Finally Getting the RV Ready for Our First Camping Trip of the Season
Jackson Lake, here we come!
Next weekend, we finally get to go camping!!! We’re heading to Jackson Lake State Park, one of our favorite spots. (If you missed it, check out our first post where we shared all the things we love about this park.)
It’ll be a short trip — Friday night to Sunday before noon — but one I’ve been counting down to for months. We’re going with our good friend Stacey and his two dogs, Gus and Beau. He’s one of our favorite camping buddies, and our dogs Greta and Douglas get along great with his, which makes for a chaotic, joyful, dog-filled weekend.
Plans? Games and fire time. Simple and perfect. The weather looks good so far, so cross your fingers it stays that way!
🔧 Dewinterizing + Packing the RV
This weekend was all about getting the RV ready. I ran water through the lines to flush out the antifreeze, filled up the fresh water tank and our big water jug, and did a full clean and pack. There’s something really satisfying about filling the RV with all our favorite little comforts.
🧳 Things We Hate to Camp Without
These are our tried-and-true camping must-haves — the things that come with us every single trip:
A water jug pump (for our office-style jug)
“My cloud” (aka our feather, warm sleeping bags)
Two laundry bags (one for dirty clothes going home, one for dirty clothes to be cleaned and put back in the RV)
Separate camper-only clothing
Portable dog fencing (because leashes 24/7 are the worst)
Our favorite camping chairs
Hand soap (we leave a bottle at the outhouse!)
Our fire box (see below)
And I’m sure I forgot a ton — I’ll start tracking what we use on this trip and make a part 2!
🔥 What’s in Our Fire Box
We keep a “fire box” packed and ready to go with all the essentials for a good campfire:
🥘 This Trip’s Menu
Coming up with a camping menu is so hard — not because we’re out of ideas, but because we have too many we love. Hobo packets, fire calzones, chili, pancakes, grilled cheese, smacos, banana boats, smores… the list is endless.
For this weekend, here’s what we landed on:
Friday dinner: Pizza + jalapeño poppers
Saturday breakfast: Bacon, pancakes, and potatoes
Saturday lunch: Adult lunchables
Saturday dinner: Calico beans, cornbread, and green beans/corn
Sunday breakfast: Bagels with bacon
Plus: plenty of snacks, drinks, and sweets
Most of our meals are cooked on the fire — it’s one of our favorite parts of camping.
I cannot wait to get out there and share our weekend with you all. Do you have a trip coming up soon? What’s on your must-pack list?
Tell me in the comments or message us — I love hearing what makes your adventures great.
Until then… safe travels and fun times.
— Anne