My wife's family would fly across the street or to run errands if  they could, so most of our family vacations tend to involve air travel. However, I love a good road trip. So this year, I strongly suggested that we drive for our trip to Gull Lake in Minnesota. After some early, and repeated, attempts to sway me away from my idea, I managed to stay steadfast in my determination to drive. So last Saturday we loaded up the car and set out, determined to have our kids experience the Great American Road Trip.

This Saturday, June 26th, 2010, is the Great American Backyard Campout. The event is organized by the National Wildlife Federation, and currently sponsored by American Girl. The main goal is to help parents get their kids outdoors, followed by the hope that it will get kids hooked on outdoor time. They are encouraging parents to get their kids out to camp in their backyard, local park, forest, etc. Their web page is pretty cool, and offers a host of additional features.

As I get back into backpacking, I'm quickly discovering the rational behind ultralight backpacking. Lugging a 40 lb pack makes a trip a lot less enjoyable. Most ultralight fans will aim for a pack weight of 15 to 20 lbs, and that is for a long weekend to a week long trip. Now, I'm not suggesting we are going to get family camping gear down that low. Far from it. But, as I have been researching ultralight concepts more closely, I have made a personal commitment to extend them into the realm of family camping. I'm not exactly sure what this means just yet, but I'm committed to figuring it out and talking about it. Before that, lets start with the top 5 reasons to practice Ultralight Family Camping.