Memorial Day Weekend marks the start of summer and gives us that much-needed Monday off to relax and catch our breath. If you don’t already have weekend plans and want to get away from your home and everyday life, you can easily plan a last-minute camping trip!

Though most of the big national parks and lakeside campgrounds will be full by this time, plenty of smaller campgrounds and RV parks throughout California are likely to have vacancy. Some places, like the national forests, have campgrounds that don’t require advanced reservations. Find a campground, forest, or park that you are interested in visiting and make your reservations or plan on arriving in time to snag a first-come, first-serve spot.

Once your campsite is booked, start gathering all your camping gear and prepare for your trip. Get your tents, motorhomes, or trailers ready for a weekend of camping fun! Make sure everything is in working order before your trip, so you don’t have to worry about broken tent poles or a faulty generator. Although it is almost June, the evenings can still get quite chilly so pack plenty of blankets and warm clothes!

Plan out your meals for each day and create a list of all the ingredients you need to make your trip to the grocery store quick and easy. Some easy campsite snacks and meals are sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, cereal, egg burritos, fresh fruit, granola bars, and nuts. Be sure to pack enough water to last the entire trip! Don’t forget to buy some marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers—a camping trip is incomplete without s’mores.

Your weekend packing list should include some board games and a deck of cards to keep everyone entertained. If you have room for them, bring your bicycles along so you and your family can go for bike rides around the campgrounds and explore. If your bikes won’t fit this time, you can still go for hikes and explore the surrounding nature.

It’s a good idea to pack some insect repellant and citronella candles to ward off mosquitos and other insects, especially if you are prone to mosquito bites. If you do get bitten, have some hydrocortisone and antihistamine on hand to reduce itching and inflammation. You should always keep these items inside your camping first aid kit!

If last-minute isn’t your thing, and the thought of throwing together a quick camping trip by the weekend is too overwhelming, consider planning a backyard campout at home. You and your family can open your accordion door system, head outside and barbecue some hamburgers and hot dogs. Light a fire in the fire pit and roast marshmallows and set up some tents on the lawn. You can enjoy all the fun of a camping trip from the comfort of your own home. You won’t have to worry about a long drive or packing supplies, and when you get cold in the middle of the night or can’t stand sleeping on that half-filled air mattress, you can sneak back inside to your warm bed.

To learn more about creating indoor-outdoor spaces with accordion door systems, visit our Bi-Fold Door Product Page.