From Couch to Camp: Our Hilariously Hectic Backpacking Adventure

A few years ago, I decided my kids needed goals.

This was mid-pandemic and I had a lot of extra time and energy on my hands looking for an outlet. And my lucky kids had a lot of time on their hands too. In my zeal, I came up with a goals program. My children could earn pins for completing goals in different areas. I pushed them to really get outside their comfort zone and do something they thought would be hard.

I may have been too encouraging, because two of my kids decided to improve their fitness. They wanted to take a long backpacking hike and sleep outside-which meant a responsible adult had to go with them. My wife was very clear that this was all my brilliant idea, so I got to reap the rewards of my creativity. 

We began making plans. It happens that there is a hiking trail in our neighborhood that swings by our backyard about five miles in. A good challenging distance for my newbie hikers. I had the genius idea to set up a tent on the hill behind our house, and then go hike around the mountain until we reached our campsite. We would get all the adventure of a backpacking camp, and end a hundred yards from our very own indoor plumbing. What could go wrong?

We set off in high spirits. But my first mistake quickly became apparent. I hadn’t calculated our pace very well, and it got dark quickly. We were barely halfway through when it became full dark. This made my kids pretty nervous, but we didn’t have much choice but to press on. We did at least have the foresight to bring flashlights. It didn’t help that my daughter had often heard the coyotes howling in the hills at night and was convinced we would shortly be dinner for some lucky scavenger. 

Finally, much later than we had planned and a lot more tired than we expected, we reached our tent. I felt relieved the hard part was over, and we could tumble into bed and get some well deserved rest. But then my second miscalculation became apparent. I failed to account for the fierce winds that blow through our small canyon. It was so loud, we couldn’t sleep. We were perpetually afraid our battered tent would roll right down the hill. Finally, at about 3 in the morning, we gave up and retreated down to sleep inside our sturdy house on our fluffy mattresses. Despite the setbacks, I think my kids enjoyed the adventure. Things didn’t go perfectly, but they technically completed their goal. They pushed through challenging circumstances, and learned they were more capable than they imagined.

When I gave them the pin that symbolized completing their fitness goal, they were proud of themselves, and I was proud of them too. Never be afraid to set a goal that stretches you past your comfort level. Odds are pretty good it will be harder than you expected and you won’t do it perfectly. But you’ll be glad you did and amazed at how much more capable you were than you thought.