Tents for camping

Well, with the amount of rain we received this weekend we did not go out hiking with the kids.  Some rain I can do but not the torrential downpour we received. 

We also recently adopted a new puppy into our family (details to follow in another post) so it has put a temporary halt on any real hikes this fall. 

So, in anticipation of next summer, let's talk about tents!  Also, if you're like me shopping during the off season is a great way to get super gear at fantastic prices. 

I won't drone on too long here, but if you are new to camping I've got some pointers, and if you're in the market for a new tent this may be of interest to you too. 

First of all you need to decide what kind of tent you need. 

• how many people need to sleep in the tent?
• how much extra space do you want? (ie, playroom for the kids)
• does the weight matter?  For car camping it really doesn't matter.
• ease of set up?  Personally if the tent is complicated to set up it's not worth it.
• pockets!  Basically tent storage on the inside.  This is like storage spaces in your house.  Some of our tents have these great little pockets in the corners and overhead which are so handy for little things you need to reach for during the night.
• Vestibule space--what's this you ask?  The space of coverage between the outside of your tent and the outside of your camping spot.  It's that little bit of room that still has protection from the elements without being inside the tent.  Some have larger areas for either play space or gear storage and some are smaller.  What is important to you.
• Doors and ventilation:  Some tents have two doors, one on either end or side.  This is handy if a few people will be sleeping in the tent.  It's even handy in two person tents (that way you aren't crawling over each other to get out during the night). 

Make sure your tent comes with a fly and a footprint.  Usually they do come with a fly (the cover for rain and wind protection) but the footprint is usually sold separately.  (The footprint is your ground cover that matches the size and shape of your tent to protect the bottom of your tent from damage). 
If you do not want to buy the matching footprint, you can always use a good tarp under your tent instead. 

One more tent tip:  My husband decided to do some backpacking this weekend with some family members in the rain.  They used a very old tent (now in the garbage) which leaked quite badly, had a few holes and a broken zipper. 
It also leaked from the bottom up despite them using garbage bags as their footprint. 

Big tip here:  If you are tenting in the rain, consider moving your footprint or tarp to the inside of your tent instead of the outside underneath.  The rain can easily pool between your footprint and tent but if it's inside you will still stay dry on the bottom of your tent. 

Enjoy the outdoors and just because we're coming into cooler weather is not excuse not to get your family outside! 

Hiking Teapot Hill-Cultus Lake Park

Quick facts

Driving distance: approx. 100 kms from Vancouver
Permits required: none
Driving map: this one will give you a good idea Click here for map to the area

See the teapot? 

This is a great hike for the family!  We went hiking here a week ago on a lovely sunny day and even our littlest one enjoyed herself. 

This hike is in the Chilliwack area, you drive past the Cultus Lake waterslides (a nice additional stop if you have the time and it's warm enough outside) and past the campsites. 

There is a small parking lot or side road parking and parking is free.  The trail itself is popular especially during the camping season.  The trail itself is wide for most of it and well groomed.  We came across three horses who were also enjoying the day.  One of the many things we loved here is the forest filled with beautiful western red cedars.  Some of them are huge!  What we also loved observering with our kids is how the trees are covered in moss except as we neared the top of the hike.  Ask your kids why this is?  We got great answers from our kids and it had them thinking about all the elements for a while. 

Our kids were all fascinated by a huge banana slug they came across! 

The trail is pretty steep to begin with, and just before you reach the top you come to a lovely opening with a fantastic view of Cultus Lake.  Here we let our kids have a short break with some treats we had brought along. 

This is really family friendly and our kids enjoyed reading these signs about the area. 

After you are finished admiring the great view of the lake, a short jaunt up a further and you reach the top of Teapot Hill.  It is fully fenced in along the edge so there's no danger of children falling down.  We reached the top in about 45 minutes at a very leisurely pace. 

This is a very pretty and fun walk for the whole family, one we will probably do again and could be done at any time of the year although I would prefer a sunny day to see the lake from up top.  As it is a pretty short walk (completed in less than 2 hours), it would be easy to add some other stops along the way or on the way out in the area. 

And just in case it's needed, there is an outhouse right at the start of the trail. 

Happy hiking!

Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park

The soft sandy beach at Birkenhead Lake

Quick facts
Driving distance: approx. 216 kms from Vancouver
Permits required: camping fee, reservable campsite or first come first serve
Driving map: this one will give you a good idea   Click here for google map
Resources: click on the title above to go to the B.C. Parks website for this park

Birkenhead is a beautiful lake, one of the prettiest we've camped at.  There's a lot to do, great hiking trails for every level of hiker, a lake to swim in (although quite cold), good fishing and wildlife viewing in the right month.
Oh, and at nighttime, the sky is literally littered with stars and if you haven't been out of the city in a while the night sky here will be a welcome surprise! 

Campsite notes: There are no flush toilets or wash houses here.  Only pit toilets which is fine but after a few days with mostly girls we were wishing for a flush toilet.  We're ok without the showers because we either swim in the lake and use some biodegradable soap or hang our solar shower near our campsite (I highly recommend these-we have two!). 

There are also drinking water taps located throughout the campsite. 

We've noticed at some campgrounds that the rangers will sell ice on a daily basis although that wasn't the case when we were here.  However, there is a little "store" just up the road leading into the park that sells ice and a few food and snacky items. 

This is one of the nicest beach areas we've camped at.  It's very long and wide, perfect for kids and adults who like to play in the sand. 
It was pretty windy when we were there in late August of 2009 but we still dared ourselves to get in the water!

The view from the Goat Lookout trail

Although we weren't here for the goat sightings, the view of the lake is spectacular from the top of this 1 km trail.  It's pretty steep and rocky but with a little help even our 5 year old managed this one through the old growth forested trail. 

And the forests here are fantastic, there is a mix of tree species: Douglas -fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, cottonwood and Engelmann spruce which can all be seen hiking along the trail to the wilderness campsite (permantly closed down now) which runs along the north west side of the lake.  However, hiking to the wilderness campsite has it's merits, for one it's a beautiful hike with lots of wooden bridges to cross and great fishing sites. 
  

This was our favourite fishing
site at the walk in campsite

Fishing for trout proved to be quite good for us.  We always bring some lemons, garlic and butter when we go camping just in case some trout are caught! 

There is now an interpretive program for kids at this park and kids can collect their Jerry Ranger stickers. 

If you live in Vancouver or farther away from this park, it can be a long drive but easily broken up with stops along the way, the drive itself is quite nice and scenic.  We will definately be back to this one within the next few years. 

Panorama Ridge-Garibaldi Park

Last year we hiked up to the gorgeous Panorama Ridge in Garibaldi Park.  We based ourselves right at the lake after about a 3 hour hike up from the parking lot.  This was our first time up here and although tiring with all the weight on our backs once we got our first glimpse of the lake we knew it was well worth it.  After a dehydrated dinner and a walk around the lake we headed into our tent for a good night's sleep.  If you are coming up to the lake, either keep your hiking shoes/boots on or bring good sandals with you.  Flip flops are not an option.  The rocks around the lake are lava, uneven and sometimes sharp.  My advice is not tempt twisting an ankle.  The next morning under a warm sunny sky we headed up to Panorama Ridge.  This is a gorgeous hike filled with meadows, smaller lakes, creeks and tons of flowers in bloom. 

This is a great hike if you love rocks!  There are so many varities and shapes of rocks to look at and I'll have to look up the correct terms before I misquote the types we saw. 

The thing about this hike is that you seem to see the peak but once you climb to the top you look up and realize there's another peak to climb, you're just not there yet!  So, after climbing a to a few peaks we thought were the top we finally arrived and was it ever worth it.  The views of the lakes are outstanding!  The hike up through an icefield was tough but you forget the challenge when you are staring at such a glorious, natural beauty. 

The infamous Black Tusk

This is me hiking back down from the peak ready to melt some snow in our pot and have some hot lunch!  There were about a dozen people on the path when we hiked up here and it was on a weekend.  I strongly encourage you to leave early and avoid long weekends as it is extremely busy.  I've heard that climbing up Black Tusk can be a gong show with too many people heading up and down the Tusk on weekends.  If possible I would do this again during the week to avoid the weekend crowd.  Garibaldi is an ever increasing popular place.  Don't forget, pack in what you pack out! 

We loved this place, we'll do it again for sure.  There are no amenities on the trail, make sure you have your water and food with you and a means to purify your water along the way.  Once we reached this icefield we ended up packing the snow into our empty water bottles and letting it melt for drinking.  Nice, cold water!