Before we had kids, Dan and I camped a lot. Nothing extreme, just car camping a few weekends every summer, a cooler of beer, a campfire, sleeping late with the sun coming through the tent. When the twins were born, all of that went into the garage, literally, in two plastic bins we moved every time we needed the space.
Two weekends ago, we pulled the bins out. Theo and June are 25 months old, and we decided it was time to try one night at a state park about two hours from Oakland. Here's the full story, including the part at 2 a.m.
Why just one night
Every experienced camping parent I asked said the same thing: start with one night, somewhere close, with real bathrooms. If it goes badly, you go home. If it goes well, you plan the next one. We booked a drive-in site with a flush toilet and water spigot a short walk away. It cost $45 for the night, plus an $8 reservation fee.
The packing
I made a spreadsheet, of course. It had three tabs: sleep, food, and kids. The minivan was packed to the roof, which is funny for one night, but everything felt essential when I was packing it.
The things that ended up mattering most:
- The twins' portable play yards, which doubled as beds inside our big tent.
- Their own sleep sacks and the white noise machine (battery powered).
- Way more layers than I thought. It got cold at night.
- Headlamps, so we had hands free for everything.
- Wipes. So many wipes.
Food was simple: hot dogs and corn for dinner, oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, plus every snack the twins love. I did not attempt anything ambitious. I learned my lesson years ago when I tried to make paella over a camp stove and we ended up eating chips for dinner.
The good parts
Arriving was magic. The twins had never seen so many trees in one place. June immediately picked up a pinecone and carried it for the rest of the day like a pet. Theo spent 20 minutes watching a squirrel with his mouth open, completely silent, which I have never seen him do for anything.
We took a short walk on a flat trail near the campsite. By "walk" I mean we moved about a quarter mile in 45 minutes because every rock needed to be examined. Dan carried Theo on his shoulders on the way back, and June rode in the hiking carrier on my back, singing a song about the pinecone.
At dinner they sat in their camp chairs with hot dogs and stared at the fire like it was the best TV show ever made. Dan and I looked at each other over their heads and just smiled. It was the kind of moment you want to bottle.
The 2 a.m. part
Bedtime actually went fine. Both were asleep by 8:15, only 45 minutes later than normal. Dan and I sat by the fire for an hour, whispering, feeling like we had gotten away with something.
At 2:07 a.m., June woke up screaming. I think it was a mix of cold, a strange place, and an owl that would not stop. Of course, she woke Theo. For about 40 minutes we had two crying toddlers in a nylon tent in a campground where everyone could hear us. I was mortified. I kept whispering "sorry" to no one.
What finally worked: we took them both into our double sleeping bag, one on each side, and I sang the same song about four hundred times. We all fell asleep in a big, sweaty, uncomfortable pile. I woke up with a foot in my face and a pinecone under my back. June had brought it to bed.
The morning
Everyone was up at 5:40 a.m. with the sun. We made oatmeal, drank coffee that tasted amazing mostly because I was so tired, and watched the twins throw dirt into a puddle. The neighbors at the next site, an older couple, came over to say the kids were adorable and not to worry about the night. I could have hugged them.
We packed up by 10 and were home before lunch. Both twins slept the entire drive.
Would we do it again?
Yes, absolutely. Next time I'll bring warmer pajamas, a better sleeping pad, and I'll plan for them to sleep with us from the start. I'd also like to try two nights, so the first night isn't the whole trip.
The total cost, not counting gear we already had, was about $95 with gas and food. For one night of pinecones, squirrels and the look on their faces by the fire, I'd call it a bargain. Even with the 2 a.m. concert.
