Interview: Molly and Cole Foss (camping, hiking, fishing, biking)

After a hiatus, we are back with a new interview, this time with a family I met through the Backpacking with Babies and Kids Facebook page. They have created a website and blog (Camping Critterz) dedicated to helping parents go camping with their families. We hope you enjoy the interview and also check out their website!

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Transitioning to parenthood:

1. What outdoor activities did you do before you had kids? We’ve done backpacking without the kiddo and are looking into eventually doing it with him soon. We’ve been canoeing and kayaking, but not with the Tiny Critter yet. Again, probably looking into doing that soon.
2. When you were pregnant, did you continue any of the activities and how did you modify the activity while pregnant? We went camping several times while I was pregnant, none of it was really modified. We hiked three miles backpacking and other than me taking a few naps while the others went on day hikes, it was pretty much the same. Except for the extra bathroom trips. Having a Pstyle is essential.
3. If you do different activities after having kids, why is that? We do the same activities, but we modify them slightly for the kiddo. Take shorter walks or bike rides and lengthen them as he gets bigger.
4. How old were your kids when you started doing outdoor activities with them? Tiny critter was 8 months old the first time he went camping. We were tent camping and our normally “good sleeper” was crying and inconsolable. We figured out that he was getting his first tooth that night. We got him to sleep but almost left around 3 am when he woke up again, but eventually he went back to sleep and all was well.
5. What was your biggest challenge when you started doing outdoor activities with the kids? The biggest challenge is bringing all the STUFF an infant needs to go camping. Bottles and formula, diapers, wipes, baby food, bibs, blankets etc.

Outdoor parenting:

1. How have these challenges changed as the kids got older? It’s easier to bring a 4 year old camping. He uses one of our old sleeping mats and a sleeping bag and that’s about it. No pack n play, white noise machine, sleep sacks, etc.
2. Do you have trouble maintaining the kid(s) interest in the activity (ie during a long hike) and if you do, how do you keep the kid(s) interested? On a longer hike recently we were going up to a place called Mount Tom. About half way up Tiny Critter announced “I don’t want to go! I don’t like mountains and I don’t like Tom!” We stopped to have a quick snack and then fibbed a little and told him we would go to Christopher’s Hill instead, and he regained his interest. Having snacks to dole out little by little, like fruit snacks, helps a lot. Also making it a game, like who can see the next squirrel or who can get to the big tree faster seems to help him.
3. How do you fit the activities into your working life? We can only go camping every other weekend, but we try to go for walks or bike rides a few times a week.
4. How do you balance outdoor activities with kid’s activities (organized sports, music, school)? He’s not in any activities yet, but that’s going to be the next challenge.
5. How do you ensure that both you and your partner can keep doing your outdoor activities? When camping as a family, we do things together. Sometimes the focus is fishing, sometimes hiking, sometimes kayaking or even mountain biking. We take turns on what is the focus, what we want to accomplish. But, to be honest, much of what we do, we both enjoy so it’s just instilling those same values and fun into the Tiny Critter.
6. Have you ever received pushback on outdoor parenting from family, friends, or community? If so, how have you handled it? We haven’t seen any pushback. Anyone who knows us knew we would be doing things like this with him. Both of our families are into camping, so they understand. We mainly get requests from our friends on how we’re making it work because they also want to go camping with their kids.

Summary/Conclusion:

1. What resources helped you figure out how to do these outdoor activities with your kids? Daddy Critter was in Cub/Boy Scouts from a young age working his way to Eagle Scout. A lot of what he pulls from is his direct experience. Momma Critter has done many camp outings as well and has more exposure to the pop-up side of camping. When we started talking about camping with Tiny Critter we found there really weren’t a lot of resources available so we decided to start building one, sharing the knowledge and our experience with other families wanting to jump into camping. Now with a few years of camping trips together, we really think we have a lot of good information to share: CampingCritterz.com
2. What are the blog posts that you have written that you think would most help other families? Honestly, the ones we go to over and over again ourselves are likely the most helpful: Bargain camp gear sites, Camp packing lists (basics), Camp packing lists (infants), Campground Etiquette
3. What is your favorite outdoor parenting hack? Make S’mores w/ fudge striped cookies! They’re fantastic and easier to make & put together. The fudge actually melts and everyone is happy…albeit sticky. Bonus: Bring baby wipes…forever…like always, even when the kids are out of diapers. The ‘sticky’ never goes away entirely.
4. What is your biggest outdoor parenting mistake? Not packing something for the youngster. Your camping trip happiness is often dictated by the little one. We sometimes try to pack light when we don’t necessarily have to for ease but it really is worth tossing in the bike, adding a blanket, bringing some toys, etc. Things change, the weather doesn’t shape up the way you want. Enable yourself to be flexible. Remember, you’re only as happy as your unhappiest child.
5. If you could give one piece of advice to other outdoor families, what would it be? If you have any interest in camping or just getting outdoors for a hike do it! Things won’t be perfect the first time but you’ll get better every time and it’s a fun challenge to improve. The experience, the memories, and the family time is something you’ll cherish forever and that’s always worth the effort!
6. What is your favorite piece of gear for outdoor parenting? The tent. When the weather doesn’t work out it’s the last place to go and therefore, needs to allow the family some level of comfort and room to keep enjoying the time away. Our tent is large enough to stand in, we have enough floor space for a board game, and it keeps the rain out (tested just a few weeks back). It has everything to do with keeping the family engaged and having fun together.

One final tip from Molly – I asked her how they optimize packing so that they can get out camping so often on the weekends and here is how they do it:

“We have bins that stay packed. One is the kitchen stuff, one is the 3 sleeping bags. All we need after that is our chairs, sleeping mats, and the tent and we’re pretty much good to go. 
We also have a combined toiletries bag that has toothbrushes, toothpaste, and things like that just for camping. We have a master list, and we pack almost the same clothes every time (they’re treated for ticks, so they’re the go-to clothes) so we both know what still needs to be packed. We try to pack a lot of it the day before if possible too, which helps.”

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