Forgot to mention . . . we'll be tent camping.

Try to use duffel bags instead of suitcases. Take the time to pack really well and use all available space. Repack if you have to and approach it like a puzzle. Sleeping bags fit really well on the floor in the back seat. The kids and dog don't need the leg room so you might as well use it to pack! Also, maybe some of those family members camping near you may have room if you do run out! You'd be amazed what I've fit into a regular car for a three week tent camping trip!

If you're camping near an urban area and can set up and then, make a food and other consumable run when you arrive there, you can head into the nearby town and Wal*Mart and buy at a good, non-camp store price and get what you will not be taking home with you. Your consumables...

Also, don't forget to pack UNDER the seats as well.

Good luck! Have fun!

We use a combination of hard storage containers and soft bags to fill in the gaps to utilize the available storage space we have. We just made a trip to the Container Store to pick up some items to further organize our gear. The Container Store has about every type of container imaginable which might help you better utilize your space. They have a website. The distance, as mentioned, to the nearest store from where you camp has a large bearing on how much food to take, ice chest size you need. Try to pack early as this will help you use the space you have to your best advantage. Hope this Helps!

Take some advice from a long term tent camper--leave the dog at home! All you need is to have 3-4 days of steady rain, sitting in a tent, with 2 cranky kids and a wet mutt!
Our first tent camping trip came apart the second day, when the rain started, and the tent leaked like a sieve, the younger boy (2) "cranked" all day and all night, the older one (7), was bored, the Mrs. was ready for the bridge, the water ran in under one side of the tent and out the other, The cooking was done under the lift gate of the station wagon, and i know, if we'd had a dog along, he'd have been part of supper!
And, trenching around the tent was prohibited!
by: Rusty Jones

With the price of gas try not to put things on top of the car. Pack as much as you can in duffle bags like Jen said and squish them everywhere you can. Have the kids sit on the sleeping bags(folded) and let them use the pillows in the car, they will love it. Try to take a lot of packaged food so you don't have to worry about too much cold food that needs to be in the cooler, the less the better. Make pasta, mac and cheese, hot dogs and beans, tacos, etc.
Slide the tents under the back seat whith the stroller if you are taking one. Give it a trial pack before your trip to ck. out what you need to forego or add. Have fun.
Lynda

For our first tent trip, our kids were 2.5 and 4. I had no idea if they would like it, so we went only for 3 nights to a fairly close camp (about an hour away). We all loved it, and have since camped at the same camp exclusively. Of course, that was only 2 years ago, so we've got some time to find other camps!

You didn't mention what kind of vehicle you have other than a car. What kind of car? You may be hard pressed to pack all you need into a car. We have a station wagon with no rooftop carrier, and we barely fit all we needed for just the three nights. We did not take bikes or scooters or firewood or dog . (We had one at the time.) We did shop for the perishable once we got to the camp, so I was able to use the big cooler to pack other stuff.

The biggest volume hoggers were the tent, cooler, food container, tool/utensil/misc container, sleeping bags, clothing bags, and dining fly. I tried to condense as much as I could in each of the containers, like packing only as much oatmeal or sugar or Captain Crunch in one Gladware container as we would use for three days. Condense condense condense!!! That was my mantra for the three days it took me to pack!!

We packed every cubic inch of that vehicle. Under the seats, under the kid's feets, under my feet in the passenger side, between the kids, between me and my husband; we cozied some smaller items in with the spare tire and in every crevice we could find. It was a project!

The next year, we broke down and took two vehicles so we could bring the bikes, and skip the shopping trip (it was SO expensive at that grocery store near the camp...duh!)

This year, we have a new F150 truck, so we may be able to pare down to one vehicle again! We'll see! My husband kinda babies that truck and is hesitant to take it into the "wilderness" of the state park!

mozy

We love taking our dog, she is medium sized and very well behaved. But if it rains we head for town and go to a movie or indoor game place, leaving her in the car.

Pack knowing that your stuff will expand before the return trip. Consider taking old towels and clothes than can be thrown away after one more use. If you'll spend a lot of time in bathing suits you won't need as many clothes.

This last trip we planned out what would fit in the cargo top while it was on the garage floor, much easier to maximize efficiency than doing it on a ladder once it is on the car. Just be sure to pack the things you'll need first towards the back - tarp, tent, picnic table cover. Chairs are bulky, if your children will sit on your lap anyway then don't bring chairs for them. We never use our stroller while camping.

We use air mattresses and use the reversable pump to vac-pack sleeping bags, towels and pillows in big heavy garbage bags.

Work with your dh on packing and agree on where things go - kitchen stuff in one bin, toiletries in another, etc. Cuts down on fun when you have to constantly ask "where is the lighter/sunscreen/etc."

Have fun and share what you learned when you get back!