Backcountry Tent Set-Up Practice
Last night, the younger kids wanted to test the tents, air mattresses, and sleeping bags out. We had a lot of rain, and we don’t own the footprints for our tents yet, so the living room is where it had to take place. It is a controlled environment, and we know it is not the real deal, but it was the only option we had! So, backcountry tent set up practice happened.
It was great to watch the family pitch the tents together. They had a great time. More than once, I heard Nate tell his dad that this must be what the 3 Stooges look like setting up a tent. The REI tents are easy to set up, but when working with young children, you get discombobulated easily. Even though we had the kids helping, they had the tents completely set up in about 15/20 min.
We only have two air mattresses purchased, so Dad and one other child got to use those. They blew up quickly and easily (REI STRATTUS). The two sleeping bags (Eddie Bauer Assent) we’ve purchased are amazing. As I was drifting off to sleep, I heard Matt say, “Can we turn the furnace down to 40 degrees, please!” I think he was sweating to death!
We found one issue that we need to fix before we head out, and that is the sound of the air mattress as you move or roll on it. Little people move; they move a lot, and it is annoying and LOUD. We will need to reconcile that. I will google for answers and solutions, but if you have anything that works for you, please let me know in the comments. I will want to sleep while we are hiking and not be lying there listening to my kids moving around!
Clean-up took less than 30 min. Abbie, my 9-year-old, did most of the tent tear-down. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficiently she was able to do it. She said, “A baby could do this!” I thank REI for its amazing design, which is light and simple.
As Matt left for work this morning, he commented that we would need to do this a few more times to work out the kinks. We really want this experience to be one that sets the kids up for a lifetime of loving the outdoors, hiking, and camping. The world has so much to offer, and this little trip is a doorway to learning to love adventure. I do not want to ruin this love by being unprepared.
Check out our review of the Jetboil Flash system!
Happy Hiking!
Brandy
