2026 Campout #1 - Babler State Park

Ahead of last year by almost a month but still far behind where I would really like to start camping for the year, the first trip of 2026 is here! Although things are the same as last year, they are still very much different. Last year, my wife and I added a third camper to our adventures and this year we still have the same little camper however, like last year, sleep will be a new adventure all over again. Also, thanks to my wife, we have a new plan of attack! Rather than hitting weekend adventures where I normally wouldn't need to spend any vacation time, we're going to hit half weekend, half weekday for our little trips just to have what we might call better accommodations. This is nothing against the Missouri State Parks. I'm glad that so many people come out to enjoy them however, last year and years before, those visitors left much to be desired. We're hoping that by getting away from the obvious choice of camping days, that is the weekend, we'll avoid those less than savory campers we tend to dwell on too much. Another difference over last year is a renewed focus on comfort. Last year I heard from my wife on almost every trip that sleep and comfort were severely lacking. So when she made a push to pack light, keep it simple, I pushed back reminding her of the struggles of last year and how more gear can make comfort better. Spoiler alert, it worked beautifully! With that said, the weather finally handed me a great weekend, with temps in the upper 70ºF range during the day, temps in the upper 50ºF to low 60ºF range overnight, it was PERFECT weather for a trip! This would still be a planned short trip as explained, it would be a whole new sleeping experience with a now 15-month-old! To keep it VERY simple, in case things go horribly wrong, this trip would take us to Dr Edmund Babler Memorial State Park for one night. Of course, I would prefer a 2-night minimum but again, the outcome of this trip is still completely unknown so plan for the worst and hope for the best.