Camping with Elise

I am rather excited to take my daughter camping this summer, and I really hope she gets into it.  As my wife is not a "camping gal", I will probably opt to go with other family members and friends so there is always another adult around in case something happens.  I am planning on starting her out with some backyard camping within the next couple weeks.  Then, once we determine if she is down with it, do a one or two night car-camping stint in a state park with some day hiking.  Finally, if she is still into it, I will load up one of my packs (give her a minimalist pack so she feels like she is doing something) and we will pack into a camp and then pack back out (not talking an uber-trek here).

So, in preparation for all this planned adventure, I have been taking stock of my camping supplies and have come to the realization they are very military-centric.  Not necessarily a bad thing, as the gear tends to be tough and reliable, but I think it is time to go civilian on a lot of stuff.  I have a couple really nice military rucksacks, but I think that they are simply too large for the duration of trips we are going to be going on.  So, I think I will look around for a smaller pack to start.  From there I can build out my kit, which is always a fun process.

I think I am going to take the same approach I do toward business travel, where I have packing lists for different types of trips.  This way, I can easily adjust my load-out based on the duration, location and style of camping trip we will be going on.  Sadly enough, I enjoy doing this kind of logistics planning.  I'll probably end up posting the packing lists to see if I can get comments/ideas.  Also, if anyone wants to join us, you can always come along (unless we annoy the crap out of each other).

The one overreaching concern I have is the fatigue factor.  As Elise is 6, I would hate to get out in the middle of nowhere and get the, "I'm tired!"  Which would usually be accompanied by the pouty lip and crankiness.  So, I have been thinking a lot about how to deal with that and think I have a solution, which I should be able to market to parents everywhere.  The only question is, will I have the time to finalize the design and make it?  Who knows.

This is the problem with being an "idea guy".  I have tons of product ideas rattling around in my head and either I am lacking in time or the skills required to bring them to fruition.  I need to come up with the idea to solve THAT problem, then I would be set.  :-)

Anyway, please feel free to comment with your ideas and thoughts around the camping adventures or the packing lists.  I am always open to input from others.