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Until April of this year, I had never been camping. This random fact might be surprising, but as much as I like the outdoors, I also enjoy hot showers and cozy beds.
These preferences of mine aren’t always affordable, and having not been to Back Creek in years, I finally agreed to camp there because I missed it so much. Jonny called it a practice run in preparation for a bigger camping trip he had planned for the following month.
I can’t remember now how long the drive was, maybe 3.5 hours? I liked that part. I am not sure that I’ve been away from home overnight since Ambrose was born. Can that be right? It felt sooooo good to be getting away. And when we finally passed the creek for the first time I actually had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t believe I was there!
We opted for primitive camping (of course) and weren’t really prepared for how far the parking lot was from the campsite. There were many trips made back and forth.
Jonny set up the tent right next to the creek so we could listen to it while we slept (didn’t sleep).
Not long after we zipped ourselves in to the tent for the night, we heard something large splash into the creek headed our way followed by another loud something joining it. Jonny crawled out of the tent with a flashlight, but the creatures got out of there before he could see what they were (deer, surely?) I started questioning camping at that point. I regretted not having googled “Is camping safe” before agreeing to sleep in a tent with my four youngest children in the middle of nowhere. I managed to convince myself that nothing could penetrate the tent as long as it was zipped up (ha!) but that didn’t help me sleep. The night was far colder than we had thought it would be and I was not prepared. The kids all seemed warm enough but I was freezing. I lay awake being very cold and needing to use the bathroom, only there wasn’t one, and I was afraid to leave the “very safe tent” to squat outside in the darkness. It was kind of a miserable night. If I slept at all, it was very little. But I will admit that I sort of liked the misery in some strange way. Maybe it just felt good to be proving that I could camp.
I was very glad for the sun to rise. Something that I rarely eat, but love very much, is breakfast cereal. I bought several varieties for our trip and was very happy to eat my cereal the following morning. We had a camp stove as well to cook bacon and eggs. That part was fun-ish, but not as fun as I had thought it would be. I think it was something about having a toddler into everything. My experience is admittedly limited to one overnight camping trip, but I don’t think that toddlers and camping are a great combination.
After breakfast, I crossed the creek and went exploring on my own for a bit. THERE WERE SO MANY WILDFLOWERS BLOOMING. I could hardly believe it. There were rare plants and flowers that I’d never seen outside of books and I ran back to get Jonny and the kids to show them. I think they thought it was all pretty cool, but they didn’t lose their minds like I did. I decided then and there that camping was worth it. I could shiver all night in a cold, damp tent next to a creek with wild animals plunging in all around me if it meant that I would get to see twinleaf and wild ginger.
Soon it was time to start the arduous task of packing up and getting everything back to the car. A friend told me later that you really have to camp for more than one night for it be worth it. I can think of quite a few other requirements to make camping worth it, but thankfully seeing rare wildflowers in the forest is one of them for me.
HOWEVER: I opted out of Jonny’s “bigger” camping trip. That one began with a seven mile bike ride and involved camping on the beach (and while I have been bicycling recently -will tell you more about that later-and could have handled it, I really didn’t want to, sand in the tent and all.) He’s crazy and took all of the younger kids including Ambrose. I stayed home and cleaned out our closet while watching a Masterpiece Theater miniseries. NO REGRETS.
I do plan to camp at Back Creek again later this summer to see what’s blooming. I will need a better something to sleep on. I’m too old and the air mattress was really not comfortable. If you have any camping tips, or things that make camping seem less like camping and more like staying in a hotel (ha!), please share!
p.s. There is goat milk soap, and Keats (who is home for the summer) is listing bird pins in my shop!
I’ve camped, and glamped with my children their whole lives, from three months of age onwards. You can be cosy and comfortable camping. Just choose what’s important to you.
Eg: I use those queen/double size air beds that fold into a sofa for the day. Throw on a rug and some pillows for a lovely spot to read a book in the afternoon. At night put a duvet under you as well as over. (A lot of heat escapes down)
Always take extra blankets.
For my babies I would make a little dam with rocks to the side of the river, to create a safe little pool area to enjoy the water while their older siblings played in the main river.
Garden solar lights dotted around your area make it easy to move around at night and give a homely feeling. Solar fairy lights strung around are gorgeous too. Always pitch your tent on a high area of the ground available in case the river rises.
Take special treats and yummy hot drinks for the evenings.
If you’ve boiled some water around dinner time, fill a thermos flask with any extra water, so later in the evening when the kids are asleep it’s all ready for the adults to make hot chocolate drinks, wrap up warm, watch shooting stars, and gaze at the galaxies.
If possible, camp for at least 3 nights so you have at least one whole day of waking, enjoying, and going to bed without any packing or unpacking. It’s magic
Ginny, what a fun read. Thank you.
I’ll let ya in on a little backpacking knowledge. You should have gotten up and went pee. You would be amazed at how much warmer you will sleep when your body doesn’t have to spend so much energy keeping a bladder full of pee at body temperature. When it could use that energy keeping itself warm instead.
Ginny,
You can see rare wildflowers and photograph them by hiking or just visiting parks.
I don’t think you have to like camping. To me, camping with my kids 30 years ago was like doing all the work that I did at home, but having to carry everything into the woods to do it. And then carry it back
I love nature. I love wildflowers. I love foraging. But not camping so much. Try to see what you gain or lose from the experience. Maybe it is a way that your kids and husband leave you at home for a peaceful quiet alone weekend?
Ginny I am not a camper. Further away from bugs the better. I have not been camping and have no desire to camp. Give me the indoors any time. The flowers are beautiful . Glad you did enjoy yourself.
Marion
Hi Ginny;
I am an indoor person. Never have been camping and do not want to go camping. Give me an air condition room or a cozy winter spot, That is my ideal situation.
Joan
I have never been camping. I hate bugs and heat. I go berserk when a bug gets into the house. I like my comforts of home. Glad you got to see the wildflowers.
Marilyn
Love your photos and loved the write-up!
I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum, I backpack and camp as often as I can, I spent 11 days in the high mountains of Colorado with 12 lb of gear in a monsoon season and loved it.
I thought I’d share some advice! If you were really cold at night, that might have been because you were camping right next to water, which made the air feel much colder because it was saturated with moisture. I’m guessing that your tent had a lot of condensation as well. You will feel much warmer if you camp in elevated areas where the cold damp air cannot pool.
Also, I want to echo another comment I read which is that everybody experiences and loves camping for different reasons. Find the things you love, and then love them deeply. Don’t let anybody shame you for experiencing nature the way you enjoy. A full queen size air mattress and tons of lanterns? Go for it. A thin piece of foam nestled under a tarp in the trees to feel really connected with nature? Also go for it!
I also have a point about wildlife, I still struggle with anxiety and fear when I sleep outside. But I have found over my many years two truths that help. 1) wildlife is skittish and wants to be left alone, which means that bear attacks are so so so rare, and you’re vastly more likely to have problems with squirrels. Deer sound huge in the night, but they are just deer. 2) Earplugs are the best! Put them in, snuggle up in your sleeping bag, and drift off to sleep happy. They really help decrease the noise anxiety.
It’s wonderful that your exposing your kids to the outdoors in this way. Some of my best memories were on trips just like the one you described and it led to a lifelong love of the outdoors that has made me discover who I am in a deeply fulfilling way that I never could have predicted.
I hope your next trip has just as many wildflowers!!
I am so happy for you and the wildflowers. I can see how one night of misery is worth it for the wildflowers. I agree with that. Otherwise, camping is also not for me. It just sounds miserable with small children. And all the packing and unpacking, especially food….its hard enough to plan for meals here at home with a fridge and stove, etc. Jus thinking about food for 10 in ice chests and packages, I dont know….its just too much at the moment. You survived it and got some lovely pictures!
REI and luminaid are 2 fabulous resources. REI for gear and clothes (they have an outlet and used gear). luminaid makes wonderful virtually indestructible solar powered camping lamps. Flat packable and double as usb chargers.
Our first camping trip it rained a ton and I was coming down with a wicked sinus infection but we still had fun. My kids are 18 mos – 10y.
It’s worth the memories to try. Ample padding and a good sleeping bag, wool clothes, hat, and socks, and good rain gear (biddleandbop or fairechild) can take you far.
My kids use a portable sound machine. I know it sounds silly to do that when in nature but it helped them (and me) sleep feeling a little safer from the outside noise.
A folding camping high chair is great for parking a tot and also helpful at picnics and other outdoor venues.
We use my cast iron pans for cooking, everyone has their own mess-kit for eating, and have thermos mugs for tea and coffee, and enamel ware that we use for every day at home makes things feel nicer than plastic ware (less waste and saves $$ long-term) Hot breakfast makes things so much better and farm eggs don’t need refrigeration for a long time. My goal is to hike-camp on fire island some day. But right we now we recognize that things like vault toilets are a really nice thing to have. Work up to it.
My single most “expert” advice is: camping is different for everyone. Find what works for you to make it enjoyable and don’t let shame or fear stop you from trying or communicating your limits with those you are camping with. You can (or not) stretch over time. At the worst everyone is miserable and you learn from it, or at the best it’s fantastic. Either way you have the memories. Of course I don’t really have a choice, camping is the way we afford to go on holiday, so I am figuring out hot to make it work for me and be realistic about what we can do. And over time as the kids and I learn and grow this skill it’ll change.
I am learning how to camp with kids from a friend who’s kids ages alternate with ours. Of course they have a tiny trailer they sleep and store stuff in so that makes a huge difference. So we are camping together and I think it makes it more fun for everyone.
Ginny…I have over 60yrs.of Gear Experience. I am a 1970 N.C.OutwardvBound grad, with 22 years as a Rock Climber. I ordered 3 pads off Walmart.com at $30 tops. They stayed inflated for months testing. To hell with $200 camping pads !! Try the Trekology @$40… Great reviews. SABLE pad was $25 & 5″ thick!! 3″ is minimum required imo. Find Dixie’s videos…she’s a Triple Crowner, & has tons of advice, & an infectious spirit !! An ENO light string is nice in the tent ! Coleman Butane stove for cooking…more like a home burner…Flat & it simmers well. MSR Pocket Rocket for Backpacking. Use a map& compass & Gazeteer…Teach them. Ciao. Raymond
I used to go camping a lot more often when I was younger, but not so much in the past twenty years. Outdoor oriented hostels are a top choice when traveling. It’s just so tough to keep up with camping gear.
Although there was that one time ten years ago when I just wanted to get away. I set up a hasty campsite with a hammock but without a tarp. The neighboring campsite had a noisy party and I got really annoyed. Then it rained at midnight and I abandoned my campsite to get back into my car. I used a red lense flashlight and took a wrong turn. So I walked for twenty minutes and got completely lost. I laid down under a tree and wondered how I got there. I was pretty scared. But then I heard the partying neighbors again and I realized they were not far away. I sure was glad to hear them that second time. It’s funny how one single circumstance completely changed my attitude.
If the weather is excellent, it can make a big difference. 25 years ago, I slept outside under the sky every night for six weeks during late springtime. It gave me a lot of insight and I realized I prefer solitude instead of relying on a warped community.
It isn’t necessarily about misery. A hundred days surviving is better than one single day in captivity, they say.
This is such a funny post Ginny! I’ve read parts out to my husband and we both laughed a lot. Well done for braving the experience. I reckon with some adjustments you will maybe quite enjoy it. (I’m not a camper and write this from a holiday apartment in West Cornwall!)
Hi Ginny, ha, I get it! I feel very ambivalent about camping as well. When I was a child, I absolutely loved it and part of me still does. Being in nature all day every day feels wonderful to me. However… I also get extremely cold at night, and I need some degree of comfort ;). I second everything Lynette said, as well as Kathy’s sleeping pad recommendation. Those pads may not look very comfortable, but if you get a good one they feel infinitely better than an air mattress.
I also recommend wearing wool to bed if it’s extremely cold (socks! Sweaters! Hats!) and leaving shoes outside or in one specific corner of the tent on a plastic bag to keep things moderately dry and clean inside (check shoes for bugs in the morning).
If there are bears in your area, hang food in a closed bag in a tree at some distance from where you are when you go to sleep.
I do hope you will go camping again…I find it really is worth it in the end :).
PS. I’m impressed you went with four little kids…and that Jonny went with all of them, too! That’s next-level camping, haha.
I like Lynette’s comments. I’ve been camping exactly one night with my kids – who are all graduated now; I was coming down with something and sharing the campsite with a bossy relative. Terrible experience but I deeply regret not getting my boys out camping. I hope they will take it up and can enjoy it for years to come.
I do love your trillium picture. Nature photography is a wonder-full experience!
Hi Ginny,
I have used a therma rest mat for camping.Now that I am older I put a couple of blue foam mats under that.I bring my usual pillow if we are car camping.(not trekking off into the wild!and having to carry everything.)Choose a warm enough sleeping bag or add a blanket/sheet inside.
If you don’t allow any food inside(no smells) and keep your campsite clean you don’t need to worry about animals.Unless you are camping where bears have been a problem.Tiny animals can seem like much bigger ones in the dark.
Keep trying ,you will get used it as you gain soon experience.Beautiful photos!
When we’re camping I always wear wool socks and a hooded sweatshirt with my pajamas — also sometimes a stocking cap under the hood of my sweatshirt; I usually stay warm that way. Enjoyed hearing about your first camping trip 🙂
Also, the wildflower photos are gorgeous!
Hi,
I do love camping and have done so since I was a child, with my parents. Everyone finds different setups comfortable – I was excited to try cots and found them miserably uncomfortable, same for foam pads. The only way I have been warm and comfortable is with a good (unfortunately that means expensive 😟) air mattress, blanket on top of that to block drafts, and then a warm sleeping bag and a pillow.
We definitely have had some nights that were not so restful lol, such as the one where something large wandered around the campsite while our dog (who normally barked at everything) huddled between us trembling and refused to make a sound. Or the night when our son was about a year old, and the same dog got loose from where my husband had tied him, and managed to get sprayed by a skunk in the 60 seconds before he came back to the campsite….
But all camping memories are cherished eventually!
You really have an “eye” for photography! Your photos are a work of art. Beautiful.,
I laughed out loud at your descriptions of your event. What an adventure. I agree that seeing those wildflowers made it worthwhile. Kudos to Jonny for taking the children by himself, even Ambrose. I hope you will share with us how they fared.
God bless your family.
P.S. I’ve missed hearing from you. 😘
Dear Ginny, this is such an entertaining post! I loved your descriptions of camping and completely agree with them! 🙂
Thanks so much, Ginny! I laughed and laughed at your reflection on people who like camping as “kind of love being miserable!” I have always thought that myself! I guess one positive thing would be coming home and really appreciating what you have and generally take for granted.
Sleep in smart wool socks. Or fleece socks. An extra blanket or two just to be safe. Tarp under the tent to stop a bit of the chill/damp from the floor of the tent. Self inflating sleep pad for under your sleeping bag. And plenty of hot coffee in the morning!!!
Camping is not really my thing, either, and this was before I relied on regular charging so I could hear! 🙂 I do like staying in cabins (with running water) and enjoying nature that way, but tent camping is something I last did as a Brownie, and that time in my life is well, well past. 🙂
Hi I love camping. I use a tent for longer stays at one place. I’m too old to do it without a cot and warm blankets but I have forgotten a pillow or two. I have a tent that is a pop up with a high roof. My morkies sleep in a crate next to the cot. I actually use the top as a night stand..for my battery lamp. I have a class c tiny home . 23′ for ca my ping on the go. It fits standard parking places and doesn’t have any pop outs. We travel well in it as it is complete with kitchen generator and bathroom. Very easy to use. And for long time me stays in one spot I have a 29′ 5th wheel that is my basic home. She goes between land in Idaho in the summer and in my daughter’s back yard to live in at the holidays. It is all predicated on what you feel most comfortable for you and your family. Try putting up the tent in your yard first before going on the road with it. Then you will have a better idea of what to take with. Ps just remember to take changes if CV nothing to suit the length of the tripLOL.
I bought a cot by Eureka that is almost bed height and folds down into a rectangle in a carry bag. No need for additional cushioning. Talk about a life changer. I am now 71 and still get invited to camp with my daughter and granddaughter. I will only consider going if I can bring the cot!
Thank you! I am going to look that cot up!
When my daughter was a child, I always thought of camping as doing all the same things I did at home, but under adverse conditions. Two years ago, I went on my first “glamping” trip — tent with a wood floor, double beds and a toilet and shower building for every 8-10 campsites. I’m looking forward to doing it again.
I must say, Ginny, that for ‘not liking’ camping, your flower pictures are outstanding. What a thrill to see and capture such a variety!
Hints:
1. Prep as much food as possible at home, and bring it ready to cook. Chop onions, shred cheese, slice bread. This makes mealtime prep and cooking go MUCH faster!
2. Forget the air mattress…they’re awful! Get a closed cell foam sleeping pad, and a good sleeping bag rated for the minimum temperature you expect to camp in.
3. Get a Wise Owl Outfitters camping pillow (available on Amazon). I tried for year to sleep on extra clothes in a bundle, my bundled socks, nothing at all, and I NEVER SLEPT! I need a pillow, and these stuff into a very small stuff sack.
4. Also get Wise Owl Outfitters hammocks, preferably for everyone in the family! Their hammocks come in adult single, double and kids sizes. The kids hammocks are called “owlet” size!
Hammocks are wonderful for daytime napping, and also for sleeping at night, if the bugs aren’t eating you up. They also make a wonderful place for a mama and nursing baby to feed…wonderful!
We are a camping family, and I can tell you what my favorite part is: being able to go someplace away from congestion, roads, traffic noise, and so many people! Both of our children had their first birthdays on camping trips, and it was great. Our son was crawling, so I covered both his arms and legs, over his warm clothes, with adult tube socks! That at least kept him partially clean by changing the socks frequently!
Maybe part of the love of camping comes from growing up in a camping family, as my husband and I both did. And I cannot tell you the thrill it is for me to watch our son’s family go camping now…their first trip of tent camping was when their twins were 2! And now, at age 6, the twins constantly tell me how they want to go camping again.
We camp, we hike, we bike…and our grandchildren would rather play outside than anywhere else. What a blessing to be in God’s creation instead of glued to a screen!!!
Ginny, one other thing: wear a stocking hat to bed!!! It will keep you so much warmer having your head covered! Enjoy!
Thank you, Lynette!!! I had this feeling while we were camping that there must be people out there who know how to camp properly-and I just needed their advice! Camping done well is surely a lot more enjoyable than camping by novices. Of course, my kids and Jonny love camping-I just have to get it figured out for myself. I will start by looking for a foam sleeping mat!
We drive across the US every summer to get to my family reunion. I was determined to save money this year and camp…now I’m really re-thinking my plan. 🙂 I have a similar aged littlest one…hmm… Your photos are gorgeous as always.
I’m sorry for discouraging you! Read Lynette’s comment and be encouraged that you can do it!