When there comes a time to arrange family holidays a camping trip is always a winner but what if you want to inject even more fun into the trip? Here are a few ideas to make it extra special and a few to make it completely unforgettable.
- Stay in a Mongolian Yurt. You will find that this type of camping equipment isn’t as rustic as it sounds. They are popular in a number of parts of continental Europe and are often used as luxury tents with all mod cons. Might be a bit posh for a simple family break but a good choice for splashing out on.
- Float as you camp. How about this one for something different? In Holland and Belgium you can camp and spend the night on a floating raft which comes with a canoe. Just be careful if you like to get up for an early morning stroll.
- Try some old campfire recipes. Do you want to add an old time feel to your trip? There are some interesting recipes which are easy to make around a campfire and which you can find easily on the internet. These are great for making family holidays a time to bring everyone closer together. Maybe you could even sing a few songs as well once you have eaten.
- Cook on a rock. While we are on the subject of making the dinner, have you ever eaten in one of those restaurants where they cook chicken or steaks on hot rocks? You could do the same on your trip, although it has to be piping hot to make it work. It might be easier to stick vegetables on the rock, to avoid eating undercooked meat and it is also a good excuse to give the kids a helping of green stuff. You could also experiment with the idea of cooking on leaves.
- Try a jacket tent. There are some utterly bizarre types of tent around these days but few are as frankly weird as this one. It converts from a bright coloured jacket into a tent quicker than you can say, “Why are your armpits so bulky?” Can you imagine the whole family wearing one of this each as you look for a good place to stay?
- Try a tepee style tent. Another idea is to go with the American Indian look and get hold of a tepee. These are becoming surprisingly popular but they are fairly expensive.
- Use a camping boat. Another strange but true way of snuggling down for the night is by using a combination tent and Polynesian rigger style craft. It probably isn’t big enough for everyone to squeeze into it to be fair.
- Eat your camping gear. Ok, so we left the strangest one till last. Do you remember that edible rice paper which was popular for a spell a few years back? Well, how would you like a backpack and a sleeping bag made out of the same sort of material? You get the choice of a pesto pasta sleeping pad, a beef trekking pole and a passion fruit backpack. We are pretty sure that it is a joke but the site is real enough and there are photos of their edible camping gear on it. Maybe it could catch on after all.
Author; Ben Higgins, offering advice on family holidays with a difference. Image by net_efekt
