This summer, my husband’s family decided to have a big camping trip — a sort of family reunion under the pines. His family LOVES camping. Me? I like it… as long as there’s an actual bathroom, a shower, and I don’t have to sleep on the ground. I’m more of a glamper at heart.
Even though I grew up camping in the summers with my family, it had been years. We didn’t own any real camping gear — my husband only had old Boy Scout backpacking supplies, and I had… nothing. So over the past year, I slowly collected what we’d need to camp comfortably. And since I couldn’t find much online about camping with a medically complex kiddo, I want to share what worked for us — without completely breaking the bank.
Sleeping Arrangements
What We Brought:
- 10-person tent (Costco find — tall enough for even the 6’+ crowd to stand in!)
- Queen air mattress + sheet set, quilt, and pillows
- Extra throw blankets
- Pack ’n Play + baby bedding
- Laundry bag (simple mesh — toss dirty clothes in and straight into the washer at home)
What I Wish We’d Had:
- Small side table
- Welcome mat for shoes
- Small broom/dustpan combo
- Plastic three-drawer organizer
The tent was a dream — quick to set up, spacious, and with built-in battery-powered lights. I don’t love sleeping bags, we didn’t have any, and I didnt really want to buy any for this trip. I knew it’d be warm, so sheets and quilts worked fine for us. Extra throw blankets were a good just in case, and they were nice to have while we sat around in the evening with family. A laundry bag is always my secret weapon when we travel — it keeps the chaos contained.
Next time, I’d love a small table to keep Dot’s equipment off the ground and a mat to help keep dirt out. A broom/dustpan would’ve been worth their weight in gold.
I’ve also been eyeing those inexpensive plastic three-drawer organizers from Walmart or Target. They could keep everyone’s clothes organized in one spot, make it easy to find what you need, and even double as a surface to set small items on inside the tent. That might just replace the duffel bags entirely.
Eating & Cooking
What We Brought:
- Dining canopy
- Foldable camp table
- Coleman stove + propane
- Large cooler
- Cast iron pan
- Coffee mugs (because morning coffee deserves a real mug)
- French press
- Disposable plates, cups, napkins, utensils
- Gallon-size Ziplock bags (These always come in handy)
What I Wish We’d Had:
- Full-size folding table
- Second cooler (just for drinks)
- Bussing tub for dishes
- Better bug protection (mesh walls for the canopy)
- Plastic three-drawer organizer (for kitchen gear)
The Walmart dining canopy was a $50 win — easy to set up and gave us shade. I set up our stove on the picnic table with the cooler nearby. I’m a “some real dishes, some disposable” person, so mugs stayed, everything else went in the trash.
The small camp table I bought ended up too short to be truly useful. A full-size folding table could work as a real prep surface — and here again, a three-drawer organizer could shine. One drawer for utensils and cooking tools, one for dry pantry goods, and one for coffee/tea supplies. No digging through a bottomless camping tub to find the spatula.
A second cooler for drinks would’ve been nice, as would a mesh canopy for bug control. A small dish tub for washing would’ve made cleanup easier too.
Miscellaneous Gear
What We Brought:
- Camp chairs
- String lights
- Lantern
- Flashlights
- Bungee cords (Always come in handy)
- Paracord/Rope (Laundry lines!)
- Power strip + extension cord
- Toys and play mat for Dot
What I Wish We’d Had:
- Backup battery pack or small generator
- Propane fire pit (burn ban = no campfire vibes)
We circled our chairs under twinkle lights near the dining canopy, but without a fire it felt… weird. A propane fire pit might be worth investing in if we camp regularly.
We powered Dot’s suction machine, nebulizer, hearing aids, and our phones via a power strip running to the car — but the car had to be running for it to work. Not ideal. A battery pack or quiet generator would be a smarter long-term solution, even if it’s pricey.
Camping with a medically complex kiddo definitely takes extra planning — but with the right gear (and a willingness to adapt), it can still be fun, doable, and even restful in its own wild way. We had a blast, and I honestly think we are game to do it again! We will continue to refine our packing list, and I’m sure we will learn more along the way.