A Swell outing in the San Rafael

[calicamper]

When my oldest was three months old we took her camping for the first time. Then when she was six month old we took her on her first backpack trip. We took both girls backpacking carrying their own water when they were 5 and 7. We take them all camping several nights a year. Sometimes we tent it, sometimes we take a camp trailer, and like this trip, sometimes we sleep in the truck. Last year we went into the dollhouse in CLNP and my girls did a great job surviving a sand storm in their own tent. The next day they, (7, 10, 12) completed an 8 mile hike down into the Maze. Not only was I amazed, but all those on the trip seemed impressed. This summer we are planning a month traveling to Alaska and back. Most of this trip will be tent camping, we might get the occasional room if we feel we can afford it.

I was like that with my parents carried in via backpack before I was walking on a few trips. Today wife and I don't have the time to go camping and the idea of taking the time to go and having to turn around and come home sick kid etc we just opt not to go. However now that both kids talk, walk are potty trained and can tell us if they aren't feeling hot its a different story. Were more willing to book the time to go knowing we'll have a good trip and enjoy it.

 

[1leglance]

Thanks for taking your son outdoors and spending time with him...
For too many people a short trip like this isn't worth it since as adults we have a different time perception than kids...for your son you made a ton of great memories.

Keep taking all your kids into the outdoors as much as you can...they will be grown faster than you know (mine are 25 & 16)

 

[JCMatthews]

I was like that with my parents carried in via backpack before I was walking on a few trips. Today wife and I don't have the time to go camping and the idea of taking the time to go and having to turn around and come home sick kid etc we just opt not to go. However now that both kids talk, walk are potty trained and can tell us if they aren't feeling hot its a different story. Were more willing to book the time to go knowing we'll have a good trip and enjoy it.

Last summer I took the kids to a little campground less than an hour from home. In the middle of the night, my 12 year old daughter woke me to inform me that she had barfed all over the inside of my tent. The trip turned into a lesson on how to pack in the middle of the night keeping what is clean clean and getting puke wiped up with limited resources. Saturday was a lesson on how to clean thermorests and my tent. Sometimes things just don't go the way they were planed.