This is a sponsored post in collaboration with REI. All opinions are my own.
We are in the middle of planning our next family adventure – outdoor camping in beautiful Colorado! Whenever we begin to plan outdoor adventures, I ask mi familia a lot of questions. I want to know about what they may expect, what they want to do, and even about WHY they may not want to venture outdoors. It’s my personal mission to instill a love for nature in my family. I want to make home outdoors so that mi familia will want to return for the next adventure.
Overcoming the Two Most Common Camping Objections
I’ve learned a few things by asking lots of questions and listening to their answers, not just from my family but from friends and friends of friends and from YOU. Two of the most common objections to going camping or any big outdoor adventure are:
“I won’t be comfortable.”
“I’ll be bored.”
I understand. I remember having these same concerns before too before my outdoor love affair. In all honesty, tiny doubts still creep up when I begin to plan my family’s next outdoor adventure. However, the desire to stay connected to the outdoors has become greater than these excuses. One major key to encourage my family to keep exploring the outdoors is to overcome these objections.
Our campsite in Colorado is booked. And now it’s up to me to make it feel like home. I’m convinced that home is where your heart is. My family is my heart. The four of us can make anywhere feel like it’s our own place when we are together – even the great outdoors.
How do we stay comfortable?
From experience, I know that our comfort level depends on our gear such as our tent, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads. Our attire is also important. We’ve never been outdoor camping in the mountains. Even though it’s summer, the nights can be pretty chilly. We will most definitely be making a trip to our local REI. I know that I can rely on the experts at REI to guide us in the right direction.
Bringing a few of our favorite foods will also bring us comfort. I must have my coffee in the morning. Burgers and hot dogs are a must for lunch or dinner. And who goes camping without making smores?! And of course, we need the right equipment to cook the food. You’re going to have to follow along on Snapchat or Instagram to see what and how we cook in Colorado!
What about being bored?
We told our chiquitos about our camping plans just a few weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been talking to them about what we may see when we are in Colorado. Since school is never out in our house, we’ve been focusing on lessons about the wildlife, habitat, and the ecosystem. We will be ready for hands-on learning as soon as we arrive. We’ll bring along our notebooks and pencils for inspired writing or just observations.
Camping is really about enjoying each other’s company in a really amazing scenery. We plan to pack our favorite card games and board games. We don’t ever do much without our favorite playing our favorite musica. Thankfully, that’s as simple as a playlist on iTunes and a blue tooth speaker. Lately, we have been reading out loud as a family. I’ll pack my Kindle so that will bring some comfort and entertainment. Who knows? Maybe it will inspire our own stories around the campfire.
These are a few of the things that will make our familia feel at home. Our camping adventures should be as simple as doing what we love to do together but for these few nights, our living room is the outdoors.
Make Home Outdoors Camping Inspiration and Tips
Check out REI’s latest video, it’s a moving story about Naldo Calderon and his daughter Rubie, demonstrate the importance of what it means to connect with the land and make home, anywhere.
“The earlier in life that Rubie learns how to make home wherever she goes, the better she’ll be.”
So you want to go camping? I’m going to share a few lessons that I’ve learned from our last trip and while planning for this trip.
- Choose your location. For first-timers, I suggest a place that allows car camping. You can take more gear with you because you aren’t as restricted by the weight. Car camping will help you determine your camping comfort level. After your first experience, if you feel you can manage with less, consider backpack camping.
- Plan your day activities, your night activities and especially plan your meals. Your plans may change and that’s okay but you don’t want to show up and not know where to go hiking or not have games to play at night.
- Check your camping gear. Your comfort level will depend on how well you prepared with the right gear. You may even need to purchase camping gear if you don’t have any. REI is a perfect place to start.
- Remember WHY you want to create this experience. The planning process may begin to feel overwhelmed but just stop and reflect on the purpose of this adventure. Nature is a place to relax and reconnect. Don’t get distracted by trying to make everything perfect.
Okay, Queridos, I’ve told you how I plan to make home in Colorado. Tell me, how do you make home outdoors? Do you just need your favorite blanket? Special card game? Lucky coffee mug? Leave a comment below, I really want to know.
Follow @QueMeansWhat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat for updates on our camping adventure in Colorado.
Visit rei.com for outdoor product needs and connect with them on Facebook to learn more about Make Home.
