1.  Lower your expectations by 1/2 to  1/3 when planning. Kids' brains send signals of both joy and unhappiness within shorter time frames and after less effort than do adults' brains. Plan accordingly.

2. A terrific nutrition researcher colleague once said "sugar is an analgesic." Recent findings suggest she's not off-base-- sucrose may actually blunt children's experience of mild pain and discomfort. The suprise and pleasure of a can of Coke in the wilderness can avert meltdown.

3. Framing: We remember past events by how we tell the stories of triumph and tribulation, afterwards. No one is perfect, and everyone (including me) is likely to have a meltdown at some point on a trip. Re-frame those episodes as "minor mishaps"  rather than tragic dramas - everyone will remember those trips as "best times ever."