Back country adventures with kids...how do you do it?

Uncle Roger

Observer
Before we were married, my wife and I traveled all over the western US & Canada in my '59 Land Rover 109, camping in the back and all. We did some off-highway driving, but not a lot, but we also didn't do a lot of staying-in-hotels kind of traveling either. Then family-stuff-happened and we didn't do much, but then when my oldest son was born, we bought a Land Rover disco and an RTT. Still not a lot of camping for a couple of years, but by the time he was 4 or 5 we had a group I call "the usual suspects" -- other families with kids the same age as ours that we got along with. We all started camping together. Now that my son is 8yo, we're getting into more off-highway stuff along with the car camping. The last two years we've done an annual LR trip in the Mendocino Nat'l Forest in No. California (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm1U8PG5sCQ), but it's just been my oldest and I -- my daughter has had other conflicts. Were it not for that, she, my wife, and my 2yo would have come along.

So, to actually answer your question.... Here's what I recommend.

Start off with car camping close to home. State or county parks are great. Remember, this is for the kids, not you, so don't expect any challenging driving or anything. Let the kids run around, crawl under bushes, dig holes, etc. Leave the electronics at home; there's plenty to do. Look for frogs, slugs, cool sticks.

If at all possible, go with your kids' friends' families. It's amazing to watch a gang of 12 5yo's running around in sync like a school of fish. Also, it's much less work. You watch all the kids when they're near you and other parents watch them when the kids are near them.

This gets the kids used to the outdoors with minimal complaints -- no long drives, no sitting in the car for hours, etc. Do this as much as possible, as often as possible.

After a season or two, depending on how often you go, start heading further afield. Stick to the same type of car camping, but do it further from home so they get used to the drive to get there. Figure out games they can play in the car together on the ride. Again, if you can rope in a few other families (we usually go with about 6 families), even better -- the kids will entertain each other so you can stand around drinking beer and enjoying the scene.

Depending on where you are and who you're going with, you might be able to fit in a few challenges along the way or perhaps as an outing one afternoon for an hour or so. If your wife is really awesome, she may volunteer to stay in camp with younger kids who don't want to go. This year, I let my son ride up front -- a big dieal for him. (http://www.sinasohn.net/notebooks/201004132100.html) I also brought some cheap FRS radios for him and the other kids to use on the trail and in camp. That made a big difference because the kids were chatting away on their radios just like everyone else on their CB's. In fact, at one point, I heard about oncoming motorcyclists from the kids' radio network before I heard about them on the CB!

The important thing is to get started early, but don't just jump in the deep end. Work it out, if you can, to get your four-wheeling in on your own, if you have to, but ease the kids -- and your wife, if necessary -- into it.
 

Uncle Roger

Observer
And she took her first steps in Yosemite:
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Wow! How wonderful is that! Your daughter is so very lucky!

(Had I had any say in it, my kids would have been named Redwood, Tenaya, and either Granite or Tioga.)
 

Uncle Roger

Observer
The sleeping thing is an interesting point. We have yet to figure that one out for our littlest one. The inflatable pool is an interesting idea, but I haven't seen one that small? I was going to think about having my wife make up some kind of mini-crib out of foam and fabric. It would sit at the foot of our bed.

I would be *very* hesitant to use a plastic pool for a sleeping area... Maybe I'm overly paranoid, but it just seems like there's too much chance for suffocation (i.e., > 0).

What we've done is just have the baby sleep between us in double sleeping bags zipped together. But we do that at home too, so it's natural for us.

Another option would be to hit the local thrift shop for a pack-n-play that would be just for camping. When the kid outgrows it, donate it back to the thrift shop. (Assuming, of course, it survives your wife.)
 

Uncle Roger

Observer
One thing I have to figure out. Rooftop tent, midnight feedings, and baby bottles. What the heck do we do?

I have one of these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/29291800 -- it keeps coffee hot a long time. If you're using formula, just fill it with hot water before you go to bed and put the power in a baby bottle. (Or however you do it.

Since you probably won't need that much, you might do better with one of these instead: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10167099 (Less air means less cooling, and they're cheaper.)

If you're using breast milk, get a bowl (or maybe a ceramic wine cooler?) and swirl the baby bottle around in the hot water for a minute or so.
 

john101477

Photographer in the Wild
reading some of the most recent posts here I thought I would add our last trip and my daughters first full nights of camping. The first time she went I ended up having to bring my wife and girl out at 2 am or so cause she got sick. So this time we went to an established camp ground about an hr or so away. The first night went fairly smooth with Sierra (our daughter) waking up briefly a couple of time and then back to sleep before we could even get up. The second night was not so much fun. Sierra woke up at 3am. We think the wind woke her up and scared her. Now I can count on 1 hand how many times she has slept with us since she was born but it was apparent to my wife and I that she was not going to fall or stay asleep with out us close by, hence she got the center spot on our queen blow up and 2 extra large SlumberJacks. I can safely say I did not sleep after that. We found out Sierra likes to move a lot in her sleep so she won...
I think I posted before our sleep setup for her. Beside the wind it seemed to work well. We went ahead and bought the Kidco pop tent deal off amazon for $60 thats fits in our secondary room space. It has a little self inflated mattress and we put some of her toys in it (she sleeps with her books) and a few blankets top and bottom and she seemed to like it for the most part. Just have to get her used to the wind at night.
 

john101477

Photographer in the Wild
And she took her first steps in Yosemite:
FarewellCaliforniaJune2009129.jpg

Thats priceless. We actually left our daughter with grandpa for our Yosemite trip. Sierra was just a little to young to enjoy it and we kind of needed a mini vacation ourselves. Now she gets a kick out of being outside and gets mad when i do not take her out with me.

Here are some pictures of her in the outdoors
 

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Uncle Roger

Observer
I'm just not sure how Phil would handle being outside in cool air for that length of time. I have good warm clothes, down jacket, etc... But he's just got, you know, your typical crappy snow suit from Walmart. Not going to spend a ton on good stuff for a growing boy who won't get to use it *that* much.
Layers. Put a warm sweater on under the jacket, warm shirt under that... It's been my experience that kids, when interested enough in something, they forget about being cold.

Also, what about a baby in a canoe. We'd still like to be able to use the canoe a bit, not overnights, but just some paddling during the day. I'm a pretty experienced canoeist, kayaker and swimmer. I don't think I've ever tipped a canoe in my life (that wasn't on purpose). And we have an infant life-jacket. But, the thought of the first few moments of panic if the boat went over... terrifying.

Y'know... I was a pretty good canoeist when I was younger. Then I took my (now) wife on an easy canoe trip. You know, get in the boat, float down the river, they pick you up at the end. I told her there was no way we could tip. So of course we did. She panicked about something, I paid attention to her instead of the river and ker-splash. (And, no, she has not yet forgotten it.)

With a baby, I'd be very worried about what the baby was doing. Lying in the bottom of the boat wouldn't be much fun and would likely be quite uncomfortable, given the inevitable water. You can't put him in a car seat -- it would sink. And if the kid is old enough to sit up and move around, they'll almost certainly do their best to fall in.

Mind you, it's your kid and you need to do what you're comfortable with, but I wouldn't even considerate it. (And I'm pretty easy going.) My wife would likely skin me alive just for suggesting it.
 

timh

Explorer
We have had our daughter out more times in the year and a half since she was born than most people do in 10 years. She has already had 6 camping trips and countless day trips. Don't try too hard to prepare, just get out and experience it, each time you will modify things to make it more comfortable.

We started with a cheapy ground tent, then bought a RTT, then sold that and are awaiting our turbo tent. Tent and sleeping space has proven to be worth it's weight in gold! And right now, toys don't matter one bit, its all about the sticks and rocks and flowers and birds and everything else that amazes her everytime we go out!:wings:
 

Nay

Observer
I head out with four, ages 11, 10, 6, and 5. Biggest problem we have is 10/11 year old boys want to be 14, and Mom wants them to be 7 so Dad has to play diplomat from time to time. :ylsmoke:

Start young. Everybody says it and it is true. My four kids take an 8 hour drive to Moab without DVD as a really fun part of the trip, and that's exactly why we go as a family every time.
 

john101477

Photographer in the Wild
I head out with four, ages 11, 10, 6, and 5. Biggest problem we have is 10/11 year old boys want to be 14, and Mom wants them to be 7 so Dad has to play diplomat from time to time. :ylsmoke:

Start young. Everybody says it and it is true. My four kids take an 8 hour drive to Moab without DVD as a really fun part of the trip, and that's exactly why we go as a family every time.

:clapsmile
Thats awesome. I think most dads have to play diplomat a little. keeping mom at bay long enough for the kids to have a little fun is part of the experience. keeping mom at bay long enough for you to join in is the trick :victory:
 

Nay

Observer
:clapsmile
Thats awesome. I think most dads have to play diplomat a little. keeping mom at bay long enough for the kids to have a little fun is part of the experience. keeping mom at bay long enough for you to join in is the trick :victory:

I'm so grateful to be out exploring that it's all good :coffeedrink:

Elephant Hill...the Joint Trail...big hike for little legs...

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All's well that ends well...

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Invertebrates hatching in desert potholes, what could be better?

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Especially with a killer sunset....

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Fun for Dad by definition :victory:

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JJBiggs

Supporting Sponsor | SEES
This is such a great thread. Thanks to all who have posted.

I grew up in the Northeast. Vermont to be exact. I grew up camping and experiencing nature from an early age. My family and I now live in the Southeast and we have two children. My girl is 4 and my boy is presently 5 months. When our girl was 2, we loaded up our Toyota FJ and headed to Great Smoky MT National Park for some camping. Her initiation lasted one night with a 2.5hr ride home (from elevation) with an ear infection. Overall, not a bad trip. It's time to get out again...

I am aching to do so.
 

john101477

Photographer in the Wild
Great photos. Nay you dang near have a full house there :) cute family for sure

yeah this is one of my favorite threads as well.
 

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