This entry was posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 12:41 am and is filed under camping equipment tents. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Winter Camping With Kids
I was ten the first time I camped in the winter, and a boy scout. My leader warned us to change our socks and mitts every couple of hours; I listened, but my best friend didn’t. We spent our second night at the hospital after he passed out from hypothermia. Unlike many things in my life, this was one lesson I was happy to learn from afar. If you’re considering winter camping with kids, some preplanning will make your trip safe and fun.
For your first adventure, keep it to one or two nights and stay within driving distance to civilization. Kids are generally better sports than adults; cold mornings and early evenings are fine as long the time in between is packed with lots of outdoor fun. Set your kids up for a lifetime of winter camping with these simple rules:
Gauge your speed
If you’re hiking to your destination, remember that the snow will slow you down. A trail that takes two hours to traverse in the summer will exhaust short legs and take twice the time during the winter. Moderate your expectations and have a back-up plan if you can’t make daily goals.
Over estimate clothing needs
Warm, wet weather followed by a cold night is your most dangerous enemy. Thankfully, high tech fabrics designed to wick moisture away from skin make staying dry easier to manage. Estimate your clothing needs and add 50 percent more when traveling with kids. And remind them to change often even if they argue. Hypothermia is not a death sentence, but frostbite is irreversible (damage can vary from mild scarring to tissue death).
Never go anywhere without your compass or GPS
This is rule number one, no matter what the season, but it can be a life and death issue in the winter. During snowstorms your own footprints, landmarks and animal tracks disappear. And panic sets in fast when freezing to death becomes a real possibility. While you’re at it, make sure you have cell service for that first trip.
Stay close to your equipment
This may seem like a misnomer, but hikers who set up camp and then go for a walk to find water or wood are as common as brown bears in Tennessee. Explore your surroundings only in pairs and mark your position continually on your GPS or compass. If you do get turned around, you’ll be able to make it back to the equipment you need to build a fire and stay warm.
When it comes to camping with kids, capitalize on their adventurous spirit. After all, when was the last time you spent a night in a snow covered forest just for the fun of it?
Paul Lander
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/winter-camping-with-kids-67018.html
===========================================
36 Responses to “Winter Camping With Kids”
Leave a Reply
March 5th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Should I tell my kids I am having an abortion?
I am doing it on Wednesday because my kids are going camping with their grandparents and will be gone for the week (winter break from school). They know mommy is having a baby but they do not know that we found out the baby might have DS. We choose not to bring a child into the world like that and before the children get attached to the baby we plan to terminate. We will them the we lost the baby though miscarriage which is easier to explain i guess, but would you just tell the truth to your kids
they are 11,7,7,5 and 3 the others cant even walk yet so they dont understand
kendra unless you are living though it you do not know what you till do.. Are you willing to adopt the child? no? ok then
i just went for the first catgory Y! gave me
March 5th, 2010 at 5:43 am
I don’t think it is something they would be able to handle at their age.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 5:45 am
they should be able to handle it
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 5:47 am
Not at their ages. Wait until they are adults, then they would understand. And not blab incorrect info around too!
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 5:49 am
I would say to tell them you miscaried.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 5:51 am
Maybe you could tell your kids that the baby is sick and isnt going to make it. Dont go into details, that might scare them. And how old are your kids?
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 5:53 am
Its no something that they would understand. Make it simple for them and tell them that you had a miscarage.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 5:55 am
I agree…I don’t think they would understand. Not that I like lying to kids, but I think it may damage their opinions of you. Abortion is such a hot button issue and I am sure they may hear opinions about it one way or another.
I am sorry you have to face this. What a challenge!
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 5:57 am
I’m a big believer in being honest with children, but this is one of those times I would leave out details. I, personally, would say something along the lines of "The baby was not healthy and the doctor had to intervene. Unfortunately, the baby did not survive." But that’s just me, you know yourself and your children better than any of us do.
Boy…you are brave for posting this here though, you are gonna get railed…
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 5:59 am
What a crass question. I think you should lie to your kids, they will not understand your reasons for a termination.
And asking this in TTC – how tactless.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Yeah he MIGHT have DS. Does not mean he will. Please dont have an abortion because it is a grave sin against god. We need a child like that in this world anyway to help the compation of children and young adults!
When they take the baby out of you did you know they stab them in the head and kill them? Do you want that to happen to your child?
I dont even think you know what abortion means.
References :
Please don’t have an abortion!!!
March 5th, 2010 at 6:03 am
No, I wouldn’t tell them. You don’t say how old they are, but there are some things that are better kept from children, especially if they’re young.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:05 am
i dont think thats a good idea, unless they were teenagers
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:07 am
Don’t tell them, but I would tell them the truth if they ever ask when they are adults.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:09 am
What age are they, exactly? Its got a lot to do with that. I think you’ll find that after the age of 12, kids can handle a huge amount, and process it with some good logic. However, don’t forget that this will be a major event and have quite an effect on them, so you will need to watch and guide them very carefully in the near future.
Most important, be 100% sure of what you’re doing. If one of your kids happened to disapprove, your own guilt would be compounded by hearing their objections. I for one commend you for your decision. DS is a horrible disease for a child to grow with, and a life of pain and suffering is not something you would wish on anyone.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:11 am
Don’t kill you child, just because he might have down syndrome! He could still live a successful life, wouldn’t you rather live with a handicap than not live at all? At least you have that choice, you’re not even giving this baby a chance. Go to youtube and look up abortion before you make your decision.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:13 am
Okay I am not trying to be a b*tch but I have a cousin who has DS and she is perfectly fine! AND YOU STATED SHE MIGHT.Seriously if I were you I would really concider NOT aborting. I know that you have your own choice to make but that baby can feel things in your womb. I don’t understand why just because it has DS that you think that warrants an abortion? Talk to a genetsis. If you don’t want the baby then PUT IT UP FOR ADOPTION! There are people out there that wouldn’t care if the baby had DS. Seriously. It makes me so mad that you would even post something like this on THIS FORUM. SERIOUSLY if you want to kill your unborn child you don’t need to post it in the TRYING TO CONCIEVE FORUM!
References :
EDIT: OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW THAT THEIR IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR CHOICE IF YOU WANT TO HIDE IT FROM YOUR CHILDREN!!!!!! Really you need to find the REAL meaning of life!
ANOTHER EDIT: I really hate people like you! Seriously who are you to say that the little baby growing inside of you is just not good enough. OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT DOWNS. YOU TAKE WHAT GOD GIVES YOU!
March 5th, 2010 at 6:15 am
You’re aborting your baby because it might have Down Syndrome? It is totally up to you but i would never do such a thing. And you said the baby MIGHT have Down Syndrome, don’t take its life away over something that might not even happen.Anyway, you should tell your kids what you are doing. Let them know the type of person their mother really is.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:17 am
honestly, the baby it technically in the world already and to terminate the baby isn’t fair to the baby. He/she didn’t asked to be conceived but it happened. And you did say "MIGHT" have DS but are not for sure. But if you plan to go on with your decision i would tell them the truth, because lieing to them won’t help the situation.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:19 am
Whenever you are ready, you should be honest about it. My mom didn’t tell my siblings and i that she aborted a baby until we were way older. she did give us a reason as to why she did it but she says that she will always regret not knowing her other baby.
i think i could understand you, some of us aren’t made to have challenges that difficult in life… good luck on whatever it is you decide.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:21 am
Its a vagina, not a clown car
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:23 am
You should tell your children the truth it might be tough at first but if you don’t tell them now they will take it even harder when they are older and in my opinion they’ll be mad you didn’t tell them sooner or when you were planing on getting it done. Be fair they might not be that old but they have a right to no!!!
References :
Somting simalar happend to a friend!
March 5th, 2010 at 6:25 am
i’m sure the doctor told you this but a lot of the time those tests come up with false positives. there’s really no accurate way of knowing whether or not the baby has it. there’s a huge chance that you would have a normal, healthy, happy baby. you could always get a second opinion. i’m not sure which test told you there is a chance. i know there’s a blood test which is what has the large amounts of false positives and then there’s the ultrasound where they look for an increase of fat or skin behind the babys neck. i know this isn’t actually an answer to the question you asked but i thought i’d give you a heads up.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:27 am
I don’t have DS, but I do have SEVERAL debilitating health problems that I was born with. I never have and never will know what it is to live a "normal" healthy life. Having said that, I thank God that my mother didn’t abort me. Just because I wasn’t "perfect" doesn’t mean I didn’t have a right to live. I have just as much of a right to life as anyone else, and so does your unborn baby. The disgust I feel for you and for the other responders who seem to approve of this is indescribable. I pray that you will not abort your child, but you will have to face God in judgment if you do. If you do abort your child, your living children deserve to know that their parents murdered their sibling because he or she wasn’t "perfect" and their parents were too selfish to care for him or her. I don’t feel sorry for you. I feel sorry for the baby you want to murder. Rationalize your baby’s murder all you want, but it won’t change a thing. I’m glad you’re not my mother. I guess you would have murdered me too.
References :
Kudos to Kendra! Abortion is the new Holocaust.
March 5th, 2010 at 6:29 am
I guess first and foremost are you sure about your choice. I am assuming that DS is down syndrome? If this is the case I have known of more than one person who has been told that their child was Down syndrome but the elected to have the baby anyway both had normal children. On the other hand if this is something that you are sure about I would not tell them you aborted a baby. Children are funny that way, while they do not understand they do value life and would wonder if theirs could disappear as easily. Best wishes to you. I do hope that your tests were accurate and that there will be no regrets. It really can be hard to live with later>
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:31 am
While I am a firm believer in telling your kids the truth, in this case given their ages and situations I would go with the miscarriage story. But tell them the truth when they are teenagers and better able to understand what’s happened.
The reason why I said this is whether you are pro choice or pro life young children shouldn’t really be exposed to abortion. You have a legitimate reason and whether or not I or other people agree with it isn’t the point. Its a harsh reality no matter what and young children shouldn’t be exposed to the fact of killing an unborn baby. It would be better for you to explain that your body and the fetus’ body just weren’t strong enough to make a baby and so you won’t be having one. The issue of death doesn’t really need to be brought up to the younger children. Its better than saying that the baby might have had a horrible disease so you had to kill it. You know what I mean?
Anyway… I’m very sorry for your situation and hope all goes well. Personally, I would not abort it but its your choice.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:33 am
why in the world would you post that here??? the child "might" have DS so with out any confirmed proof you are going to terminate a life …. I am sorry that you even have to make that choice but the conditions and lies that would be involved are even worse . Btw Rather than tell a lie just wait til each individual child asks and give them answers that are clear and honest Good Luck and God Bless .
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:35 am
I will tell you that I know someone who was told her son would have DS, when he was born Dad asked the nurses when he would "look Downs", the nurse said you would be able to tell immediately and that he wasn’t. Those tests are not 100%…However, I wouldn’t tell the kids you had an abortion, I agree with the others who said tell them the baby is sick and isn’t going to make it.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:37 am
tell them the truth….mommy’s going to kill you brother or sister because it MIGHT not come out perfect….
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Depends. The 11 year old is the only one I would tell, and then only if it’s a girl, and only if she’s a mature girl (I mean emotionally, not phisically, they don’t go hand in hand. The rest of them, I think the information could actually be damaging to them. They don’t fully understand it, even if they’ve heard about abortion from others, hearing that their own mother did it, without fully understanding the implications,could leave them with lasting scars.
I know, I was told something when I was young that I didn’t fully understand. I didn’t know then that I didn’t understand, but I walked around for years thinking something happened when it actually was very differrent. Now, even though I’m an adult and know the truth, those years of living with a misconception left their mark.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:41 am
I think you should tell your children you miscarried. When they are old enough to understand you can tell them the truth.
While I dont think you should have posted this in the TTC forum (some of us have been trying for years to conceive) I understand why you dont want to keep the baby to term. The chance that your child could have DS is scary… and I dont think its fair to be selfish enough to bring a child into this world knowing they wont have a chance at a full life.
To those throwing judgement and talking about how it is a great sin against God… remember 2 things…. ALL sins are equal in Gods eyes and "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" Unless you are perfect and have never sinned, you have no right to judge this woman for her decisions.
I have never been in your shoes, and I hope I never have to be, but though my husband and I have been trying for 3 years for a baby we decided a long time ago that we would do the same thing as you are.
I wish you the best of luck and I hope you never have to go through this again.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:43 am
YOU HAVE DOWNS SYNDROME
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:45 am
Whether you choose to have an abortion or not is your business and nobody can tell you what to do, however I don’t think you should post this topic in a TTC category. You are lucky you never had to experience infertility, but for soo many women sacrificing everything they have and wishing to be in your shoes, it’s very insensitive to put the fact that you’re pregnant and don’t want this baby in the TTC section. Good luck with everything anyhow!
References :
P.S. I agree with Stevie on everything, and Stevie I am in the same boat as you are.
March 5th, 2010 at 6:47 am
My sister in law has Downs and she is such a blessing to our family. Here she is with me on my wedding day. Seeing how my DH cares for her is one of the reasons that made me fall in love with him. My mother in law told me that since the day she was born, she has never once asked herself "why me?" She is so bright and a self sufficient. I truly believe God would never give you anything you can’t handle.
I also do a lot of work with a foundation that helps people Down Syndrome. You also don’t know if your baby really does have Downs and to what extent. Doctors do also make mistakes. This is a factor that my DH and I have had to consider. Even though my sister in law’s DS isn’t the hereditary type, we still have to consider the fact that it could happen to us. If it did, we would give that baby all the love we had inside us.
I am not trying to be rude, but please don’t post these types of questions on TTC. Please use other pregnancy forums. A lot of us would give anything in the world to be in your shoes, with a disabled baby or not. We go to these message boards to get advice on how to conceive and support each other through experiences that have happened to us that are out of our control. Knowing that someone is asking us how to tell their children they are throwing that gift away is heart wrenching.
I think God blesses the world with these children to remind us of how precious life is and God’s message comes in many forms, be it a child with DS. I was PG and miscarried a few weeks ago. It was a heart-wrenching experience and I would give my right arm to blessed with a child to raise with love.
Edit: BTW my SIL has no health problems other than speech issues and thyroid problems. She brightens up the room
References :
personal experience
March 5th, 2010 at 6:49 am
Wow there is quite the array of answers here!
Before I say anything, I have a cousin with DS who is 27 so I have very close relatives that know what it is like.
First, I don’t think it is fair to judge somebody based on this situation. Unless it is you personally in this situation you can’t just say "it’s a sin to abort" or "well i’ll just abort the pregnancy" because it all seems plain and simple now but when it is happening to you personally all the emotions are different. It is a woman’s personal decision.
Think about things such as what would the quality of life be for the baby? Depending on the severity, they might be suffering their whole life. And obviously to care for this child they are going to need constant care and supervision for the rest of their life which means either one parent is going to have to quit their job or hire a caretaker (think big $$$), what if the family can’t afford it? And since you already have many children financially it could be very difficult if someone had to quit their job to stay home and take care of the child for the entire family not just for the 1 child who needs care.
Also question, what test did you have done? Did you just get preliminary tests that give a % of the chance of DS? Or did you go and get an amniocentesis which gives more accurate results? Since I noticed you said the baby MIGHT have DS…because what if the baby didnt’ have DS?
And as for talking to your children about it, I think they are definitely too young to understand the concept of abortion. The best bet for now is to tell the children that the baby was sick and didn’t make it. And perhaps in the future when they are older if you so choose they will understand better.
Good luck in whatever you decide.
References :
March 5th, 2010 at 6:51 am
No!!!
References :