We’ve become completely hooked on camping trips. It’s so wonderfully refreshing to get out and enjoy time together in nature. Almost every time we’re out on a day trip, one of us says, “We should have brought the tent so we could stay longer.” When we ask the kids what they want to do on the weekend, the answer is often “go camping.” It touches me deeply when I hear the children say that. Personally, I feel so liberated in nature. There’s something magical about the silence and tranquility that strikes me, allowing me to relax and simply enjoy.
With young children on the trip, it can be quite hectic at times, but it’s much easier to appreciate the little moments. There’s less sibling squabbling outdoors, without toys, iPads, and video games (although it does happen outdoors too, but to a much lesser extent). The kids are more positive and content. It’s heartwarming to see them delight in the small discoveries they make along the way. It’s comforting to see them find joy in something so simple and be less focused on material things. They explore, discover, and play with what they find in nature. They master new skills, learn, and lay the foundation for a healthy self-image.
This time, we had planned a trip to Øyerfjellet, but the weather forecast indicated it would be cold and windy. Because our youngest is still quite small, we opted for a place with less wind. After reading some hiking blogs, we decided to try Åstdalen. It was only an hour’s drive away, and according to the map, there was a short hike to some lakes, which was perfect since we were leaving on Friday after daycare, school, and work.
The car ride to Åstdalen was exciting for the kids. There were cows, horses, and sheep along the road, and we rolled down the car window and shouted ‘BAA’—it was hysterically funny every time we got a response.
We had barely stepped out of the car before the 3-year-old spotted something exciting. “Look! Look! A BIG anthill!
We were fully loaded as usual. The Nordic Cab was packed with blankets, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, tent, all the food and cooking gear. My husband also had a backpack with essentials for the journey, including food, changes for our youngest, water for us, and packed lunches.
The 3-year-old carried his backpack with his teddy bear, asthma medicine, his little sister’s sheepskin, and a water bottle. Meanwhile, the oldest boy carried all his own clothes for the trip, along with his water bottle and teddy bear.
I had my youngest daughter in a baby carrier and carried an 80-liter backpack on my back with all the clothes. She has become very fond of sitting in the baby carrier. It’s extra fun when we walk in slightly rough terrain and it bumps. This time, she laughed all the way to the campsite.
We didn’t walk more than 300 meters before we found a nice campsite. I think this might be our shortest trip yet. Trips with children don’t have to be long to be a great experience. But we like to walk a little way from the car before setting up the tent. It gives us a sense of being properly on a trip and far into the wilderness. We have the impression that the children like to struggle a little to get there. It gives them a sense of accomplishment, and it’s also extra nice to settle down with our packed lunch in hand and observe the new surroundings when we’re a bit tired.
After a couple of hundred meters, the man went to see if he could spot the water. It’s always so exciting to go to new places and not know what it looks like where you end up.
This time we arrived at this fantastic sight.
Åstdalen delivered!
While we set up the tent, the boys made their own lavvu out of the Jervenduken.
The next morning, the boys took charge of breakfast. They made a forest pan on the camping stove, with pieces of sausage, bacon, mushrooms, eggs, and beans.
The 3-year-old was mostly focused on “just tasting a tiny bit.
Enjoying themselves in the forest.
The boys got help to build a hunting hut from the Jervenduken, made a fire, and went out hunting.
Since it was quite hot inside the tent in the blazing sun, it was nice to have the Explorer so that little sister could take some naps in the shade.
For dinner, we had stuffed peppers. We prepared these at home, wrapped them in foil, and grilled them over the fire for 15 minutes.
There was a lot of fishing on this trip, with plenty of activity in the water, but noisy kids on a trip don’t catch many fish. The 3-year-old finds fishing so enjoyable, even though he never catches anything, he still smiles from ear to ear every time we cast out. He even made up a fishing song/dance: “I never catch a fish, I never catch a fish, I never catch a fish.”
The eldest boy has been impatient with the fishing rod, which isn’t surprising since we never catch any fish. But when my husband and I each caught a trout, he got hooked too. “Mom! I didn’t know YOU could catch fish!” he exclaimed. If I can do it, he believed he could too. And he’s probably right. When it comes to fishing, I’m quite inexperienced. I haven’t done much fishing since I was young, and it shows. During this trip, I broke a fishing rod, tangled half the line, and came perilously close to throwing myself into the water. So, me catching a fish was probably just sheer luck.
The eldest boy got to stay up a bit longer to fish in peace and quiet.
And when all the kids were in bed, it was fishing time for me and my husband. We had to enjoy the silence while we could. You never know how long it lasts.
It never got dark, and at 4 AM, my youngest woke up thinking it was morning.
I had to go out and boil water for her milk because we had forgotten to do it the day before. It didn’t feel very tempting to leave the sleeping bag in the cold that night. But when I went out, a fantastic sight greeted me.
The entire lake was enveloped in thick fog moving swiftly across the water. It was incredibly beautiful… magical!! After feeding the youngest, both of us nestled inside the large Jervenduk, in addition to our sleeping bags, which helped keep the light out, and finally she fell asleep again.
