Family Secrets

Photos: Top Ten U.S. Rivers for Rafting

advertisement

GORP readers have pitched tents around the world with their families, everywhere from A (Alaska) to Z (Zion National Park), with stopovers in the Caribbean and New Zealand in between. How do we know? Because you told us in the GORP Family Forum, where parents get together to exchange ideas and advice about raising outdoor-loving kids.

Many of you are seasoned pros who think nothing of heading out no matter what the weather and regardless of the size and age of your brood.

Others, like Natasha of Gaithersburg, Maryland, are just getting started. While planning her family's first camping trip, she wrote: "We have no idea where to go or what to do. . . . Any ideas would be extremely appreciated."

Natasha isn't alone in her quest for family-tested information. Jeff Smart wanted to take his crew from Los Angeles to British Columbia, Montana, or Yellowstone and find "not . . . 'Disneyland' in the woods, just some helpful thoughts" about "kid-friendly campsites."

Our readers responded with loads of helpful hints:

Keep 'Em Fed and Singing
Jacqueline, for example, has many words of wisdom for first-time campers:

Stay away from the rinky-dink, populated campsites.

Pack trail snacks and plenty of water to keep your hikers happy.

Find good trail guides describing local trails.

Sing on the trail.

Let the kids lead.

Never let on that you are scared or lost; otherwise you will have a group of unhappy hikers.

Happy Campers
Jennifer and Alex Widom discovered that renting a camper can be a great help if you have an infant or a toddler. "When Tim was six months old we headed off to New Zealand and traveled by camper for two weeks. Renting a camper has turned out to be an excellent mode of travel with small children. You only need to unpack and pack once, your kitchen travels along with you, and children really enjoy the camper life."

Get the Best Gear You Can Afford
Several families shared equipment tips. Byron White of Charleston, South Carolina, recommends the purchase of top-quality tents, sleeping bags, and pads—"the best you can afford."

"The money you will save on maintenance [or replacement] will pay for the rest of your gear," he adds, "and probably a few trips to boot."

Worried about the dollars adding up? Don't buy everything at once. "There is always a piece of camping gear being given at Christmas in my family," Byron explains. "It is a lifelong education, but one of the most rewarding gifts you can give to yourself and your family!"

Make Sure Mom and Dad Get Sleep
Merrill Douglas stresses the need for parental comfort. "My husband and I started out with simple foam pads," she wrote, "but a couple of years ago we invested in a queen-sized blow-up mattress and an electric air pump that runs off the car battery."

Total investment: about $40, she concludes, adding, "It sure beats backaches."

Craft Your Own Gear
One ingenious mother, Lizlo Conner, used a down jacket to make a sleeping bag for her toddler.

"I tied a knot in each arm and pulled the neck draw cord tight. The waist draw cord then controlled the opening at the 'top.' [My daughter] stayed nice and cozy and [the jacket] didn't take up as much tent or packing space as a 'real' sleeping bag would have."

"When she got a little bigger I had to sew a bag for her," Lizlo reports, "but when she was a baby, the jacket worked just fine."