Camping

When you raise the subject of camping, it is amazing the different pictures that pop into different minds. Some are thinking of campgrounds filled w/ R.V's and Pop-ups w/ full amenities, pools and playgrounds. Others imagine day long hikes to the "middle- of -no -where" with only bologna sandwiches to eat for 3 days. If there is a middle ground.......that's where you will find us.

When Race and I were first married, we camped with the barest necessities, making new roads in his 4wd pick-up, and hiking long distances. Then we had Austin. When he was only 6 months old, we took him on his first camping trip. We did it the way that we had always done it.

Foolishly, Race talked me into camping one time when I was 5 months pregnant. We did not camp for a long time after that! All of those bathroom trips in the middle of the night!! ARGH!! I thought that the tent zipper was going to wear out.

We have funny pictures of us with each of the kids in different back-pack style carriers, in various places. When Jack was 3 and 1/2 he hiked 2+ miles with us straight up to the falls. He wasn't about to let us carry him!

We tent camped, one year all the way to Maine...and back. The entire trip cost less than $300, which we had to SAVE for! (Our most memorable trip yet).

Needless to say, over the years, we have had to adapt and change our camping to best meet the needs of our family. We have become pretty efficient at it. I wanted to put it all here, so that I could preserve some of the stuff that I am bound to forget over the years. This is how WE camp:

We avoid campgounds when tent camping. We find a place that we can drive into, usually beside the river. Our state and area is chock full of these places, so it's not hard to do. We take 3 containers with us.

Old Milk Crate:
hatchet, batteries, extra bulbs for lantern, Lantern, wet wipes, lighter fluid, lighters, matches, coffee pot, pot holder, grill top, insect repellant, tent sealer, tent tape, hammer, nails, 5/50 chord, rubber mallet, clothes pins and first aid kit. This crate is never unpacked, it is just stored in the shed.

Mid-size rubbermaid container:
All non-refridgerated food items. garlic salt, salt and pepper, paper towels, small cutting board, knife, olive oil, coffee, creamer, trash bags, tin plates/cups, extra plastic ware, cooking utensils etc. Only the perishables are unpacked from this crate, it is stored in the shed.

Large cooler:
Obviously for items that need refridgeration. Always includes: eggs, bacon, butter, steaks, sour cream, drinks and then whatever else.

We now have 1 cast iron skillet, 2 tents, 5 sleeping bags, 5 back packs ( each kid gets underthings, swim attire,1 pr shorts,1 pr long pants,1 t-shirt, 1 sweat shirt, and a pr. of socks (this is where the clothes pins and 5/50 chord come in)) We have 5 blow up mattress pads, because you will be sleeping on one giant rock( these are those little thin things that you blow air into, but they roll up nice and tight when you are packing up). I pack a few extra fleece blankets( again, they roll up really tight and don't take up much room but you are really glad to have them if you need them), and a few camp chairs. Race and I are usually the only ones to use the chairs. The kids are always scampering all over, and then when they do want to sit down, they usually just pull up the nearest boulder! Sometimes we take a bag of charcoal, and sometimes we rely on wood only, depending on where we are going. We also pack a few small guide books into the kids packs: Stars, Plants, and Rocks are the three titles for this trip. Race takes care of the compass( of course his watch has a compass AND a G.P.S. (not kidding) and numerous , various weapons ;-).

I suspect we will begin more backpacking-type camping trips now that the kids are getting older. The military taught Race to loathe anything even resembling an M.R.E., so he is not big on the "Only what you can carry on your back" type trips!! But he has set a goal to begin hiking the Appalachian trail w/ Austin, a bit at a time. Sort of a rite-of-passage- type of thing.

So, there you have it. I am looking forward to our camping trip. We will head out early, stopping by the food store for a few bags of ice for the coolers. We will be by ourselves under the stars tomorrow night, listening to the rushing river beside us, with a pot of coffee on the campfire. If you come by, bring your own camp chair or just pull up a boulder. I'll even let you have my tin coffee cup!

Thank-you, Race, for showing us how to camp!