Beginner camping tips from our first year with three dogs: the gear we use, the mistakes we made, and little things like showers and staying offline.
The campground showers were locked, so at midnight we drove 45 minutes to a Pilot with our three dogs asleep in the back seat. Here’s what truck stop showers are really like for regular campers: $18 for one private room, a long line at the register but no wait for the room, hot water, towels included, and how we took turns so the dogs were never alone.
Three dogs, three nights, and a campsite with no electric hookup at all. What a $499 power station actually ran, what drained it in half an hour, and how everyone stayed warm.
We set up a brand new air tent for the first time at a windy beach campground, in the dark, with three dogs watching. Here are the six mistakes we made and the fix for each one.
We did not plan a digital detox. We planned a beach trip, and then our phones turned into expensive flashlights the moment we arrived. So what is it like to camp with no cell service for three days? Here is the honest answer, including the one part that genuinely worried us.
Zero camping experience, three dogs and one packed SUV. Our first SUV camping trip story, from a freezing May night in the trunk to raccoons in the dog food, plus the tips we learned the hard way.