Bogley

COUNTRYBOY · Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 122 Location: Southern Utah

First, way to go on trying to get those kids out there. Second, buy a map. :haha: Kidding. What is important is that everyone got home safe and you have a great story to tell. Kids in the outdoors takes practice and a little planing. But it sure is fun. :2thumbs:

Scott Card · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 1529 Location: Provo, Utah

Great story. I think those of us with kids have all "been there, done that" at least to some extent. A few hints to salvage any outdoor trip.

1. Find Water - if all is looking bad, find a lake or river. The kids will have fun throwing rocks and splashing around. (oh, avoid run-off and flash floods)

2. Fire. It is amazing how long kids can poke at a fire and how many sticks and junk they can find to burn. Don't forget the marshmellows.

3. Big First aid kit. Take lots of bandaids. If they say it hurts, stick a bandaid on it, even if you can't see a darn thing.

4. Stories in the tent. Not too scary - remember if you want to sleep they need to be asleep.

5. No crappy food. Stop on the way home and at least buy a good milk shake if the food was crappy.

6. Do something cool like start a fire with a bowdrill or flint and steel. Let the kids try. Refer to 3 above after they have shreaded their knuckles. Another trick is to set a sling over a high branch and stick a kid in a harness and bounce them like a pinita. Don't let little brother swing a bat.

7. Play follow the leader. Sounds stupid but kids, even pre teens like it. Go over boulders, through bushes, across small streams, do a little steming, etc. ( it also helps them learn skill like don't follow too close or you will get whipped in the face by the branch that I just passed.)

8. Do a night hike. Even a short distance will seem like forever and cool to the kiddies.

9. Star gaze. Take a strong flashlight and point out constellations. Make it up if you have to. Also, let the kids borrow the flashlight to point out what they see.

10. Lots of hugs, high fives, and have a positive attitude no matter what happens.

Alex · Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 2562 Location: SLC, UT

Scott, those are some awesome suggestions! I will have to use some of them on the upcoming trip.
:2thumbs:

Ih8grvty · Joined: 08 Apr 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Tooele Utah

I can get the kids to go on a night hike, its the bride I cant lure away from teh fire into the dark!
ALso when we hit the uintas for camping we often bring the telescope, amazing how much more we can see from there than from town.
My soon to be 5 year old can throw rocks in water for HOURS, he never tires of it. Taught him to cast a kids pole back when he was 2, nearly 3 years old, a crappy spider man one with a red plastic fish on it. We have stayed at the camp ground at teapot lake, on the back row next to the pond. He can spend hours casting and reeling it in and casting again into those lily pads!
THe younger the kids the easier to entertain them and keep them happy. Its the brats with cell phones, video games and TVs that I have problems with when we go camping.

Richard Barron · Joined: 09 Jul 2005 Posts: 1183 Location: Byng, OK, USA

Absolutely everyone makes mistakes in the outdoors. You can't really learn what you need to know without screwing up once in a while...

http://richardbarron.net/galleries/crossing/crossing/

-R

sparker1 · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:05 am Post subject:

Funny stories. We can all relate. Good that you and the girls are getting "quality" time.

Don · Joined: 20 Feb 2006 Posts: 762 Location: Utah Valley

I don't know Cameltoe. I assume there is a bypass or way to hike down? I'm still wondering how you got your rope/girls back. :ne_nau:

PaladinTodd · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Evergreen, CO

Scott Card wrote: 2. Fire. It is amazing how long kids can poke at a fire and how many sticks and junk they can find to burn. Don't forget the marshmellows.
Did I mention that I can't start a campfire 9 times out of 10?

PaladinTodd · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Posts: 16 Location: Evergreen, CO

Don wrote: I don't know Cameltoe. I assume there is a bypass or way to hike down? I'm still wondering how you got your rope/girls back. :ne_nau:
Fortunately, it's easy to hike back up canyon and then circle around to get below the rappel. I was just getting ready to do that when another group came over the hill with rope. I waited for them and rapped down.

Alex · Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 2562 Location: SLC, UT

PaladinTodd wrote: Scott Card wrote: 2. Fire. It is amazing how long kids can poke at a fire and how many sticks and junk they can find to burn. Don't forget the marshmellows.
Did I mention that I can't start a campfire 9 times out of 10?

Something my wife taught me....

Save up all the lint from the dryer and then take it camping. Take a handful of lint and put it under a couple of small branches and light the lint. :2thumbs: The lint is a great fire starter.

Ih8grvty · Joined: 08 Apr 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Tooele Utah

PaladinTodd wrote: Scott Card wrote: 2. Fire. It is amazing how long kids can poke at a fire and how many sticks and junk they can find to burn. Don't forget the marshmellows.
Did I mention that I can't start a campfire 9 times out of 10?

put some crumpled paper in the middle, stack some small wood around it like a tee pee, add some colmen fuel :twisted:
a SMALL amount, stand back and flick a match in it :D it works 10 times out of 10.
or when fire restrictions are in effect, go buy one of these:

LINK

Meets all requirements so ti can be used during those camp times you cant have a fire, you cant keep kids entertained throwing twigs in it, but you can roast hot dogs and marshmallows!

DWayne27 · Joined: 15 May 2008 Posts: 115

I can completely relate to your experience... Just this past weekend we pretty much did the same thing. We took 3 tried looking for the tunnel. A larger group of us set out and down in to the wrong wash. it was a nice hour long hike though. then half of them left and we went at it again. after our legs being thrashed by weeds, stickers and bugs from the 'cheerful stream' we got discouraged and headed back. we met the rest of our group at the visitors center, and then i decided to look at a topo map and compare with shanes directions... guess i should have tried that earlier, but i never did because i never had before and didnt think i would be able to figure it out. turns out they arent that complicated. anyway, after that, we went back and, third times the charm. it just made it that much more satisfying when we finally found it.
and this was all after my wife and i had a 'fun' time in the first section of dragonfly... we started to late when it was already like 55 degrees outside...

DiscGo · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 4053

I often feel like the only Noob on this site, so I appreciate your post. You are in good company, and I of course believe everyone on this site is great about providing help to be more outdoorsy.

Mooseman70 · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject:

Alex wrote: Mooseman70 wrote: if you keep taking them, you help instill that love for the outdoors which will carry on to their adult lives. :2thumbs:

I sure hope that's the case. My parents never ever took me outdoors and I am a fanatic now. I hope it doesn't work the other way around ....

Well, let's see. My Dad took me along on a 50 mile backpack trek of Mt. Whitney with his Explorer Scouts in 1980. Did he kick himself for bringing me along. Plenty, I'm sure. I got altitude sickness the first night, whined my butt off going up the endless switchbacks of New Army Pass, and not being able to breathe due to the thin air near Trails Crest. Those are still some of my favorite slides to check out when I go home and enjoy the ol' home movies.

They got me involved in Cub Scouts when I was 8, and Scouting really helped instill my love for the outdoors.

I hope my kids take to the outdoors like I did. If I can keep them outta the house and off the couch, then all the better.

greyhair biker · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 3555 Location: GreenRiver, Wy

:2thumbs: Your girls will remember that trip for the rest of their lives. Good stuff man! And, they will 'use' the rope thing on you for ever :haha:
As for general camping/hiking/backpacking there is rarely a time that you remember every little thing so pack what you think you'll need in a readypack and put it next to your front door/closet/campgear or in your vehicle and then you're less likely to forget it next time....or you'll remember right where you put the darn thing (at home) when you need it at camp :lol8: