Who camps with kids?

[old_man]

After doing an OB outing, I was surprised the number of young kids. I think there were 15 kids under 12. I enjoyed them but is that normal. How about everybody chime in and say where they are from and if they camp with young kids and how many.

 

[Anak]

The Varmints are a big part of why I camp. Get them out of the house so they can break mother nature instead.

Varmint #1 is getting to the point I maybe shouldn't call him a kid anymore. He is almost as tall as me, and possibly eats more.

But all three of them still love to take off exploring. Wherever there is a ridge they have to go see what is on the other side.

 

[Daryl 32]

Our Kids are grown - but once a year or so we have family camping where our under 5yrs of age grandchildren come.

Great times - just more attention needed to keep them safe.

 

[WAYAWAY]

These 2 monkeys
They are 11 and 15 now.

 

[Big Easy Overland]

When my son was a Cub Scout there would be dozens of under 12 kids in the group campground. Now that he's a scout that number is maybe a dozen of the younger siblings including my 10 year old daughter.

 

[RoarinRow]

I take them where ever I go for as long as they want to lol. Could be a couple more years until they don't want to hang out with 'dad'. Gotta take advantage while I can.

 

[Ghost]

I take them where ever I go for as long as they want to lol. Could be a couple more years until they don't want to hang out with 'dad'. Gotta take advantage while I can.

Exactly this!

I go solo a lot but as a family our daughters 7 & 11 go with us when it fits into their schedule. Between school, sports, and horses, they stay pretty busy.

 

[RoarinRow]

Exactly this!

I go solo a lot but as a family our daughters 7 & 11 go with us when it fits into their schedule. Between school, sports, and horses, they stay pretty busy.

I hear ya! my youngest is 6 and twins will be 10 this Wednesday. I am guessing by 13 years old they may change their tune on 'dad's' adventures lol.

 

[AJK2015]

I just finished a 12 day trip from NH to South Dakota and back with my wife and 2 girls. Oldest is turning 4 in August , youngest is turning 2 in October. The route we took was about 6000 miles, and camped in a Roof Top Tent for 12 nights. They loved it, and I hope to get them outdoors more often. We live in a city so every chance I can we do something outdoors (lake, camping, bike rides).

 

[Ghost]

I will add if the kids are going along make sure your first aid kit is well stocked since being kids they may not always make the best decisions :) Our trip yesterday ended early and turned into a 2 hour trip down a forest service road to Urgent Care when my oldest ripped off a toenail and lacerated her foot on some Lava rock. A well stocked first aid kit got things cleaned up and stabilized until a doctor could treat it. She is fine and managed to walk the 1/4 mile back to the rig without shedding a tear. She was actually more concerned if she could ride her horse at the fair next week than losing the nail.

 

[yj4roks]

We do! 3 kids who have grown up camping! My middle child seriously learned to walk on the Rubicon Trail! Two are grown and mostly doing their own thing...my 15 year old loves to camp and he usually brings buddies. Two of them have learned to drive stick in the desert during "desert season". I love that my teenage kids still want to hang with us and go camping and wheeling.

 

[Ghost]

I hear ya! my youngest is 6 and twins will be 10 this Wednesday. I am guessing by 13 years old they may change their tune on 'dad's' adventures lol.

As much as my wife and I joke about “when you kids move out” there is honestly no one I’d rather be on an “adventure” with than my kids. While it’s really cool for me as a Dad I know that for them it’s making memories that they will have long after I’m gone.

 

[rho]

We only have one, but he makes it out to most of our trips!

 

[JimInBC]

Our son 9, goes with me on all my trips. Last spring break out to Duluth through the US and back home through Canada, just him and I. Summer 3 weeks in BC mountains Alberta and back on Vancouver Island for the last week, all 3 of us. He and I back pack paddle and head down the dirt roads. My wife comes along on the trips where the truck carries the load. Would not trade it.
There are also about 6-8 times a year I wrangle between 15 -20 Vub scouts on camp outs. I am part of a great team of Scouters that make that happen.

 

[PCO6]

Not any more! I used to be a Scout Leader and there were kids every where … but that was kind of the point. I want to say "too may to count" as the survey says but counting them was very important. We used to joke that it would be bad to lose one and almost as bad if we came back with one more!

 

[ZFrick]

Our 9yr old son loves comming our with us- as long as download a movie or show for when he’s board 4 hours into the drive.

 

[Ghost]

Our 9yr old son loves comming our with us- as long as download a movie or show for when he’s board 4 hours into the drive.

My oldest is 11 and while she would rather be hiking a trail than driving is always looking for Elk, deer, bear, or asking the names of mountains & lakes. Our youngest being 7 is still in the “are we there yet?” mode and wondering why her Pad isn’t working or what to eat. My solution is usually powering down her window and telling her to see if she can find a Sasquatch. No luck yet?

 

[ZFrick]

My oldest is 11 and while she would rather be hiking a trail than driving is always looking for Elk, deer, bear, or asking the names of mountains & lakes. Our youngest being 7 is still in the “are we there yet?” mode and wondering why her Pad isn’t working or what to eat. My solution is usually powering down her window and telling her to see if she can find a Sasquatch. No luck yet?

Haha- he does well for the most part. it’s nice to have a movie on hand though.

 

[JimInBC]

Our 9yr old son loves comming our with us- as long as download a movie or show for when he’s board 4 hours into the drive.

Our son listens to books on phone when he has had enough of the getting to the fun roads. He gets car sick when he reads or has a screen.

 

[Billy "Poserlander" Badly]

My almost 3 year old LOVES camping. We took her on her first trip when she was 7 months old, and we've gone as much as possible since then (which means we've gone nowhere near as often as I really want!)

Now, any time we're driving somewhere and she sees so much as a tree and some bushes next to the road/highway, she says "that would be a perfect place to go camping!" She's not very discerning yet, but the instinct is good.

Camping with a kid is way different than it was pre-child, and it would be fair to say that it's no longer the relaxing, contemplative affair it once was (at least while she's still so young). Still, watching her experience nature with such wide-eyed wonder and enthusiasm is worth all the hassle. Beer helps too...