Friday Favorite: Camping
Mr Chiots and I are campers. Until this past summer we were tent campers until this past summer when we built our tiny teardrop trailer. Our tent won’t be going into the garage sale pile, we still enjoy tent camping and can see a place for it in our travels. While the convenience of the tiny camper is wonderful, you can’t hear the birds or the breeze as much as you can in a tent and that’s one of the things we love about camping, being surrounded by nature!
I think the reason I love camping so much is because of the simplicity of it. Since our lives are so filled with technology all the time for our jobs, we love the unplugging that comes with camping. When you stay in a hotel there’s not much to do, so you find yourself on the internet or watching TV. When you’re camping you find yourself sitting around a fire enjoying a cup of tea. You get the watch the sunrise while you drink your morning coffee and cook breakfast. There’s really nothing quite like it in my book!
Are you a camper or do you prefer less rustic vacation accommodations?
Love your camping images!
We used to camp with a 27-foot trailer. We sold it when we moved because we had no place to keep it. I miss camping. Don’t think I’d like the roughing it type, though. There are state parks that have cabins for rent which are pretty rustic. That would be a fun trip!
When are y’all going on your Florida vacation?
to daisy's comment
We love camping too. When we lived in Colorado we went camping many times each summer. Here in Maine it’s a bit harder because of the bugs, and I miss going as often as we used to. I should set a goal of going camping at least twice this coming summer!
to Joan's comment
Great goal – we need to do a little more base camp type camping where we’re not packing up and moving every day or every other day.
to Susy's comment
We are fond of trout. Getting them is my job; I have sixteen pound kayak that is eight feet long. I mount it on a pack frame with a tent and sleeping bag, etc. in it, and pack in to wilderness lakes for an overnighter. Very invigorating.
We have just updated our 35-year-old suite of backpacking gear and plan to spend more time in the Three Sisters before we get too old to do it!
to risa's comment
We need to get on a backpacking trip soon as well – we haven’t been in a LONG time. We have a goal of hiking the entire Laurel Highlands Trail some day.
to Susy's comment
Tent! We too like to kayak fish like Risa. Susy, where did you get the plans for the teardrop camper? I would love to show them to my husband to see if that would be an option for us to build (he’s a carpenter). How much did it cost you (if you don’t mind me asking)?
We are actually going to stay in a cabin in TN in April. I can’t wait for that. I think the most important thing for me is being able to get out and explore what mother nature has to offer and just enjoy the scenario.
to Fawn's comment
We purchased the plans for our little Trailer from Lil Bear. We also purchased a lot of our moldings from him as well. All in all it cost about $3000 to build it. You could to it cheaper, we spent extra to use all VOC free and as many small business parts as possible. We used wool insulation from a place in Oregon, we bought lights and parts from a small place in IN, the frame we purchased was an original 1947 frame we found in Indianapolis. If you want any specifics I can get you the info – just e-mail me.
to Susy's comment
The camper looks great…something nice about traveling with your own accommodations. I’ve been known to say that my camping days are over….10 years of brownies & girl scouts :) But if I had my own camper, it might be a different story!
to Victoria's comment
Growing up we would go to the Boundary waters every year – tent, canoe, the whole thing. Loved it and love those memories. Many weekends we also camped at a rifle range with our pop-up camper while dad either shot in a match or had practice. Again, loved it and the memories. I miss it.
to Sincerely, Emily's comment
Your camper is entirely cool looking. Kind of 20s.
We camped a lot when I was a kid. I’m not too crazy about it, as a group activity, yet I fully intend to walk the Appalachian Trail one of these days!
to Jennifer Krieger's comment
The hubby and I love your camper! We love fishing and being outdoors and we are very much in favor of being “off grid” during our vacations in this lovely state.
Thank you so much for sharing.
to Angela At Frugal Gardening's comment
Camping is our favorite way to take a break. We figured out through trial and error that a minimum of three nights in a tent will allow us both to shake off the stresses and tensions that come with busy city living and the daily grind.
We still camp in a tent, but I have to admit, my days of sleeping on the hard ground ended at about 40. Now that I’m staring 50 in the eye, I couldn’t do it without my air mattress. Otherwise, I’m still perfectly happy in my 17 year old tent. It has been through every kind of weather including a small tornado. I hope it holds together forever.
to Grace's comment
We once weathered a hurricane in our tents (back when I was camping with my family – I was in high school). It’s amazing how much a good tent can take.
to Susy's comment
Definitely campers, and avoiding campgrounds at all costs! lol Each fall, we pack up our wall tent, haul it into some high country, and spend a week or ten days. Twice or three times. Nothing like a wood stove and wall tent when it’s snowing outside. :)
to KimP's comment
I’m more of the rustic cabin in the woods type,however if I am hiking don’t mind spending a night or two in a tent.
to Kathi Cook's comment
I love camping as long as I have an air mattress to sleep on in my tent. I would love to have one of the old Cox tent trailers as they were essentially a tent covering a box but up out of the water and mud. In Maine, we have so many fantastic state parks and other camping options but really need to wait until the Black Flies are gone.
to Jennifer Fisk's comment
We love camping! although we at the age where we need the air mattress, we love still enjoy sleeping out in a tent. We’ve never owned a camper.We borrowed once once and ended up in an earthequake in CA. We etiher lived in a tent or in the various vans we’ve owned. Learned how to minimize and utilize space. Feel so “at home” when camping. We going to do it for two weeks in the fall. Out in the “deep woodds” of Holmes county (ha). May become a base camp for some travelling thru the state. Love that camper of yours. Watched a show on PBS about them last year. Some were really imaginative in how they were organized.
to judym's comment
In my younger days, we tent camped out a lot.. but I havent slept in a tent in over 15 years.. Lots of good times & memories associated with the old camping days..
to KimH's comment
Love, love, love camping! I was just looking at old pictures last night of taking our oldest son (now 9) camping when he was 6 weeks old. We had a blast. It’s the best way to vacation to really and truly clear the mind and soul.
to Wendy's comment
If there isn’t a bathroom I don’t go…sorry, I am OK with rustic or out in the woods as long I have a bathroom. I’ve been in placesm (in the US) where they had electricity and TV, but no indoor plumbing and not even an outhouse….NO!
to Kath's comment
I am a tent camper all the way. I absolutely love it. When I was growing up my whole family tent camped every summer. Often it was just a long weekend trip since we had hay to make (and often it rained… we had to choose the worst hay weather times to escape for a weekend), but it was always great. Now I am losing the battle to continue tent camping. My husband isn’t a fan and he wants to spend big bucks on a big camper. I have tried to compromise by considering a pop-up or something, but he isn’t impressed with that idea either. My parents bought us a double layer air mattress for Christmas hoping that would extend my tent camping for a little longer since his biggest complaint is sleeping on the ground. :-)
to Beth K's comment
I haven’t been camping my entire adult life. I use to go w/ my explorer post and my family when I was young. This year my husband is finally on board and we got a tent. I can’t wait. It will be long w/e trips but…..it’s a start!
to Jodiana's comment
campfire breakfast-I think it is my favorite part of camping!
to angie h's comment