We’ve been talking about taking our littlest guy on his first overnight camping trip for a long time now and with a warm weekend weather forecast we decided it was finally time to try it! We packed up what felt like the whole house and headed down to one of our favorite spots where we could enjoy the sunshine and let our kids play in the dirt. Don’t be fooled by this first picture, it was within ten minutes of getting to our camp site and he’s already covered in dirt from head to toe 😉

We love going down around Moab and playing on the red rock this time of year because it’s warm enough to be outside without coats, but the temps aren’t too hot yet like you get in the summer months. Seeing as it was the peak of the busy season here we found our own remote spot to camp and hike that was outside the national parks and more in the back country… definitely our style even with kids! While campgrounds are nice – we tend to like primitive camping better so we have lots of space to explore and play on our own! These kids were made for this camping lifestyle… and baby Jack has got the relaxing at camp thing down pretty good!

We’ve been hiking with our toddler since he was 6 months old so it’s something he has basically grown up doing and loving. He still loves his hiking carrier and wasn’t ready to pass it on to his baby brother yet, so we invested in a second one so we could go on some real hikes with both kiddies. We started with shorter hikes and walks to get him used to the pack and he was all smiles the whole time and so excited to be like his big brother! (Wow this starts young! lol)

It was a short and sweet overnight trip but filled with lots of firsts for our little guy. His first camp out in a tent, his first real hike and his first time exploring the back country. While it can feel like loads of work to get out with young kids and set up a camp… when we get home we are always so happy we made the effort to get out. So we always tell ourselves this when we are in the thick of it! Something that has helped us when we are in the outdoors with kids is realizing that sometimes you need to let go of expectations and plans. Some days they want to hike with us and love it and other times they would rather sit in the dirt and play with rocks, and that’s ok too.

If you have young kiddies like us and are thinking of taking them exploring with you- I would highly suggest to do it! Whether you are at home, or in the outdoors some days are good and some days may feel hard… but the important thing is that your kids are getting outside and breathing the fresh air and especially you’re spending time together!

Even though our little guy might not remember his first overnight camping trip we always will! Plus we will have all sorts of stories to tell him about it, especially how his daddy had to stay up most of the night manning the heater so he didn’t get too cold 🙂

Here we are… two dirty, tired, happy and exhausted parents! On to our next adventure!

Published by Melanie Gagon

29 thoughts on “Initiation”

  2. What a beautiful family! Some of my happiest memories are camping trips with my children. Memories of rain, snow, tornados, insistent mosquitos all seem to have faded as I look back on our trips.

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    1. Oh thank you!! Yes the men worked of them fun parts of the trip outlast anything like rain and snow etc! At least we hope that for our kids too 🤣
      Thank you for reading!

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  3. I am the oldest of four and we grew up camping in Oregon. My youngest sister was probably 2 when we started. I loved how empty Oregon was in those days and treasure my times camping there. Great work with your kids. The one time I was in Moab I think it was 110 and my daughter’s favorite thing was the hotel pool, not Arches.

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    1. Ahhhh yes it can get Soooo hot!! Which is why we were there in April! Lol we love camping and it’s so fun to have our kids come along with us now! We both have such good memories doing it and want them to feel the same! Thank you for reading! Hope all is well with you!!

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      1. Yes. We are both vaccinated since we are in our 70’s and the disease is especially deadly for older people. We got to see family on Easter which made us very very happy.

  6. It seems it was a wonderful experience. The kids had a blast playing outside in the dirt and exploring a different place. Awesome pictures.

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  13. This is nice. I am not really sure about bringing my little one out for hiking because I was thinking that he still doesn’t really walk. However, after reading your post, it’s actually a nice experience for them. I would love to get a hiking carrier as well. Do you have any recommendations?

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  15. Looks like such an amazing time! Props to you guys for bringing him along, I bet that isn’t always the easiest with planning and packing. I travel a lot with my dog and it feels like I’m taking care of a kid too 😛 But you just want them to experience what you love!

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