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It’s a glorious morning to be outdoor camping. The sky is blue, the temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and other than the geese fighting and making their honking noises just two spots away, the birds singing, and a few kids laughing, there is nothing but peace and quiet.

This particular outdoor camping trip was pretty much last minute. We had booked a sight earlier in the week, but the weather caused my husband to have to back-up his work schedule by at least one day. Then the forecast for the weekend was calling for showers and we didn’t make the final decision to go camping until late Thursday evening.

Fortunately, I was able to pack in just a few hours time and we hit the road by 9 a.m. on Friday. It’s a little ironic because a friend had just said to me a few days ago that she couldn’t go camping this weekend because she didn’t have any time off from work and it takes so long to get ready for an outdoor camping trip that she would need a day off to pack.

The key to picking up and going at the last minute is to have the majority of your supplies always ready to go. We have a popup trailer that we keep packed with all the necessary items in it. But, even if you tent camp you can be ready to go at a moments notice by keeping everything together in a few large Rubbermaid-type totes.  I’ve read that some people even keep extra clothing in their RVs so that all they have to do is stop at the grocery and they’re set for the weekend. I don’t do that; as long as my laundry is clean I can pack clothes in just a few minutes. And, even if it’s not (as in the case of my son’s clothes this past weekend) I just throw it in a bag and bring along a little laundry detergent and do a load at the campground.

So, just what should you keep packed in order leave in haste on any given weekend? Here’s a list of what I keep in our popup camper.

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It’s really not that surprising that I love outdoor camping as much as I do.  Although I grew up in a nice suburban neighborhood, my favorite movie as a child was The Adventures of the Wilderness Family.  Now, most of you probably have never even heard of The Adventures of the Wilderness Family, but the story centers around the Robinson family who’s tired of living in the city and moves to the wilderness of the mountains – in a spot so remote it has to be accessed by plane.  They get stuck there for the winter when the weather turns bad and have to make the most of their primitive, rustic dwellings.  OK, so the acting wasn’t great, but at seven I thought it was wonderful.

That should have clued me in that I was a nature lover.  What 7 year-old wants to move up on a mountain with grizzly bears and mountain lions as neighbors?

The humor in the whole situation is that I really don’t enjoy primitive outdoor camping for more than a few days.  By primitive I mean no electric or water.  I have to have a hot shower, at least every other day, and I feel the need to know what’s going on in the world at least once in a while.  However, whether or not we take the primitive route, there are few pieces of outdoor camping gear that I feel the need to take along to keep the trip from being miserable.  In this post I’m focusing on that need I have for a hot water — not just for a shower, but also for washing dishes.  Have you ever tried to clean a greasy pan in cold water?  It’s near impossible to get the grease off.

The best solution, but of course most expensive, would be a Portable Tankless (runs off propane) Water Heater.  One of these can give you hot water for up to 18 hours — but, will run you somewhere between $119 and $149.

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We hiked the Devil's Gulch Trail back after hiking up to Natural Bridge. It's a steep stairway that leads down to Battleship Rock Trail and then comes out by the Hemlock Lodge and the parking areas.

Located in Eastern Kentucky, about 75 miles southeast of Lexington, is my favorite area to camp and hike.  The Natural Bridge State Park and Red River Geological areas are adjacent to one another and offer more than 80 miles of official hiking trails, incredible views,  sandstone cliffs, and dense forests.  The biggest disappointment about outdoor camping at Natural Bridge State Resort Park and the Red River Gorge Geological Area is that there are so few camping spots with electric and water.  That means you have to reserve them well in advance if you want to go on a weekend.  In fact, if you want any spot in the campground period, you need to reserve them a few weeks out – that includes the primitive sites at the campground. (However, if you enjoy primitive camping, you might instead want to backcountry camp which is allowed throughout the Red River Gorge and Indian Creek areas.  You’ll need to buy a permit at the Gladie Center or Ranger Station.  Permits are $3/1 day; $5/3 days; $30/Annual.  For more information visit the USDA Forest Service site.)

The two U.S. National Park Service campgrounds in the area are Whittleton and Middle Fork.  They are located within a half mile of each other.  Whittleton hosts a total of 40 sites, 17 with 30 amp hookups, 3 for tents (or a small popup) with 20 amp hookups, 11 with water hookup only and the rest are primitive.  Middle Fork has 47 spots, 35 with electric the rest are primitive.

Of the two, Whittleton is my favorite.  Of course that’s my personal opinion.  My reason revolves around the setting.  Where Middle Fork is more open, and can be loud at night due to the highway wrapping around it, at Whittleton the majority of the campsites with electric are in a row with a hillside to the front and a nice wide stream at the back (A24- A37).  You feel like you’re camping in the middle of the woods, instead of in a parking lot.  OK, well it’s not that bad.  But, the way Middle Fork is, unless you get a spot across the creek (B27 – B35) you can be in the middle of a ring of RVs.  It reminds me too much of a subdivision.  However, if you have a big RV getting into the spots at Middle Fork will prove easier. The ones in the middle (B19 – B26) you can even pull straight through, while all the Whittleton spots have to be backed into. One word of warning about spots A001 – A003 at Whittleton, these sites are right at the main entrance to the campground and right on the road – no grass, no lot, just a spot to park. I would only suggest these if all you wanted to do was have a place to park your RV for the night. Additionally, spots A038 – A040 are on their own road, but adjacent to the campground entrance and the entrance lights are on all night. So if you like it extremely dark, these might not be for you. And though they say they are for tents, you can get a popup on them. (I can testify to that!)

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Our friend Wayne gets the credit for teaching me this camping recipe. It’s made all in one skillet, it’s easy, and I’ve not found anyone that doesn’t love it! All the great ingredients for a perfect outdoor camping meal!

I usually make this in my electric non-stick skillet but when Wayne originally taught me the recipe he made it on the grill. He took long lengths of aluminum foil and folded them together and then turned the edges up about a half inch, to make a baking sheet of sorts. He sat that on the grill and then cooked on it.

INGREDIENTS

(1) 1 lb package of smoked sausage or polska kielbasa
8 – 12 strips of bacon (you can use uncooked or pre-cooked – I’ve included instructions on doing it either way below)
4 or 5 (approx. 3 lbs) potatoes
1 large onion
1 green pepper
1 clove diced garlic
2 Tbs. Olive Oil (only if you are using pre-cooked bacon)
1 Tbs. seasoned salt
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Most of the ingredients you'll use for your ultimate camping recipe!

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