It's interesting to look at what people consider camping.
As a former Park Ranger for the National Park Service and before I had children, I used to camp coyote style, which is basically to gather up some leaves to make a bed, and sleep solo out in the wilderness back country of the Rocky Mountains surrounded by Aspens under a ceiling of huge bright twinkling stars.
I loved it and felt a deep sense of freedom in knowing that the whole world was my campground.
Other folks consider spending the night in an expensive lodge with electricity, running water, a warm shower, toilets, beds and a full kitchenette camping.
Now that I have young kids, I had to upgraded from my coyote style camping to accommodate camping with kids by bringing a 4 season tent, camping pads, -20 sleeping bags, extra food and water rations, first aid, and clothing to meet all weather conditions.
We still venture deep into the back country of the wilderness but rain, sleet, snow or shine, we always stay comfortable.
An there in lies the key to a successful camping trip.
Comfort is everything, especially with kids.
I never hesitate to pay a little extra for higher quality rain and snow gear because this is a necessity that you don't want to skimp on if the whether turns ugly, which happens a lot in Colorado.
We have camped with our kids when they where only a few months old, and instinctively understood the importance of having the right gear, a good tent, and proper clothing.
I have always been the type of person who plans for the worst, and hopes for the best.
So far this method has worked for me.
Having an uncomfortable camping member in your group can not only ruin the whole trip, but also permanently taint the family memories.
It's really sad when you think about past trips that had gone wrong.
I remember going on a trip with another family who claimed to be seasoned campers themselves.
Our families went on a short camping trip together up to the mountains on a weekend that went from sunny and warm to cold and raining in a heartbeat.
My kids were still pretty young but my family was prepared and pulled out the proper clothing to meet the conditions.
Our friends however, had only summer clothing, and were in no way prepared for the sudden change in weather.
Their teenage girls had sour faces and miserable attitudes which quickly began to rub off on everyone else.
They finally packed up and went home, while my family stayed and enjoyed the campground all to our selves.
It was an interesting lesson that has stuck with me ever since.
I guess the same can be said for traveling through life with kids.
We cannot predict the future, but we can prepare for rough roads ahead.
With the world economy, job security, and stock market topsy turvy, it only makes sense to start saving money, gathering supplies, medicine, tools, food, water, clothing, organizing your gear, taking care of what you have, and paying off the bills in order to be in the best position in the event that it all goes bad.
Bad Weather can strike in our lives at a moments notice with finances, health issues, accidents, as well as actual weather or natural disasters.
It's our duty as parents to prepare ourselves, protect our families from harsh conditions, so that we can be comfortable, safe, happy and ready for when the sun comes out again.
Then we can try to teach others to do the same.
Happy Travels!