We used to tent and it was an absolute pain in the arse because kids need extra PJ, sweaters, pants, socks, etc.

I bought a travel trailer. Whoa!! What a difference. Even the kids enjoy camping..
No more tenting for us..
Especially here in the mountains cause it gets really cold at night (even summer) and bears wandering.

I design and develop tents, packs, sleeping bags, and expedition equipment for Eddie Bauer....so I am a bit biased. I would take a look at this little animal...
Stargazer 3-person Tent | Eddie Bauer ascent&color=907

I designed this tent with Jake Norton, one of our guides, for an expedition in Africa to climb Mt. Stanley, the third highest peak. He needed something that is spacious and as weather resistant as I could make it. So I used a 10Kmm coating on the floor to ensure the tent floor was as waterproof as I could go without too much of a weight penalty. The design is fairly wind resistant, I have had it in sustained 25 to 30 mph winds at Camp Muir in the summer without issue. And it is a true 3 person tent with nearly 49 square feet of space and pack weight at under 5 pounds. The design is a 2012 winner or Field and Stream Best of the Best...(chest thump)

it is on sale now.....

Nemo, Agnes, REI build great tents...all are good choices.

Here is a pic of the tent on Kili...We help with Heroes Project with equipment..
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1418746888.jpg

And even more extreme...my backyard...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1418746931.jpg

Get outside!

Truthfully, I have to agree with Oracle about camping activities with kids, especially small kids. They need more stuff, more varied activities not available at a semi-primitive campsite, and their perception of the experience probably isn't like an adult's.

Equipment has advanced so much in 25 years, that anything you pick at REI should seem great. Compact, lightweight gear is everywhere, thanks to advances in materials.
REI isn't necessarily the cheapest or best in all cases, but they generally have great customer service and warranty support, which is mainly why I shop there. To purchase top quality gear is really, really expensive.

That's AWESOME!! Congrats! Looks like a great tent...though I wouldn't want to set it up when it's raining. I'll definitely have to PM you about future gear choices (I need a new sleeping bags).

I love the fact that I can set my tent up from the inside if its raining. All in under 2 minutes.

Look up the Nemo Morpho series.

I have two kelty one 4 and one 6 man. The 6 you can stand in and very roomy. But both are light weight for hiking. Only car camping. But we'll built never been wet in it and I live in the pnw

That's my tent!!

LOVE IT!!!

I agree with you totally. For a better night's sleep a hard sided trailer is better in the mountains for protection against bears and the cold. A pop up trailer is still comfortable but no protection against a curious bear.

However to truly get the wilderness experience backpacking gets a person further into places where a car cannot go. So lightweight equipment is essential.

As regards children I have been hiking with some that are as young as 10 and 11 and they seem to keep up quite well. Much younger not too sure about!

A good quality tent will last you for years.
Guy

Too cool, sounds like a cool gig.

This is how I think. It's been a while for me too and I've been thinking about giving it a go again. Lots of good memories from my 20's, not sure if my old bones are still up for the challenge. Not wanting to spend a mint on a tent I like the Half dome and similar tents for not much $$.