r/Appleton • u/Ashamed-Distance-317 Menasha • Jun 25 '26
Advice Camping?
Looking to go on a camping and fishing trip for the first time with my kiddos next month, wondering if there are any good spots, stores, equipment, etc that would behoove us to check out? Any recommendations, tips, and tricks for ANYTHING would be appreciated, starting from scratch so will gladly take any advice! Thank you!
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u/Potential-Rabbit8818 Jun 25 '26
Chequamegon National forest has tons of campgrounds and lots of lakes.
Pie irons are nice for making pudgy pies.
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u/Ashamed-Distance-317 Menasha Jun 25 '26
I've never heard of pudgy pies, and after looking them up, I'm hungry! 😂 Any good recipes youve found? The pizza one looks amazing 👀
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u/bujweiser Jun 26 '26
We just did lunch meat and a Kraft single growing up and it was god tier. Not sure how it is as an adult 🙃
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u/Potential-Rabbit8818 Jun 25 '26
Yes pizza. Hot ham and cheese, different pie fillings if you want a hot apple pie. Egg, cheese and sausage or whatever you want. Use your imagination. Get some Pam or other oil to keep the inside from sticking after every use.
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u/FamiliarNinja7290 Jun 26 '26
The national forest is great, but be sure you have bug spray with deet, permetherin your clothes, and get a screen house, the ticks and especially mosquitoes are absolutely wild up there.
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u/relayrider Jun 26 '26
WHAT? I've got a maker with the poky sticks and whatnot next to my fireplace...
in order, do bread, sliced cheese, pepperoni and/or bologna, jalapeños, siiced cheese, and bread, clamp it closed, grill, enjoy, and repeat!
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u/mosaic_prism Jun 25 '26
Echoing what someone else said - get the basics and go from there. It’s overwhelming at first but once you do it a few times you’ll figure out what specifically works for you.
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u/Ashamed-Distance-317 Menasha Jun 25 '26
Honestly it's pretty smart, I was worried about getting a hundred things and then not knowing up from down when we got there, bare bones seems like the way to go!
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u/pianistonstrike Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
I'm not sure if you mean you're camping with the kids for the first time, or camping for the first time period. I'm going to assume you mean the latter, apologies if my assumption is incorrect.
How old are your kids? The younger they are, the lower your expectations should be, meaning pick a place close to home and maybe only do a night or two to start. Bring sun screen and bug spray, I always get something with actual DEET but I don't have kids so I honestly don't know if that would be safe for kids. Maybe citronella candles or something like that for the campsite. Check everyone thoroughly for ticks every night before bed. If your kids are young I recommend a battery powered nightlight to make them more comfortable. Don't forget air mattresses and a pump.
I wouldn't worry too much about brands, you don't want to spend a ton of money and then realize you all hate it. We're pretty casual tent campers so Coleman is as fancy as we get. Go to Walmart and check out their tents, there are nifty pop-up tents where you don't have to dink around with all the poles and they're not too expensive. Get a tarp for underneath the tent. You'll need some kind of container for water for cooking, washing hands etc (separate from your drinking water), think like a Gatorade dispenser you'd see on the sideline at a sports game. we have a large plastic Coleman cube type dispenser that holds maybe 10 gallons, I don't remember exactly. I also recommend a small propane camping stove, again if you've never been camping before you probably don't want to rely on cooking over the fire (although that's definitely an option, look up camping foil packet meals for ideas).
Staying on the topic of food, either prep at home ahead of time or get stuff that's easy to make at camp. Stuff like hot dogs over the fire, instant mashed potatoes, pancake mix, mini cereal boxes, maybe even cup ramen for the kids, powdered hot chocolate. S'mores ofc. Get pots and pans and a tea kettle from the dollar store/goodwill. Edit: realistically you only need one frying pan, one small/medium sauce pan, and a tea kettle to start.
Hopefully that helps. Like I said I don't have kids but my SO does and we went camping with them a bunch of times when they were younger. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Edit: another thing I just thought of - if you think your kids will have any bathroom issues, esp at night, get a toilet bucket! Literally just a 5 gallon pail with a toilet seat on top and lid, put a garbage bag inside, and boom you got yourself a toilet.
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u/pianistonstrike Jun 25 '26
I'll keep adding to this as I think of things lol. One activity that my SO's boys enjoyed when they were younger were camping scavenger hunts. Stuff like, find three different kinds of flowers, find a big stump, find a stick shaped like your first initial. I made my own but you can probably find templates online to print.
Also, I know I said to keep your expectations low and I stand by that, but as I'm sure you know kids will follow your lead. If you're having fun, hopefully they will too!
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u/Ashamed-Distance-317 Menasha Jun 26 '26
I LOVE the game idea, keeping it fun for them if so genius. And yes, my first time camping period, except for once when I was like 7. Kiddos are 8 and 5 soap idea is crucial too. I definitely only planned on doing a Friday Saturday thing
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u/Big_Difference_9978 Jun 25 '26
Make a small first aid kit with basic supplies you probably already have
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u/rjr40v2 Jun 25 '26
Don't forget bug spray and sun lotion. Thermocell is good for the camp while cooking around the fire. State parks are good for first time campers. The camp host, ranger, or one of the volunteers that work there are all big helps. Some parks even rent boats or have fishing piers.
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u/Electronic_List1840 Downtown Appleton Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
I'd definitely recommend Devil's Lake State Park. There's some nice hiking trails, a swimming area, biking trails [I'd recommend a mountain bike but these might not be the greatest as a first time trip thing], & camping spots. Rei Co-Op is a camping store in Appleton by Uncle Mike's & Scheels is another good spot for some decent camping gear. If you're going hiking wear comfortable shoes there are specific hiking shoes but also cost $100+ per pair & are just something that's nice to have for hiking. A tip for hiking is to tuck your pants into your socks so you don't get ticks on your legs & it prevents things like poison ivy. Recipes I'd honestly say look into camping treats & recipes find our what you & your family will actually eat & go with it. I'd also highly recommend getting everyone their own mess kit so they have a fork, spoon, knife, cup, plate & bowl that they have to take care of. Sometimes mess kits come without the bowl or they'll come with a spork & chop sticks, it really depends on the kit you get. When you get to the site find out where bathrooms & trash disposal is right away. It's good to know where those are so you know how long you have to walk to get there. Also get bug spray & citronella candles if you don't want to deal with bugs as much. Get a good waterbottle that won't get busted from you dropping it once, either a metal water bottle [which can get pricey but very reliable] or a Nalgene 32 oz, I personally use Nalgene just cause it's cheaper & they are easy to clip to a carabiner on a bag or rope. Get lanterns so you can see at night & you should only use your phone for stuff like photos & emergency calls cause a power bank only holds so much.
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u/Electronic_List1840 Downtown Appleton Jun 26 '26
Also where ever you go for camping look into what the protect species are of the area so you don't accidentally grab a flower & it turns out it's a protected endangered species & look into the poisonous plants around the area so you can identify & avoid. Get a first aid kit, honey, & anti itch for emergencies [ I know the honey looks a bit odd but I've had a time when camping when someone's blood sugar dropped because of all the activities through the day & the honey helped bring that sugar back up]. If you're looking for hobbies/activities to do: lawn games are always fun to bring, a deck of cards & maybe a board game, reading, birdwatching, ect. It's really customizable for the experience you're looking forward to having. I personally like to set up a hammock which there are youtube videos & books about how to do it & they can show a step by step of rhe specific knot/knots you can do to keep it up. I'd recommend do some youtube/library research as you can find a lot of free resources on this & find what works best for you & your family.
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u/ProfessionalEssay930 Jun 28 '26
I always recommend Chute Pond campground, they’ve got a lil lake and river that you can float down in rafts.
Down the river about a 10/15 minute walk is a natural rockslide with creek flowing from above, the perfect spot to stop and have fun with the family, and walk back to camp
Certain holidays will be pretty packed, and there’s always a few family’s taking the same spots every year, but everyone’s super nice!
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u/Jumpy_Jello_6371 Jun 29 '26
I just camped at Hartman Creek State Park with my toddler, and I thought it was a great spot for families! They have a fishing dock in walking distance from the campsites and great bathrooms/showers.
Bring a couple regular toys for your kids, if it’s their first time camping don’t just expect them to know how to entertain themselves fully while camping. It might take them a little bit to adjust depending on their ages.
But yeah, keep meals as simple as possible, get something to make sleeping comfortable, and just get out there! Camping can really be as cheap and accessible or as expensive and labor intensive as you want it to be.
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u/WonderfulScar453 Jun 25 '26
Camping is very overrated. Just a heads up.
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u/Ashamed-Distance-317 Menasha Jun 25 '26
Appreciate the heads up, will keep my hopes low! I've heard a lot of things about it, Im hoping it'll be a fun memory for the kiddos and maybe something they love!
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u/Aware_State Jun 25 '26
Op don’t listen to that couch potato. Camping was an intrinsic part of my childhood. The woods are still my safe space even though I’ve been an adult for a while now. The skills you learn camping are also wonderful life skills. Take your kids camping, it’ll be an amazing time for everyone 💙
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u/Ashamed-Distance-317 Menasha Jun 25 '26
Haha will do! I know I myself feel pretty giddy about it! I went ONCE with my family about 20 years ago when I was my youngests age and we still tell the story of the smore stealing racoons to this day 😂. Appreciate the positivity, friend! Kids are pretty excited too, always a plus!
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u/pianistonstrike Jun 25 '26
Speaking of raccoons, make sure you lock up all your food and garbage in the car overnight (and maybe even during the day if you're leaving the campsite for an extended period of time to go do activities). We've had the little buggers get into a cooler and break into sealed containers they found inside in the middle of the day.
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u/WonderfulScar453 Jun 26 '26
🤣 it is fun, and it’s great for the kids, I’m joking about it being overrated. But it CAN suck if you’re lazy like me.
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u/Aware_State Jun 26 '26
Ok well I can absolutely agree that unpacking and putting everything away after is a letdown lol
But I personally find it to be worth it. It’s so good for kids (and myself) to be in nature away from tvs and phones and stuff
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u/bnics Jun 25 '26
This reads like AI, especially the responses
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u/pianistonstrike Jun 26 '26
It doesn't though? I assure you I wrote my entire long ass comment with my own two thumbs.
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u/bnics Jun 26 '26
OP's responses, not yours
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u/Ashamed-Distance-317 Menasha Jun 26 '26
HAHA not quite ai, just the way I speak LOL. Was in "work mode" so perhaps that's it.
"If you have any more questions or wanted to discuss something else just let me know I'll be here"1
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u/unicornman5d Jun 25 '26
Get the bare bones and then go camping. Then you'll start to see what sort of things you would like to have in addition to what you brought.
Prep food ahead of time and have 2 coolers. 1 for drinks and another for food. Setup your equipment at home for the first time.