Posted: 2/5/2012 10:22:15 AM EDT
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So, while bugging out on foot is not in my top ten survival strategies, I do plan on getting the family back in to camping once the little one is out of diapers. With that being said, I have plenty of sleeping bags and the like for car camping and what not, and even a couple ultralite mummy bags for me and the wife. However, from a bug out/backpacking standpoint, how do I provide for the whole family without breaking the back or the bank? I would like gear that will work for individual comfort during the warmer months, yet could be combined to cover the colder winter months. I'm contemplating making a Kifaru Doobie knock-off for me and the wife, and making some fleece bags for the kids, with some kind of wind/water proof exterior. I figure during the winter, use one Doobie as a ground cloth, and layer up the others on top and have the whole family underneath for shared warmth. Maybe I'm going about this all wrong, I dunno, so what do you guys think?
Of course, proper shelter will be a consideration as well, but that's a topic all it's own and I have my sil-nylon tarps and have plenty of practice building debris shelters, lean-tos, and snow caves. |
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Oldest is 6, youngest is 2. Both girls. I don't plan on them carrying much. I have a small bag for the oldest, has a headlamp, a coloring book, crayons, couple granola bars, bottle of water, and extra clothes. Weighs in at just about 5 lbs. But like I said, I'm not planning on bugging out, just want the bases covered in that respect. The last thing I want to do is take to the hills with 3 women in tow. I took the wife "camping" for 3 weeks when she was 6 months preggo with the first one, and while it was a ton of fun, we took everything but the kitchen sink.... but she was comfortable.
Funny story on that one. We had set up camp, and I had set up an air mattress on top of two army cots side by side. The wife had brought the whole shebang and had the quilt and everything for the bed. Another couple and their son had pulled in a few hours later and set up about 6 sites down from us. As they walked up towards the dumpster with the boxes and plastic from all their brand new gear, the husband commented "Look Honey, it's Martha Stewart camping..." A few hours later as I was cleaning up the dishes down at the lake, he approaches me and asks if I have any lighter fluid or gasoline he could borrow to start his fire. So I take him into the woods and give him a quick down and dirty on building a fire so I don't have to embarass him in front of his wife. He comes back 15 minutes later asking for my help. I sent the wife down to start the fire while I put the dutch oven cobbler on. So much for Martha Stewart... |
| REI brand synthetic mummy bags. Lightweight and compact. You can adjust for variable temperatures with foam pads, air mattresses, bag liners, and shells. The basic bag can compacted down into a very small package and would not take up much room in the car. My REI goose down bag packs to 2.5 pounds and a 6x10 bundle. The big rectangle bags we have for regular car camping in normal summer temperatures weight 5 pounds and take up a lot of room in the car. The rectangle bags cost around 50 bucks. The REI bags can probably be had for less than 200. |