fathers day 2012 magazine: Where We've Been Bags - One of our family traditions...

I can't take credit for this idea. My husband had wanted to get the kids each a big backpack that we could begin adding patches to. We love camping and exploring new parks, and it seems that patches are easy to come by. So we surfed the internet until we found the perfect backpacks. These are big for the kids, but the perfect size for filling with their clothes for our little get-aways... and the straps can be cinched up enough to do the trick. We found these at an army surplus store in London, Ontario, Canada. You can find the actual link HERE.

So, every time we stay someplace new, we look for a patch to add to the kids' backpacks. By the time our children are all grown, we are sure these things will be more than covered with patches. They will make a for a useful keepsake, and a great way to remember different places we have been together.

I should add, we purchased some patches from e-bay; Camping 2010, Fire Safety, Fun with Nature, to name a few. Over our summer camping trips we planned activities for the children to earn each patch. At some point, I'm planning to add a special tag to each bag with their names.