Weekend Warrior's Guide to Camping and RVing: Tips for Getting Out the Door Easier
It’s no secret, we love camping. We are weekend warriors to the core. In our family, there are no remote work jobs, our kids are not homeschooled, and summer vacations still mean work for Mom and Dad. We have no special circumstances that enabled us to spend more than 45 nights in our RV last year. It was all the determination to have a balanced home life at the same time we pursue our passion for getting out in nature and exploring with our kids. And I know we are not alone. There are scores of weekend warriors who are planning and reserving weekends upon weekends of time at the campground nearly all year long.
Over the years we have learned a few things to make getting out the door and off to camp a little easier. Just like every other passion and hobby, the balance you learn is the key to successful (and relaxing) weekend camping.
Get the chores done throughout the week - many people spend a good amount of their weekend mornings getting the house cleaned, laundry done, groceries purchased, lawn mowed, and making sure everyone is ready for the following week. And if you find yourself at the campground instead, it could get a little out of control at home. I like to follow the Clean Mama routine for keeping the house completely clean a little at a time throughout the week. This routine takes about 30-45 minutes out of my day, every day, and the rewards are absolutely worth it. I am always so grateful to come home to a clean house after a long weekend in the woods.
Do a little each day to prepare for camping - on top of keeping the house clean and laundry from piling up, I take about 15 minutes to prepare something for the upcoming weekend trip. Whether it’s making a list, creating our menu, placing a grocery delivery, reviewing the weekend plans, or helping the kids pack their clothes, I make sure that I am going over the details so it’s not all left to the last minute.
Meals - keeping a rotating list of common family favorite meals takes all the guesswork out of coming up with a menu plan for your next camping weekend. When you add in the convenience of grocery pickup or delivery, the job is practically done before you’ve even started. Many of these ordering platforms have the ability to create a favorites order, if you keep your basics in this list everything else is a breeze.
Create a drop spot - this is probably the trick that has saved me the most often. In a convenient area between our laundry room and kitchen sits a tote, sometimes a crate, that is our drop spot for everything that needs to get into the RV. Whether it’s freshly cleaned linens, a new gear purchase, or non-perishables for the next trip it all ends up in this spot ready to be put away in the RV. Once the kids have packed up everything they need, they know to set it in the totes or grab another for their stuff. Everything stays in one area.
Lists upon lists - I have lists for everything! Packing lists for the kids, RV inventory lists, menu plans, shopping lists, and to-do lists. I am forgetful and a procrastinator, embracing these things and knowing how much lists help me is key to getting us out the door. After all, I am the person who forgot pajamas for my three toddlers during a chilly early-spring camping trip to the middle of nowhere because I convinced myself I had everything in my head. I was wrong. I keep my lists together in a folder along with our printed-out campground reservations.
Have the RV constantly ready to go- I hear of far too many people who are emptying out their entire RV after a trip and then having to re-pack each time. I don’t think this is necessary. We leave everything in place, with the exception of perishable groceries. The five of us keep extra clothes, shoes, and toiletries in the RV at all times. And the only kitchen items I share between the RV and our home are my Instant Pot and air fryer because we don’t always use or need them. We also take the time to give the inside of the RV a good cleaning before leaving the campground at the end of the weekend. This assures that we are ready to go for next time.
Find shortcuts when possible - obviously, we’re not talking about safety shortcuts. But taking a step back from your routine can give you fresh eyes. For example, whenever we would come home from a weekend camping trip we would bring the RV back home to unload it, clean it up, then take it to the storage facility. A process that took about two hours. When we stepped back, we realized that the small amount of stuff that needs to be unloaded could be packed into our totes and put in the back of the truck, and then the trailer could be cleaned before leaving the campground. Now we head straight to the storage facility and drop off the trailer before heading home. This has saved us so much time on Sunday afternoons.
Prepare your house for your arrival - coming home from camping doesn’t have to be stressful. If cleaning and laundry are under control then you’re already off to a good start. I love to have a freezer meal ready to go for dinner on Sunday night or we splurge and order DoorDash. Laundry from the weekend gets started as soon as we get home. And if everything is in place, it’s easy to prepare for the upcoming week in just a few minute’s time.
There are many more little things that we do to make weekend warrior RVing easier for our family, but in the end, what matters is making sure it works for yours! If you have any amazing tips and tricks that we haven’t thought of yet, please leave a comment below or come find us on Instagram and share with us over there.
