I didn't get to travel much as a kid and I  promised myself that I would grow up and give my own future children a childhood full of adventure. Before kids, my husband, Andy, and I frequently enjoyed weekend camping adventures, packing up little more than a tent, sleeping bags and our pie irons to explore various state parks. But once we became parents, camping seemed overwhelming, so we put camping and most travel on the backburner, focusing instead on daytrips to state and county parks where we hit the trails.

Once our kids turned 3 and 5, we decided it was time to hit the road. Our first trip was quite ambitious: We traveled over 5,000 miles through 10 states, visiting the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Little Bighorn, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons, as well as other national monuments and historic sites. We mostly stayed in basic KOA camping cabins, where we had to bring our own bedding, food, and cooking supplies. There were definitely challenges (see: perpetually carsick kid and trying to find the bathroom in the dark at 3 a.m.) but we all loved the experience of that memory-making trip. Road tripping quickly became our lifestyle, and we’ve now been to over 30 states, 47 National Parks and Monuments, and many other sites in our trusty 2011 minivan, affectionately named Vincent Van Go, or Vinny for short.

When the pandemic hit, we turned back to local hikes and then decided to venture into family tent camping for the first time in our children’s lives. As we’ve slowly acquired new gear and adjusted to camping as a family, we suffered through a couple of cold nights, learned a few good lessons, and fine-tuned our plan. We developed a basic camping kit that makes set-up and take-down a breeze, plus our favorite extras to enhance the experience.

In 2023, we decided to help other families hit the trails through family camping gear rentals. We hope you enjoy your adventures sleeping under the stars as much as we’ve loved ours!