I Lost My Voice Yelling to My Mother

Our boat camping trip was windy and my mom is hard of hearing. Two days of talking with my mom, sis, and the kids, yelling over the wind, and my voice is in tatters. Totally worth it!

I missed doing a Chickfly Mother’s Day sale this year—because I was busy doing actual mother things. Let me tell you about our adventure, and give you a discount code, now, because parents who make it a priority to camp with the fam should be celebrated every day!

25% Off with Code: MOMSYEAH!

We took a boat (actually, three boats) out to the remote Miti Campground. Returning to this spot had been my mother’s birthday camping dream last year, but life pushed it to this one. She is seventy-eight and every year on her birthday asks to go camping, even though her home is a tiny cabin in the woods. 

The campground was two-thirds underwater. We had it to ourselves.

We don't let a little flooding stop us! Semi-stranded on a 200-foot island, with the outhouse on the mainland and stinging caterpillars falling from the trees, my sister let her 3-year-old poop in a plastic bag—that age is just too little to hold it long enough to get in the boat and row across to shore.

And yet… everyone was happy. Classic Chapman family vacation.

We found ourselves wondering why more people don’t camp—especially with small kids. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, our grandparents would pack up all four kids and backpack into the Sierras. They were from LA, San Pedro, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills. They weren’t exactly homesteaders, anymore (OK, their parents had all come from Kansas, so maybe the farm life stuck with them). My grandma said it was easier to take the kids to the beach than stay home—because the house stayed clean all day and the kids entertained themselves. 

My mom, the oldest, remembers her washing cloth diapers while camping. And when they got older and they backpacked, they slept without pads—just piled up leaves. Why do these things sound so hard? Is it the complexity of things where the difficulty arises or the unfamiliarity of how to do things from scratch? And that’s why I’m a deep believer in minimalism, function, and experiential learning as important components for a healthy life full of pleasurable adventure (despite the wind, caterpillars, and potty challenges).

To enjoy a trip like ours, you’ve got to release some expectations—perfection, aesthetics, maybe a little dignity. But I think most people do love being in the wild. Lots of women feel burdened by expectations—of perfect meals, ideal gear, and looking great while bouncing with children in a kayak.

To pack light and still feel good, your few belongings need to work. That means clothes you can wear for days, with pockets and comfort. That’s what Chickfly is all about. Our hiking leggings are great for the outdoors, comfortable for travel, and ultra functional. On this trip I wore both the Recycled Recreation Leggings (for water sports), and the Merino Wool Leggings (for warmth, comfort, and Utility). 

Having simple meals is also important.

Some of our easy camping meal tricks are as follows: 

Friday dinner was pork chops fried in a pan and foil-wrapped veggie-potato bundles roasted on the coals with butter. The chops were frozen when we packed them, so we didn’t need a real cooler. Beer and half-and-half? Kept cool in a pan of water—evaporative cooling for the win. On a boat you do have room for a few special items like cream for your coffee, and in May it's still cool enough that this water trick works astonishingly well.

Saturday was sausages and hot dogs on sticks, plus a Romain lettuce salad. Of the lettuces, Romain tends to last longest. My 7-year-old nephew and I scavenged sticks from partially submerged eucalyptus trees while floating in a double kayak—with knives. That kid has skills. He also spent most of his time fishing.

One morning we did eggs and toast (soft-boiled for easy cleanup—no plates necessary). Another morning: granola and yogurt. Yes, it lasted without ice—because it’s probiotic and just gets slightly sour over time!

A good lunch trick: nut butters and a hard cheese, like aged cheddar. If allowed to dry out, aged cheese won’t mold—it can last ages!

One thing that holds people back in the outdoors is gear confidence. And sure, it was nice that my sister and I could pop up tents in the wind like pros. My mom, of course—at 78—still prefers to sleep under the stars. 

When it comes to gadgets, tools, and gear, it’s best to be curious and have no shame about failure. It’s so easy to hand a task over to someone who can do it more efficiently—but learning it yourself can be rewarding. It’s also fun for kids to learn alongside you and offer suggestions. Just enjoy the process!