I’ve been camping at the same Folsom Lake campground since I was 13. It’s always been a time for extended family to get together and hang out for longer than a birthday party or holiday gathering and it’s my most cherished summer family tradition.

Naturally, the group that heads up to the lake has changed over the years. Those of us who came here as teens and soaked in the lake for hours on end filling each other in on the boys we liked or the friend drama we were navigating have transitioned into chasing our babies, packing water and snacks, and hassling our kids into reapplying sunscreen while taking every opportunity we can to partake in the tradition of gabbing away with each other in the lake.

The once-babies have replaced us as the youths of the group and a new gang of cousins (this time more boys than girls) now runs through the campsites, soaking in the summer in the way only kids know how to do.

It’s my fourth summer camping as a mom but camping with two toddlers is a very different experience than camping with one baby or one toddler. Add the tiny detail of me being 32 weeks pregnant with our third child and we probably sound crazy for attempting this.

Something about this year felt like a transition. I have always stayed at my parents’ campsite and let my mom do all the planning. I’ve always used the gear I’ve had since before having kids and never really thought about all the coordinating and planning it takes to take your young family camping.

This year, I dove into research and planning mode. We borrowed gear from friends, bought a massive tent our family can grow into, and came home with all the excitement of slowly building up our own stash of camping gear.

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I often joke that researching is my love language. And window shopping for the camping setup of my dreams counts as research in my book, so please consider this little daydream of a round-up my gift to you in case you’re also looking to build up your camping gear. And if you’re looking for tips on how to pack coolers and such, I saved a few pins that helped me out over on my camping Pinterest board.

TENT — a 12-person Coleman tent is the tent of my dreams, but not my budget. The tent I bought for this trip was massive and I loved everything about it except that two of the seams ripped (or were ripped) on the first use. Reading the reviews, it seems that’s a common problem with it. I’ll be returning it and buying this affordable tent with excellent reviews.

SLEEPING PADS — we were lucky enough to borrow some from friends and family for our trip. It’s inspired me to get some of our own. These self-inflating ones are on my list.

COOLER — another piece of gear we borrowed from friends. I was really impressed with the igloo cooler we used! We were there for three full days of 100-degree temperatures and didn’t have to replace the ice at all! The cooler was even in the sun for a while. Again, super impressed with Igloo after our trip. I found a wheeled version in my favorite color that we’ll hopefully add to our camping gear soon.

CANOPY TENT — a very basic one to get us started and keep us shaded from the sun

COMPACT GRILL — fire pits aren’t always usable because of California’s fire-prone climate, so having a little grill like this one is a great backup. My mom has also had her propane stoves for about a decade and they’re still going strong!

CAMPING FRENCH PRESS + MUGS — if you know me, you know coffee is an absolute priority. In lieu of a camping drip coffee maker (another great piece of gear my mom has had forever), I’m choosing the romantic method of French press coffee. Because if I’m waking up at dawn with my early rising kids while camping, I’m going to infuse a little joy into it!

SWING CHAIRS — we had planned to bring our folding patio chairs but forgot them at home (there’s always something that gets forgotten, right)! My cousin had swing or hammock chairs that she scored from Camping World and Sam’s Club, and we’ve decided to copy her because they were comfy and I think they’d be nice to have with a baby as a pseudo rocking chair.

BEACH SHADE — our tiny beach shade from Lowe’s is still going strong but as our family grows, I’d love to upgrade our shade tent.