How to camp like a beauty boss!
My sister and I recently took a quick camping trip with our kids to Pine Valley located within the Dixie National Forest. It was only for one night, which was the perfect amount of time to kick off the summer camping season! I love going to the mountain as much as I love going to the beach and it really got me thinking how to enjoy camping while also keeping up a beauty regime, if that’s even possible. You’ll need to make make some alterations, but if you follow my camping essentials list, you should feel somewhat revived about the idea of spending a few nights in the wilderness!
My little sister looking for the perfect spot to set up her Kelty backpacking tent… 
It helps to kick the dirt around a bit… 
Stopping to pose for photos is also a must! 
Pro mom camper!
First things first, get a good nights sleep!
The most important aspect of camping in my opinion is making sure you are going to sleep good in order to look and feel your best throughout the day! Every camping essential list should include a good tent, a good sleeping pad, a good camping pillow, and a good sleeping bag. My favorite tents are the Coleman Quick Setup Dark Room Tents. These tents are super easy to setup (I pitched our tent by myself in under ten minutes!) and they stay dark inside if the windows are closed, so you don’t wake up as soon as the sun starts rising. They have interior pockets to hold your phone, flashlights, or other camping gear.
Best sleeping pad, bag, & pillow for camping
I promise you it’s a good idea to agonize a little bit about what sleeping pad and gear you purchase to take camping with you! You don’t necessarily need a sleeping bag if you have the room to pack blankets. Sleeping bags are just so easy to transport but are not a mandatory element of the camping essentials list. I wrote why I like these in the description below…
I love these sleeping pads! They are self inflating and uber compactible, yet also extremely comfortable.
I sleep so much better in a canvas and flannel sleeping bag! The nylon bags are so noisy any time I move at night they wake me up. These are heavier and bigger so if you are tight on space or have to hike very far to your camping spot, keep that in mind.
If you can bring your own pillow from home, that’s the best pillow to camp with. If you need a camping pillow, this one will do the trick!
Don’t leave home without a camping hammock!
Camping hammocks are seriously the greatest invention ever! Even if you aren’t camping, but are headed to the mountains, you need to always have a camping hammock on hand. You don’t need to spend a fortune on one either…this one is under $20 from Amazon, holds over 500 pounds, and comes with tree straps as well. If you take kids camping/hiking, you probably won’t be able to get them away from the hammocks. So you might want to grab two.
Oliver was at first scared to climb in, but after a few hours, we couldn’t keep him out of the hammocks… 
You can also set these up at home if you have a good spot or a hammock stand! 
I’m sure this is what heaven looks like… 
I cannot wait to get back to the mountains! 
The kids kind of took over the hammocks if you can’t tell… 
Always go for a double hammock when at all possible…
Beauty Essentials for the best camping trip!
Less is more when planning for a camping excursion. Items I can’t live without are my contact and glasses (cause it’s nice to be able to see!), face cleaner, moisturizer, and a little bit of mascara. But I also hate trying to wash my makeup off before bed. Makeup and wet wipes are game changers for camping!
Also, I highly recommend wearing a dark nail polish on your hands and feet, preferably gel polish, or else if you are like me, all the dirt under your nails will drive you crazy!
A good hat and good sunglasses are a must have item. I love the Oiselle hats because they have a stretchy band instead of a snap back so you can quickly pull it over your pony tail!
And don’t forget bug repellent! I personally prefer an all natural bug repellent.
Most importantly, make time to relax!
If you have the opportunity to escape to the mountains, once you’ve set up your campsite, make relaxation your number one priority. There’s nothing like unplugging and resetting your soul in order to keep your inner and outer beauty fresh! I would absolutely love to hear what’s on your camping essentials list! We are getting ready to leave for another campout this weekend so leave a comment with your suggestions! And enjoy this gallery from our Pine Valley Utah camping trip!
Tootles!
Anna
The kids hung out in the hammocks and we hung out in the comfy camping chairs… 
Pine Valley is a little slice of mountain paradise in the southwest desert 🙂 
There’s a pretty walking path the whole way around the lake and forest 
We loved the hammocks 🙂 You can also set these up at home if you have a good spot or a hammock stand! 
There’s small trout in Pine Valley…and they were not biting while we were here… 
Is there anything more beautiful than mountain meadows, tall pines, and blue skies? 
it’s proven that 15 minutes in nature reduces anxiety…imagine what a weekend in nature can do… 
I remember back in the day when you had to cross the spillway over tree trunks and boulders…thankfully a new metal bridge was installed! 
Camping with cousins is better than Christmas! 
In the summer, at the end of the day, we are meant to smell and taste like dirt 🙂 
The water was cold but the reflection was on point 
Our kids only complained about the lack of Snapchat once… 
We had an awesome spot at the Dean Gardner campground, and the camp host was so awesome!
