Average Family Goes Camping: Small Style!

Sorry folks, I told you that summer is a busy time. Now that school has started, we're back into a routine, and it's getting dark earlier, I can sit in front of a computer more.

A couple of weeks ago we went on our yearly family camp-out with my side of the family. My parents, their dog, my little brother and sister and their families, and us. My parents have a nice camping trailer that serves as home base, the cooking and gathering area. So we don't have to bring anything other than a sleep set-up, as they have everything we need, and the kids just run around playing together the whole time.



When child #1 was 18 months old, we did this camp-out, and she did not enjoy sleeping in a tent. She woke up with the sun. At 5:30. And would not go back to sleep. And would not sit quietly reading a book or playing. One morning in a fit of utter frustration I decided that if I couldn't be asleep, then we would go for a walk. We wound up hiking up this huge sand dune (we were on the Oregon coast), and by "hiking" I mean I was crawling on one hand and two knees, holding my toddler in my other arm, taking breaks every few feet. I felt like I was in some movie about a mother and daughter escaping across the desert sand, trying to reach the promised land. We got to the top and watched the sun rise over the forest and the dunes. It was gorgeous. I would never have seen that except for a whiny toddler. The next year, she slept just fine.

This year's camping adventures have been similar with child #2, aged 18 months (their birthdays are 12 days apart). After two one-night camp-outs earlier this summer, with #2 not sleeping well in the tent and husband and I running to the car with two screaming kids at 4 am trying not to wake up the whole campground, I had had enough. I decided that since we were going to wind up in the car anyway, we might as well sleep in the car in the first place.

Behold, the mini van camper! We have a 2002 Toyota Sienna, nothing fancy, and in fact a little smaller than newer mini vans. This actually worked out pretty well for us.

We named the van Beethoven! Because it turned into Camper Van Beethoven! Get it? Get it?* 

After getting to the camp site, we unpacked our relatively few things (since we didn't need cooking supplies and not as much food as usual), and took the girls car seats out and put them on top of the car. We folded down the second and third row seats, blew up our queen size single layer air mattress, and threw that on top of those. There are gaps in-between the seats, but they aren't very big, and with the mattress on top and two people, it was just fine. That was mommy and daddy's bed.

For the girls, we pushed back the front seats as far as they would go, and then put this toddler fold-up cot over the seats. I made a hammock to go on top, because our backyard hammock broke. I cut an old sheet in half, folded over the long sides by a few inches, and sewed them up so there were tubes a couple inches wide. I put some ratchet ties through the tubes. With the front doors open, we wrapped the tie-downs around the roof of the car. The doors could easily close.

We tried it out at home first, the girls thought it was awesome:

There seemed a little too far down, so I cut off some more fabric and remade it before we left. 

So here's the set-up: 

Mom and Dad's bed, we didn't use the sliding doors, just the hatch.

Mommy waking up

Front "bunk beds" 

Bottom bunk, kid #2, space to put kids suitcases. blanket draped across so pacifiers don't fall to the ground.

Top bunk, kid #1

We popped open the sunroof for ventilation, and put a couple of tarps over the top of the car to protect from the weather (although with everything closed it wouldn't matter) and cover the windows so it would be more dark. We just threw the tarps over the girls' car seats too. 

The first night #2 wasn't very excited about it, so she wound up in bed with us, which was a bit crowded, but it was fine. Kid #1 slept great all night. Kid #2 had a few moments, and I was glad we didn't have to think about waking up the camp ground. I don't know that I would like to do it again, and I'm hoping next year #2 does as well as #1 did so we can be a nice cozy tent. But it's not that bad. Only short kids could do it in the front. Luckily we are all short kids.

We wondered how the back would do with taller people, so we threw my 6'2" brother and his wife in the back and shut the hatch. He said it was comfy! 

Being cool while the kids go crazy

* In case you didn't get it: