make-believe: family camping trip

August 26, 2014
camping-506x1024

If watching other people’s home videos wasn’t the world’s most boring activity, I’d subject you to the videos that my parents took of our family trips. Four girls and two relentlessly good spirited parents grinning while washing babies in plastic buckets, heating canned potatoes over a camp stove, and sleeping six to a tent.

James and I are hoping to take Faye for her first camping trip in just a few weeks. Our campsite will be a hodge podge of bought and borrowed camping gear filled in with things dragged directly from apartment to camp. If it was all up to me and a benefactress, the gear would be somewhat more…photogenic.

Since I’m still waiting on the benefactress bit, here’s a little daydream instead:

1. A canvas tent that’s just the right size for 2.5. 2. Two hobo knife sets. 3. Cheery enamel mugs for our morning cups of coffee. 4. A tiny camp stove for heating up a little breakfast. 5.mini skillet6. A shiny brass lighter7. Two camp stools; good to perch on while roasting marshmallows, telling tall tales, and bouncing a wee bébé. 8. A woollen blanket for snuggling.

More make-believe.

You Might Also Like

19 Comments

  • Reply much to my delight August 26, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    Ah- if only camping were this pretty! Alas, every time I've done it it's included a big, bright, plastic tent with multiple half-broken zippers, a few junky folding chairs and a jumbo bag of Cheetos. Some friends of mine recently camped with their toddler, and he looked more comfortable than anyone else in his pack-and-play. You're brave to go with a baby, but I'm sure that will be fun!

    • Reply Erin August 28, 2014 at 11:31 am

      Haha! Will report back!

  • Reply theoldmilkcan August 26, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    Oh how wonderful to see a canvas tent! We had canvas ones when I was a kid and they were so much more- tentish than the pop up thingies now (and now I'm sounding old). Long time lurker – love your blog and I'm sure that even without the glamping items you will have a wonderful time.

    • Reply Erin August 28, 2014 at 11:31 am

      Yes! Though I always lived in fear I'd touch the inside of the canvas and let the wet in!

  • Reply kristin @ W [H] A T C H August 26, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    i love those enamel mugs.

  • Reply Katharine Paljug August 26, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    Now you've made me miss camping! That was essentially my family's way of vacationing growing up, but my husband has never been and insists he wouldn't like it. I say kids need to experience it!

    • Reply Erin August 28, 2014 at 11:29 am

      Ours, too!

  • Reply Alexa August 26, 2014 at 3:17 pm

    So wonderful to take Faye camping so early! We are taking our daughter beach camping at Assateague State Park for her first birthday in just a few weeks. It will be our first with a little one and we expect to be shaking out buckets of sand from our clothes and gear and baby for weeks to follow. Have fun!

    • Reply Erin August 28, 2014 at 11:29 am

      I've always wanted to camp there! Enjoy, sand shaking and all!

  • Reply Anna August 26, 2014 at 3:29 pm

    We took our daughter camping for the first time when she was about nine months old. It was early June and freezing cold, but brilliant. We went with friends who had lots of camping gear so we didn't have to add to what we have (though we did discover that my sleeping bag is not so good for warmth). The best advice I got was to keep the baby as warm as possible at night. She slept in a snowsuit and was perfectly happy all night, unlike me.

    Those enamel mugs are cute. I have fond memories of enamel-ware camping dishes and mugs from when I was a kid.

    • Reply Erin August 28, 2014 at 11:28 am

      Thanks for the tip! Will bundle this bug!

  • Reply Alexa August 26, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    can you believe that i never went camping as a child? and i didn't have s'mores until i was 23. i know. I KNOW.

    suffice it to say, it's an experience i plan to weave into my children's childhoods from early on. so wonderful for faye to have the experience so young!

    • Reply Erin August 28, 2014 at 11:28 am

      Oh my goodness. On the bright side, you were probably able to perfect your s'more technique much more quickly!

  • Reply Suzanne August 26, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    How beautiful! My family wasn't a camping sort of family growing up, but my husband and I enjoy it.

    We're going camping in Yosemite in a couple of weeks with our baby (5.5m). It will be our first time and feelings of excitement and nervousness alternate through me.

    Wouldn't it be fun to be able to rent all of this fun stuff? Then you wouldn't have to think about storing it! Totally minimalist! …ok, though it would be awesome to own as well.

    • Reply Erin August 28, 2014 at 11:27 am

      What an adventure you're going to have! Go mama and papa! (And yes! I see a glamping rental company in your future!)

  • Reply Brigitte De Soto August 28, 2014 at 5:05 pm

    I was randomly looking for blankets on Steven Alan and looks like the same blanket (without the Rag&Bone label) is sold for about half the price. 🙂

  • Reply Kevin Petter December 14, 2014 at 8:20 pm

    Some friends of mine recently camped with their toddler, and he looked more comfortable than anyone else in his pack-and-play.You're brave to go with a baby, but I'm sure that will be fun,Then you wouldn't have to think about storing it! Totally minimalist!ok, though it would be awesome to own as well.
    malakoffdiggins.org
    Malakoff Diggin
    California campground

  • Reply Mrs. Ainee C. Beland July 29, 2022 at 4:27 pm

    I would not camp since I am not for roughing it out of doors in the woods, but I will walk through the woods. It is nice that you planned and did camp for two weeks (as shown in the latest post)…with three kids in tow or at. Lovely!

  • Leave a Reply to Kevin Petter Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Comments are moderated.