But I Don't Have Any Camping Checklists!

Do you know the last time we went camping? It's been 9 or 10 years!

Here I am, the vacation checklist person, the family vacation tip blogger -- with no camping checklist! I'm drawing a blank as to what to cook, how to keep things cold. I want my refrigerator!!! I want a comfy bed!!! A toilet in the next room over!!! A soft couch to curl up on and read!

Alas, I leave in less than 2 days for a week of camping. Woe is me!

Well, then why am I so excited? I'll get to that in another blog. Right now, how am I dealing with this?

First, call Liz - she's been there before:

• Ice, is it easy to get? Yes.
• What things do you make? Easy stuff - burgers, brauts, cereal - no fancy pancakes, sandwiches for lunch, freeze what's freezeable ahead of time to help keep it all cold.

Brother-in-law:

• Do you have a tent big enough for us to borrow? Yes - 10 x 10, but old, a bit tricky to set up.
• Going over tomorrow for a trial run, taking along my 15 yo son - his job, along with my 13 and 11 yo daughters - they can do it while I'm doing mom stuff!

Husband:

• I didn't have to say a word - he went and got everything out that we have, inventoried it, made sure all of the stoves worked - thankfully since one of the stoves had a dry-rotten rubber ring, and let me know what we needed. He's so sweet. Made sure my son knows how to work it all.

Car:

• Husband - He's so sweet, my hero! He had the car checked over, tuned up. Unloaded all of his tools, cleaning it inside and out. He'll even Rain-X my windshield - great stuff - really works! He takes such good care of us!

Our Boyscout Fieldbook (no, we are not in Scouts, thus the no-camping-checklist problem, but it's a great book to have on hand!):

• They have checklists. They have menu suggestions. They tell you what to and not to bring. and how to do it all. Yes!!
• Picked out some great menu ideas - never thought fried chicken could be so easy. But then again, ask me later this week (Lord willing, I'll be blogging about F.I.R.E. 2005 while I'm there.)
• I'm even going to try deep dish Chicago style pepperoni pizza in my Dutch oven. Picked up pizza tonight for our going away party for the two girls I watch for the summer. Asked Pete of Pete's-a-Pie if I could have some of his pizza dough. He even told me how he used to fix it in his old, deep cast iron frying pans. Mmmmm.

Friend Cheryl:

• Camping family - she's lending me a cot and an extra one for one of the kids.

So far so good. Let's see how tomorrow goes! Have some last minute groceries to get, finish the rest of the laundry, pack my clothes, help my youngest get her stuff ready.