"We don't know how you guys do it. But we think it is great!"

This is something that we have heard a lot over the years. Although not completely different than road tripping with the family, flying with the family, especially backcountry camping with the family, can have its own unique challenges. Along the way, we've learned through trial and error some things that have worked well for us and made the whole experience more enjoyable. So, we thought that we'd share what we have learned and hope that it will encourage others to get out and fly as a family.

Attitude

#1 - Realize from the beginning that things won't always go right. We believe that the attitude that you have going into camping with the family will largely determine the level of fun...and stress that you get out of it. Be ready to roll with the punches and have a loose agenda. That way when you have to take more time for the unexpected potty run, feeding the kids, or bottle for the baby, you won't be biting at the bit to get airborne. Also realize that the bad memories will fade (unless there is a comical aspect to it that you laugh about later) and the good memories will last forever.

The unstoppable Wolf family enjoying lunch at Moose Creek, Idaho.

Keep it lightweight

#2 - Pack light. As pilots, we are always thinking about useful load and what can and can't come with us. Having kids only causes the list of must haves to increase and the extra room to decrease. This further is complicated by the fact that kids tend to get bigger with time, consuming more and more precious useful load. We came into this a little ahead of the curve with our experience from backpacking through Europe, both with and without kids. Want some great ideas for packing light? I suggest checking out Rick Steve's books and website for some great tips. Tweak them for a flying trip and you should see some weight reduction. At one point, Dee and I could do 2 weeks in Europe with us sharing one medium size backpack.

Hearing protection

#3 - Protect their hearing. When we were expecting our first child, we were disappointed to find that there was, and continues to be, a real lack of options for infants to toddlers. A search of ideas on how to protect my little guy's ears eventually led me to some instructions on how to make your own. While I can't attest to the level of noise reduction they offer, we do believe that they are fairly effective. What we do know is that the design has worked well for all three of our kids. Its bonnet style prevents little ones from pulling them off 5 seconds into your taxi. They are easy to make and you'll only be out a few dollars.

As the kids get towards the toddler age, but aren't quite to the talking point, we've found that children's ear muffs from Lowes or Home Depot work great if you can get your child to keep them on. When they get to the point you need or want to communicate, we found that SoftCom makes children headsets that are very affordable and of good quality. They come in red, blue, purple and pink. You can find them online from various outlets for around $100, but make sure to get the one with the built in jack on the ear cup! This handy feature lets your child pipe in the audio from their DVD player, Nintendo DS, iPad, iPod, etc. right into their headset. A definite must. Those with that option come with the cord for attaching your device. If you don't want that, the same headset minus that feature can be found for around $80. By the time you get them all on aviation headsets, if you don't have one already on your com panel, you might want to consider getting one with an isolate switch. Seems kids are somewhat enthralled at being able to hear themselves and will talk or make obnoxious noises right when you need to be hearing something!

Tyler and Sadie Wolf enjoying the flight from the safety of the rear seat.

Situational awareness

#4 - Be cognizant of your surroundings. You may love your kids, but the guy camping next to you may not. Keep them on a fairly short leash and think about where you set up camp. If you have small ones, be especially aware of potential hazards: bodies of water, wildlife, traffic on roads, wasp and hornet nests to name a few.

Occupy their attention

#5 - Pack entertainment. A few years ago we did a family trip through the Northwest and it didn't take long for us to award the dvd player as the MVP (Most Valued Possession)! The fact is that when camping, there are times that both mom and dad are needed to get something done. Being able to turn on a favorite cartoon for the kids to keep them entertained has been worth its weight in gold when it was time to set up or tear down camp, cook a meal, etc. But if you want to know what disappointment looks like, let the battery go dead without having either a backup or a plan to recharge it. This same summer we were on the never ending quest for an outlet, especially since our aircraft at the time had a 24 volt system in it and we couldn't recharge or play it while airborne. So make sure to think ahead and plan accordingly. With the availability of portable small solar chargers, this may make this less of an issue. Also, with iPads, tablets, and smart phones, we have a lot more options for taking games and movies with us. These devices typically have better battery life too, which will help. So when you get rained on and you all are huddled in the tent, break out a movie and enjoy Toy Story for the 3,000th time!

Obviously entertainment is good for anytime. We suggest anything compact, such as DVD players, iPads, toys/books for your toddlers, and a Nintendo DS or iPods for your older kids. Grass runways are great places for balls and frisbees and taking time to play with your kids. For after dark, glow sticks are a hit and makes your kids easier to find!

Cleanliness

#6 - Keep it (relatively) clean. We've found that a good way to keep dirt and grass out of the tent is to set up a tarp as sort of a door mat in front of the tent. This gives the kids a nice place to sit to take their shoes off or put them on. Grab a spare chair, stool, or log as a bench to set next to it to make it even better. We carry a small dust pan/hand broom set to keep the tarp, as well as the inside of the tent clean.

Meals

#7 - Feeding them. When it comes to camping and the food we bring along, we will always favor light weight and convenience over a culinary experience. For the adults, backpacker meals work just fine as well as hot dogs or brats and chips. When we had more disposable useful load, Dutch oven cooking was a favorite, but as kids entered the picture, it was one of the first things to go. Due to the weight of the equipment and long cooking times, we found that it didn't work so well with kids. For them, cold cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and hotdogs or Mac & Cheese packets work well for dinner. Don't forget sippy cups for your little ones. Boxed chocolate milk and juice drinks like Capri Suns work great too.

Flying in for breakfast is one of the highlights of backcountry flying. Most everywhere we have been has been very accommodating, but sometimes what is on the menu either isn't kid friendly or what your child may eat. So, bring along cereal, fruit, Gogurts, or whatever you need that you know they will eat. If they need more, feed them some from your plate...heaven knows most places offer more than you can eat. This not only makes sure that your kids get fed, but can save you some money too.

If you have an infant, make sure to pack all the bottles and formula that you will need. We recommend finding a small container that you can preload with the exact measurement for making a bottle. This makes it quick and easy for fixing that midnight bottle. You'll also need a way to warm the water up. We love our Jetboil and it works extremely well for this. With these two things, you can have a bottle ready to go in seconds. If you know that your little one will need a bottle when you will be in the air, obviously lighting up a Jetboil won't work. So, plan ahead. Either warm some water before you takeoff and keep the bottle in an insulated case or pre-fill the bottle and stick it in your inside vest/jacket pocket. Dee has warmed up countless bottles via body heat.

We all know how important it is to stay hydrated. We've found a quick, convenient way to have water for everyone during the flight is to have a water bladder with a hose. No spills and the hose makes it easy for everyone to reach. For those too young to use the hose, you can fill their sippy cup from the hose by squeezing the end. So long as it is below the bladder, you'll have some pressure for water to flow.

Make sure to have snacks for during the flight. You never know when you will be running late, have a stronger than planned headwind, or getting to your destination means flying past feeding time by a bit. Anyone with kids knows that when it is time to eat, they expect to be feed...and will let you know about it. Especially infants. So make sure to have some good snacks that can hold them over if you need another 30 minutes to get to your destination. We like jerky, licorice, and granola bars. For infants, again, have that preloaded container ready for fixing a bottle. Don't forget to preload the bottle with water too!

Dinner time at Johnson Creek.

Say yes to drugs

#8 - Drug 'em. No! Not what you are thinking! As tempting as it might be at times, I'm not talking about sedating them to give you a break. Make sure to pack any medicine that you know that they will need...as well as those you might not know that they will need. On our very first fly-in at Johnson Creek with Adam, who was then 1 year old, we learned that he was allergic to the heavy pine pollen that was coating everything. It made for a long couple of days. Had we had some children's Benadryl, it would have been a non-event. So even if you don't know of any allergies, it's a good idea to throw some of that in your bag. Luckily Adam has since grown out of that allergy.

Another thing to consider is children's aspirin or any type of pain killer. At Caveman a few years ago, I came back to the tent after visiting with friends around the bonfire to find Dee sitting outside of the tent with Adam, who was running a fever. It was then that we realized that all we had on us was adult strength medicine. Luckily, one of our BCP friends had his wife in tow, who is a nurse and she was able to guide us with how much of the adult medicine to give him. It broke the fever and he was fine the rest of the trip. However, it would have been better had we had medicine for the kids along, as it now is for every trip.

A few other things to think about. If you have a child that is teething, don't forget the teething tablets and pain medicine. Another good thing to have are those crushable vials for insect stings. Don't forget lots of sun block and bug repellant too. And of course lots of band aids! Preferably their favorite ones with their preferred cartoon characters on them. Just keep mind that if you need one, you may be sporting Little Kitty or Buzz Light Year!

Comfort

#9 - Keep them warm. One of the must have items that always goes with us is our Little Buddy heater. We all know it can get pretty cold in the morning. It is really nice to be able to reach out of your bag, light the heater, and let the tent preheat before you crawl out. More importantly, it gives your wife and kids a warm tent to crawl out into and makes it all around more enjoyable for everyone. A couple of words of caution though. Remember to keep it well clear of anything flammable and to make sure your kids don't burn themselves on it either. Also, while we do not sleep with it on, if you do choose to do so, make sure that the unit is approved for it and that the tent is well ventilated.

Appropriate activities

#10 - Plan kid appropriate activities. A trip to Europe a few years ago taught us a valuable lesson: some activities are just better for kids then others. As we were at the back of a cathedral in Prague, Adam decided that the shiny thing beyond the velvet ropes was exactly what he wanted. Luckily I caught him just as he was going under the rope, but the long walk out with him screaming at the tops of his lungs was less than enjoyable. Great acoustics though! On the other hand, the hikes and other outdoor activities on our trip were great. So, as much as you would like to go see that aircraft or car museum, it might be best to save it for either when they are older or not with you. Instead, fly out from your base camp and have a picnic, do a hike, find a creek or lake to skip rocks in, or go find a swimming pool or hot springs to enjoy for the day. Last year at Caveman we had a wonderful afternoon in Hubbard playing in their pool and eating lunch at their cafe. I promise you, keeping things kid friendly will not only reduce your stress but make some great memories.

Transporting small children

#11 - Packs and carriers. While there are a lot of options out there for hauling kids, we highly recommend the MacPac backpack. Unlike other backpack carriers, this one has 1600 cubic inches of storage space under where your child sits. On all our trips, that was that child's bag and had all their stuff, as well as diapers, formula, wet wipes, etc. It comes with a handy mirror in the belt strap so you can check up on your passenger and there are several accessories available including a sun and rain cover. We've traveled all over the backcountry as well as Europe with it and love it. It's very durable and comfortable pack.

Lastly, don't forget the front carriers for your little one. It makes those evening strolls along the runway to look at the planes a lot more enjoyable, as well a less tiring on your arms.

The crisp waters of Johnson Creek are a good place to dip hot toes, but watch little ones around the swift current.

#12 - Child size it. Make sure to pack child sized chairs. Along with that, if they will be eating in those chairs, make sure that you have a table with adjustable legs or some other surface, like the top of a cooler, that they can use as a table. This will help keep the hotdogs on the plates and out of the dirt, which will save you from having to cook another one.

#13 - Potty stops. Last, but not least, insist that every member of the family goes potty before take off. While it is very easy to pull over at the side of the road on a family road trip, it is not a option when you're flying. If you have any little ones in diapers, it's a good idea to change them before you depart as well, especially if you're in for a long flight. If you're ever in a situation when you have a stinky diaper with no trash can to dispose of it, throw it in a plastic grocery sack at the back of the plane to be tossed at your next stop. An hour or more of it baking in the sun can make for a long flight! Tie it up in a bag and your noses will thank you. We recommend packing several of those plastic bags.

So, now you know a little bit about "how we do it". As the kids grow, our strategies and gear will undoubtedly change making this a continual learning process. But, we hope that in seeing us traveling with our kids, others will be encouraged to try it and reap the rewards and memories that we have been, and continue to enjoy. They say half the battle is knowing (and in this case maybe a little insanity helps). Now that you know a bit more about it, get out and try it! With a prepared approach, you and your kids will not regret it and you'll have memories you will treasure forever.