It’s a glorious morning to be outdoor camping. The sky is blue, the temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and other than the bird's singing, and a few kids laughing, there is nothing but peace and quiet.

This particular outdoor camping hiking 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 hiking 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. Not the case if you take a few steps in advance.  

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 using your coleman tent to 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 store and fill up the coleman cooler then they’re set for the weekend. Either way its not hard if start getting ready in advance.