Any tent campers out there?
 

My DH and I have been tent camping since we were married 41 years ago. We just love camping , hiking and photographing (DH) nature. We have experienced so many wonderful things. Can't wait for warmer weather so we can get started again. Our favorite places to camp are national and state parks. Guess we'll crawl into that little tent for as long as we're able.

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*** Not any more, did when kids were young.
*** Too old (67) for it now.
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Not sure where you're going and maybe you've already done this but government cutbacks have affected the national parks as far as certain activities. Hope you get to do what you want and have a good time. My idea of camping is not the same as yours but each to his own. Have fun!!

There's a significant difference between "sleeping in a tent" and "staying overnight in a tent". I tend to do the latter. By the 3rd night, I'm wiped out enough to actually sleep. Still, we love being outdoors and tent camp several times each summer, usually at state parks, but also in the backyard. The kids enjoy the novelty of it, even when we're right at home.

I used to tent camp when I was younger. My mom loved to camp. My dad didn't. We camped a lot. As an adult, I've camped at least once a year, every year that I was a girl scout leader, 14 years. I like it. My dh doesn't. We have two tents. Have fun together.

On no.....I camp at Best Western. I took my Girl Scout troop tent camping and I stepped on a snake and had a bat swoop down near my head.....Yep...Best Western is the place for me! ;-)

I haven't done it in many years but sounds like fun if I could find a safe place. A few years ago I "camped" in my car every other night to save money .... not the most desirable but I did have some interesting experiences. Since then I've developed a sense of safety awareness, especially when it comes to traveling alone.

We trailer camp - actually I wouldn't even call it camping. More like relocating!

We are tent campers! We usually choose the state parks over privately owned ones. Our 15 yo Pomeranian Toby Bean goes with us. He has a great time! We always search out a pet friendly beach and let him trounce around in the water!

I love camping! We used to tent 30 years ago when the kids were young. Now we take our camper. We have met the nicest people in campgrounds. We like provincial campgrounds in Canada and we have been to some great State Parks in the States. We always bring our beagle and were surprised how many people bring their dogs camping. I can't wait for summer. :)

My DH and I have decided were going to try tent camping again. I'm worried about what shape the tent will be in when we pull it out of the garage because we have so many mice in there. Worried also if we can remember how to set the darn thing up. We always end up in an argument when we try to do things together. He says I'm bossy. Personally I don't see it. :D Another issue is that when we used to go camping, Every single time, it would pour down rain and we would be soaked to the skin and end up packing up and heading home in the middle of the night. This time I think we'll buy a big tarp to cover the tent so the rain hopefully flows off the tent instead of in the tent. Also now we each have a foam mattress. Makes it a little less painful on the bones. Maybe we should try a practice run in our backyard first. That will keep the neighbors wondering. ;)

We did lots of tent camping when the boys were young; some of it was with Boy Scouts, some of it was for family vacations. When we went to campgrounds there were not many tent campers, it was mostly RVs. We had some fun trips. :)

Been there, done that - now, it's the nearest hotel-motel for me.

We tent camp still. We are actually avid backpackers and spend most of our vacation time walking through remote areas with a backpack and tenting--nothing luxurious, believe me--but we have fun. I also like to rent a cabin when we go away. Neither of us likes to do a hotel and avoid them if we can.

My idea of camping is a 5 star hotel with room service.

My idea of roughing it is staying at a Holiday Inn without a pool................LOL

My husband and I also love photography and the great outdoors ,,,, we used to tent camp, but living here in the Pacific Northwest means you must be prepared for rain at any time. Eventually we upgraded to a pop-up tent trailer and then a few years ago we upgraded again to a travel trailer. I miss the secluded areas we were able to go when tent camping, but I'm too spoiled now. Toilet! Bed! Running Water! Lights! Heat (which we use here more than A/C, but we have that, too)! Even a fridge, oven, & microwave. Also a table (a place to eat if it's raining) and a couch (to snuggle up and read after a long day of hiking). Oh, and did I mention TOILET?!? Yes, I'm very spoiled now, but we are now able to camp year-round and stay dry and warm .... so we camp more often. I could never go back to tent camping.

Amen! I agree!

Used to camp with a 10 X 14 tent and three kids. We were often called "Barnum and Bailey". Later my husband converted a delivery van into a camper and we used that for 30 years. Then we bought an old motor home and it is still in use today. All loaded and ready to go, no sleeping on the ground and all the amenities, really appreciated now since we are both in our 80's.

Totally agree. LOL

Roughing it!!! Yes!!! But I need an air mattress. These old bones don't like the hard ground anymore. We have access to trailer, motor home, etc. They are nice, but some of my best memories are in tents! And the most important ingredient to a successful camping trip? cooking over the open fire. Now that's living!! Have fun!

I don't do tents. My husband and I camp in our motorhome. We love it. I told him a long time ago I would not go camping in a tent. Glad you like it and love being close to nature.

Before the economy tanked along with our bank account, we had a 40' motorhome that we used to camp in! We loved it and all the outside activities. We went up through Canada, stayed in Banff National Park for one. Moose and elk all around the place. You really get to see a lot when you camp. When I was 20, a girlfriend and I drove my convertible from Florida to Canada and camped along the way - without a tent!! Woke up one morning to see a skunk nosing around the old campfire. I laid back down very slowly and quietly! No more camping here....

In the mid 80s we tent camped every weekend and a couple of weeks during the summer. Only so we could build a cabin on our country acreage. I don't do any camping and never liked it. If I want to be close to nature I go out on our back patio. Every Thanksgiving we spend at our cabin in the country with family and friends, two nights and two days. That is enough for me.

Oh dear .. go buy yourself a pull behind camper ..Beats tent camping any day !!
We did a couple of years ago and have used it quite a bit. No more tent camping for me (Shower, potty,eating out of the wind -plus no back splash !LOL).
We found ours on Craigslist (if I may type that here ); the man was having back surgery, needed the monies we were going to give him less, but when we found out what was going on we gave him the full amount. He hated to give it up; but uninsured and needed the monies. DH said when he walked DH felt so bad; you could tell the man was in severe pain.
One day I will change the colors as I am not a green person at all and its green !LOL

So do I . at the very least a fully decked out RV.

One of our favorite places to camp is Cumberland Island Ga . You have to take your gear on a boat.
13 years ago we took our family on a camping trip to Germany, Poland Switzerland and France.We spent 4 weeks it was great. WE did rent a car But we did have our tent and gear in suit cases (it was before the air lines charged for luggage)

Yes we tent camp - we go to historical re-enactments! I had a business making tents...

It's been over 20 years for me. Now I couldn't get up and down in the tent without knocking it over. And both of us need to go to the bathroom at least once or twice a night. But we really loved it back then.

My parents are 87 and 89 and camped up until the last couple years. They got wet...

Count me in on tent camping. The more remote the better (fewer people). Less backpack camping these day tho. More into my stand-up tent with self-inflating queen size raised air bed. That's the life. Having the right equipment makes all the difference. Like you, I'll tent camp until I just can't anymore. National Forests usually have nice campgrounds.

My DH goes winter camping in a tent with the guys. Pretty funny to see the pictures and videos of a bunch of 60+ year old men huddled around a campfire in the snow LOL Me, no way.

We bought our first travel van last spring - Roadtrek. Its small, but the bed is king sized - fits me, DH and two fur babies comfortably. We too love the State and National Parks. The private campgrounds are too tightly packed and crowded, noisy. We're hoping to head south for a few days - Spring Break for me. I don't care that it won't be very warm. I just want to go someplace where there isn't any snow on the ground!

We do tent camping when do canoe tripping, but I prefer modified tent camping in my motorcycle camper (which is a really big tent on wheels). My knees are not in good shape so I have trouble climbing out of a regular tent. I do it when I need to, but the motorcycle camper has a really tall entrance and a bed off the ground. It still gives me the same back to nature feel as a tent though.

BTW, I am 59 and my husband is 61. We will be camping as long as we can! We usually camp 20 nights or so a year.

Pam

I love to tent camp! I'm a 57 yr old grandma of 3 and will hike and tent camp till I can't anymore. Would love to thru hike the AT. I love and respect history and the old way of doing things. That includes quilting.

We used to tent camp with the kids years ago, but I had enough of that after awhile. I don't have any problem with the tent part of it, and I love being out in nature and hiking around, but the rest - cooking, clean-up, mosquitoes, too hot or too cold or too windy, outdoor toilets up the hill in the dark or rain - no thanks! Everything is more difficult and less comfortable than at home, which is not my idea of a vacation. My DH acted like I was a spoil sport if I wanted us to have cold cereal for breakfast some mornings instead of lumberjack food, and by the time we got all that cleaned up, someone was at my elbow asking about lunch!

We started out tent camping when our girls were little. We loved it!! One of my most favorite and treasured family memories is tent camping. But we are older and the old bones just don't do well on the ground, even with an air mattress. We moved up to a pop-up and now to travel trailer. I would love to take our grandkids camping just one time in a tent to let them experience it.

We were until last year. Sweetie bought a pop-up! PA has a great National park, we like to camp on the Clarion river at least once a year up there.

We really enjoy camping, but we use a tent camper (pop up) it has all the conveniences of a camper, but you get the fresh air,and feel like you're sleeping in a tent. We tented for the 6 years we were married before our children were born, then took 4 years off. We tried tenting with them once when they were 2 and 4 , but that night we had 4 inches of rain and the biggest thunderstorm I ever recall while camping. Within one week, we had purchased a pop up. We just love it! We've been camping in it for the last 8 years. Most years we use it about 20 nights, which is a good amount for us.

Started camping 51 years ago in the back of a stationwagon--next a tent--then a cabhigh camper shell which he really made neat--next slide in--- a van --2 fithwheels and now a 35 ft motor coach---each was fun in it's day but the motor home is the best---isn't 'roughing it but too old for that anyway---we camp at lakes and go to motorcycle trials events all over