Backpacks and tents and sleeping bags galore!

Today after my appt - K and I stopped at a camping speciality store to try and find a couple decent (read: proper) backpacks for our trip out to Vancouver.

Wow. What fun - the things that excite me. We tried on lots of backpacks - I ended up with an orange and black one that will easily fit my sleeping bag and part of the tent, as well as much of the paraphenalia we'll need like clothes and pjs and such. It is padded well and when its on, its very secure. I love it. K got something very similiar except bigger. We picked up a couple for the older kids as well. Not as meaty as ours of course, but big enough to pack a sleeping bag.

Then we looked at tents. Every kind of tent you could think of was there - but we finally decided on one with a vestibule, a room divider and a back door. K was mainly excited about the back door and I was mainly excited about the price. Beyond that - it folds up to a great size with a reasonable weight (hey - it won't be on my back, what do I care? ha) and it will precisely fit on the tent site we've reserved.

I spent a little bit of time browsing around the store and shaking my head at some of the items available: a fold up ping pong table (huh?), two very small pots - titanium - price: $85 on sale, flashlights, lamps and lights of every size and shape, expensive plastic boxes for children's snacks - but hey, they had fancy 'camping' designs on them and 'stuff balls' - tiny bags, shaped like a hackysack or a football that you stuff with your socks or underwear and then have the added enjoyment of having a toy to play with at the top of Mt. Whathaveyou. Oh - and the freeze dried assortment of chicken stew, scrambled eggs (omg - real scrambled eggs are disgusting enough but sawdust eggs??) and ice cream.

We plunked down a fair amount for the four backpacks, the tent and two small closed cell foam pads - but everything was on sale, much of it 50% off! Nothing I love more than a sale - wait, maybe I love family vacations more than that.

Next purchases will include a digital camera and a couple more extra tiny sleeping bags.

I can't wait for the train!!