After much debate and flirtation with instant tents and roof top tents, a used Oztent big enough for the 5 of us showed up on the Expedition Portal. An offer too good to refuse. So we set off for Pueblo, CO, to meet with seller. From there we backtracked towards the Medano Pass on the way to Great Sand Dunes National Park.
kid friendly camping weekend or day trip through the Medano Pass and the Great Sand Dunes, CO.
It was a bit unnerving leaving behind our well loved Springbar tent, assuming the Oztent would work out just fine. It at least looked pretty neat on the roof top (which is really all that matters if you ask my husband).
Our new used Oztent RV-5 on our LX470 (100 series Landcruiser)
It was almost as quick of a setup as predicted - the 6 guyes on the attached rain fly do take some time, and there is a learning curve to the canopy and poles. We did well, though, given that this was our first time. Less than 15 mins. Our 3 pads (one double, two single) fit perfectly across with a good foot or more at the entrance to stand. Just perfect!
Our 4 Exped Duo and two REI pads fit perfectly in the RV-5 Oztent.
Another welcome challenge for us was to overland alone. We’ve been spoiled with a big group of great friends who often join in on these trips together. Having kids and a big setup combined with a very time optimistic husband means that we’re often needing a helping hand with the tent or the kids when setting up or packing down. -Something that’s easy to get used to. But we actually did really well - E just puttered around with a stick as usual. O was being a patient baby watching us from his activity blanket or car seat. We’ve (M has) perfected our setup over this summer and it was nice testing it again. I especially love our recent additions of a proper fridge on a tilt slide and our collapsible sink which hangs on the side of the car with a hose running straight from the water container and a bidet spray nozzle at the end. No pump needed, we just siphon the water once and it runs.Such a simple yet useful solution. My M is a genius!
Bonus of the day, we were able to enjoy some grown up alone time playing casino and drinking A FULL BEER! with both kids asleep inside the tent. Counts as a date in my book!
Camp set up in no time. Enjoying some family time next to the RV-5
After a rocky night of E not sure where she was (the tent is VERY DARK INSIDE and O just being O, read: mom needy), we woke up to a beautiful morning and gorgeous views. (See how we did sleep training with out toddler when transitioning her to a pad from the pack’n’play here). A quick breakfast and hammock play later, we set off for a little walk towards the valley where both kids had a little snooze in the carriers. Then we headed towards the Sand Dunes National Park.
Entrance to the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve, coming from the Medano Pass, CO.
There is something about water - taking 3 tons of motorized vehicle through streams and puddles is just as fun as mud play on the water bank for toddlers. Pure joy! We crossed many streams and even saw a herd of big horn sheep on the side of the road. We didn’t rush and stopped to enjoy the sun and the water. M even took the time to kindly remove a passing Jeep’s skid pan which was dragging on the ground.
Toddler mud and water play - make time for stops and exploring
The landscape slowly turns from dense forest to sandy hills. It’s a spectacular sight. Our stop at the sand dunes was somewhat brief - it was still hot, the flies were vicious and the water that normally runs through was gone due to an extremely hot season. E was convinced that she could climb the sand dune….she was quickly defeated. But it was fun watching others go up the hill. Biscuit had a run and then we headed south to find a place to camp closer to home.
A great sand dune, much too big for a toddler. Sand Dunes National Preserve
Finding a camp site for the second night was a bit tricky. There are not many options for great off road camping between the Sand dunes and Albuquerque. It’s very flat and open. We ended up in a designated camp site on the river just south of Taos. Our first pick, right on the river bank, proved no good since the ground was too rocky to put in pegs. We only found out after erecting the tent. Hallelujah for the Oztent and its quick take-down. At this point, the kids were done-done with sitting in the car and hungry. Getting them back in their seats and driving 3 minutes to the next camp site was probably the hardest stretch of the entire weekend.
We have definitely become picky with our camp sites, preferring not to camp near anyone else. Despite having plenty of room, we still felt cramped and ‘watched’. I remember our early days of camping where we did our very best to get to a camp site with shelters and toilets. Now, we do our best to avoid any designated camp site and the shelter we had was left unused. It just gives us more freedom to not have neighbors so that Biscuit can roam freely and we have perfect peace and quiet. It’s also nice to have the freedom to set up our camping toilet anywhere (preferably with a view, of course) which we now prefer over any smelly vault toilet.
I love that we managed to squeeze in one last family overlanding trip before my month in Denmark. It will be a while before I get back out there overnight.
