We started camping the hard way. In a minivan with mattresses we pulled from the kids beds. My husband and I used single cots and slept separate. From there, we progressed, but not without failure! Next we slept in a six person tent with our daughters, 2yrs and 4yrs, with a blow up mattress that we couldn't blow up! We basically slept on the ground. But we didn't give up! A few more adventures later, our children, thankfully, still love to camp and see now places and experience the unknown of our travels. We now have three daughters, 5, 4, & 8 months with a fur baby that's 14 and can't stand not going with us. We haven't gone more than 3.5 hours away, yet, but plan to drive cross country with a new, old, Aloha trailer that needs some TLC before we head out. One day, we will feel like we've got it all figured out!