Despite the simplistic pleasures offered by the great outdoors, planning for a camping trip is anything but simple. The logistics of where to camp, what to pack, what to eat and what to do can be further complicated when it involves a larger group of people. The Moonlight app from the Active Network is available now for iOS and aims to simplify the planning process for your outdoor adventure.
The starting point for each camping trip starts with a campsite, and Moonlight is no different. The app supports the importing of campsite information by forwarding your confirmation email to plan@themoonlightapp.com, which parses your information into the app. Those who prefer to keep things private can also manually input their campsite reservation info. The social aspect of the app allows the camping trip details to be shared with other users so that everyone is on the same page.
From there, Moonlight offers a planner page segmented by days at the camp with blanks ready to be filled in for breakfast, lunch, dinner and activities in-between. The most important function of Moonlight is the checklist page, which holds the packing list for food, clothing, equipment and other items. Checklist items can be copied to the shopping list and assigned to your camping buds so no single person has to do all the work.
The app also has built-in meal suggestions along with recipes, and adding them to the planner will automatically add them to the checklist page. Recipes include creative suggestions such as chorizo breakfast burritos, peanut butter cup sandwiches, ribeye steaks with pistachio butter, and of course s’mores. Disappointingly, simply adding a meal the the shopping list doesn’t provide a breakdown of ingredients or cookware required; you’ll have to wade through the app to get the recipe.
Between meals, Moonlight can provide activity suggestions, like rules for capture the flag, full text of ghost stories, or lyrics for campfire songs. Those fairly new to camping can also read tips on picking the right tent site, building a fire and avoiding poisonous plants, as well as basic first aid and other safety tips.
The app itself is a free download, but access to recipes, activity info and tips are unlocked after a $5.99 in-app purchase. What about campers with Android phones? “We are planning on launching on Android. However, there is no launch date at this time,” an Active Network spokesperson told Digital Trends.
