Camping journey through the ages

 Camping is definitely a journey that changes as you age / your kids age.

My first memories of camping - was touring the North Island of New Zealand in a campervan with my family - I was 4 years old, and still stun my family of my memories and when ever the slides comes out (yes I am showing my age) I can pick the places that I know I didn't see in real life (turns out I slept through a couple of places).  I returned to the North lsland in my 40's and was struck on arrival at a few places, that I instantly remembered being there before.  After that trip we had a couple of trips staying in caravans, but it wasn't until I participated in the Great Victoria Bike rides in my teens that I revisted camping.  In my 20's & 30's  I was a regular fixture at friends properties where we glamped it up in a hut on some acreage, no running water or electricity, but a solid roof over our heads and a pot belly running flat out in the corner.  I tried out camping with a camping trailer whilst married with 2 very little kids, but our differences in camping expectations was really amplified.  Once divorced, as perviously written about in my first post, my dad kindly passed on his gear and got me back on the camping journey.

So starting camping with a 4 & 6 year old was originally in caravan parks - which made it fun for the kids and easier on the gear required, as water, showers, toilets and other kids made it fun for us all. 

As my boys moved into the above 10 bracket, we tranisitioned in to National Parks - and I must say I really started to enjoy this even more. The connection to the land, seeing wildlfe, open fires (when permitted) and adding in bikes and kayaks to our ways of getting around - really enriched the experiance.  The lack of mobile reception ensured that devices were not competition for attention to our surroundings. 

We moved into a larger Coleman tent, with traditional tent poles, when I added a partner to the mix, however he was a novice and I realized to take the stress out, Instant up tents would be the way forward for family camping.

It took a few years of planning, and COVID altered the destination, but we managed an extended family camping trip with my brother, his adult children and my cousin taking our gear, so I could fly in / out around my boys custody. Destination was to be NT, but ended up being far north QLD. 

This trip was planned to land as my eldest turned 15, as I knew after this - working weekends and school holidays  would be on his agenda.  Whilst a pandemic altered the trip substantially, getting to camp with family in the outback, and seeing my boys easily set up and pack down camp, and contribute to every aspect - was a really proud mum moment. Years of getting them involved, the patience to teach them rather than quickly get it done myself - finally could be seen.  My eldest coming up with fixes for problems that arose, helping tie down the roof racked equipment - I had big smiles. 

This was the last time my eldest came camping, as he prioritized working for the next year, and moved into an apprenticeship the following year.  

The next family camping combined trip was again in QLD, which included my aging parents in an accessible cabin, in a caravan park. By this time my youngest was turning 15, so weekends and school holidays were taken up being the mum taxi getting him to and from work. We did manage a mum and son trip for a few days, and a weekender family trip nearby, both using wiki camps.  I was again grateful I had jammed so much into their younger years, even though it was tougher, as the mid teen years is about their independence of earning money and learning to drive. 

At this point, our camping is shifting into what usually everyone starts with - smaller tents. Our car has changed to a FJ cruiser - giving us 4Wheel drive capabilities. Surprisingly it has less boot space than the RAV4 - which my youngest is keeping as planned daily driver. My eldest was gifted my parents old car. 

I standby the method of starting with family tents whilst they are young - it gave us room for them to get bigger bedding as they grew, to have the space to play in the tent on rainy PJ days.  The change in cars, has meant I have been adapting my previous fat max kitchen kit into a homebuilt back of the car kitchen - that is removable - so the FJ stays light and empty for the everyday.

 And at this point - 3 years of not camping much, my eldest is now planning trips with his mates, and my youngest is planning a Australia lap trip as his end of high school experience - with us, as he will only be 17 on graduating. So even though they often had envy of their mates that went on cruises and stayed in warm hotels etc instead of camping, they both, of their own free will - are planning trips to see and do, that involve camping. 

The shift of camping style, to changing location every few days, and having a car with less boot space, is what moved us into updating our kit.  It's simply not practical to be putting up a tent that involves upwards of 30 tent pegs, and the size and weight which prohibits a short person loading into the roof racks, every couple of days. 

Our first try out of short trips multiple locations I tried with my partner with a Coleman 3p swagger, with a wooden removable setup with Kmart plastic drawers, and slide out bench (which I made). We used Exped mega mats which has been the only bedding we could both be comfortable on. I used two removable awning - moonshade and an umbrella style one. All functioned really well, but took up the entire back of the car - so no possibility of passengers. 

Which moved me into looking at hiking gear, and the gear that is being closed as 'car camping'.

I have mounted a 180 awning on back of car, and got the wall kits, which gives us hang out, full height space. I'm updating the wooden box to be made out of foam (another self build) to decrease the weight. We now have two 3p hiking / car camping tents for sleeping in.- which pack down small with about 7 to 10 pegs with all ropes also pegged (not instant ups).  We have an assortment of hiking sleeping mats, with the all important R rating to keep the cold out, and I'm making our own zenbivy style sleeping quilts and sheets. 

We still have our big tent, and fatmax kitchen, that will be used on stationary trips, where we are going to one place and camping. The hiking / car camping kit is for the mobility of planning a lap around Australia, with the awning and back of car being our communal hang out space and kitchen. 

It also means I have enough kit that both boys can go camping with their friends on their own, with a full kit that packs small at the same time.

I've managed a couple of solo trips to keep me going in the drought of camping whilst my boys cycled through the 15 to 18 age, my youngest currently 16, where the priority is to be home to work and see mates.  I'm looking forward to the the coming year as the eldest starts his own camping journey, and the lap or half lap plans start to come together for my youngest. 

So if you think you need to wait till they are older - if you have kids- my advice is go now - embrace the challenge, and you will see it pay off down the track. 

Start now, with what you have, and find your own way to Wander ❤️