Outdoor Adventure USA

I grew up camping, my dad used to take us to the Sierras when we were kids, I was in the boy scouts and went camping a lot. When I was in my 20's I got married and my wife never seemed interested in camping and I didn't have any equipment or time so I fell out of it. Now I'm in my 30's with two kids and I want to start taking my kids out like my dad did when I was growing up. They are both girls, 4 and 7, so I think they are old enough.

I tried broaching the subject with my wife and she's not too into the idea. She's a girly girl but I think if we ease into it she would enjoy the sights and watching the kids get their exploration in.

Right now I am going to start going solo and making sure I remember what I am doing and that I have all the equipment I need to make sure they are comfortable. Then I plan to pitch the tent inside and get the daughters used to it. Not sure where to go from here.

Any advice appreciated!

Try renting a motorhome and going to a KOA or other established campground. This will give them a taste of what it is like to be a little ways away from civilization. Play family games at night in the motorhome and have a campfire going. They will start to see that this is indeed a unique experience and one they will want to do again.

Gradually work up to the tent camping. That's a big shock for someone who didn't do it as a kid.

I've taken my kids camping since they were born, so it was natural for them to enjoy the outdoors. We went to the Sequoias two years ago, and my kids were hiking the trails without a word of complaining. They loved it! The adults that didn't do much hiking before were the ones that were complaining. So, your girls (I have two girls and a boy) will probably like it before your wife does, but she'll come around eventually.

Your girls are old enough for sure. My son is 3 1/2 and he loves the "Green Hotel" (our tent is green). But then again he has been camping (and overlanding) since he was 10 weeks old.

As to your wife...

If she is really just not into it, I would not force the issue. Camping is not for everyone.

A couple ideas to maybe get her to try it:
One night only to start. If you want a multi day trip alternate motels and camping.
Make the camping as easy as possible. You do all the planning/cooking/packing etc etc
Car camp at first. A place with at least pit if not flush toilets and maybe even a coin op shower
Have meals be "nice". Something similar to what you would eat at home. Not just crappy camp food (unless that is what you eat at home).

Oh and one more idea...

When you see events or trips posted here ask if wife/kids will be attending. If she knows that other wives (or female participants) will be around at camp that may help as well.

To meet others in the group, be sure to come to the next Meet & Greet. The next one will be October 16 at the Bass Pro Shop in Rancho Cucamonga.

Thanks for the ideas. Are you all no longer doing the Ricky & Ronnie's Cruise-In Diner meets?

The Meet & Greets are not regular events at this time. The next Meet and Greet is at Bass Pro Shops on October 16 because the weekly on-air net will originate from that location. We felt it would be a good idea to have a Meet and Greet before the net.

OMG........i just write a big post with info and somehow it didnt post. ok.......i'll start again......UGHHHHHH as a chick myself........here are a few pointers that i hope will help:

- make sure the first time you go there are nice showers and bathrooms! pick and reserve a campground close to that area. especially with 2 girls. she'll love you for it. also purchase some of those small travel bottles and fill them with her shampoo/conditioner/shower gel.......bring wash cloths/towels.

-remember the bug spray.......we hate bugs!

-i'd suggest getting some nicer/more expensive cots to sleep on. we tried the blow up mattres route and hated it. hubby has a really nice cot that he bought from cabelas that he uses when he goes on his hunting excursions......but when camping I USE THE GOOD ONE and it makes the world of differance when you can sleep on something comfortable.

-tent.......yes gentleman....its true.......SIZE DOES MATTER. make sure you have a big enough tent to be able to stand up in and comfortably fit your 4 cots and still move between and about. it makes a big differance! the first few times camping we had a small tent and i hated life. nothing worse then changing a kid or getting dressed while all scrunched over! you dont have to spend alot of money. we bought ours at k-mart on sale.

-try to make it a vacation for her. you do all the cookin',grillin' and cleaning while she relaxes and reads a book, plays with the girls, sips on a nice glass of wine. we sometimes feel like we have to do it all.

-start telling her she looks good in hats! camping and bad hair days go hand in hand. go to REI and pick out some really cool hats.

-bring games to play and never forget the smores!!

-camp out in your yard a few times. you'll have the comforts of home yet still having fun in the tent. its a great way to break everyone in. we occassionally still camp in our yard.

-and then theres always that "DREADED TIME OF THE MONTH". never ask us to go camping during "that time" and dont expect us to go camping during "that time". we are evil then and will make your life miserable so if possible plan ahead!

i think thats all i have for now. if i can think of anything else i will add it. i never liked camping and never went camping as a kid (but hubby did). as i get older (and after getting the FJ and getting off the beaten path some)......i have grown older and wiser and cherish the times camping with family now. our 8 year old son loves it. its alot of work..i hate dirt and bugs........but its all worth it. hats off to you for trying to make their camping experience a good one! have fun.

BoBoNel wrote:- make sure the first time you go there are nice showers and bathrooms!

-i'd suggest getting some nicer/more expensive cots to sleep on.

-tent....make sure you have a big enough tent to be able to stand up in and comfortably

-try to make it a vacation for her. you do all the cookin',grillin' and cleaning while she relaxes and reads a book, plays with the girls, sips on a nice glass of wine. we sometimes feel like we have to do it all.

-bring games to play and never forget the smores!!

That's how I got my wife to go camping. I do everything. The first thing I do when we arrive is to setup her chair and get the campfire going. I do all the setup, cleanup, cooking, everything, she gets gets to do what she wants.

Another alternative to a cot is a foam pad. My wife loves a 4" foam pad for sleeping. It takes lots of space but if she sleeps well, then she is happy. I made sure I got a tent where she can stand upright.

When we take non-camping trips, if we're near a campground, we'll take a drive around it to check it out. That gets her to thinking about camping. In doing this we discovered the Ventana Campground near Big Sur and she thinks it's just the most beautiful place. It also helps that the campground has showers. I'm now in the market for a propane waterheater so we can setup a camp shower.

I also express to my wife how we can stay away longer if we camp since it's much less expensive than a hotel. Makes it easier to buy all the other camping and 4x4 goodies. Sometimes I plan on leaving a day early from the trip so we can detour to some interesting town and stay in a Hotel the last night of a trip just for a change.

My next challenge is to get her to want to go on a 4x4 trip. I showed my wife some photos of ancient cliff dwellings in Southern Utah from an article in Overland Journal and it was the first time she expressed any interest in that type of trip. So I'm going to need to find a destination that she will find interesting.

raYGunn wrote:I grew up camping, my dad used to take us to the Sierras when we were kids, I was in the boy scouts and went camping a lot. When I was in my 20's I got married and my wife never seemed interested in camping and I didn't have any equipment or time so I fell out of it. Now I'm in my 30's with two kids and I want to start taking my kids out like my dad did when I was growing up. They are both girls, 4 and 7, so I think they are old enough.

I was the same, I did lots of camping as a Boy Scout and then didn't do much camping after. I started taking my two daughters camping at about 5 years old. If my wife is out of town, we three go camping.

4 and 7 are a great age to start. It's rare that I go solo. My daughters now 9 and 11 have been doing 4x4 trips like this for almost 3 years. I almost always take one or both my daughters on these trips.

On long trail drives, I'll play books on CD for the kids. Like Harry Potter or something else. I'll let them watch a DVD if it's a long drive on the highway, but only books on CD while on the trail.

In advance of the trip, I show my kids information about the plants and animals in the area where we may travel. They love spotting and identifying things on the trail.