Jen: My father was in WW I, and he learned a lot of ways to do things when we went camping. We'd go up near Pytamuning Reservoir in the N.W. part of Pa. to camp out for a week or so. We had 2 old Army tents, camp cots, a very old gasoline stove, and everything we needed, except something to keep the milk, etc., cold! So, being near a small creek, Dad would dig back into the creek bank, where it was nice and cool, and there he'd place the milk and meat! This worked very nicely. Then, we'd rent a small row-boat and go out on the lake to fish! Usually we'd catch pan fish, nothing too large, but just tasty eating. We'd carry drinking water, but we'd wash with clean creek water! It never seemed to hurt us-heck, i'm over 80 yrs of age, and still going strong! There were several kids our age that lived near-by and we'd roam around the area with them! My Dad's father would go along on our trips, and he, being a very stuffy guy if you didn't know him, always relished our camping trips! AHHH! for the good ol' days! I'm glad i can still remember them! And, its always good to look at the pictures of our camping trips there, just to reminisce! By: rustyj

We've been through Ouray and several of the passes you've mentioned. We were just back from a trip to the Great Sand Dunes last week. We may go up to Medano Pass next year if we think the kids can handle it. My oldest is 5 yo. DH and I tried to climb Mt. Elbert about 8 years ago. Big mistake on our part. We were in physical shape for it, but weren't acclimated (sp?) to the altitude. We were living at 300 feet above sea level and tried to climb Elbert within the first 48 hours of getting there. We only made it about 3/4 of the way up. I was cramping on the way up and my knees went out on the way down. I was told I probably should have have eaten some Rolaids and drank more water to have prevented the cramping. I'm not sure when you're going, but be prepared not to find a camp ground in the Elbert area. A lot of places we stayed at didn't take reservations. The area is swamped until the kids go back to school in august. DH and I did some primative camping, but it was nice to have a camp in a central area and do day trips from there. We camped down in the Buena Vista area, but moved around a lot. Have fun on your trip!

Hey joanie. We have the Big Agnes insulated air mattresses. They are fantastic and very comfortable. They are the size of a qt bottle and are easy to blow up. They are very tough and as I said I have used mine almost every night in camping set ups for months and it has no leaks or problems. I will link below to the ones we have. I hadn't thought about the truck windows having screens to that would be great. A small fan would help to move the air. You would definitely need a canopy of some kind. We got one at Dick's Sporting Goods. It is easy to set up and very sturdy. Gives great protection if it is raining. We have even pulled it over so that it is 1/2 over our tent front and we can then get in and out without getting wet :) I haven't cooked on open fires for all meals. Just an occasional cookout. We have a 2 burner propane stove that I love. I can make pancakes and coffee and great dinners with it. We have a camp fire only for warmth and ambiance. We have a folding table and set everything up the minute we get to camp and then we are done for the time we are there. We have one cooler and restock often from the grocery. When I am on the road with my bike it is a whole different setup . I have a tiny campstove and we use a picnic table if there is one or the ground if there isn't :(. I have a one person tent that is very light. I still use my Big Anges though..it is never far from me ! If I can help with any other ideas let me know. I love to camp !! c Here is a link that might be useful: Big Agnes air mattress

DH Jim and I WANT to be frequent campers but haven't made that work yet. Right now we are just doing one trip a year - that's when we go to Jacksonville FL for the annual quilt show with my camping/quilting friend Marilyn and her DH. We had hoped to be looking for a trailer this year but there are too many other demands on finances so we'll have to put that purchase off for a year (or two). In the meantime, we'll rent a small RV for the quilting trip. It's fun to be able to travel with DC ('dear canine') Scout!