Disclaimer: Our family was gifted this experience in exchange for our own personal opinions expressed in this post.
Camping has come along way since I was little. We used to camp all the time in a tent with my family, and boy did my mom hate it! Today sleeping outdoors is far from the dirty, cheap tented mess I learned to love. There are endless options when staying in nature with your family that don’t even involve the traditional style tent. This past week, my family and I were fortunate enough to spend the weekend in a container cabin at Bingemans and it was an experience to say the least. Since my children had never slept outdoors before we thought a container cabin stay was the perfect option, a nice transition before actually pitching a tent.
What is a container cabin you ask?
Exactly what it entails, a shipping container (160 sq feet) that sleeps up to 5 people comfortably. Each unit consists of 2 bunk beds- 3 singles and one double bed. A mini fridge, electrical outlets and an overhead light for comfort. Not 5 star accommodation but definitely a one up from a tent that doesn’t have any of these upgrades- did I mention air conditioning?!! YES please!! What’s better is that each cabin has unparalleled views of the Grand River too. We especially loved siting outside looking at the water run by.
When we first arrived at Bingemans I was worried to stay alone because my husband would be joining us the following night late. That meant mama was alone with her cubs for an entire night and entire day – alone in the woods. Cue the horror music! I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the grounds are easy to navigate and pretty welcoming too. Upon arrival to our container cabin the kids rushed in to take a look and to my own satisfaction they didn’t freak out about staying here for the next couple of days. We settled in easily and took a few things from home to make the transition a little easier “just in case” there were any surprises.
Some things to note:
We purchased cheap blow up mattresses to place on top of the existing mattresses, something about staying in a new place made me concerned about how the state of things would be but there really wasn’t a need for them. We also took a DIY approach to a toilet made from a bucket, sawdust and a pool noodle just in case mama had to bring the boys out to the washroom in the middle of the night. We didn’t use this either but it was nice to have the option. Turns out the washrooms and port-a-potty’s are a few steps away. Last thing I suggest doing if ever staying in a container cabin is to bring an indoor grill that can plug in easily- we made bbq on it, warmed up our sandwiches and even made egg muffins and bacon in the morning- so easy. These tiny tips helped me to survive the night without my husband.
Guys that waterpark rocks!
It’s no kidding people flock to Bingemans year after year! The days we spent at the waterpark were so much fun! The slides are amazing and the lineups were not bad at all. Spent the day frolicking in the water and catching some rays- kids are eager to go back again next year for sure! Mama loved that she could see her kiddos pretty much from any chair on the grounds too – very kid friendly and perfect for little wanderers like my own. Did I mention the larger slides had mom and dad thrilled to the max too and the wave pool is HEATED!! Hello perfect day!
The Grounds
So much to do at Bingemans, mini golfing, indoor play structures, glow in the dark bowling, digging, mystery games and paintball all in one space! Each attraction is separate so it makes it feel like you are visiting a whole new place every single time you partake in something new. The kids, my husband and I were never bored here! So much to do and see- best part was that once we arrived we didn’t have to travel far to do any of it. The grounds have a convenient store on site that has everything just in case you forgot something at home and a Boston pizza too!
 
 
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Can’t Wait To Return!
Not sure about taking the plunge on tent camping next time, we quite enjoyed staying comfortably under the container cabin roof. Definitely going to visit again and try out all of the other attractions we didn’t get around to doing next year. Bingemans has my family’s seal of approval for traditional summer fun under the sun. We can now mark one more thing off of our summer bucket list!
Does your family love to camp? Have you ever stayed in a container cabin before?
