We decided to go camping over the long weekend with friends. This was our first camping trip after lockdown, so everyone was very excited. But preparing for a camping trip after you haven’t been on one in a few months, and with a baby on the hip and two young boys needing attention, can be a challenging task. Which is why I never got around to making the essential oils first aid kit I was hoping to do before we went. So I took the whole lot with me – my whole bag of essential oils. Yes, hubby did give me a look and a sigh, but he didn’t say a word and packed it in for me.
We stopped half way for a quick break and my son got stung or bitten by something on his back which gave him a severe allergic reaction. It was itchy, swollen and red. In the car I made him a roller blend of Peppermint, Lemon and Lavender diluted with Fractionated coconut oil and applied it to the area. It soothed him immediately and relieved the burn and itch. After a few minutes the swelling went down completely. (I continued applying it whenever it started itching again during the weekend, and by day 3 all traces of the bite was gone.)
Packing out at the campsite there were a few giggles and eye rolls when everyone saw my carry bag filled with essential oils…until the mozzies started biting. I made a bug spray right there and then with Fractionated coconut oil, Lavender, Lemongrass, Citronella and Ylang Ylang and filled it up with water to which everyone quickly helped themselves for some chemical-free, nonsynthetic relief and protection against those little blood suckers.
As we set up camp, my husband’s allergies really flared up and he was sneezing, eyes watery and he felt groggy. I mixed a drop of Peppermint, Lemon and Lavender each into a little water which he drank, and felt relief after a few minutes. I also applied the roller blend I made for my boy’s bug bite on his temples and over the bridge of his nose. (A nice bonus: I actually used the lid of my water bottle as a shot glass for his allergy mixture, and so for the rest of the camping trip my water was infused with refreshing peppermint!)
And then the camping fun and adventures with wild boys began…
Lots of cuts and scrapes on which I apply dōTERRA Melaleuca Touch which is already diluted with Fractionated coconut oil. Diluted Lavender for bundu bashing scrapes on our baby’s face after a hike. Lemon and dōTERRA Onguard to disinfect our baby’s chewy toys that fell in all sorts of places. Hubby’s headache soothed with a drop of Frankincense on the back of his neck and a drop of Peppermint pressed onto the roof of his mouth.
On Saturday we went on a slightly longer hike in the mountains. The boys did really well even though we may have pushed them a little far. Not surprisingly though, that night my 5-year-old woke up crying from leg pains. I whipped out my trusty “Growing Pains Go-to Oils” (Fractionated coconut oil, dōTERRA Deep Blue and Copaiba) and massaged his legs until he slept soundly again.
Speaking of sleeping soundly, a nice oil that would have probably not made it into my first aid kit, created a very calming and relaxing atmosphere in our tent at bedtime: Serenity. Good thing I had ALL my oils there! ;P
On the way back, we sat in traffic from hell. We stood still on the highway for ages with a long row of cars in front of us. I had to sit at the back with the baby at some point because she started crying. And that only means one thing for me: motion sickness. I started feeling nauseous (perhaps also from all the food we ate at camp!), and quickly took a drop of dōTERRA Zengest under my tongue. It worked like a charm.
Regardless of the traffic nightmare and one very rainy day, it was an awesome weekend! Nature, good company, camp fires, bird song, fresh air, mountain walks, rock pool dips, and of course, my essential oils…pure bliss.
Seriously though, what did I ever do without my essential oils on a camping trip? Watch out for my post about how I eventually got around to making my essential oils first aid kit!
