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In early May, Copy Editor and new mom Kate Showalter left the comfy confines
of her climate-controlled office and took her baby boy, Kieran, out on his first
camping trip. What she discovered in the San Rafael Swell was that changing a diaper
at 3AM on a cold desert night is enough of a challenge—let alone in a flapping
tent and on her thin sleeping mat. Maybe it's time she upgrades. Bring on the comfy
and luxe.
Kate gives us a rundown of her car camping wish list. (Her birthday is coming up in about
a month. Feel free to send her gifts care of Backcountry.com.)
Since my bivy
is useless for family camping, for our May camping trip we borrowed one of those mega-heavy,
ginormous canvas tents. I loved that we could stand up in it, but setting it up wasn’t
exactly a snap, and we had to anchor it with rocks because the wind was gusting hard and pushing
it over. I want a less bulky tent, one that is easy-peasy to set up and that holds up better in
the wind. One that’s comfortable to sit in and play Itsy Bitsy Spider with Kieran when rain
is coming down. I want the
Big Agnes Big House
for my birthday.
My lightweight Therm-a-Rest pad
is a cinch to carry into the backcountry, but for car camping I'm fantasizing about the
Exped ComfortFoam Mat
paired with Exped's Coupler Kit.
These mats inflate up to 3.5 inches thick—oh so plush. The Coupler Kit's straps connect two Exped mats together to
create one large sleeping area for Mom and Dad. All we'll have to do is zip our Marmot down sleeping bags together to make
a camp bed that rivals the comfort of our mattress. Plus, Kieran can sleep between us until he's ready for his own bag.
My MSR Stove
works great for backpacking, but when my fiancé and I car camp, we go all out on the meals.
I would love to get my fiancé, who is a pro in the kitchen, the professional-grade
Brunton Wind River Range
for Father’s Day. This top-notch two-burner comes with a cutting board and space for utensils.
Or I might keep some cash to spend on other gear and go with the more moderately priced
Brunton Gannett
, which is still plenty kickass.
For the backcountry, nothing beats my lightweight
Crazy Creek.
When we car camp, I load up the TRAVELCHAIR
Easy Rider
, which folds up quickly and easily, doesn’t weigh much, and stuffs in the back of the Pathfinder.
In the spirit of luxe camping, however, I think the TRAVELCHAIR
Lounge Lizard
would be dreamy. Just the thought of lounging in the sun with Kieran in my lap makes me want to buy
this folding recliner immediately.
I’ve been carrying Kieran in a
kangaroo-style carrier
, which works great around town or on short hikes. But for anything on rough terrain or longer than a couple
hours, I want a backpack-style kid carrier that he’ll still fit in when he’s a toddler. I just
can’t decide which pack to go with: the
Deuter Kid Comfort III
or Sherpani Rumba
. Both come with a sunshade. The Comfort III has a pouch for my hydration bladder, which is super cool,
but the Rumba micro-adjusts on the fly. Both can be adjusted to Mom and Dad’s size, though, and
both are sturdy enough for that future overnight backpacking trip.
I’ve never been organized. Now with an infant, my world is truly chaotic. We spent
several hours packing for our last camping trip. If only I could have an organization system
that works … if I could put all of Kieran’s warm clothes in one container, our
kitchen utensils in another, first aid stuff in another … Someone else must’ve
had the same thought, because she created the
Mountainsmith Modular Hauler.
I could store our gear in the color-coded containers, and when we make plans to head for the hills,
I could just grab the appropriate containers and pack them in the truck. Simple.
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