Expert: Eddie - 6/30/2006

Question
"Hello,
My husband and I are planning to travel for approx. 6 weeks in Dec. &
Jan. with our 2 small children.  (they will be 1 1/2 & 4 1/2) in &
around Chile.
Since we will be traveling for a relatively long time we would like to
camp.
I have looked for web sites for family campgrounds & have found little
information.

Question(s):
Is it safe to camp with small children?
Is there a general listing of (family)campground sites/locations?

We have traveled/camped extensively in Europe & U.S with & without
children.  Any camping tips & a list of locations would be very helpful

PS
(I am American & my husband in Austrian)
Thank you
muchas gracias
"  

Answer
Hi Andrea,

Please let me apologize for not answering sooner, I was out of town.  But now, here comes an answer:

I have not been "camping" much in Chile in the last few years, but as a kid, in the 60's my father and I went many times to "deserted" islands and stayed out there for days...at the time it was safe and not much problem to get food and other staples...in those days it was real "roughing" to go camping (including taking a bath in the lake).

I know from various trips that I have taken in the past couple of years to Chile that there are many camping grounds, which presumably are safe, and guarded (though I do not know this with 100% certainty) in the south of Chile.  Chile has lots of national parks and there are camp grounds there.

For example, look at http://icarito.aconcagua1.copesa.cl/especiales/veraneando/campamento/pag5.htm .... you can translate the page with babelfish or altavista (google also has a translator for the page)....

This is what I can suggest for now, if you have more specific questions, please do not hesitate to ask....

Regards and good camping,

--eddie