Sleeping under the stars is a quintessential family vacation, but for me with my kids feels like just as much work as being at home, with the addition of bad sleep, zero privacy and biting insects. But my kids camping, so much so that after three years of sending them to the great outdoors with their dad (and opting out of camping myself), I agreed to join their annual trip to in Gaspé, Que. “What’s key in making camping trips more enjoyable is determining, what’s your comfort level around suffering?” says Jan-Sebastian LaPierre, who co-founded along with fellow outdoor enthusiast Chris Surette.
For the past five years, the pair has worked to get people, including beginner campers, into the wild by leading Parks Canada’s programs. “It’s about analyzing what the pain points are and trying to mitigate those,” LaPierre adds. Here, a few tips I’ve learned for making family camping fun for all, even those who would rather cosy up in a comfy hotel room.
A view of Forillon National Park and one of its well-known heritage sites, L’Anse-Blanchette. My threshold for suffering is low, so sleeping in a tent was out of the question. Fortunately, LaPierre says national and provincial parks and private campgrounds are increasingly recognizing that not everyone wants bare-bones digs in the backcountry, and they are offering more interesting accommodations to meet people where they are.
For instance, many Parks Canada sites have , including the snug MicrOcube, and the te.