camping Tips | Fall in the San Diego Desert

Now this wasn’t my first rodeo camping with the Cub Scouts – I’ve gone on maybe six Cub Scout camp-outs, the last three of those on my own with just me and the boy (so without the old man to kick around). But this was the first time I was taken aback by chilly nights in Santa Ysabel. And by “chilly,” I mean dipping into the thirties at night. I’m a 12-year San Diegan and born-and-raised Floridian, so frankly even the 70s can get chilly for me when a light breeze is thrown in.

Nonetheless, you’re talking to someone who once forgot to pack her son’s sleeping bag and had to drive to the nearest Target to buy a big cozy blanket, so I’m no stranger to blowing it on the packing front. That’s bad news for me and my boy, but good news for you, because you can learn from my unfortunate experiences. 

This post is for those able to drive to their campsite, especially with kids. I’m definitely not going to advocate over-packing since I clearly have a penchant for under-packing – mostly because I hate carrying stuff. However, packing your car and packing a backpack that you have to carry are two different things, so here’s my list of what to pack when you’re able to reach your campsite by car:

• Tent + air mattress. Ours is a Big Agnes mtnGLO that technically claims to hold 4 people, but that would leave people squished together like sardines in my opinion, and I like to use mine for the two of us and pop a full-sized air mattress inside. That way you’re left with a little walkway to the side of the mattress where you can put your bags, lanterns, water bottles, and shoes while sleeping. Also don’t forget a dustbroom to sweep out your tent floor! I forgot one so many times before I made it a priority.
• Sleeping bags. I use one shaped like a mummy from REI rated to 32-degrees, but as you’ll learn, that’s not enough for evening temps in the upper thirties. Which is why I will now add:
• a Kelty Bestie Blanket, along with mittens (yes, for sleeping. Trust me) and a fleece hat. I slept in my fleece zip-up jacket over my PJs and a sweatshirt the second night because I didn’t have a blanket. Never again!
• Pillows. I just bought Walmart ones that are our dedicated “camping” pillows and they live with all our camping stuff. That way you’re comfortable, but not worrying about how dusty your pillows are getting. I tried the small “crushable” ones for space-saving and whatever and they’re basically garbage, don’t even waste your time or money. Just bring regular pillows with a dark or busy-print pillowcase to hide the dirt of the campsite, the snot from low temperatures, and possibly any tears of disappointment. 
• Long johns and cozy socks. I know all good Californians are supposed to know about layers, but camping outside at night when the temperature drops mandates this one.
• Flashlight. And if you have a kid who runs wild like a dog, get one for him in a bright color, because my dog of a kid lost our gray flashlight somewhere in the brush for hours because it didn’t stand out at all. Neon might not be a bad choice here.
• Cooler. Mine is a softside Yeti that I got as a goodie on a rather posh hunting trip, and it’s great for stowing game, but also for packing your meat, cheese, yogurt, and creamer. Have one big enough for all your cold stuff, including the cold packs. Another lesson I learned: don’t try to pack anything “dried” that would normally be wet when it comes to stuff like coffee creamer. I packed what turned out to be really disgusting dried coffee creamer because I was too lazy to pack real half-n-half, and it ruined what was otherwise perfectly good coffee. I think a smart way to pack liquid creamer is in one of those super small disposable water bottles emptied out: just enough for the weekend, with a securely-closing lid.
• Stove. I have a Primus Onja two-burner propane stove and it is AWESOME! It takes up very little room, stays clean, and I’ve used it for multiple meals at two separate campouts and still haven’t had to change the little propane tanks. That said, I would also pack a JetBoil, because when sharing campsites with other people, I immediately put my stove away after cooking food, and then 10 minutes later want a cup of tea or soup or coffee and you can just fire up the JetBoil for that without slamming the stove back up on the community table and lugging over a pot of water. The JetBoil is efficient, fast, safe, and super low-profile.
• Percolator. One time I didn’t plan for coffee and there was nowhere within driving distance to get some, and no one could help me because they either had none or they had instant coffee, which might be worse than none. Don’t let this happen to you! I have a Faberware percolator and it’s great.
• Utensils: Simple camp-sized pots + pans look kind of like stuff you might use with an Easy Bake Oven, but they take up less space and are just perfect for you and your kid – or you and your lover, if I’m being optimistic for you. Don’t forget spoons/forks/knives, and plates – I have small steel plates and also a larger melamine set when we camp as a family. Don’t forget a spatula! This is one of the things I forgot this last time and I flipped quesadillas with my hands – not pretty.
• Camp-friendly FOOD, and consider your camping location. Years ago I bought a couple of “Scout camp cooking” type of books, which usually assume that you’re cooking over an open fire fed by coal or wood and have access to a large cast-iron pot (it looks like a cauldron). I’ve done this kind of firetop cooking in places like Lake Arrowhead or Lake Poway that allow open-fire cooking. But with the wildfire danger in California, certain campsites do not allow open-fire cooking other than roasting marshmallows over a shared fire ring, and Mataguay is a place that now allows only propane-burner cooking. Consider a book like this if you’re looking for novel campsite-cooking ideas with more options than just the open-fire cooking.
• Wine. Forget I said this if someone asks if I brought alcohol to a Scout campout because obviously that is never permitted so I’m just generalizing for this camping post… but if I WAS going to bring wine to this last campout, I want you to know that I forgot it and it was sorely missed. Just so you know, the Yeti Rambler in the 36-oz size holds a full bottle of wine (and then some) in what looks like a large water bottle. In the dark, you can pour it into an opaque cup and there’s really no telling whether you’re drinking coffee or water or what. I got my Rambler on that same posh hunting adventure I mentioned above; see my friend Georgia’s Adventure Getaways if that sounds like something that interests you!
• Camp chairs. REI always has deals on highly-rated comfortable chairs and there’s no doubt that you’ll need one after a long day of trekking through the woods and trails. The campfire is one of my very favorite parts of a campout… everyone sitting around together drinking (or not), watching kids do borderline unsafe things with burning-hot pokers while melting chocolate and marshmallows, and feeling the age-old pleasure of being warmed by the fire and enjoying the camaraderie of shared experience and the frankness which fire-speak tends to induce. Make sure you’re comfortable for this.
• Sun hat + sunscreen, and preferably a UV-rated long-sleeved shirt. It will take you through the afternoon as it cools down nicely, too.
• Book + book light. What is better than climbing into your tent, snuggling into your sleeping bag + covers, and tucking into a good book? Nothing!
• Electronics for camping: battery- or USB-powered lantern/s to light your evening world, and your phone charger, especially if you are a paparazzo like me and use your phone to record photos/video of all the funny stuff you see. We didn’t have power at this last campout so I brought a big old portable charger for my phone.
• Roll of paper towels (so many uses!) and a trash bag to pack out your trash. Even if you stay in a place that has trash bins, it’s nice to keep your campsite tidy, which by the way is the recommended wildlife management practice. *Go ahead and place the halo on my head now.*
• Eco-friendly soap that doubles as dish soap, and a big plastic bowl for washing dishes. Add any toiletries you may need, especially deodorant for places like Mataguay which don’t even have flushing toilets, let alone showers. Don’t forget the meds you need for living. And also quick-drying towels so you don’t have to wipe your freezing wet hands on your dusty pants (ask me how I know this). Bring a rain slicker just in case. 
• If you have to hike a bit from your car to your campsite, you may want to take a wagon along. I almost got rid of our Radio Flyer wagon years ago and I’m so glad I didn’t because I use it every time I do a hive inspection on my bees (it holds everything I need like water buckets, tools, smoker + fuel, battery + OAV wand/powder, boxes and frames), and now it helps me haul loads of gear when camping without any manpower to carry the heavies for me.

Just be sure to set your tent up right. California Santa Ana winds will blow your tent away like the house in the Wizard of Oz! The poor owner of this red tent, below, got to the site after all the “glamping-like” decks (see my tent, above) were taken, and he was staked too shallow in the parched earth. He eventually took the whole thing down and changed spots after his tent started blowing into the tree stump to the right of his tent in this video: 

My camp stove and percolator in action, below. This was the great coffee that I told you I ruined by adding powdered creamer to by the way, and the delightful seal sipper that you see here was cute enough to (almost) take my mind off the fact that the coffee I was drinking was super grody.

I think that about covers the packing list. Next thing you know you’ll be enjoying the wildlife all around you. When we first pulled in at Mataguay, we had a lovely doe cross our path, and then saw these turkeys:

After my boy helped me set up our tent, he and the other boys got to playing with sticks (well large branches, really) and old paint cans. Not a mention of being “bored” or asking for electronics!

Here they are playing hockey with a frisbee.

California hikes are beautiful hikes! You can’t tell by my photo, but the uphill grade on this hill was major – hence the name.

I noticed this gem of a tree/shrub for the first time on this trip: Manzanita.

My boy noticed it on our first night at camp actually, under a very bright moon. You could tell the trunk and branches were red even in the moonlight! Magical.

What’s even more magical is that these plants are great sources of nectar for pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, and local bee species. And what’s slightly unnerving is that these plants can adjust their nectar output to encourage those different pollinators to come and feed at its flowers (flowers not shown here, but purported to bloom in January) at different times. Purposefully. To ensure that its pollen is getting all the way around, if you know what I mean.

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The Boy Scouts arranged a number of fun activities to lure the Cub Scouts to join their troops. This troop taught the younger boys how to tie useful knots, like a bowline. Would you believe that this actually came in handy when tying down our tent on the decks, pictured above?

Another troop taught the boys how to fashion a stretcher out of simple hiking poles and a tarp (or some sweatshirts) and, apparently, how to race your victim to safety! Kind of irreverent.

This troop lured boys over with the promise of a water balloon catapult, but you can see that my boy managed to fail at this pretty hard:

Another troop set up metal targets for the Webelos to shoot at with slingshots bearing dry dog food. This was fun, and safety was obviously always a priority!

Another troop hosted a fire-starting challenge. All boys consistently failed this. I could’ve told them that keeping a fire going is hard work! I light fires in my bee smoker all the time – honestly it’s half the art (and challenge) of beekeeping.

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This troop shared some of their culinary secrets, which I’m in turn sharing with you. I sampled both recipes, and have to admit that they were solid.

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They also demonstrated hatchet-throwing. This always brings the boys to the yard, believe it!

My boy had some definite opinions about his favorite troops. You can see him practically starry-eyed here, talking about this one he REALLY wants me to let him join.

Also now that I’ve learned about Jimson Weed (Devil’s Trumpet, described in my last post!) I’m seeing it everywhere. This stuff was growing all over Mataguay.

The flowers were mostly open still because this was very early morning. I had to hike a mile to my car to drive it back to the campsite to break camp.

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What are your traditions when wrapping up a camping trip? If we are anywhere in the vicinity of Julian, Ramona, Santa Ysabel, or Warner Springs, we always head over to Julian Pie Co. for a delicious apple treat. Early on a Sunday morning you can count on them being hard at work coring fresh Julian apples to make into pies and breads.

Don’t let anyone tell you that any other apple pie place is comparable, because it just isn’t.

Thanks for reading, and happy camping! xx