Day 3 – Going Camping

Tomorrow we leave for a camping trip in the Adirondacks with the boys. When I was planning this particular camping trip, I was very excited. What a fantastic idea for family bonding and adventure (…images of roasting marshmallows by the campfire and hiking in the fresh air). I mean, my husband and I are pretty outdoorsy and adventurous and we always said we wanted to pass on these excellent traits to our sons. Ok! So what if my oldest is two and my youngest is only five months old...don’t they say it’s never too early to start??

Now, did I mention that the weatherman in Lake Placid is calling for sun, rain and clouds, warm and cold weather, and everything in between? So, what am I supposed to pack for my babies on this wilderness adventure? Shorts and mittens?? On top of that, we have to bring a change of clothes in case of spit ups, spills, and potty training accidents!  Needless to say that as I sit here, surrounded by a huge stack of camping gear, baby gear, snow suits, rain suits, warm weather clothes and all the fleece that I could pull out of the kids drawers, I am feeling a little overwhelmed.

So, little red flags are raised and that annoying voice inside my head is thinking “What are you doing? Why are you bringing a two year old and 5 month old camping in the WILD? Are you nuts??”

My reasoning:

1) Before we had kids, my husband and I were avid campers! Alright, alright…good enough campers!

2) I’m not an expert on many things, but I am somewhat of an expert on travelling with small children. At two years old, the oldest has more stamps on his passport than many people get in a life time. We’ve trekked him all over Europe, Mexico, New Zealand, and pretty much all across Canada. So, if we can travel up to 26 hours with one toddler in a crowded, confined plane, we can certainly handle 48 hours in the wilderness with that same toddler and an additional baby.

3) For occasional camper, we’re well equipped! We’ve got the below 30 sleeping bags, the tent that could survive Mount Everest’s base camp and a stove burner that could be lit in a hurricane. (My hubby, although never having been in the Scouts, likes to Be Prepared!)

So, why shouldn’t we go? Oh, let’s see…

1) The images that keep creeping into my head of my babies wet, eating dirt from the ground, being eaten by bugs, and with the onset of hypothermia.

2) And, this huge pile of clothes, diapers, toys and baby gear that doesn’t seem to fit into any camping knapsack I own…

Putting all worrying aside, which is what all mommies do best, let’s try to be positive. This will be quite an adventure filled with lots of great stories and learning experiences. At best, we have loads of fun, and at worst, we hop back in the car and make a B line for the closest motel.

Oh! And, one last question. Is it acceptable camping etiquette to bring a travel suitcase? Would that be really wrong? Because it’s the only thing that will house all of stuff I have to bring…