Camping with Kids, and Car Camping: Supervision, Temperature, CO

Camping with children is not a harder version of camping alone. It is a different risk profile: less distance, more supervision, and a set of hazards that have nothing to do with fitness.

Site and vehicle

• Use an established campground or a legal camping area. Confirm fire bans, bear and wildlife rules, water, toilets and phone signal before you book.
• Park on firm ground, away from dead trees, dry creek beds and rockfall, and leave the vehicle facing a clear exit.
• Never heat a tent or a vehicle with charcoal, a gas stove or a barbecue. Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and can kill a sleeping family. This is the single most important rule on this page.
• Check the stove, canister and any fire before sleep. No open flame inside a tent, ever.

Children

• An adult watches at all times near water, fire, drop-offs and campground roads. Supervision is the safety system here, not gear.
• Layer their clothing, with hat and gloves. Night temperatures run colder than the forecast — buy sleeping bag margin accordingly.
• Carry their usual medications, plasters, fever patches and a spare set of clothes. Avoid long days, altitude and extreme weather.
• Agree a meeting point if someone gets lost, and give each child a small contact card with minimal information.

The day

• Leave margin in driving time and activity each day. Do not drive at night. Cancel when the weather turns.
• Store food in the vehicle or a bear canister, never in the tent. Pack out all rubbish.
• Leave a trip plan and a check-in time, with the campsite location and the plate number.

Common mistakes

• Running a stove inside the tent for warmth.
• Packing for the daytime high and ignoring the overnight low.
• Letting children play by water or fire unsupervised, "just for a minute".
• A schedule with no room for a rainy day.