Just Listen

Doing Dishes

I just got back from our annual "kids and dad camping trip".  In a previous post I mentioned Sibley State Park, but our plans were change due to severe weather forecast in that area.  So we decided to go to Helmer Myre State Park instead.  It was closer and the forecast was better.  We weren't going to let a threat of ruin ruin our camping plans!  Although we had to cut our trip short because of rain, we still had a great time including a wrestling match in the tent while it rained.

Chopping wood

Making Pancakes

I know how busy and stressful things can be in summer for dads; work, family and household responsibilities take all of our time.  Even I was tempted to cancel the camping trip and maybe take a rain day to catch up with things around the house.  But the kids have been looking forward to camping for almost 3 months, so I knew we had to make this happen.

Whenever I go camping with my kids I always divide out the different tasks that need to be done:  fire building, cooking, and dish-washing.  They learn from these things and even enjoy them because they are camping.  But one thing I try not to do is try to turn everything into a lesson, and give out too many orders.  I know as a dad I tend to think that I always need to improve my children, or teach then how to do stuff right.  And I sometimes miss the little things about my kids that make them unique.  I know that I could go up north and camp in the Boundary Waters or backpack in the Rockies or hike the Continental Divide Trail - the scenery in these places is beautiful, no doubt.  But when I was at Helmer Myre State Park in southern Minnesota, I saw the most breathtaking scenery ever.  My kids smiling and laughing, and so excited to be camping.  So to take this  beauty in I just had to be quiet and listen to what they had to say.

Taking time out with kids is important - we all know that.  But taking a break from being their school teacher and taskmaster and just being with them to enjoy them is even more important.  So dads put away the cell phone and forget about work for a while and get out there with your kids and learn to just sit back and just listen!

Just sittin' around

So Much Fun, So Little Time....

Pickerel Lake - Nemadji State Forest

Right now we are snowed in and winter is still carrying on.  I am so looking forward to spring so I can get out into the woods, set up a tent and relax by a fire.  My oldest son and I have been talking about doing a winter camping trip in order to really put our sleeping bags to the test.  I don’t know if we will make it happen or not, so we will see.

We already have our first “Dad and Kids" camp trip planned for sometime in the Spring.  We chose Sibley State Park.  It looks like a nice park with some fun stuff for the kids to explore.  I told them that the campground is not up a super steep hill like last year's trip to Afton State Park. They liked the sound of that. 

One thing I want to do with my family is check out as many of Minnesota's State Parks as we can.  I hope one day I can say that I have camped in or visited every state park in Minnesota.  Minnesota has 76 state parks in all and so far we have visited 14 of them.  We have a ways to go in order to reach this goal so...shucks...we may have to go more than once a year!

Crossing Whitewater River

Other great camping opportunities are in state forest campgrounds. There are quite a few campgrounds offered in Minnesota State Forests and most are out of the way and primitive/remote.  These campsites are harder to find because they are mostly considered rustic and/or primitive sites, but if you feel adventurous they are a great place to go.  

So, all I can say is keep camping and get outside into nature where you will find the coolest and most beautiful sights.  I can guarantee you won't find those experiences on a LCD screen. Taking your family camping is still one of the best ways to connect with your kids.  There is no app that can replace good old fashioned family fun time!

Where Did Summer Go?

To say that summer flew by would be an understatement.  With a very wet spring and lots of storms it seemed like summer would never come.  Now all of a sudden school has started and the weather is cooling off.  I'm a dad who loves summertime, fairs, hot nights, swimming and of course camping.  I just can't get enough.

We had a busy but fun summer.  We were able to go camping quite a bit, but we did end up having to cancel one of our big family camping trips because we had too many other fun things happening.  And that's okay.  We did manage to squeeze in a quick overnight camp trip in Grandpa and Grandma's backyard before the weather got too cold.  We had a fire, laid on some cots and looked at the stars.  It was time well spent and we never had to pack anything.  We slept in a camper.  :)

Summer is over but next comes Fall.....and that means Fall camping!

When It Rains It Pours

It's been awhile since I've written in my blog.  I've actually been busy camping.  Between taking a second camping trip with my family and a trip to the deep backwoods with a group of 12 year old boys, summer has been flying by fast!

The last trip I took with my family, we went to a regular campground with tons of fun activities.  We pulled out all the stops.  We brought the camp cupboard, coolers of food, the big tent and all the gear.  We were able to camp comfortably by our vehicles.

The campground that we chose is one that we like to frequent with my wife's family.  It's a Jellystone campground resort with a pool, water slides, giant jump pillow, and a creek to swim in and tube down.  The kids love coming to this campground because there is so much to do.  They also have a camp store with an arcade and an ice cream shop.  What kid wouldn't like that?

Although I enjoy coming here, I always prefer roughing it in the woods with no other people for miles.  But, seclusion in the woods can be boring for some kids.  And honestly, I enjoy watching my kids have fun more than anything.

The great thing about this campground was the swimming activities.  My older son fine-tuned his water slide skills.  The two younger kids spent hours practicing their swimming skills.  It was such a blast! 

*HINT HINT*  Another way to enhance your overall camping experience:  Bring Grandma along who happens to love cooking for all of us while camping.  That made things easy.

Our camping cupboard in action!

We had fun even though we had the challenge of a couple of overnight rain storms.  The rain and the thunder scared the kids a bit, but for the most part we stayed safe and dry.  And the sun came out in the morning!  Fortunately, I had good rain tarps, an extra tent for storing gear (which is a good idea whenever possible) and a waterproof cover for the camp cupboard.

Even though we had a lot of fun and got our fill, the kids are already talking about another camping trip.  We need to take advantage of every fleeting moment of these busy summers.  They fly by way too quick.  The only good thing about the summer going by fast is the fact that fall camping is right around the corner......

The Children Shall Headlight Your Way

Well, we did it.  We squeezed in our first planned camping trip of the year.  I took my three oldest kids to Afton State Park.  This park is cool because they have backpack only campsites.  The campground is about 3/4 of a mile away from where you park your car.  You then have to carry everything you need to the campsite, and the last section of the path to the campsite is up a very steep hill.  It was a big challenge for the kids with their backpacks full and sleeping bags all strapped on their backs.

When we got to the site, the kids each had their assigned duties:  one started the fire while the other two helped set up the tent, sleeping bags and kitchen area.   When were were all done my son sat back, took a deep breath, sighed and said, "Now we're camping - ahhhh."
I was so proud of how they all chipped in to do the jobs we talked about ahead of time.  My daughter got a lesson in lighting the backpack camp stove to cook Ramen and Spaghettios (yes, real healthy, I know).  And of course they all had their headlamps on that lit up the campsite.  I loved it.

Another thing I did was prepare a special pack for each kid to be in charge of.  My son had the survival pack with waterproof matches, dry tinder, small rope, and a knife.  My oldest daughter had the first aid kit with all the important stuff, like sunscreen, band aids and bug spray.  My younger daughter had the treat bag, which was full of candy for everybody.  But she only gave it out as rewards after our long hikes up to the camp site.  Another thing that was very important to bring was thermal mats for all of us to lay on.  They help to keep your body insulated from the ground and they soften it up a little, too.  We had some cold nights and those mats were very nice to have.

All in all, it was a great time and I am so blessed to have been able to to do this trip.  I cant wait to go again!

:::  On a side note, we had a nasty storm blow through here the other night which caused the power to go out for a while.  Immediately, the kids bounced into action and got their headlights out.  They put them on and lit up the house just like they did at the camp site. They knew just what to do!

Survival of the Kiddest

In my anxiousness to be in the wilderness, I had the great idea of teaching and practicing fire starting skills with my kids.  We went out to the small parking lot that is located across the ally from my house - it's one of their main play areas.  Sad, I know.  Why do you think we love camping so much??  Anyway, we went out there and I had them gather some small sticks, tinder and pieces of bark.  We made a good fire bundle that could start easily.  What I was trying to do was teach the kids how to start a fire without a lighter, matches and newspaper.

First, we tried a magnifying glass in the sun.  It smoked a bit on the tinder but we couldn't get it to ignite.  The sun kept going behind the clouds.  For this technique to work you need good direct sunlight.

Second, we tried the old-fashioned way of rubbing two sticks together.  We got the sticks pretty hot but no fire.  The sticks were a bit damp from a previous rain and we could not find any drier ones.  There are not many sticks to chose from in a parking lot.

Lastly I brought out a firesteel.  Firesteels are great because they create hot sparks that will ignite your tinder - I recommend every camp kit have one.  They even work in the rain.
After sparking it on our tinder a few times we successfully got a fire going.  It worked great.
Immediately, the kids got out the marshmallows and had to roast them by our "campfire" in the parking lot.

This was a great time because all the kids got involved.  Even my 3 year old was looking for good tinder.  My 6 year old daughter was able to get the fire steel to spark, too.

After the fire-starting lesson, my son decided it was time to set up camp and hunt for food.  He gathered up some small branches and an old piece of canvas and proceeded to the back of our house to set up a make-shift tent inside one of our window wells.  He was doing a great job using whatever was available to him to make it work.  He even tried to set up a trap to catch some food.

That is what is really about, isn't it?  You may not always have the best gear but if you take what you have and be resourceful you can camp.  I always like to think outside the box by using the stuff I already have and things I can afford in order to create the best camping time for my family.

Keep the Flame a Burnin'

Winter is still here.  It's hard to believe that last year at this time we didn't need to wear coats and snow boots outside.  Although this year IS more like a normal Minnesota winter, I anxiously wait for warmer weather.  In the mean-time, here is something I've done to keep my mind on camping.

My son and I spent some time experimenting with homemade fire-starters for campfires.  I did a little bit of research on the web and found a proven technique.  I also had one of my own ideas.

My idea?  We started with a paper bag, some string and lantern oil.  We cut the paper bag into strips and rolled them up into a tight log shape about 14 inches long.  We wrapped it tightly with the string, making sure to leave it hollow in the middle of the "log".   After folding in on one end, I slowly poured about a cup (or so) of oil in the other end - enough to saturate the whole log.  The lantern oil I used had a citronella scent, so it can double as mosquito repellent.

Then we tested it.

Even though it was windy and rainy, we threw it outside on the wet sidewalk and lit it.  The oil lit right up and allowed the log to burn for about 10 minutes.  It seemed to work really well.  BUT, it was a stinky mess to make.

Time to try the idea I found from my research.

You will need an egg carton, dryer lint and paraffin candle wax (this is a great way to use up the leftover wax from candles that have the wick completely burned up).  Fill each compartment of the egg carton with dryer lint.  Pack it in there good and tight.  Melt the wax and pour over the dryer lint until each compartment is completely submersed with wax.  Let harden overnight.  Once hardened, you can break them apart (sections of four seem to work best).

This one lit very easily and burned about 15 minutes.  I like this fire-starter because it is clean and easy to store.  It tends to burn just a bit hotter, too, which is nice.

Both projects were fun because the kids got involved and were able to help with most of the steps.  After watching them burn, they also chose their favorites.  My son liked the oil-soaked logs because they lit in the rain.  I prefer the egg carton because there wasn't a mess.

I'm sure there are many other ideas out there for homemade fire-starters.  If you know of any good ones, let me know!