Camping With Triplets

During the September school holidays, we went camping with triplets.

If you think we are a crazy, I would agree with you.

But here is why I decided to.
a) It was only one night.
b) There was very little accommodation available at an affordable price that would fit our family.
c) The Accountant has been wanting to go camping. I have been objecting. I thought this might be a good chance for me to illustrate why I object.
d) It was only one night.

We needed to travel to the coast because next year my husband has a major milestone birthday (!) and he wants to have a small party at the coast. This was a reconnaissance mission. A fact finding exercise in order to find a venue for the event.

Before you think that I’m incredibly brave – let me tell you that there are triplet Mum’s out there who camp – and do it well – with their young triplets. I know, how amazing! How organised. How very not me! There are also many of us HOMmies who don’t!

If you are wondering about the pros and cons, Let me list them for you.

Cons.
1. Even for an overnight trip, (bringing nothing to feed your family) your car will be full to overflowing, including the roof rack.

2. The children will not be helpful while you are pitching a tent.

Especially after being confined to a car for 3 hours.

3. If after chasing toddlers who have split up and running in opposite directions to neighbouring campsites and on service roads, you let the three one year olds play in the car while you set up the tent, expect chaos afterwards in the form of squashed food, tissue boxes deconstructed, random bags pulled out and the contents scattered throughout the car, every light and windscreen wiper and gadget to be fiddled with. (But on the positive, you will have somewhere to sleep that night.)

3. The children will not want to sleep at night. You on the other hand will be so exhausted by the days proceedings that every muscle will be craving sleep.
4. The children will examine the neighbouring campsites. The neighbours may not be friendly. They may reposition their tent to have minimal contact with you. Hypothetically speaking of course. Cough. Cough.
5. After a night with very little sleep, you will be woken extremely early in the morning.
6. You will need to pack up the tent.

 Expect all the same problems you encountered erecting the tent in the first place. Until you decide to have one parent pack up the campsite and another parent supervise the playground. God bless the husband who packs up the overnight dwelling. God bless the mother who had the patience to entertain five over tired bodies.

Pros.
1. It is cheap.
2. You are able to go away when you hadn’t booked accommodation at the start of the school holidays and there is nothing affordable left in the region.
3. The kids love it. (And are totally unaware of the first six points.)
4. You prove to the husband that camping with five children, especially young triplets, is very difficult.

And if you are considering to triplet toddlers camping, I thought I really share some hints with you. Even though IF I were to do it again, I would need a ton of hints myself. But nevertheless, here is what I did learn.

1. Book an ensuite site. I cannot tell you how good this was. Oh my goodness. No traipsing to the toilet at all hours with the children. No leaving partners for excessively long times with the children while you shower. (10 minutes is an excessively long time with children.) When Trent was a baby, we went camping and there was no shared space where we could bath him, so I showered with the baby, The Accountant hung around outside the door to the Ladies toilets not trying to look like a pervert until I passed a naked baby out to him while I was adorned in nothing but a towel because there was nowhere to dry a baby, there was no bath. The sinks were tiny and I had to shower with the baby to remove the dirt and sand from the day. Nightmare. Couldn’t do it with triplets. Couldn’t.Do.It.

2. Bringing a DVD player is a good way to divert the kids attention.

3. A DVD player will only temporarily divert attention. Then they will start rampaging through the tent and work on their escape plan.

4. Their escape plan will be executed as soon as they work it out.
5. There will be fights over the DVD player. These fights could disturb your neighbours. Just smile and wave. Smile and wave.

6. Bring lots of snacks. Lots.
7. Lift all bans on electronic devices. That way your children can amuse themselves indefinitely taking crazy photos on their DS and other such fun.

Apparantly this creature used our facilities.

8. Eat out. After all, you’re saving money on accomodation. We had Indian for dinner. We got take-away, took it back to the holiday park and ate it while watching an outdoor movie that the park screened for families. We went to a great little cafe in Noosaville for breakfast.

Note: You will amaze and mysitfy (perhaps frighten) the other patrons. Note the body language of the man sitting at the table beside us.

9. Use the park facilities and let children burn off as much energy as possible. (Works well for grown-ups too.)

10. Bring Phernergan. (I so wish I thought of this.)
11. I might be joking about phernergan.
12. I might not be joking about phernergan.

Are you a happy camper? What are your tips, hints and reflections of family camping?

PS. You may want to head over to my 7 year old son’s blog and read his account of our camping trip! See here

Today I’m linking up with Essentially Jess