Pathfinder II
Are you a family overlander? If so, what are some tips and tricks you use to keep the peace when you're on an adventure, miles from the comforts and distractions of modern day life?
I have a two-year-old daughter who keeps us on our toes. Thankfully she is a great little traveler, mostly due to her early experiences on the road in and the air. You learn really quick that clever distraction is a lot easier on the blood pressure than corrective action. And while my preference is for her to enjoy the simpler things in life, the iPad has been an essential part of our kit. We keep it hidden and only use it as a last resort once traditional methods such as books, coloring, magnedoodle, and Frozen soundtrack karaoke has been exhausted.
We usually try and keep the content fresh, especially for long trips, by downloading a few new episodes for her to watch of her favorite shows (currently it's Blaze and the Monster Machines... she makes her daddy proud!).
We have also started to phase in some educational apps to give her a jump start on the alphabet and numbers which she is beginning to really enjoy.
Once we are out of the rig to set up camp, the iPad disappears again and I try to involve her in the task as much as I can. We are blessed with a very helpful kid and so far there's no shortage of enthusiasm to help. Naturally this increases set up time, but it's why we're out there; to invest time in our family while enjoying all creation.
Overlanding with the wife has prompted several adjustments as well. While I can do as the bears... @MamaBear prefers a comfortable perch in a bit of privacy. Enter the luggable loo and Browning privacy tent:
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a game changer. To quote the wife, "...you've changed camping for me!"
I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy studying the trail map during my morning constitution. There's even a pouch for them in the tent... just sayin'.
The next item that has really helped make family life on the trail more enjoyable is the hot water kit by Zodi:
While I can go days without a shower when I'm in mountain man mode, MamaBear prefers the "look" over the actual essence. Now everyone is different, but with my wife a fresh shower goes a long way to keeping her rested and ready for another day on the trail.
Proper tent size is another thing to consider. While I can survive in a pup-tent or small dome, this quickly becomes an issue if you have to retreat from the inevitable rain shower. Having extra room for the toddlers to play in will help keep the peace even though it seems like wasted space. Also, being able to stand up to dress is another benefit of the larger tents. The newer designs actually aren't much harder to set up than the smaller tents these days.
And finally, sleeping surfaces. Do you want to test your marriage? Leave your air mattress at home on your next trip and sleep on a drought stricken desert floor. I did. It was AWESOME...
After that episode (truth be told, she handled it well!) I ordered an upgrade to the lumpy Coleman queen size mattress that liked to leaked and went with the Fox Airbed in a king size since the cub likes to sleep with us while camping. Honestly, this thing sleeps better than our mattress at home. Just be sure you have an inverter to run the 120V built-in pump.
I want to stress that none of this is a requirement for your overlanding kit. Everyone is different and everyone has different comfort levels. I just wanted to start this thread for folks looking for ideas to make things more inviting for the family.
Maybe some of these items will help you get on the trails more often if your wife and kids know they will get a good nights rest, or wake up to a hot shower. Experiment, build the kit that fits you and your budget. Do whatever it takes to get out there with your family, because the memories you make on the trail are priceless.
I have a two-year-old daughter who keeps us on our toes. Thankfully she is a great little traveler, mostly due to her early experiences on the road in and the air. You learn really quick that clever distraction is a lot easier on the blood pressure than corrective action. And while my preference is for her to enjoy the simpler things in life, the iPad has been an essential part of our kit. We keep it hidden and only use it as a last resort once traditional methods such as books, coloring, magnedoodle, and Frozen soundtrack karaoke has been exhausted.
We usually try and keep the content fresh, especially for long trips, by downloading a few new episodes for her to watch of her favorite shows (currently it's Blaze and the Monster Machines... she makes her daddy proud!).
We have also started to phase in some educational apps to give her a jump start on the alphabet and numbers which she is beginning to really enjoy.
Once we are out of the rig to set up camp, the iPad disappears again and I try to involve her in the task as much as I can. We are blessed with a very helpful kid and so far there's no shortage of enthusiasm to help. Naturally this increases set up time, but it's why we're out there; to invest time in our family while enjoying all creation.
Overlanding with the wife has prompted several adjustments as well. While I can do as the bears... @MamaBear prefers a comfortable perch in a bit of privacy. Enter the luggable loo and Browning privacy tent:
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a game changer. To quote the wife, "...you've changed camping for me!"
I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy studying the trail map during my morning constitution. There's even a pouch for them in the tent... just sayin'.
The next item that has really helped make family life on the trail more enjoyable is the hot water kit by Zodi:
While I can go days without a shower when I'm in mountain man mode, MamaBear prefers the "look" over the actual essence. Now everyone is different, but with my wife a fresh shower goes a long way to keeping her rested and ready for another day on the trail.
Proper tent size is another thing to consider. While I can survive in a pup-tent or small dome, this quickly becomes an issue if you have to retreat from the inevitable rain shower. Having extra room for the toddlers to play in will help keep the peace even though it seems like wasted space. Also, being able to stand up to dress is another benefit of the larger tents. The newer designs actually aren't much harder to set up than the smaller tents these days.
And finally, sleeping surfaces. Do you want to test your marriage? Leave your air mattress at home on your next trip and sleep on a drought stricken desert floor. I did. It was AWESOME...
After that episode (truth be told, she handled it well!) I ordered an upgrade to the lumpy Coleman queen size mattress that liked to leaked and went with the Fox Airbed in a king size since the cub likes to sleep with us while camping. Honestly, this thing sleeps better than our mattress at home. Just be sure you have an inverter to run the 120V built-in pump.
I want to stress that none of this is a requirement for your overlanding kit. Everyone is different and everyone has different comfort levels. I just wanted to start this thread for folks looking for ideas to make things more inviting for the family.
Maybe some of these items will help you get on the trails more often if your wife and kids know they will get a good nights rest, or wake up to a hot shower. Experiment, build the kit that fits you and your budget. Do whatever it takes to get out there with your family, because the memories you make on the trail are priceless.
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