by Jennifer Simer

Created on: September 14, 2009

Everything I learned about camping. I learned from my father. I grew up in a small town in Oregon's beautiful Willamette Valley. Here, family camping trips are as common as going to the beach is in Southern California, or ski weekends are in the mountains of Colorado. It's just what you do. Every spring and summer my parents, two brothers and I loaded up our gear into our bright red Volkswagen bus in search of nature, relaxation and the peace and quiet that only a few days or a week in the woods can do. Occasionally we would spend a day or two in a campground such as a KOA or other state or national park, nestled in with all the other families in our designated site, reaping the benefits that only a full service campground can offer. Things such as water faucets, bathrooms, showers, and built in charcoal grills are luxuries that only a park can offer. Our family's preference was usually to camp in a more rural wilderness area where we wouldn't come across anyone but a forest ranger for days. Whatever style of camping that was on the itinerary, and wherever we were headed, one thing was for sure; my dad had his "list".

In the early days before computers the "list" was written, finalized, checked and double checked on a yellow ruled pad of paper. My dad, an ex marine and known for being extra meticulous and always prepared, would start the list of what we were to pack weeks ahead of the blessed family event. It would evolve from notes scribbled on a piece of scrap paper to the entire list being researched and categorized. There was the shopping category. There was the to-pack category. There was the to-do category. The list also would eventually include tiny pictures drawn next to each item so they could be easily recognized while packing and also so the smaller children who couldn't yet read were able to "pull their own weight" and help out. Now while it's always a good idea to be prepared, the list would never fail to get an eye roll out of my mother.

After the packing was finished, every item was checked off the list and carefully loaded into the family car, and every child had visited the restroom at least twice, we were off on our usually very long road trip to the great outdoors. For years we have teased my father about his list, but when we got to camp, had everything unpacked and realized that we never, ever forgot anything we would miss, we were very grateful. My mother had everything she needed to make our delicious meals, my father had all items required

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