Visit our Popular Forums

WineStream · 09-14-2014, 06:56 AM

It dawned on me the other day that some of the best camping experiences I have are those where my family (and kids) have been able to camp with other kids. Each time I camp with another family, everyone comments how they would like to know more families that camp (and Airstream), myself included.

Whether it be a rally or just one or two families getting together on a weekend, there's a different dynamic among people that have kids. You have to attend to them; occasionally check where they are, deal with a scrape from bike riding, possibly a moment of hurt feelings, going to the pool, meal times, bed times, and thankfully usually parent time by the fire after kid bed time. And for those with the really young there's the added fun of nap time, feeding, changing, and night time disturbances.

There are a number of us families out here. I'm hoping to generate some interest with this post and get more of us together here on the forums or as well to gather for camping. So let's get everyone that camps with kids to post here. Hopefully it develops into a network of knowing who we all are and maybe we can get so far as to put together a couple rallies that are centered around our families and our kids.

WineStream · 09-21-2014, 06:10 PM

Bump

There's really no one camping with kids that wants to camp with other Airstream families with kids?

megandrudy · 09-21-2014, 06:28 PM

We would......but we need a teenager. Ours is 17 and we usually try to bring a friend so she has someone to hang out with. There have been times when her friends are busy and can't go; that's when we would love to have another family to go camping with us! Unfortunately you are in Ohio and we are from Florida........a bit too far apart for "spur of the moment" camping.

teebs32 · 09-21-2014, 06:57 PM

Winestream, you know we are game to airstream camp with kiddos

Skatiero · 09-21-2014, 07:09 PM

We Airstream with our seven kids -- ages 11 through 17. Life is way more fun with kids!!!! Our Airstream is a highly customized bunkhouse which sleeps 11.

Skatiero · 09-21-2014, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by megandrudy

We would......but we need a teenager. Ours is 17 and we usually try to bring a friend so she has someone to hang out with. There have been times when her friends are busy and can't go; that's when we would love to have another family to go camping with us! Unfortunately you are in Ohio and we are from Florida........a bit too far apart for "spur of the moment" camping.

Say, we are right in the middle of you two. How about meeting here?

WineStream · 09-21-2014, 08:23 PM

I apologize if it looked like me starting this thread was a "who wants to camp with me" request. It was not intended as such.

My hope was that a lot of people would "chime in" here and basically say, we've got X kids, ages ___, ___, ___ and we typically camp near our home, travel a lot, etc. Then, as our families are travelling around, we can post here and say something like: We're thinking of going to Six Flags in IL around August. And then maybe some others decide to do that as well.

Just under "lifestyle" here at airforums, there are sub-forums for: cooking, camping alone, camping with pets, photography, and friends of Dorothy. But nothing about camping with kids. I did a search and didn't find much in the way of threads or sub-forums elsewhere here about Airstreaming with kids, either. So I decided to try to start one.

Occasionally a rally happens where there's a bunch of kids and occasionally there's a couple Airstreams get together and camp because they have kids and they live close together (shout out to teebs32). Either way, it seems like it's always a good time. I'd like to see that become more accessible. I thought starting a thread here was the best way to accomplish that.

No need for only people close to me to reply. I'd like to see people from California, Texas, Florida, Maine, Alaska, even Hawaii joining in the discussion. Not that my Airstream will likely ever get to Hawaii, but ya never know.

teebs32 · 09-22-2014, 03:42 PM

Well ,with that being said ... We are a family of 5, our daughter is 10 , and our 2 sons are 6 and 9 months old . We currently camp near home since we are in the middle of remodeling our 77 sovereign ie, no plumbing or propane. This will hopefully change by next spring . Even though our season is almost over , we may still try to camp a few more times . If anyone is meeting toward Ohio let us know .

BoldAdventure · 09-22-2014, 04:29 PM

We would if our Airstream was on the road. Under going repairs/upgrades right now.

WineStream · 09-22-2014, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

We would if our Airstream was on the road. Under going repairs/upgrades right now.

When you head through Ohio, let us know. There's a group of Airstreams in this area of north-central Ohio that offer courtesy parking if needed. And obviously there's a couple of us nearby with kids. There's also a number of excellent state parks and commercial campgrounds in the area.

SCOTTinNJ · 09-22-2014, 05:36 PM

I'll follow along. Camping with a 4 year old.

BoldAdventure · 09-22-2014, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WineStream

When you head through Ohio, let us know. There's a group of Airstreams in this area of north-central Ohio that offer courtesy parking if needed. And obviously there's a couple of us nearby with kids. There's also a number of excellent state parks and commercial campgrounds in the area.

I'll be up in Youngstown sometime next year. Want to visit my family, return to Willow Lake Campground and revisit Mill Creek State park.

m.nolte · 09-22-2014, 07:46 PM

We have an 8 year old in South Alabama. First trip planned for Nov1 and then Canopener in January. Plan to camp local for now.

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

PharmGeek · 09-22-2014, 07:50 PM

We (my wife and I) travel when we can with our now 4 year old son and our 21 month old daughter....oh and our 7 year old boston terrier Daisy.

We are for now pretty grounded to maybe 6-8 hour drive radius as our leave limits us to either long weekends or 1 week trips.

IggyWalker have a 10 year old daughter..they live up the road from us...we have camped now a couple times together...hung out alot at canopener 2014 and we have spots together at 2015 canopener...we have done stuff locally for weekend camping as well...even just having one family to camp with we have a blast.

We also have found a camping buddy family from a couple other friends who have an SOB trailer...we will be at “Chester Frost Campground” in Chattanooga TN weekend of 10/17.

We (just my fam) will be down at port st. joe SP Florida for thanksgiving weekend (Thur-Sun).

Only other plans formally we have right now is tybee island for 1 week in June 2015 (spots still available last time I checked).

If anyone plans on being down here in my area for a weekend, just ask and perhaps we can cross paths.

The hard thing about us parents is our crazy schedules....my wife and I both work full time, she works every other 3 day weekend....it does not take much to ruin spontaneity and I suspect as the kids grow up and other things come into play, that can only get more complicated (depending).

But yeah, cool thread....Maybe nothing will come of it but at least us parents with “kids” can also stay connected.

Skatiero’s bunkhouse is simply amazingly engineered! And I enjoyed meeting them!

My older son is reaching an age of much more fun camping...he can do so much more...my daughter still is in the early toddler phases and so there are those limitations....we are quite lucky as they both sleep like logs at this point and everyone is happy and sleeps great...my daughter earlier on would wake up partially and kinda wimper...oh man, that just keeps us up, but nothing will wake up my son, lol...

Oh, when we will be at tybee, my sister and two nieces (ages 8 and 11) will be with us as well shacked up in our AS....

PharmGeek · 09-22-2014, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m.nolte

We have an 8 year old in South Alabama. First trip planned for Nov1 and then Canopener in January. Plan to camp local for now.

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

oh cool...we will see you there...IggyWalker’s daughter will be 10 or 11 at that point - similar age...I forget where we are on the map...on the “main loop” check the map...we will see you there.

ragin-cajun · 09-22-2014, 08:14 PM

I think it'd be fun! I'm married, but my wife is NOT a "camper", so the kids (b,12 & g,9) and I are it! ;-) We typically do the state parks around us (3hrs is farthest we've traveled so far), but we are limited to summer because my Sundays are tied up (I'm a pastor.)

If something works out summer '15 I'd be interested!

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

m.nolte · 09-22-2014, 08:18 PM

Great Pharmgeek,
It will be good to put faces to all these forum names. Looking forward to it.

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

m.nolte · 09-22-2014, 08:21 PM

Ragin, I'm guessing you are a Louisiana native? We are only about 3.5 hrs from Baton Rouge, might have to meet in the middle sometime.

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

WineStream · 09-22-2014, 08:21 PM

My wife just suggested that we should set a goal to camp at least once in every month for the next year. We're in Ohio and usually camp on October and March. We just need to add November through February. We might need to add some of the ideas floating around on here.

Zymurbrian · 09-22-2014, 08:24 PM

As for our family, my five year old daughter is really the reason we bought Shiny. We actually began our camping adventures by taking my then 3 year old to the central CA coast in a tent. At that point she was already more accustomed to fine hotels than a tent. And, oh yeah, the communal bathroom didn't do it for her. We like to say that Shiny was an expensive fix to Ivy peeing her sleeping bag on two consecutive nights.

My wife really led me into this life. Most of her fondest childhood memories are based on RV camping with her family in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We now try to search out opportunities to camp with other children. We attended Alumafandango a few weeks ago. The best part was finding another couple four rigs down from us with a 5 year old daughter of their own. Our two girls were inseparable during the week. We are now planning on our next outing together.