HEST Nest: Colorado Family Tent Basecamp

2022-08-08T10:18:41-07:00

Our mission at HEST is to bring the comfort of home to the outdoors, enabling more people to chase adventure and enjoy the great outdoors. We understand that getting outside can be intimidating… between the bugs, an overwhelming amount of gear options, and the dread of sleeping poorly. The good news is: sleeping well makes all the difference and you don’t need a luxury RV, camper or tricked out rig to make that happen. All you need is a comfortable place to lay your head. To celebrate the simplicity of getting outdoors with your family, friends or by yourself, we present “HEST Nest” a new blog category featuring unique camping set ups and tricks to creating a cozy nest in the woods from people who are out there doing it.

If you would like your camping set up featured on HEST Nest, please send us info and images to info@hest.com

Your name: The Maguires

Home Base: Conifer, Colorado

Camping Set Up: Car camping with tent (REI Co-op Kingdom 6)

Favorite Camp Spot: Buena Vista, Colorado

HEST products: HEST Dually Long, HEST Camp Pillows, HEST Sleep System.

Most beautiful place you’ve ever woken up?
Dead Horse Point State Park. Not necessarily waking up but the ability to watch the sunset off of the point and walk back to the tent to sleep was a magical moment for the kids.

Who’s in your adventure squad?
2 kids (a 4 year old and a 4 month old), wife/partner and a 80 lb Bernese Mountain dog.

Advice for first time campers?
Pack as if it will rain and always have layers. If it gets cold, starts raining or the bugs come out, you will not want to be in your shorts the whole night.

On your average weekend adventure, what is the gear set up you bring with you? What do you like most about your set up?
Large family sized tent, stove, camp chairs, bikes, rods. With the size of our tent, we can stand up and hang out as a group inside if the elements show up. With a newborn a large tent is key because you are constantly using it to either change diapers, feed or use for naps.

Any upgrades or improvements you’re planning for your set up?
A small tow trailer that can carry and cover more supplies. Right now it’s maxed out in our truck and it’s a tight fit.

What’s the one creature comfort you can’t camp without?
Fire starters. Make sure to pack because you never know and having a fire on command is essential. Always double check the fire bans for the county you are camping in.

What do you look for in a campsite?
Space from neighbors. We are out to be alone, give us our space.

Best camp meal?
Vermont cheddar mac and cheese from scratch. Keep the noodles a little al dente out of the water before adding the cheese.

Worst night of sleep while camping?
Camping with kids is hit or miss. When our son was just starting to walk he took a digger and scraped up his face. It was a long night in a tent with a hurt kiddo.

Any special camp traditions?
Outfits. When camping with other families, it’s always a must to have a campsite outfit (ie; wig, party shades, tutu, ripton jorts). You always want to be the group everyone else at the campsite wants to hang with.

What’s your next camping adventure?
Scouting new spots throughout the collegiate range outside of Buena Vista, Colorado. Nice short drive and amazing views.