Bike Camping With Kids

Good one Dalli!

Number 3 dudded again?

Also I enjoyed this, thought it was worth posting link here …

I keep thinking I need to take number 3 but I’m a bit scared. She’s a bit uncontrollable at the moment.

Thanks for the link. I’m not that crazy yet

I’m getting a bit tempted by the Big Agnes Spur Cooper UL4. US$520 delivered from campsaver.com.

They make good tents eh.

I’d probably lend you the Pentalite if you ask nicely. It was great in NZ, apart from the pole breaking, but the replacement is tough.

Ezy mistook it for a flagpole?

This thread is inspirational. I’ve had it in the back of my mind to do some camping with my boy and the weehoo. Wife is a staunch non-camper (and I’ve done very little as an adult) but I reckon it’d be great to get us out of our comfort zone. I reckon with the weehoo we could do 30km or so to a campground, and that’s close enough for emergency bailout if he freaks out about being in a tent.

A lot to think about…

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thanks Pete, a little bit tempted but I’m hesitant to borrow a tent that’s out of production in case I fall in love.

For the next trip we can squeeze 3 of us in to the current two man tent, the two kids are on small prolites which just sneak in end 2 end.

Give a shot Jono, I had literally been camping once before this thread when I was about 10, Whole family of 6 kids went near Margeret River in summer and it rained for 3 straight days before my folks spat the dummy and took us all home never to be done again.

I’ve been doing baby steps, no meals for first two trips we just rode back into Warburton for dinner and brekky. The kids are loving it and it’s a lot easier to get spousal approval if you take some progeny along. Got a stove ready to go this time so hopefully I don’t set anyone on fire.

Not too much eh! Just go and do it.

Luxe Sil-Octopeak is pretty similar and still made. I doubt you’ll fall in love though. I haven’t yet. It’s pretty simple, but it snot perfect. I’m realising that it’s pretty hard to find a perfect 3+ person UL tent.

For those who’d prefer a lower risk starter for the very young or reluctant partners …

I remember reading a report by a guy who took his 7(?) year old for first bike camp, I think it was near Ballarat. But he picked a loop ride route where they came almost back to the car to camp, although the child wasn’t told the car was just there - she thought they still were out in the “wild”. Then they rode back along the same longer loop to the car the next day. So if things went pear-shaped at night the guy was able to bail very easily, or get extra kit from the car, but otherwise he was able to confirm it was feasible and the kid liked the experience.

I thought that was a good way to start.

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Camp in the backyard. Did this heaps as a kid, it was like a treat. Then I do it with my kids too, they love it too. Kind of a ‘special thing’.

omg yes, qft.

love this thread, just picked up some panniers for my Hillman and hope to get something done similar before the Melb weather gets too nasty.

Ride report #3.

We probably bit off a bit more than we could chew on this one.

Omens were bad at the start when I went to pack the car and found that someone had pilfered Lucy’s helmet of the verandah the night before. Not sure why they took her $15 Aldi lid and not my Mojito but can’t complain. So we waited till the LBS opened and Lucy again had to go through the trauma of realising that at 7 who noggin is too big for a kids helmet.

Drove up to Castlemaine and had lunch we took a bit longer than I’d hoped then headed to the start of the Goldfield track.

.

I had been a bit worried about how rough it would be for both the kids and for me fully loaded with all the gear for the three of us and it was a bit of a struggle on the rocky single track. With lots of walking of bikes but they both were real troopers with very little complaining. We made it probably 3kms in about the 1st 90mins and I started to worry about making it to camp before dark so we headed back to Castlemaine along the gravel roads and drove to Fryerstown to setup camp. Will probably have to wait a year of two and get them on some MTBs before trying again.

On day 2 the kids were still for some riding so we set out with the camp stove and some two minute noodles and thought we’d do some trail riding then stop and have lunch somewhere on the way to Vaughan. There was still a bit of walking but still some nice sections of gravel they could get stuck into.

I was letting the eldest ride a head a bit and staying with the 6 year old when we heard some screaming up ahead and Lucy had come a cropper on a rock garden section but after a drink of water and a band aid she continued on. We were doing the same thing when I noticed there was a rode ahead and told Lucy to stop when she got to it. She claims she thought I meant stop and look and then keep going which she did. But by the time Tess and I got to the rode she was on the dirt on the other side screaming. When we got to her she couldn’t straighten her leg and after waiting for about 5 minutes for things to improve (and given the fact that when she broke her arm last year I told her to toughen up and didn’t take to hospital till the next day) I called in the Ambo. Of course by the time they got there she wasn’t too bad…

A nice old couple had stopped to see if we were all right and then took my keys and picked up the car for us so we could get home.

Fryerstown camp itself was awesome and we were the only one there so the kids had a great time exploring and climbing trees and just living the outdoors life.

Was good to push them out of the comfort zone on the riding but we may stick to the rail trails for the next couple.


Awesome.

Holy shit. Nice one though!

Cool.

Not a real ride unless someone crashes

Forgot to mention I ended up buying this. Worked really well for the 3 of us. The kids loved the turn it upside down and shake it out trick before pack down.

Main reason I went this over the other options in the end was the fact it is freestanding so I’ll be able to set it up for them on our deck (which is our only backyard) for camp at home adventures.

Copper Spur?

just picked up a lightly used copper spur ul2, pretty nice. making a tyvek groundsheet for it tomorrow.

Yeh Cooper Spur UL4. I took a punt on the Gilpin Falls Powerhouse 4 footprint (which was on major special at campsaver when I bought the tent) fitting and it I’m glad to say it does. So now I can setup fly only if I want to.

I also have a Copper Spur UL2 and I like it. Although I have to admit that I haven’t slept in it, only my boys. I am a bit worried for the tent when they start their massive wrestling competitions, which invariably happens when they sleep next to each other. Given this, got a groundsheet, obviously.