Hi all - so my wife and 13 month old will be coming to TBF in 2011 - I had a few questions for anyone who knows:
Any advice for bringing a 13 month old? Altitude considerations? Any other considerations for bringing a 1 year old? Gear we should bring? Strollers, kid carrier, etc? Does anyone know of places to rent stuff so we don’t have to fly with all of it?
Kelty sunshades I see people with at TBF - is there anywhere to rent one?
thanks as always folks 
There is heaps of info in the Telluride for families 101 thread and I highly suggest a read through but on the fly the stuff we can’t do without are basically good hats and warm clothes (really hot days can often become really cold evenings), sunscreen and good ear plugs (we like the macks silicone ones - half for each ear. Don’t(!) forget to take them out before sleeping for the night). We loved the days when Sam could fit in a stroller. He sleeps through anything and so we could bundle him up and lay the stroller flat, hang some glowies on it so people wouldn’t run into him and hang out in the back after dark. Most importantly though bring your flexibility and good humor. See you there!
Enjoy this one - becouse in 2012 your little one will make festivating pretty difficult! We had no problem bringing our son when he was 1 year old. At 2 - it was just impossible to keep him happy for very long. I know some on this forum make it work at all ages (god bless you) - but I just don’t see how.
I agree - great info already on this board for families. I’m not aware of any potential issues with altitude. Stroller - yes. Kid carrier - helpful. The sunshades are super cheap. If you fly into Denver, I’d just pick one up as you come through.
Lastly, if you are concerned about having a shady place to go - ask for help here. I promise you that you’ll meet a new friend on this board that will offer you a place to relax out of the sun at their tent area.
Good luck!
I guess we’re one of the families you mean…we’re still making it work, now with a 9 year old, 3 year old and 2 months ago) 8 month old.
One of the secrets is to change how you think about things. We still get to spend the week in the valley, and hear the music, and see our friends…but we might not get to sit for hours and hours really soaking up the tunes. We might be in the Kid’s test when Bela is playing. Or we might be in Town Park, throwing rocks in the river during Sarah Jarosz. And we might not get to ever be inside the festival at night.
We can hear the music from camp, and that just has to be good enough at times. The rough years pass so soon, and before you know it, you have a little kid who keeps asking when you’ll be going back to “'Dellride”
So bring your flexibility, bring your good attitude, and be prepared for an adventure.
Jeff and Tessa ALWAYS make it work FOR THE KIDS! With that attitude, EVERYONE is HuckinFappy while at FESTIVVVAAALLL!!!
:thumbsup
Auntie Hope :festivarian2 :green
It sure does help to have all the awesome folk around us there to help us when we need it! It always seems there’s a Hope, Deb or Joe there when we really need them!
I wanted to add a few tips… A wagon is very helpful. It makes it easier to haul all the stuff to/from the festival. Also, it can make a nice bed for them if you stay for the night shows… Also, we found that a baby backpack was easier to manuever in the crowds than stroller. Another thing we did was we had a little bitty “baby tent” that we used at the festival. This was the play tent and nap tent. This was very helpful in the toddler-preschool years. They liked having their own place…
BUT, I must say that Jeff did say it best. Your experience will be different but it’s just as good.
so i know it has been awhile on this topic but as we are getting closer i wanted to ask something related - i see so many people with kelty sunshades at festival but i have read lots of mixed reviews on them - they break, they are really tough to deal with in the wind, its really hot under them, etc. so far no one has advised me of a place in telluride i can rent one…we are flying in from new jersey - so we would need to a. buy one, and b. fly there and back with it
i see so many people with them i have to think there is value there but i guess my question is…is it worth it to bring it? we have been to TBF twice without out son and i know the sun gets real strong all day - i’ll bring what i need to bring so everyone is safe and happy - but i don’t want to do it if it is not really going to provide value
any thoughts?
You definitely want some sort of shade for the kiddie, but I can’t recommend a Kelty. I have one and have found that it’s usually hotter underneath it than outside due to it’s curved, low design holding in the heat. I’d recommend an EZ Up style shade with some tapestries hung strategically to block the sun.
I agree with Hooch on that one. We tried both a long time ago, and the ez up was the best. You probably want some fence space for that. Of course, now the kids get to spend the week with the grandparents, and we festivate!
I’ve been using the Kelty for a few years and I agree with the previous comments that point out the negatives. I think one positive to the Kelty is that it does pack up nicely so if you’re flying in for the festival, it may be easier to pack, less weight, etc. than an EZ-up style shade. I don’t know this for sure because I’ve never owned the EZ-up style - I just know that the Kelty does pack nicely. This might be something you want to investigate before you make a purchase.
Overall, I’d say my experience with the Kelty has been positive. I’d give it 3.5 stars out of 5!
I have an E-Z Up style of shade tent. They are larger than the Keltys. Packed up, mine is about 4 feet long and 12"x12". It does have wheels. That might be too heavy and large to carry on an airplane. It does pretty much need 2 people to put it up.
The advantage of the EZ-up style is that there is ventilation (mine has a vent on top) and the heat doesn’t build up as much underneath. There’s also an advantage to your neighbors as this style doesn’t block the view of the people behind you like the Keltys do.
:huh QUESTION for the TBF shade tent veterans:
How large is the shade tent area? Do I need to be in the tarp line fairly early to get a good spot? I know people say there is no bad seat in the house, but I don’t want to be standing there with my shade tent and have no place to put it up! Thanks.
E_Z UPS all the way!!! You need to be in line kinda early but not over night. I usually get in line around 6 am. You can get plenty of help to put it up too…
thanks all :thumbsup
Check out the Coleman’s. They’re a little bigger footprint, but pack down as small and light as a Kelty (almost), better UV reflection, more airflow, and they don’t block the view like a Kelty.
I’ll agree on the EZ-UP’s not blocking the view for everyone else around/behind you. There was a concentrated effort last year from a few folks (that have already responded to this post) to gather together in one area so their views of the stage was not restricted by the TBF Kelty Village that springs up each year. Hope that happens again in 2011 because it was A LOT cooler in the EZ-UP Village when I really needed a break from the sun!
Debbie, didn’t you and Steve find a light weight model at Walmart?
Auntie Hope :festivarian2 :green
we get ours at Walmart but they are not particularly light… Check out the Coleman that Jeff is suggesting… His seems to work well too and doesnt block the view and all the other Kelty negatives… The Walmart ones are reasonable on the budget though and have held up pretty well for several years at TBF and some boy scout activities even with some big winds etc…
Oh and that’s another thing about Kelty’s- if you are bringing them- make sure you get them tied down tight because the KELTY"S love to go airborne- some go really, really high!!!
I don’t usually go in for segregation, but an EZ-up village and a Kelty village sounds like a good idea to me. Better view and easier to walk through or make new friends sharing some shade.
I have a First-Up from WalMart First-Up 10' x 10' Canopy - Walmart.com
That is what we have too