This trip was six+ months ago. I originally thought I was going to write this a few weeks after we got back, but one thing lead to another and here we are. In some ways, taking this long to write about a trip like this is probably better. I was just weeks removed from going on disability leave and I felt the need to get away from everything. We always had ideas about taking Dom around the Olympic Peninsula, but never really considered doing it in a van at the age of 3. We had varied camping experiences, were confident in our ability to adapt, and knew we could always to hell with everything and drive home same day.

We learned a lot during our (almost) week in a van with a young child. Some of it was building on lessons we learned in previous travels, some of it was things we read on the internet, and quite a bit of it was stuff we made up along the way. There’s no great way to organize this info, so I’m just going to cobble a bunch of stuff together in loose themes. I was surprised how many people wanted specifics of this trip, so don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Camping In State Parks

Here’s a quick rundown of how our week played out. There are plenty of reviews about all these campgrounds, so this is more for our own memories when we can’t remember anything we did a few years from now. The reality is the Olympic National Park is a massive place, but there are relatively few places to legally camp with a van near it. We did what we could given the short lead time, as quality sites typically get reserved nine months ahead for the summer season. Note that we just missed that season as we went the second week of September – the week after school aged kids went stuck at home. ::grin::

• • Fort Flagler State Park – We didn’t know it at the time, but our few days at this campsite would be our best weather of the trip. This one was relative remote and the site spacing was decent, so we felt like we had our own little piece of coastal woods. We meet some nice folks (mostly retirees), played on the playground, rode my bike around, toured the wicked old batteries with some park rangers, and spent our time trying to figure out this whole van camping thing. I wouldn’t call this campground remarkable; it’s perfectly acceptable for your van camping needs, though. It’s also a good stop to learn about PNW military history and the closest I’ve seen to Nazi battery installations we saw in Normandy.
  • Bogachiel State Park – We picked this place because its location on the west side of the peninsula. Make no mistake, it is located in a rain forest and we lost the gamble to venture there when we did. Our campsite had several inches of standing water and the only people who’d elected to stay were those in massive RVs. We could have toughed it out, but it would only have been to prove our love of misery to ourselves. Being cooped up in the van for hours didn’t appeal to us. We used the opportunity to visit Ruby Beach and spent the night hiding out from the downpour in a cheap Forks motel room. This place is probably beautiful if you can ever manage to find a moderately dry couple days.
  • Sequim Bay State Park – This was a hail mary after our failed attempt to stay at Bogachiel. We’d spent one night in a motel and wanted to make the most of our van, so we retreated back east to what was basically the only park in the area we wanted to be in that had availability. The waterfront of this park was closed for maintenance, so we spent our time exploring the area on foot and playing with outside toys we’d brought with us. The highway noise here is pretty distracting, however they had some fantastic bike-in campsites on the Olympic Discovery Trail. If you’re into bikepacking, this trail and campground should be on your radar.
  • Fort Worden State Park – We were surprised at how big and built this fort-based campground was. A separate part rents rooms and cabins in the old military buildings and it appears to attract a lot of groups to the grounds for events. Our campsite was in a field not far off the Puget Sound and the we were there during a pretty horrific windstorm. We had warm clothes and places to explore, but fires and sitting outside after dark really weren’t on the table. There’s a lot of history here and more to explore than we had time. We actually bailed a day early and agreed we should go back when the weather is better (like this summer!). The nearby small town of Port Angeles is a cool place worth checking out.

Renting A Van

Having never done anything like this before, we read a bunch of blogs, looked at rental sites like Outdoorsy, and even looked at a few local options in our neighborhood (because Seattle). While we do have all the camping gear needed for a week like this, we realized we wanted to pay a bit more for fully outfitted kit. This would allow us to focus on making sure we had all the kid’s food and entertainment needs covered without having to pack all our kitchen gear into a van. We lucked out and found Cascade Adventure Vans just two miles from home. Some things that mattered to us were:

• • Close to home – We didn’t have to spend a day to pick up the van.
  • LATCH system for car seat – Most RVs and campers do not have safe way to secure small children.
  • Practical sleeping space – One (or more) miserable night’s rest was gonna ruin it for everyone, fast.
  • Modular kitchen  w/ powered cooler – A week of “normal” family meals was a few groceries away.
  • Power and lights – We didn’t use much technology, but flipping on LED lighting was helpful with bedtime routines after dark.
  • Diesel heat – Set a thermostat nightly and an under-van heater uses the van’s diesel to keep you warm (our kid dislikes pjs/blankets!).
  • Bike rack – I wanted to use my bike to tour campgrounds with Dom and make firewood runs (we cannot gather wood in state parks).
  • Relatively small – We were using ferries and two lane roads; I wanted some maneuverability.
  • Roadside assistance – Fighting with a vehicle I didn’t know with family in tow sounds stressful.

There are people who are perfectly happy forgoing many of these during experiences with their kid. That’s cool. Remember, trips like this are about what’s important to you. Some people want nothing to do with amenities; some do. Do what feels right for you and your family. At this age, we opted to control some variables. That doesn’t mean sleeping in tents off the grid isn’t possible. We know several families who have done that with toddlers… and younger.

We picked the van up the morning before our departure because we wanted time to inspect everything, organize our stuff, and make any last minutes adjustments to our packing before we departed. This was, in part, because we foolishly wanted to leave first thing the next morning so we could drive to our campsite for Dom to nap. Ha! Didn’t happen. In hindsight, we could have picked the van up that morning and easily left by mid-day for our two hour drive. The van was easy to drive for all our needs, so I won’t wax philosophical about its fuel consumption, handling, and whatnot. Spoiler: all reasonable.

Setting Up Camp

It’s a van, so you just drive up and you’re done. Yeah, right. Your beds are made, but that’s really the only thing different about van camping. We still had a bike to unhitch, kitchen to set up,  food and toys to unpack, tent to pitch (more on this later), bathroom and showers to locate, etc., etc., etc. If you’re settling into a campsite for more than one night, there’s a surprisingly large number of things you do to make it more like home… kinda – like mounting your trash receptacle, and subsequent yellow jacket infestation, well away from where you live. Here are some things worth considering when figuring out where you’re gonna live the next few days.

• • Orientation – This may seem obvious, but make sure your sliding door faces camp and you’re on the most level ground possible. The park job impacts how flat your bed is, so pay attention. You’ll also want flat space under the awning just in case it rains in the middle of cooking dinner. Your camp life will likely revolve around that sliding side door… wet or dry… so be a little more purposeful than you would be if used to car camping.
  • Companion tent – Why have a tent when van camping? It’s a family room out of the weather, which makes life much easier with a small child. You can change diapers, store clothes, play games, have a backup place to sleep, and Netflix and chill (minus the Netflix – heyo!) after your kid goes to bed. You can probably do all of this in the van. You can also 2-3x your space with a tent. We get ours up/down in ~5 min, so it’s well worth it.
  • Table – We ate at picnic tables, weather permitting, and learned life was easier with the kitchen close to the van. Many car campers set up canopies over picnic tables; that’s never been our style. Closer to the van meant less carrying of gear and greater efficiency for camp setup/breakdown. We cooked everything, then walked meal pots to the table for people to scoop from family style. If it was raining, we ate under the awning or in the van.
  • Chairs – We rarely go outside for extended periods without camp chairs. Some were included with the van, but we elected to bring our own as they’re larger and more comfortable for extended sits around a campfire. We bungeed a collapsible booster to the picnic table for the kid when weather permitted. Sometimes, you’re feeling really lazy and decide to eat in the van. The front seats rotate 180° to accommodate (aftermarket).
  • Organization – We are organized people. Just like car camping, the important thing for us is allowing gear to stack/stash easily. Any of our stuff that wasn’t already in small storage bins was packed in themed containers. Kid toys? Here’s a bin. Clean clothes? Here’s a bin. Bungees and tie downs? Here’s a bin. Dry goods? You get the point. Tossing a closed bin of toys under the van is a great storage opportunity when sleeping in the van.
  • Beds – We slept comfortably with the two bunk setup. The bunks are supposedly queen size, a size we aren’t a fan of, but you can use the van walls to build a nest consisting of pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags. As cliche as it sounds, the setup sleeps bigger than it looks. The kid slept on the lower bunk and was fine, although we did use a bed rail to ensure he didn’t fall off the one side. Two kids who get along could easily share a bunk. Better yet, put them in the tent when they’re older and use the van with one bunk (read: more space) for yourself! The van does wobble when people move around bunks, so be aware if you’re a light sleeper or… have other ideas. That’s partly why RV jacks are a thing – I kinda wish they were included.
  • Potty time – If you’re old(ish), you might get up at night to go. We eventually settled on climbing down onto a seat and then out the front passenger door as the least disruptive. Put your headlamp or flashlight in the door pocket so you always have it handy when stepping out! As always, YMMV.

Coping With Kids

In the grand scheme, spending a week in a van with a preschooler isn’t the worst thing you could do to yourself. That said, it’s probably not something you undertake if you aren’t a tight knit group and/or have figured out a number of coping mechanisms. Ultimately, kids are pretty adaptable and it’s usually the adults who are being too rigid. There will be meltdowns. There will probably be quite a few meltdowns. Chances are, you would have experienced those at home anyway… and day drinking when camping is totally acceptable. Speaking of, we brought a small second cooler with ice to store our adult beverages – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. Cut yourself off at dinner if you’re trying to avoid getting up at night to pee!

Van camping with a kid really isn’t any different with traveling or road tripping with them. Make sure they’re fed, have activities that engage them, and employ what you’ve learned about their likes and dislikes (e.g. Dom loves maps). Probably the hardest part is he always wanted to walk off and explore something. Great attitude that we didn’t want to discourage… but we did get tired of chasing him down paths all day, day after day. At home, young kids are contained in your house when you aren’t outside! Older kids are easier, I’m sure. They might even be good enough to leave you alone for a few minutes. On the ~500 mikes of roads we traveled, Dom was thoroughly entertained by watching the GPS and asking questions about what he saw out the window. We don’t use electronics on car rides and this was no different. Yes, we were amazed too.

If you don’t have the same bedtime as your kid(s), plan ahead by pulling clothes and kindles out of the van. Don’t worry, you’ll all be awake at the same time.

I’ll say it again – BE ADAPTABLE. We switched up our plans, which meant forgoing non-refundable reservations. We also came home a day early because Dom developed a bad cough and we wanted him to sleep in his warm bed. This is money lost and this is a way of life with kids. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first time for you. I managed the ambiguity by focusing on making memories, regardless of the experience. Staying in one place for a few days helps slow things down.

What We Learned

Our trip was far from perfect. Our trips rarely are, as we push beyond our comfort zone. Our marriage isn’t perfect either, but part of why we love travel so much is because we work really well together in that moment of stress. Yes, we get snippy with one another. Yes, Dom loses his patience. Things never boil over, as our childcare providers can attest, because we make choices to learn through discomfort. Using one’s vacation time for that “relaxing” experience is not for everyone; it works us for. I’d suggest that if you’re not super chill about how everything plays out or don’t enjoy coming back from vacation more tired than you left, van camping with a young child probably isn’t for you.  Your reward, however, is living the experience through their eyes and spending time with your family in places you may not make it to otherwise. We have no regrets about anything and have already made a reservation for a week of van camping at two sites this summer. Here are some lessons we’ll consider when planning for our second go ’round.

• Meal planning – Melissa did a great job building a menu, but we broke loose from it after ~2 days. The ability to mix/match eats when we’re adapting to changing plans seems more effective. It also allows you more flexibility with ingredients and cater to whimsical appetites. If you’re going to be near civilization, don’t try to cram a week’s worth of stuff in there. Drop into a store mid-week to pick up a few staples like cheese and fresh fruit. We threw in 3-4 restaurant meals – that helped us save a camp meal cleanup. The great thing about a van is your level of contact with civilization is up to you.
• Distance – All three of us hit our limit at about three hours of driving in a day. The kid wanted out of the car seat and the adult seats do get a bit old after a few hours. More is definitely possible; we prefer spending our days playing around the campground. My limitation had to do with back issues and Melissa’s feet didn’t touch the ground because the seat rotators raise them up. A small footrest would help her, so we’ll probably use a bin or something to rest her feet on. I think the problem for me was the seat being too firm and muscles tightening up.
• Detour – A van of this size is definitely capable of parallel parking in town (if you’re comfortable parallel parking a wagon/SUV) for a meal or groceries. Got a beach or waterfall you want to detour to? Do it. The only place I wouldn’t want to drive a Sprinter is the downtown core of a city.
• Hooks and cordage – There is no such thing as too much when living in a van. Drying clothes, tying down your tent in a windstorm, and just plain organizing your paper towels are so much easier when you have a place to put things that isn’t piling them up in the van.
• Packing – You may use less clothes than you realize. Spend packing space on being able to change things against your skin, but things like sweatshirts and pants are probably gonna get used for days at a time. I think we all showered about once every other day, thanks to campground amenities.

FINALLY, The Pictures !!