Kids and Overlanding

[OverlandRecon]

Great thread. Father of two here, 8 year old son and 5 year old daughter. My daughter is not super enthusiastic about camping, but she's coming around. My son can't get enough off-roading or camping, he's begging me to do the Mojave Road. He received his first slingshot when we went out to the Mojave last month. I might be open to going out with some local SoCal people and getting the kids together. I'm looking for a nice secluded swimming hole where I can set up camp and let the kids have fun in the water this summer.

Here's my Rack Monkey.

 

[Barton Fink]

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[JeepinZJ]

We have 3 kids: 2 boys 10 and 8 and girl who is 5. Our 8 and 5 year old loves off roading and camping while our 10 year old says I don't want to go it won't be fun and then complains when it's time to go home, lol.


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[lokoperu]

Thanks for creating this post, I have a 9 year old and a 10 month old baby. My son it's used to camping and I have to say that his favorite activity is Geocaching. It's fun, it keeps them moving and he can't have enough of it.


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[JeepinZJ]

Thanks for creating this post, I have a 9 year old and a 10 month old baby. My son it's used to camping and I have to say that his favorite activity is Geocaching. It's fun, it keeps them moving and he can't have enough of it.


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What would you recommend for the kids to use an iPad, iPhone? Is there an app or an device to buy?


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[Mitchapalooza]

Also subscribed! 12 yo boy and 8 yo girl here, looking for some new ways to keep them entertained that don't involve arguing, fighting and complaining I love the telescope idea!

 

[MA_Trooper]

I've got a 1 year old who seems pretty chill with anything we do as long as we do it together. I can't wait to introduce her to all my favorite outdoor activities.

 

[Noel Leon Gauthier]

Hi! We camp with three littles- 7, 5, and 4. I've found the biggest trick is just easing into it and building the idea that this is going to be fun. We camped in the backyard many times testing setups and attention spans for a long time. I always bring a laptop with lots of movies. I make sure the rig is as comfortable as possible and there's always a way for someone to check-out and get some alone time. About 2 years into this hobby and they now help plan and can rough it with the best of them. They all help with packing, planning, and meal prep. They each have their "jobs" when we're out- my son brings a polaroid that he uses to document the trip, my oldest daughter collects leaves and such to draw.
I've camped with many families who just bring their kids out into the woods cold turkey "for the fun of it" and the kids quickly learn that this just sucks.
The other trick is that memories are heavily influenced by whatever happens last- so even after long cold trips in rain and snow the kids will recall it being a blast because we hit McDonalds on the way home.

 

[Young Satchel]

My 5 year old was just diagnosed with adhd and is being tested for dyslexia. My 2 year old that we adopted was born with drugs in her system so she is also delayed. Neither of them as hard as what your dealing with so my hat is off to you for going out with them....

My wife was a behavioral therapist working with special needs kids before she became a full time mommy.

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Thanks man; I appreciate that.

It's really really tough with my older son. At present most of our trips are what I have dubbed "Naptime overland" [emoji23] that's means local journeys between 2-5 hours through forest and haul roads. We've done 2 overnights as well, but things were tough with my autistic blind guy as his routine and transitions are very important to him. All in all I was super impressed and proud of him in spite of the difficulty it presented to he and I [emoji7]

Things are only going to get easier as they both get older and I have some great ideas in store for when longer trips become a real possibility!


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[lokoperu]

What would you recommend for the kids to use an iPad, iPhone? Is there an app or an device to buy?


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The app it's just called Geocatching and we use our IPad and my cell.


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[20DYNAMITE07]

What would you recommend for the kids to use an iPad, iPhone? Is there an app or an device to buy?


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You just need a tech device that has GPS, like a smartphone or tablet.

 

[Wolfy]

Was just in Mojave Preserve and the two tenants of kid camping are illustrated below.

1: Let them wallow in the dirt (sand).



2: Bring mac n cheese

 

[Kindred.Wanderlust]

I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old. We have done some beach camping, where we set up in the rig and drive on the beach. Did this last summer and my oldest had a blast. This was the trip that allowed me to order the Gobi Rack sooner rather than later, as we realized that when we have two car seats, we won't be able to put the EZup or other long items inside anymore. Now we are looking for water proof boxes (I'm pushing for AluBox, haha) for future trips.

I'll be taking him camping on May 20th again. We will have to park the rig and hike into the camp ground, but it's not that primitive of a campground. Will be the first true test of fire and hanging out in the woods all day and night. I'm sure it will go well, and plan on more trips with him and my youngest when he gets a bit older.

I bought the adapter for the forward facing seats that have the strap (99 4runner) and my wife wishes there was a retrofit for the quick connect for the child seats. I'm sure he'll enjoy the offroading, as he loves trucks, monster trucks, and even enjoyed watching some of the Alaskan Offroad Challenge.

Anyway, can't wait for this trip. My dad was in the military, so he wasn't a big fan of camping when I was little. Want my boys to get the experience early on.

 

[Anchor Mtn]

My son is almost 7 and we have been traveling with him since he was born. Cross country trips, off road, camping... everything. He loves travelling and camping. At the campsite I got him an Axial SCX-10 last year to rock crawl with but all he wants to do is GO FAST!!! So I kept the rc crawler for myself and got him a Traxxas 2wd truck. He loves it and runs around with it all over the campsite.

Glow sticks, flashlights and lanterns keep the kids entertained at night and makes them easy to track in the dark.

 

[Bk6418]

I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old. We have done some beach camping, where we set up in the rig and drive on the beach. Did this last summer and my oldest had a blast. This was the trip that allowed me to order the Gobi Rack sooner rather than later, as we realized that when we have two car seats, we won't be able to put the EZup or other long items inside anymore. Now we are looking for water proof boxes (I'm pushing for AluBox, haha) for future trips.

I'll be taking him camping on May 20th again. We will have to park the rig and hike into the camp ground, but it's not that primitive of a campground. Will be the first true test of fire and hanging out in the woods all day and night. I'm sure it will go well, and plan on more trips with him and my youngest when he gets a bit older.

I bought the adapter for the forward facing seats that have the strap (99 4runner) and my wife wishes there was a retrofit for the quick connect for the child seats. I'm sure he'll enjoy the offroading, as he loves trucks, monster trucks, and even enjoyed watching some of the Alaskan Offroad Challenge.

Anyway, can't wait for this trip. My dad was in the military, so he wasn't a big fan of camping when I was little. Want my boys to get the experience early on.

There are many other boxes than the alum boxes. If cost is the thing shop around, for the same price you can pick up the planos and weatherproof them with cash left over. It's all about what you need them for.

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[Wolfy]

There are many other boxes than the alum boxes. If cost is the thing shop around, for the same price you can pick up the planos and weatherproof them with cash left over. It's all about what you need them for.

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I got some Frontrunner Wolf Boxes. They are very nice. I'm going to get more.

-M

 

[Kindred.Wanderlust]

There are many other boxes than the alum boxes. If cost is the thing shop around, for the same price you can pick up the planos and weatherproof them with cash left over. It's all about what you need them for.

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Yeah, would like to do a lower cost option. Is there a build thread somewhere or link to demonstrate the water proofing of planos? Gobi rack is showing up this week!

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[Wolfy]

We planned our recent trip to the Mojave National Preserve around cool things to do with the kids, and it went REALLY well. Those experiences will be the focus of our video series on this trip. So check out our channel if you're interested. Everything we did down there is worth doing again! Highly recommended trip for families.

 

[XL.Overland]

Don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but my wife, 3 boys (9, 4, and 1), and I are planning a 2 week Southwest trip this summer. Going to start in Southern California and go to Southern Utah, Southern Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Planning on camping a couple days at a time, and staying in hotels a day or two between each camping spot. My question is for those of you that have kids and live in the above mentioned states (minus California), what are the must see locations/must do activities? Some of the things I've come up with are: Arches National Park, the narrow gauge railroad out of Durango, the dinosaur resource center, the Grand Canyon, and bearizona. Nothing is locked in, so any suggestions would be greatly welcomed. Also scenic drive, and mild trail suggestions would be great as well. Thanks guys.


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[Wolfy]

Don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but my wife, 3 boys (9, 4, and 1), and I are planning a 2 week Southwest trip this summer. Going to start in Southern California and go to Southern Utah, Southern Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Planning on camping a couple days at a time, and staying in hotels a day or two between each camping spot. My question is for those of you that have kids and live in the above mentioned states (minus California), what are the must see locations/must do activities? Some of the things I've come up with are: Arches National Park, the narrow gauge railroad out of Durango, the dinosaur resource center, the Grand Canyon, and bearizona. Nothing is locked in, so any suggestions would be greatly welcomed. Also scenic drive, and mild trail suggestions would be great as well. Thanks guys.


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Check out Chaco in central New Mexico. It's pretty remote, but very cool. Also Bandalier near Santa Fe and the Sandia Tram in Abq.

Also, near Grants in NM is a place called El Malapais where there are Lava Tubes. Bandera Cave. It's worth seeing. Kids love that stuff.

-M