First Timers any advice

[JoeS]

well darn, but my wife tells me that I have monkey toes and she has never seen anyone foot that has 3 knuckle joints that are usable.

[jjbuck]

Keep the tent stakes that came with the tent as the emergency supply, go buy some real stakes. And get a good tarp/ground cloth for under the tent.

Should be a hair smaller than the footprint of the tent floor. Bigger is ok, but make sure to fold it under, and fold it "under" when you fold it under the tent, so the fold doesn't trap water. Perfect size is an inch or so under/away from sidewalls, so whole floor is protected, but none of the ground cloth is showing. If it shows, it can collect rain/dew and funnel it under the tent.

[peanut]

I have a different take on the electronics.Teens are connected and it's important to them. Not so important to us, but we weren't raised in their digital generation. We leave the computers and Xbox,etc, at home but i allow cell phones, iPods and our little TV/DVD player. We don't use electronics during meals or when gathering around the campfire, but i have no problem with the kids texting their friends while their fooling around at the campground. We don't use the TV during the day at all. but after dark we gather the camp chairs, pop some popcorn and break out the sodas and peanuts for a little family time. Put in a favorite musical or a scary movie--the modern day version of ghost stories. Now that the kids don't camp with us, we no longer bring the TV. But it was really a great thing during those teen years.

Other things we did with the teens was go horseback riding, ride ATVs, go on hayrides, bring the bicycles, take them on shopping trips, go apple picking, tubing, and go out for pizza. Let's face it.Teens are not as easily entertained with making a nature collection or doing leaf rubbings like the were in their younger days. There was a day when I could give them a stick & a bucket and set them down by the creek and they'd play all day. Camping with teens, especially girls, requires a better carrot. I kept our kids camping with us as long as i could, by bringing friends and allowing them to bring the electronics, stay up late and sleep in, cook over their own campfire,etc. There's no reason to insist on doing only back-to-nature stuff if your kids are bored to tears.

[Gus]

Those "finger" shoes may be great. I don't know, never tried them, or spoke to any one who had - but the first time I saw them wasn't on the shelf - it was on a lady grocery shopping. I followed her for two aisles to make sure I wasn't hallucinating - then had to hide while I laughed.



Gus
"Of course I trust my political representatives ... just not with my liberties or my wallet" :Camping with Gus