Ask the Expert: Camping Under the Night Sky ... By a Warm Firepit and in a Cozy Tent

Last week, guest columnist Karthika Gupta shared with us her tips for how to hike with young children. This week, she urges you to think about camping with your family. 

The word “Camping” often conjures images of picturesque backcountry spots accessible only by foot, carrying your supplies and disconnecting from civilization. You can almost see the isolated tents among tall trees and steep cliffs and food stored in bear-safe containers!

Camping in California's Sequoia National Park. Photo by Memorable Jaunts.While this is very desirable, it is not always practical - especially for families with young children. How much do we carry, how long can we walk, what about food, what about wildlife?

The good news is that you can still experience camping and all the pleasures it has to offer even if you don’t want to do backcountry camping. Instead, go local, camp for a night or two sleeping under the stars in a state park or even in a private campground. You can even camp in your backyard - just promise not to sneak back into the house in the middle of the night to the comfort of your bed! The kids will have a blast and you will come back with a better appreciation of nature. Who knows? You might even get enough confidence in yourself and your family to try the backcountry camping in exotic/picturesque locations.

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Ask the Expert: Hiking & Camping for Families With Kids

Yes, you did read the title of the article correctly – I am talking about hiking and even camping with kids. And I don’t mean teenagers, but young kids, toddlers and even infants.

Hiking in Glacier National Park. Photo by Memorable Jaunts.If you have a sense of adventure and a positive attitude, you can have an enjoyable experience of hiking in forest preserves, state parks and even national parks. Camping is just as easy with a few simple rules and guidelines. You have to prepare a bit more for a camping adventure but the rewards are just as great as a good hike. The objective of this article is to give you basic hiking tips, how to prepare for an outing of this nature and what to pack so that you may try it out and yearn for even more adventure. Look for my camping tips next week.

Hiking - Get Up and Go

Dictionary.com defines the word “hike” as “to walk or march a great distance, especially through rural areas, for pleasure, exercise, military training, or the like.” 

Our family loves it. We love to go for long hikes “for pleasure” in state parks, national parks and even local forest preserves. We love hiking in summer, in winter and even in the rain. We have done short hikes as well as alpine hikes gaining 1,500 feet in elevation. It’s an amazing feeling and our kids have a blast looking for different wildlife, flora and fauna. There is very little you really need to prepare for if you want to hike. If you can walk comfortably, you can hike. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to follow some basic rules and prepare for a great experience.

If you are hiking short distances and within local areas: 

• Good walking/hiking shoes
• A day pack. This can be a regular back pack. Pick one that you can carry comfortably on your back while you hike.

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