Travel

For the first time, we camped with my wife, Nikki. Before, she had been comfortable in a nearby motel, most recently in Arizona, while the boys – one now 13 and the twins 10 – and I withstood lightning and rain and dead of night. It was fun.

This past summer, we all agreed to camp together, choosing the state campground of Ventana in Big Sur.

I immediately set out to make Nikki’s trip a memorable one.

Should you be in the process of persuading your wife to test the great outdoors, here are a few tips to get you through the doubts:

>  Let her suggest it. I’ve pushed the camping experience for years, and my wife, once she found a campground she liked in our beloved Big Sur, said, “Let’s do this, this summer.”

>  Buy her a new sleeping bag. Unless you take exceptional care of your sleeping bags, they tend to get musty. A new one smells nice, and feels nice. Get at least a 20-degree-resistant one with a cozy, cloth interior (never a “tube type.” She’s a mommy, not a mummy).

> Buy the biggest, most expensive inflatable mattress that you can fit inside the tent. A mattress on a campout is every bit as important as a mattress at home. Make it a Posturepedic moment.

>  Make the morning coffee, and bring a really good brand. I paid a price for Starbucks, but it was worth it.

>  Do the packing yourself. Camping is both a great experience and a lot of work. Don’t exhaust the one you love. (And do the majority of the unpacking when you return home.)

>  Plan the meals carefully. We agreed on 3 dinners, pre-made at home, for our 4 nights in the campground. We warmed up taco meat; pulled pork; and heated spaghetti sauce. I made the sandwiches each morning for our all-day excursions.

>  Use good utensils and first-rate accessories. We went green and bought new tin cups, bowls and plates. They were fun to eat from. And we cooked on a 2-flame stove that was first-rate when my father-in-law bought it years ago. It is practically new and shiny-clean.

>  Be the first one up and have the pancakes ready to go when your wife emerges.

>  With our brood of 5, we split up into 2 tents. I put Nikki with the twin who sleeps like a stone. I slept with the pair who have made flipping a new midnight exercise.

>  The campground should have showers and toilets. At least for the first-timer. On night No. 1, I met my wife halfway back from her first shower and handed her a glass of wine.

>  Think of everything. I brought a line to hang drying towels and swimsuits, but forgot special netting you can buy to keep the flies away. I brought lots of sunscreen and kept a very loose agenda, but needed more firewood. I had flashlights for everyone, but forgot a washing bowl that would have made dishwashing much easier.

>  Do what SHE wants to do. Our family spent more time at the beach than I would have planned. We hiked less than I would have liked. And we slept longer than I would have voted for. So, what?

Will we camp again? I expect that we’ll be at Joshua Tree outside the Palm Springs area before you can yell, “Lights out!”