"Ahhh, the simple life" said my camping neighbor

[bondebond]

Thanks to RoyB for inspiring me to start a thread so I will share a little about last weekend's camping.

Issues prevented us from pulling out to go camping Friday evening, so up and at it Saturday morning.

With less time to do the usual "camping things" I pulled out all of the stops on making set up time go as quickly as possible. We backed in the long highwall without getting out. We hopped out of the TV, deployed the kids on their tasks, used the drill for the tongue jack, the BAL leveler, the roof and the stabilizers. I pulled the blue tote out from the carrier I built under the rear bumper and hooked it up to the gray water discharge. DW hooks up the electrical. I tossed the isle junk out the door and the DW, DS and DD squared it away outside. We were like busy little ants situating everything around the camp site. We were done, including setting up the inside, in under 30 minutes.

The whole time this is going on, I notice that our neighbor (PUP owner) and his three grown sons were watching, sometimes out of the corner of their eyes, sometimes full-on. They were enjoying a nice, leisurely pace to their weekend so we had to look like a circus. Their camp site was set up with a nice but smaller and simpler PUP, tripod over the fire, percolator on it making coffee. It felt nice and relaxed. I was a bit wistful.

Anyway, we struck up a conversation that evening when the father asked me to take their picture. The boys were wearing swords and everyone was dressed up in some period costume. Turns out the youngest had recently turned 18 and they were performing a coming of age ritual as found in the book "Raising A Modern Day Night". The boys were all very respectful, ranging in age 22 to 18. It was very encouraging to see a father spending his life to instruct his sons in how to become men with honor and integrity and for it to be evident in their lives.

Ok, that was quite a bit of rambling but you just never know who you're going to run into while camping.

What stories do you have of being out camping?

[Vmswilliamson]

Camping is where I get to relax, set aside day to day, cook for the fun of cooking, sleep because I feel like it, go for a bike ride, walk in the woods, sit and read a book.....Perfect!

Oh sure, there is the prep stuff because I'm the packer in the house. I pack the food, I pack the trailer, I pack myself. I pick the campground, I navigate our drive. My DH loves to camp, but admits that if I didn't do all the work he wouldn't probably do it. Why you ask? As much as he enjoys all of it, he would struggle putting up and taking down the trailer. He is not handy, so maintaining the trailer would equate to asking him to build the empire state building. No can do.

But camping, those quite moments when the trailer is open, the pads are on the ground, the chairs are unpacked, the sun is shining and the world smells fresh. It is all worth the work.

[Beer_Belly]

As "simple" as it is, I'd rather be camping for the weekend, than mowing my lawn

[Terryallan]

My simple camping story. We have been camping a really long time. One weekend at Julian Price, we were getting ready to go home and it was raining. We had a Apache fold out. Yes a fold out. Had no canvas, just pvc sides that you put together when you cranked the top up.
Any way it's raining, I folded the sides back in, and started to crank it down. You need to know on the Apache. The ratio is 100 turns to 1 inch of travel, or so it seems. As I was spinning the top down. The family next to us in Cox camper came out. You older campers know Cox campers have no crank. So they flipped one end over the back, flipped the other over the front, hooked to the car and was gone, and I'm still standing behind the Apache cranking the top down. I wanted a Cox camper so bad after that.

[DutchmenSport]

PS: Did you ever resolve the back-up camera issue ? Kind of. I'm learning the "Kentucky windage" method. I'm finally able to tell where it's aligned, even if the camera angle shows it off, it's really dead on. I've finally figured that out.

[Dakota98]

Dutchmen,

That was a GREAT POST !!!! laughed my you know what off.

PS: Did you ever resolve the back-up camera issue ?

[DutchmenSport]

I got a real chuckle out of your post, especially when I read "the simple life". I thought .. this is gonna be good!

Simple? Well, that's a matter of perspective I think. We have a 35 foot TT and 3500 dually to tow with. Let's see ... simple? well ...

First (it's just the wife and I, kids are grown and gone) ... well... that's simple!

Second (our dog and 2 cats just love the camper!) We do a lot of driveway camps and the cats are always scratching at the door wanting in. The dog is right at home in the camper. I suppose that simplifies our lives.

But, everything after that, well .... maybe *not* so simple?

First we (the DW and I) have to decide where we want to go camping and why. Usually the "why" is pretty simple (visit family or need to burn up vacation time or loose it) Then we have to decide where we want to go. That's not so "simple" some time.

Next, after settling on a location is settling on the date. We fix a date and then have to ask our boss's at work for the time off. This is NEVER simple! Although it's part of the benefit package, management always makes you feel like your committing a crime from asking for a few days off. But they never say "no". (Still, it's stressful and NOT easy!)

So next comes the planning: That means checking the camper for mechanical stability, tires, roof, wiring, plumbing, heating, all that. Then comes the checking to make sure all our supplies are there. We borrow out of the camper for the house, we sometime forget to put stuff back.

Then there's the clothing ... always check.. then the groceries. Now that's a production and stage show that would make the 3 stooges blush! I like to eat! and when we go camping .... I go camping to EAT! and I eat good! Steaks, fresh vegies, ice cream, cakes, pies, treats ... (OK, I'm a big kid at heart). Still the grocery store visit very seldem results in anything less than $150 from my billfold, just for the planned trip.

All things set, ready to hitch-up! Oh ... Fuel ... one last trip to fuel up so I won't have to go through the gas station with the camper any sooner than necessary.

Hitch-up... my gosh .... that hitch gets heaver and heaver every time I lift it! No, I'm not getting older ... that hitch is gaining weight. WD bars, chains, plugs, test electric connections, brakes, grab dog, get cats ... oh drats! Forgot the wife!

Oh the cats! We have one cat that gets car sick. So you know that means we have a special pill from the vet that we need to give him about 1 hour before we hit the road. Do you know how much fun it is giving a pill to a cat! Do you have any clue how sharp a cat's tooth is! Do you know how much blood the human body contains! (I think I do now!)

Cats settled, got the wife, dog happy heading out the drive way.... drats! Did you shut the stove off? You know where that's going?

Finally on the road! Ah nice and RELAXED! Life is so *simple* isn't it? Ah-oh! Hey honey! You know that last Diet Coke I drank ... I think we need to stop! But we're in the middle of no where, where we can stop!... I know, but, but .... simple? Um ..... not really! Eventually I do find a spot to stop, run into the camper, take care of business, just to find out the cat barffed anyway! (Oh ... this really happens) Thanks goodness the cats are in a carrier, but now there is barf all over BOTH cats! Do you have any clue how "simple" it is to clean a cat! when you're in the middle of a parking lot, or at a McDonalds, or a gas station! Yup ... real simple!

OK, after all the drama we finally arrive at the campground. Drive to our campsite just to find out I came up the drive the wrong direction! Gotta turn this train around somehow so I can back in right! OK, I'm in the spot. I get unhitched... my goodness, did that hitch gain another 5 pounds! Set up camp, pull out the lawn chairs ... and go to bed!

Real simple! Man! I love this camping stuff! Good night!