My family car camped from the time I was 6, and I camped each summer with the Boy Scouts until my teens. In 1969, as a 15 year old, a friend and I biked 10 miles out of town to the nearest Provincial Park campground and stayed overnight. We rode with backpacks. Two years later, a group of about 8 of us biked from Victoria and took the ferry to Orcas Island in the American San Juan Islands. We knew of no such thing as a touring bike. We rode what we had. One fellow had a "delivery bike" with a huge basket in front. He carried the 2 burner coleman stove.

Fast forward to 1983, My wife and I biked and camped for a week in the Canadian Gulf Islands.
Fast forward again to 1995, Our family included 10 and 8 year old boys. They were riding their own bikes by that time. I rented a kiddie trailer and filled it with camping gear. Two pup tents, 4 sleeping bags, 4 mattresses, stove, utensils , food, clothing and a plastic wash pan. The proverbial kitchen sink. Pulling this horrendous load slowed me down so that we all had a common speed as we biked the Gulf Islands for 4 days.

Then , in 2009 I retired at the early age of 55. I bought my first touring bike, a Cannondale t1. In the summer of 2010 I took 2 weekend trips with my son, and a friend. Then I went alone on a 400 km trip on Vancouver Island, and another trip making a circuit of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

Just recently, in a manic frenzy, I bought 2 different tents, and a Koga World Traveller. I must put the credit card away when I get worked up. My plans for 2011 include an 1100 km solo tour the full length and back of Vancouver Island, and a 300 km circuit on the Kettle Valley railway and highway 3 in southern British Columbia.

So, its been a slow and steady rise of bigger and better trips, but nothing can compare to young boys on their first overnight alone.