For the past few weeks in New Zealand, we’ve spent more time away from our home base than in it. Our kids love camping and sleeping in different places. After just a couple of days at home, they’re already asking, “Where are we going next?” or “Can we sleep in a little hut?”—music to our ears.
As race directors and athletes, it’s especially fun to have kids who share our love for exploration. While they’re not quite ready for big backcountry missions yet, we’ve been finding incredible “base camps” where we can set up for a few days and fully immerse ourselves in an area. Whether we’re scouting for an upcoming race or training for our next challenge, our kids have always been with us. They’ve grown up as “co-race directors,” and it’s shaped them into fun, resilient, and adaptable little adventurers—sometimes even more so than me!
Tips for More Joy and Less Stress While Camping with Kids
1. Skip the Enforced Bedtime
You can try, but with long summer evenings and action-packed days, we’ve found it’s much easier to let everyone crash when they’re actually tired. We love seeing them play by the river until late or sharing stories around the campfire. Plus, I’d much rather wake up to a peaceful hour or two with my coffee and book than battle bedtime!
2. Fuel Up Before Any Hike or Activity
The moment our kids step out of the car, they can be whiny, tired, and sluggish—unless we feed them first. We’ve made it a habit to stock our car with a knife and cutting board, so we can quickly put together a spread of apples, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, crackers, cheese, and hummus. A good snack makes the start of any adventure so much smoother!
3. Give Yourself Grace for Transitions
Packing and unpacking on the road is the hardest part. The perfectionist in me wants everything in its place, and I tend to get stuck in that groove. If you feel the same, or if transitions stress you out, try taking a deep breath, doing a quick grounding exercise, or sitting down for a snack before setting up camp. It makes a huge difference.
4. Low Bar, High Stoke: Embrace Whatever Unfolds
My friend Stephanie Green, a fellow coach and adventure Mama/athlete introduced me to this mantra last week, and it came at the perfect time. After a busy solo-parenting week while working and camping, I was exhausted—but also eager to get out on a trip with Jason. Instead of putting pressure on the experience to be perfect, we just packed the car and told the kids: “We don’t know exactly when we’ll be back or what we’ll find, but we’ll be together, and we’ll surely discover some amazing things.”
That mindset shift made all the difference. We had an incredible three-day adventure where we felt grounded, connected, and free—without the weight of expectations. When I’m relaxed, everyone else is too.
5. Leave Room for Flexibility
Lately, we’ve been building in a “buffer day” after each trip—no work deadlines, no obligations for at least 24 hours after returning. It gives us the freedom to extend our stay if we want to, which has been a game-changer.
On our last trip, we planned to stay at a park for just one night, but when the boys immediately made friends with a crew of kids, leaving the next day would have felt forced. So we changed our plans and stayed longer. Jason and I took turns training in the beautiful park, and we met some amazing people. That extra flexibility let the kids feel like they were part of the decision-making, which made the experience even more special.
6. Let Them Be Bored
During my solo Mama camping/work week, there were moments when I had to sit down for an hour of work—and without fail, I’d hear, “But I’m so bored!” At first, the guilt hit hard. I’d stop what I was doing to help them find something to do, but after a few days, I was completely drained.
So I tried a different approach. Instead of scrambling to entertain them, I started saying, “It’s actually really healthy to be bored. Go be bored and let’s see what happens.”
At first, it was tough to hold that boundary. But once they realized I was serious, something incredible happened—they started creating their own games, exploring their surroundings, and even gaining the confidence to ask other kids to play. Their imaginations exploded, and I saw firsthand how boredom wasn’t something to fix—it was something to embrace.
7. Skip the Hotels—Camp or Stay Somewhere with Character
Hotels can be convenient, but they often feel sterile and disconnected from the local culture. As a family, we love staying in quirky little places with a story or camping at freedom camping spots and designated campgrounds. These experiences allow us to truly immerse ourselves in the community and natural surroundings. Here in NZ we have been going to huts and holiday parks, but we have also used VRBO and airbnb in the past. However when we return to Oregon, we are super excited to use an app called Hipcamp. It’s a site/app that lets you search for unique stays based on what you’re looking for—tent sites, car camping spots, cabins, rooms, or even places with swimming holes. While it is not yet set up for the South Island, we are excited to use it when we get back to the US.
8. Let Them Pack Their Own Toys—With Boundaries
On our last few trips, I started giving the boys one bag for their toys. The rule? They had to choose toys they were willing to be responsible for—meaning if something got lost or broken, they had to be okay with it.
This small shift put the responsibility on them and made them really think about what they wanted to bring. I was so impressed with their choices! Not only did they keep track of their toys the entire trip, but they also learned an unexpected lesson: they didn’t need to bring much at all. In the end, nature provided the best toys—sticks, rocks, rivers, and endless space to explore. 🌿✨
9. Plan for a Reset: Give Yourself (and Your Partner) Solo Time After Returning Home
I learned this lesson the hard way last week. After solo parenting for a full week while helping put on The Magnificent, I was completely tapped out. But since Jason—who was directing the race—was also exhausted in his own way, I didn’t ask for time to myself. Instead, I went into full-on manic mode, unpacking and cleaning as fast as I could, thinking that if I just got it all done, I’d finally be able to relax.
Of course, that backfired. Instead of feeling better, I hit a breaking point and had a full meltdown. Once I calmed down, we realized the real issue: we both needed solo time to reset and process everything we’d just been through.
So now, we’re making it a priority. Whether it’s a full day or just a couple of hours, we’re planning time off from parenting after big trips. That way, we can recharge individually and come back feeling more grounded—rather than running ourselves into the ground.
Final Thoughts
Adventuring with kids isn’t always easy, but with the right mindset—and a bit of grace for the chaos—it becomes something truly magical. Lower the expectations, embrace the spontaneity, and let the journey unfold. You might just be surprised by the incredible experiences that come your way. And if things go sideways, or don’t end up how you imagined – stay curious and try to change what you can with out judging yourself or others. After all, life is one big game of trial and error!
Gear For on the road:
Less Gear, More Adventure
Here in NZ, we don’t have access to our full gear garage, which means our choices are much more streamlined. But surprisingly, this has made packing so much easier—and honestly, more fun. It’s been great to test and re-test the few pieces we brought or bought here, really seeing what works.
Below are the standout gear pieces that have made our many adventures in New Zealand both fun and effortless!
Yakima Top Box: We got this box years ago and it’s been a staple in fitting everything in our car for our many adventures. From life jackets and packrafts to all of our helmets, it always amazes me just how much it can fit! I especially love stuffing all of the wet or smelly stuff up there so we don’t have to deal with it inside the actual car.
Cutting board and Opinel knife: I mentioned this before, but a good knife for us has been a huge game changer. Cutting up fruits and veggies makes them more appetizing to kids and they eat WAY more. Now that I know they won’t cut themselves, I have the boys cut up a lot of our snack and they love it. We love Opinel because they are sharp, easy to handle and fit perfectly in our kitchen kit.
Hyperlite 4 Person Tent: We brought over our discontinued racing Hyperlite tent a few years ago and have been using it a ton here ever since. It sets up fast, is super light in case we want to go backpacking and has kept us dry in some crazy storms. The boys love the TP style of it because they can stand up and stretch out. We love that it can be set up with a paddle or a trekking pole, which we always have with us! While it is on the spendy side, it is super versatile and insanely light weight.
Sea to Summit Spark Pro Sleeping bag: We brought over a few sleeping bags, but this is the one we all fight over. It’s breathable, comfortable and is super light weight. The free flow zip system is a game changer for me as I sleep really hot, so having the ability to stick my feet out the end, or fully unzip both sides has helped me sleep so much better.
Rocky Talkie: We started using Rocky talkies with the kids in the neighborhood as we felt more and more comfortable letting them go further from the house. However, it’s still nice to know where they are and to let them know when it’s time to come home! I brought them along on this trip because I knew I would have a week of solo parenting while camping and working the race, they proved to be amazing because I could let them and me have a bit more freedom while still keeping in contact. They also can be used for a super fun hide and seek game!
Pack Raft: Having a pack raft for family river trips and car camping trips is super crucial. They are such a fun family adventure tool because they break down to a very reasonable size (unlike a SUP or a sit on top kayak) and they add another level of fun to any trip. We take ours everywhere and use them for rivers we see and want to explore, muli day river trips and even for beach and lake trips. We love MRS Barracuda boats for racing and flat water excursions and our Alpacka Forager for all of our family multi day river trips! See this article for more on river trips.
MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe Stove: A stove is must have, even here in NZ where many campgrounds and backcountry huts have a kitchen space with stoves and hot water, we still always have our stove with us incase we find ourselves with out access to hot water. The MRS pocket rocket is super small, lightweight and easy to use. It has been our back up for many years now and is still in mint condition after 8 solid years of use!
Out of all of the sunshirts that we brought over, the Stio Eddy shirt is hands down the best sun shirt for multiday camping and river trips. It’s super breathable and the quick snap buttons are key for easy on and off for kids and adults. Everyone in our family has one and likes them for different reasons. But we have all been living in them all summer long here in NZ. It has kept the intense sun off of our sensitive skin and keeps us all looking stylish despite being un-showered for days on end!
We race with these lamps and we do all of our family adventures them. They are durable, bright, waterproof and easy to use. All of these features are amazing for both adventure racing and kids who are HARD on gear! My favorite is HM65R because it has multiple light settings including soft for reading and super bright for night adventures/racing through the night.
Bio Lite 100 Max Charging block
This compact charging block +a fast charger has been super key to have while working remotely and traveling with kids who are into driving remote control cars! It charges up in under 90 minutes and it can simultaneously charge our phones, ear buds and lap tops in one go. For working and traveling with kids on the road, recharging “all of the things” this is huge in keeping us all charged and connected while on the road.
Sunday Afternoon Adventure Sun Hats:
Here in NZ, the sun is super intense, sun hats are mandatory at all times because it will burn your face off on sunny days. I brought two pairs of Sunday Afternoon hats and the boys now have grown accustomed to grabbing one on their way out the door. And when we are camping they set it next to their sleeping bag so when they wake up and come out to play, they already have it. I love the Adventure hat because of it’s wide brim and neck guard. It covers all the bases!
Everyone needs a good travel towel when on the road. However if you also need your towel to be used as a picnic blanket and a beach towel than look no further than the the Original Nomadix towel. It is buttery soft, light weight and keeps sand off. It’s easy to clean and doesn’t hold on to any smell. We love them for all of the above and have even used them for blankets on cold camping mornings! We also love their ponchos and ultra light towels, but here in NZ, we have only been using the Original towel and we thoroughly impressed with all of what we have been able to use it for!
Chasing Windmills Wool Base Layers
As many who read my blog know, I am a HUGE lover of wool. We didn’t bring any pajamas for the boys this trip, instead we brought their breathable, ultra comfortable and warm wool base layers from Chasing Windmills and I’m so happy we did. From hot nights to cold mornings, these have been crucial for keeping them cozy and comfortable. Often times they wear them well into the afternoon which makes doing laundry easy as.
Angelina Skin Care Sun Screen:
To be honest I’d much rather cover up than use sunscreen every couple of hours. However, once I tried Angelinas Sun Screen, my mind changed. The consistency feels really silky and smooth and the skin and rubs in easily. On top of that it smells good and is made with the best natural products right in Bend, Oregon. I love using it while traveling because the smell brings me home to the Central Oregon high desert. It’s also the kids favorite which makes it easy to slather them in it. I call it a “sun massage” and turn the “rubbing in” into a nice little massage for them.