and if you want salad for taco salad. Hot dogs/hamurgers are good. We like to go fishing so we like to do fish on the campfire in tinfoil (i've also popped pop corn in tin foil for fun). Corn on the cob, soaked in water with the husk and then put on the grill w/husk s are also great. I don't typically do a lot of juice boxes but my son doesn't drink a lot of water so I make sure to bring juice boxes to keep the fluids up (important especially in altitude). Hot chocolate. I typically buy milk in a 1/2 gallon plastic container (I think a carton would get soggy). Don't forget the water. Oh, bring a small broom/dust pan to sweep out the tent. I also recommend at least an air mattress for you and your husband. Kids don't care but you will.

Have fun

Instant oatmeal is an easy and filling breakfast, as are muffins or quick breads. Lunch ideas: you can make great grilled cheese sandwiches over a campfire if you have a cast iron skillet and a bottle of squirt butter (which never finds it way onto my table at home, but always goes camping with us b/c it's so easy!); veggie roll-ups in a torilla (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, shredded carrots, avocado, etc.); BLT's (cook the bacon ahead of time and wrap it in foil then put in a plastic baggie in your cooler); and of course, PB&J! :) For dinner, try black bean burritos (wrap them in foil and put them in the coals of your campfire to heat up), roasted veggie sandwiches on foccacia bread (again, just roast the veggies in foil in the campfire--asparagus, peppers, onions, and potatoes work great this way!), or shish-kabobs w/veggies and tofu. We don't bring much meat camping, unless we know our cooler can keep it cool long enough. If you think you can bring meat, then just add cooked meat to any of the recipes above that you'd like to. Also, if brining meat, bratwurts/sausages are an easy and more fulfilling upgrade from the "hot dogs on a stick" meal. You can add some roasted peppers and onions to them for extra yumminess!
Have a great time camping--I hope you have wonderful weather, no bugs, and fabulous stars!
S.
P.S. Don't forget bug spray, sunscreen, and camp soap (natural soap that won't affect the ground if it runs off--we like Dr. Brauner's).

The foil packages of tuna are great since you don't have to drain the water or keep it cool. We put it in mac & cheese for easy protein. I would bring more water than you think you need because we always drink more than expected. If you have the space, extra cushioning for sleeping is lovely. Don't try to pack big bags - lots of smaller ones will help you find things easier while crouched in a tent.

Bring your sand box gear! It is great and the kids love it. A bunch of us went camping and our kids (2-1/2 - 4-1/2) dug in the dirt for hours while we all sat chatting by the campfire. They got really dirty...but we had tons of wet wipes. And the kids had a blast. Have fun!

Since you will be camping in a tent, I think that best way for you to keep food would be in a big cooler with ice in the bottom. You can keep it in the car while you are using the tent. When we go camping, we like to have hamburgers and hot dogs or steak, corn on the cob-you can roast it on the fire. We usually get some things that are treats that we don't usually have in the house like chips. We also take salad, either tossed or potato salad. For lunch we try to make it easy and just do sandwiches. PB&J for the kids and either lunchmeat or tuna salad for the adults. We always take lots of fruit. We might do pancakes with the pre-cooked sausages, or maybe a big pot of scrambled eggs with toast. You can buy bottles of pancake mix at the store that you just add water to and shake and pour, very convenient for camping. Don't forget to get marshmellows, chocolate bars and graham crackers for s'mores. It really just depends on what you and your family like to eat. And while I don't usually buy the pre-packaged, ready to eat kind of things, they do make it easier when you are camping.
As for packing, remember that you are going to be outside and "roughing it" so don't take special outfits for you or anybody else. Just take things that are compfortable, including good shoes, like tennis shoes. You don't want sandles when you are hiking and in dirt and sticks, but you might want them for the beach part. Remember to take some warm clothes too, as it might get chilly at night. Take some extra blankets too. If it gets really cold, put the blanket INSIDE of the sleeping bag and it will be much warmer. Don't forget flashlights and any medication that you might need, I always take a small first-aid kit. Have a great time!