This is where I spent the weekend. Or more precisely, this is where Ursula and I camped out Friday and Saturday night — in the backyard of my family home out on Long Island. Was it awesome? Yes. It was the first time we'd camped out in a tent, and Ursula and I totally bonded as we read a book by flashlight and then practiced zipping the door closed quickly to keep out the mosquitoes. Did I sleep well? Not at all. I woke each morning feeling like someone had beaten me up.
It's been a long time since I've hiked and camped. I did it a lot in my teens and twenties, including a trek by bicycle across Europe, Tunisia, and Algeria (I slept in a Hammam and camped next to many roads along the way), a summer in Alaska, and a walking trip down the Rhine. I was often lonely and uncomfortable, but I also experienced great freedom, met many people, and received a firsthand view of the world that has become an indelible reference point in my life.
When you step out of your carefully constructed home, you can meet the world in a fresh way. And it all depends on mastering the humblest of activities: setting up a tent, cooking a meal, sleeping on the ground.
Only recently did I start to miss it. With our daughter now fully mobile, talking and building forts, I started longing for the same thing again myself. Only this time, the challenge was to do it as a family. So we did our research and bought a good tent, sleeping pads, and a sleeping bag for Ursula (she uses it inside and outside), and had it all ready to go. There were a number of false starts and the thought of crawling into a tent honestly did not appeal to me after a nice weekend dinner, but this weekend we began.
I thought Ursula would be scared, and I would be the pro who would console her. Instead, she loved it, slept like a baby, and I tossed and turned all night. Saturday morning, I was so groggy I went back to bed inside for a few hours.
Sunday morning she woke up first, left me asleep and went into the house to find her mother. When she found her, the first thing she said was, "Daddy did okay last night."
I have to get my camping "sea legs" again.
P.S. For you equipment buffs out there, tents have gotten a lot better in the past 20 years. I love the one we finally settled on: The Minibus by The North Face. It beats my old Tadpole.
In addition, we found Ursula a great starter sleeping bag at LL Bean for $49: Camp Bag, Flannel-Lined Kids' 40°in Lapis Slate. I recommend this as a starting bag for a child (she's 3 1/2).
MORE CAMPING STORIES FROM APARTMENT THERAPY
• Roundup: Apartment Therapy Goes Camping
• 10 Things Camping Can Remind You About Home Living
• Backyard Camping
• Camping With the Comforts of Home: What's Your Style?
• Camping in NYC
• Eco-Friendly Camping Tips
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Commercial Flour Sa...
A Real Dinner, Fast: 5 Favorite Types of Almost-No-Work Meals
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Very cute!! Our daughter is only 3 months old, but I look forward to those days when we'll camp out in the back yard. Please share more things you've done or would do with your daughter. I'd love to get some ideas. Thanks!
Camping is one of the best things to do with your kids. My wife and I have been camping all our lives and it has become one of the things we look forward to during the summer. My two boys (12 and 14) are experts and now set up their own tent.
Camping can be really inexpensive. Don't buy equipment for the first time. Rent it. REI has a great selection. You don't even need a sleeping bag. Cheap air mattress and blankets will do for most. Use your existing cookware. You can use it over campfire, though it will need a good cleaning afterward. Check out the internet for good information on how to camp easily and inexpensively. Once you're hooked, dive in and get the good equipment. The better stuff will last a lifetime. Enjoy!
Ttucker nails it. We were both experienced campers, so our first "couple" purchase was a good tent, but most of the rest of our gear we got as newlyweds. We haven't regretted a thing.
And as far as good quality lasting a lifetime: indeed- my grandfather invested in a good quality stove and lantern, which are now mine. +40 years of camping, still going strong.
I didn't start camping until my teens & i absolutely loved the time with my family! I'm hoping to take my son on his first camping trip next summer (he'll be 2 1/2)! :)
It's so fun to see the connection that children have to nature. We took our son backpacking for the first time 3 weeks ago, at the age of 5 months. We realized that we were probably hauling, baby included, 100 pounds on our backs for a weekend trip. It was really hard, but it was incredibly worth it. We've created a camping monster already!
I so enjoyed this story. It brought back so many wonderful memories of times I've shared with my family. I am the eldest of 6 siblings. As of this year the age range is from 42- 18, so my youngest sisters could be my children. We spent many summers have "sister camp" in the backyard. Sleeping in a tent with our dogs, cooking and eating outdoors, playing cards and only going in the house to use the bathroom. Those nights spent in the tent are some of my most treasured memories. BTW, we switched to air mattresses long ago, so everyone has a good night sleep!
yes, the best part of camping in a tent is the time spent awake. As Maxwell indicated the sleeping is hell.
I took my oldest camping when she was 2 1/2 months, with cloth diapers. Ummmmmm...I wouldn't recommend it.
Now my girls are 2 and 4, and I'm looking forward to camping with them, but I agree--the sleeping is so difficult! How did I do it when I was younger?
oh dear. Sounds like your old bones are like mine (40 yrs young). Sleeping pads are indispensable... but one with enough foam and air, please. Also note that a down pillow, even the super lightweight 9 oz backpacking variety, will make all the difference for a good night's sleep.
tip: when truly backpacking, make sure your neck gets lots of support, and stuff your clothes in a pillow case to bolster your knees or any other "weak" spot. I personally need my hips supported with extra cushioning. With the right prep, I can sleep peacefully in the backcountry (literally, meaning, I carried in my 30 lbs of gear, H20, food, clothes) and not wake up feeling like I was in a car accident.
I love the Big Agnes double wide sleeping bag and air mattress combo for two. My husband packs the tent, I pack the down bag, and we each carry our own air mattress. Mine is a few ounces heavier because I need the padding to feel rested in the morning.
We always camped as a family when I was a kid. We went around the UK on weekends, and further into Europe on longer trips including driving to John O'Groats one year, Venice another and the Pyranees another. My parents had a caravan, then a larger one, and then a lovely orange VW camper. My brother and I had our own small tents alongside. We had a lot of fun and have good memories.
I can't tell you how much better you'd have felt in the morning if you'd had some kind of inflatable pad to sleep on, (maybe you did anyway?).
I've been backpacking and camping for years and personally I favour Thermarest, (although others also make similar kinds of pad that are also pretty good).
Some of the best childhood memories that I have are of camping with my family and friends. In the UK there is an organisation called the Woodcraft Folk, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodcraft_Folk). that I was a member of, (I was a pioneer and a venturer as a child) I have very fond memories of camping, hiking, kids, campfires, songs and adventure.
One thing both my mom and stepdad tried to get me hooked on was fishing and camping - neither are anything I would ever consider doing now. Sleeping on the ground makes my back go to hell...I could only consider it with an RV and a nice mattress.
I cannot wait till I have a backyard to camp in!
I hated camping as a child. The noise.The Rain. The bad food. Never slept well then either. My brother & I endured it as part of being a family of guy that loved the outdoors. We didn't. Dad did.
Makes me laugh. The first time we tried to take the kids camping ended up with us camping by the house.... and it was great.... so we do it all the time now. I just re-read the blog posts about it. Funny. http://whomadethismess.blogspot.com/2008/06/camp-happy.html