BS: The Joys of Camping

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Jan 08 - 09:12 AM

But I don't want to sell it all. I want to USE it instead of the tin tent. HE doesn't agree. Says we're 'too old' to put up the tent, haul all the stuff necessary for tenting....etc etc etc.

Bah Humbug. So I got heat stroke one year doing all that....big deal.

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: open mike
Date: 16 Jan 08 - 01:45 PM

well, I am not sure that "camping" in a tin tent, trailer or r.v.
or motor home qualifies as camping,,,which i think is more like
tenting..those other things are trailering, r.v.'ing or motor homing

i had a "tent in a box" for years....went with it on family trips when
I was young...a comfy camper...also went to music festivals with it for
many years. Then i got a motor home....now i can't imagine putting
up tents, or putting up with them....now the fridge, sink, and bed
come along every time i drive it. It is not just any motor home, it
is a Vixen, 20 mpg, fiberglass construction..light and efficient.
they say it sleeps 4 but you would have to be on very good terms
and hope to continue to be at the end of the trip as well as the
beginning! see www.vixenrv.org or www.vixenrv.com

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: ClaireBear
Date: 16 Jan 08 - 04:38 PM

Sorcha, mine says we're too old as well, and we too bought an RV that is comfy but about the last vehicle on earth I'd want to take camping.

That's why I bought a tiny car with just enough room for me, my son, and all the camping equipment -- sadly my husband has to stay at home when we go feral. Not so bad, really: he's happy staying home, I'm happy on the road, the car gets 35 mph, my son gets to enjoy "real" camping, and my tent and miscellaneous goodies get a good airing.

The RV still gets a workout every so often when "roughing it" is not on the agenda (like when we're visiting friends out of town or going to a music or dance camp), so my husband and I do take vacations together...but only when the trip is one we can both enjoy.

Claire

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: Becca72
Date: 16 Jan 08 - 04:53 PM

I have camped and will probably camp again but I can think of hundreds of other things I'd rather do. When I do go camping it's absolutly necessary that there is a functional indoor toilet available and showers are a nice bonus. I can't sleep on the ground any more with back issues and I have yet to find an air mattress that is any more comfortable. So until that issue is resolved I'll just stick to motels.

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: GUEST,strad
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 08:13 AM

Weather makes camping such fun! In my two person tent in a valley in southern Norway (on the way to a Shanty Festival) I lay in my sleeping bag listening to the rain lashing down and contemplating my bladder which was overfull. The lightning was rolling along the mountain tops for over thirty seconds each time. Yes I was timing it. When I realised that I just had to get up and head to the loo I put my hand down on the groundsheet and found I was sleeping on a waterbed! The campsite was flooded. Great amusement value. So, a quick splash to the loo and back to pack up a soggy tent. Then, of course, the bloody car wouldn't start. Aahh, fond memories. It was a good festival anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: mouldy
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 05:16 AM

My toilet IS functional - it even flushes! (I just have to haul the bottom half down the field to the dump point every now and again, which is not pleasant, but is over quite quickly). If the weather's fine I can have a sort of shower, as I have a "solar shower", ie a black plastic water bag with a sprinkler attached. You leave it out in the sun, and it heats up. You can then put the bag on the roof of your car or hang it in a tree, and hose yourself down. The alternative is to go in the sea, or to the nearest swimming pool - sunny days aren't always that frequent!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: Donuel
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 07:06 PM

The kids love tents. The very word makes their eyes large with uncontained excitment. But my wife hates camping so we left the State Park at sundown with the tent in the trunk and turned onto Rt 321 until we finally saw some Cabins tucked behind some fallen pine trees. A tilted hand Painted sign boasted "Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss".

We walked up to the adjoing farm house and knocked on the screen porch door. Ollie wasn't Ollie at all, but grandpa Catspaw, Spaw for short. "You'll wanna came by in the mornin and get yourself some bait. We got some purty fair fishin back there in Lake Tahoma.
I thanked him and paid for cabin 4 which also had a nickname, "Hitchcock's Hacienda". We could her him strummin on a guitar as we made our way with flashlights down to cabin 11.

People, I swear that place was a government contracted experimental study on the life cycle of over sized parasites on live human beings.
But once you've seen a 2 inch long mosquito you've seen them all so not to be a kill joy I suggested we set up the tent inside the cabin and we started duct taping every grommet hole and opem seam on the tent that we could, not thinking how many trips we would need to use the bathroom outside.


Its amazing how shrill a rooster sounds when you've had no sleep bu the kids were thrilled...

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: Mr Happy
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 08:56 AM

Me & the Fiends are off to Anglesey next w/end, so I'm presently tweaking me tent, gazebo & other camping paraphenalia so we can be comfy for the 4 days we'll be under canvas whatever.

The gazebo's great for shade if it's scorchio weather & shelter if rainy.

I've used it at a few fests over the years but as they're really meant for garden use, aren't very strongly made to withstand some conditions,

After having it blown down a coupla times, I've needed to replace some poles with stronger ones from old frame tents.

A chap recently had those new type of tents which almost erect themselves & live inside large circular bags which look like giant bodrhans!

Anyone else use these?

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 06:09 PM

I believe Essex Girl has one of those "throw up" tents, but she has not yet managed to get it properly down yet. Sounds more like the late lamented Dave each time I think of it.

Subject: RE: BS: The Joys of Camping
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 09:19 PM

"one of those "throw up" tents"

Sounds like the sort of thing to take to events where lots of booze is drunk....

Of course if you have ever been in a tent where someone does the 'projectile vomiting trick' at 3 am, you would prefer that you had left it at home...