Family Secrets

Photos: Top Ten U.S. Rivers for Rafting

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Teach the Wonder of the Wild
Another parent praises Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature and Survival for Children, which contains games and activities that teach serious lessons in the wild. As this reader notes, "It will enhance a hiking experience to learn something new each time you go out, and the more kids are involved, the happier they all are!"

Tom Brown is the author of numerous outdoors field guides and a renowned tracker who runs a wilderness survival school in Asbury, New Jersey. Another of his books you shouldn't miss is The Tracker, a mesmerizing memoir of Brown's childhood and the outdoors.

Where and When to Go
For families looking for extra adventure, Raiija of Juneau, Alaska, recommends llama trekking and kayaking excursions.

Whether you want to know where to go (Susan says the camping is wonderful at Cinnamon Bay Campgrounds and Maho Bay Campgrounds on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands) or when to go (Robin Scheel says beat the crowds by traveling in June before schools are out), GORP readers are in the know.

Learn It as You Go—Just Go
A final word from David A. Melchior: "Everyone will have something different to tell you, and if you listen to them all, you will bring so much stuff, it will ruin your trip."

"You figure it out as you go," he advises. "Start simple and go somewhere close by. Then if you've forgotten something really important, you can go home easily. Then just do and learn. . . . But you will learn, and that's half the fun of camping."

Byron White, our reader from Charleston, South Carolina, is more than ready to learn. He and his wife are expecting their first child anytime now, and the couple plans to start camping as soon as possible.

"Many of our friends think it cannot be done with small children," Byron writes, "so we want to prove them wrong."

Good luck, Byron, and a big welcome to your little family camping bundle.

What about your own family's camping trips? What's your favorite equipment? Tell us about your best and worst adventures. What advice do you have for others?