Instead the "firsts" we love to remember are the family activities. Welcome to our first family camping trip!! Camping with a baby presents new problems to be solved. My husband and I both love problem solving, figuring out a better way, and then finding success with a solution. Our camp site was a short hike away from the car (about 40 min gradual uphill). My husband carried Brynn in our Osprey hiking pack, I carried the rest of the supplies, Jackson carried his own gear plus card games, and zeke (yes our dog) carried his food and water for all of us.
This whole experience was a test run for a future trip that would be more nights, a farther hike, and no doubt overall just more intense. The hike to the site can be the most frustrating. Jackson is a "go at your own pace" kind of kid. He cannot be rushed. Brandon and I are both get there quick people. Jackson forces us to get creative with keeping him motivated and also forces us to enjoy the journey to get to the destination. Being a picture pirate (Running ahead of us so he could point out things for me to photograph) was one way we kept him moving. Another way was asking him to stay in front so Brynn could watch him (he loves to entertain her). You definitely must evaluate your expectations and realize you are training a new generation of outdoor lovers so you must focus on making it a positive experience over accomplishing your own adult geared goals.
Believe me if you want to test your ability to work together as a family, camp together. Everyone has a job and your success to build a fire, cook food, and set up camp depends on everyone doing their part. Brandon and I have dual camping down, camping with a family is still new and needs some refining. One thing we realized is someone has to be on baby duty the whole time. In our case we took turns depending on her eating schedule. Luckily, Jackson is getting to the age where he is becoming more useful. As a seven year old he is fascinated by a dancing fire, and although he burned himself 3 times before finally realizing fire can be dangerous, he was learning how and what in an environment that was safe. We were there to oversee...he is still alive. (when did we stop letting kids be kids anyway?)Sleeping arrangements can be tricky between the dog, the baby, and having sleeping bags rated for the temperatures predicted for the night. We dress in polyester to sleep and usually keep our base layers underneath. Brynn started out next to me in PJ's and her snowsuit but eventually because of her nightly feeding ended up in my sleeping bag with me, Brandon was next, then Jackson and Zeke slept on the extra material of his sleeping bag. It was a rough night for all of us. Between runny noses, sore backs, and the memory of a stupid bear attack movie I watched, none of us really got the sleep we needed. Even with the lack of sleep Id say this trip was still successful. Mostly because of what we learned!
Things we have figrued out:
-we have found a way to camp even more minimally
-our tent is literally the most awesome tent we have ever had (MSR pappa hubba ultralight tent)
-s'mores are a must when taking the whole family camping: use chocolate chip or fudge dipped cookies to limit how many ingredients you have to pack. That way you only need marshmallows and the cookies, no chocolate bars
Problems to be solved:
-Diapers... whether disposable or cloth they both present problems and you still have to carry the dirty ones with you.
-Osprey hiking carrier (at least this one) does not come with a sunroof (Deuter does) we also need to purchase a rain cover
-Jackson has asthma, we need a plan just in case he has an attack
How wonderful! And great photos. Would love to hear more about where you guys camped.
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