I need you to go camping

I need you to take your family camping.

I want you to load up your car with all your worldly possessions, because that’s what it feels like as you get ready.

I want you to have the unforgettable experience of having your two-year-old daughter squat in a forest to pee and getting it everywhere but on the ground.

I need you to get lost on a trail and think you’ll never see civilization again.

I want you to experience food over an open fire and the slow agony of waiting for bacon to cook on a not-yet-hot fire.

I need your kids to experience the endless joy that is throwing rocks and sticks into a body of water. And even the adults will love to do it because it’s just calming and fun and you can’t explain why.

I need you to make yourself sick on s’mores and go to bed dirty.

I want you to sleep in a hot tent, wake up to a dew-covered campground, and enjoy the quiet that only nature can bring as you wait for coffee and energy.

I want your kids to see a different side of you, a side that isn’t busy with laundry and errands and to-do lists. Because when you’re camping, you’ve got all the time in the world and not a lot to do.

I need you to disconnect for the weekend and just enjoy nature, your family, your friends, yourself.

I need you to go camping.

Are you ready? Here’s what you’ll need:

I don’t know about you, but when I take my family camping, I need to be comfortable while I sleep so an air mattress is a must. Ten years ago that wouldn’t have been on my list, but now I can’t camp without one. Only because I’m older and wiser, obviously. I love this Coleman queen-sized airbed, it’s almost as good as sleeping in my own bed.

When you’re camping, there’s nothing worse than being constantly attacked by bugs. One year we went camping and the only thing that kept Ellie entertained was going in and out of our tent. Which was nice that she found something to do, but she let in approximately four million bugs that we then had to sleep with that night. Bugs are inevitable while camping, but I love bringing a screened-in tent for food prep and meal time. It keeps the insects at bay and is a lifesaver if you happen to get a rainy afternoon while you’re there.

So you’re going camping now, right?

DISCLOSURE: This is a sponsored post, I am a Kmart blogger, though all opinions are my own. #KmartSummerFun