What's wrong with a tent? (vacations, hotel, motel, mansion)
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I see no "pi*ssing contest" that would warrant this degree of defensive response. I think most of the posts here were addressing tent camping as a more extreme and rewarding (in terms of wilderness experience) form of "camping", which indeed includes RV's.
Camping is simply a term to define "outdoor recreation", and we are talking about degrees of total outdoor recreation - RV's with hookups, RV's without hookups, Pop up campers, tent campers at a drive in site, backpacking.... Our only point is that the more rustic you get yourself, the better outdoor experience you have (as, lets face it, there are places an RV cannot go in the outdoors, and their are places you will not see in an RV). Weigh the desired outdoor experience you want against your personal desired comfort level, and know your limitations. No need to defend against that.
Yeah but the OP was defensive about tent camping so I don't think jtbeck's post was out of line.
Yeah but the OP was defensive about tent camping so I don't think jtbeck's post was out of line.
Ah yeah, this thread has gone in so many directions. Jtbeck is actually bringing us back on topic. Agreed, I forgot myself.
The real problem is this forum overlaps two different groups with two different priorities - RVer's, who simply use a vehicle to both live and travel in (to cities, to tourist sites, and only as a secondary consideration to a wilderness area), and others who's primary interest is outdoor recreation.
Well, after re-reading my post I can see why you felt I was being defensive. I wasn't. It was mostly tongue-in-cheek, actually. It's hard to convey tone on a forum, though.
I was however dead serious, that often some tend to group campers into two groups. Making generalizations is always faulty at best. There are many, many campers who both tent and rv. I look at campers as simply, campers. They don't clear their agendas with me, and don't ask for my itinerary, either. I assume that we're all out there to enjoy ourselves. It's not a competition, and what is more "rewarding" to one is to another, simply not. "Rewarding" or even "extreme" for that matter are VERY subjective notions.
Sorry if you thought I was being defensive or even rude. It wasn't intended.
Tent and RV campers can easily co-exist. My wife and I go camping each year with her sister and great nephew. We get one camping spot in a FS campground; we occupy it with our 5th wheel camper and their their tent.
We do this in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains. We share our awning, our refrigerator, wood, etc. It gets cold. It rains. We let them enjoy their tent.
We enjoy tent camping but found it pays to get a decent one.
Last year we bought an el cheapo end of season tent and it was fine until a rain storm came and it leaked despite the rain fly. After our sleeping bags got soaked, we ended up shortening our trip to go home and dry off. Bummer.
Next time out, we'll listen to the reviews and get something of better quality. Our older but smaller tent, which costs a good deal more money, never leaked at all after ten years.
A good tent and good air mattresses make camping affordable and comfortable. Our dog loves snuggling between us and burrowing under the sleeping bags.
We enjoy tent camping but found it pays to get a decent one.
Last year we bought an el cheapo end of season tent and it was fine until a rain storm came and it leaked despite the rain fly. After our sleeping bags got soaked, we ended up shortening our trip to go home and dry off. Bummer.
Next time out, we'll listen to the reviews and get something of better quality. Our older but smaller tent, which costs a good deal more money, never leaked at all after ten years.
A good tent and good air mattresses make camping affordable and comfortable. Our dog loves snuggling between us and burrowing under the sleeping bags.
Your right a good tent is a must if it rains LOL and i also agree with the mattress, nothing worst than a bad nights sleep, we take our tent more than the trailer
We enjoy tent camping but found it pays to get a decent one.
Last year we bought an el cheapo end of season tent and it was fine until a rain storm came and it leaked despite the rain fly. After our sleeping bags got soaked, we ended up shortening our trip to go home and dry off. Bummer.
Next time out, we'll listen to the reviews and get something of better quality. Our older but smaller tent, which costs a good deal more money, never leaked at all after ten years.
A good tent and good air mattresses make camping affordable and comfortable. Our dog loves snuggling between us and burrowing under the sleeping bags.
I must have been lucky with the tent I've been using for the past couple of years. It was a large, but inexpensive (for its size), tent that I bought at Walmart. Last year it got damaged by the wind, but I was able to repair it for the cost of a set of replacement poles (about $7), and it has worked well since. This year, I got to use it in the rain quite a few times, and it stayed very dry inside, with the exception of the water and mud from our shoes as we walked into the tent. Overall, I must say that I was quite pleased with that tent this year. I took along another tent, just in case, but never needed it.
As far as air mattresses go, I've been using them for quite a few years now. I have a queen air mattress that started leaking on our trip, so I ended up just buying twins for my kids and I, since there were just the three of us on the trip. Prior to that we shared the queen, but the individual twins was a much better arrangement. They definitely make sleeping in a tent a lot easier on the body than sleeping on the ground.
We enjoy tent camping but found it pays to get a decent one.
Last year we bought an el cheapo end of season tent and it was fine until a rain storm came and it leaked despite the rain fly. After our sleeping bags got soaked, we ended up shortening our trip to go home and dry off. Bummer.
Next time out, we'll listen to the reviews and get something of better quality. Our older but smaller tent, which costs a good deal more money, never leaked at all after ten years.
A good tent and good air mattresses make camping affordable and comfortable. Our dog loves snuggling between us and burrowing under the sleeping bags.
I managed to buck that trend, although I'm going to say you're advice is right and my case was probably an anomaly...
About 15 years ago, my friends and I started doing a couple canoe camping trips a year, down the Delaware. I had no tent, and when I went to Camp-Mor the prices of the tents were higher than I expected. I asked my friends what they were buying. My one friend, Matt, who was well off and could afford the best tent easily, if he wanted, said, "I looked at expensive ones but I just bought the cheapest tent from [I can't remember where, some discount store]." I was shocked to hear it, and asked him if he went to a camping/outdoors store and talked to a "pro"; he said he did and they tried selling him an expensive tent but he didn't think it was worth it, and told me I'd be better off with a cheapie, like his.
So, I went off to Sears, and they had their standard, cheap, 7x7 tent on sale for $19.99. I bought it, then stopped off at Camp-Mor for seam sealer which my friend told me to invest in.
On our first trip, it rained at night, and I stayed dry. Since then, I made it through close to 10 more rain storms, and the tent held firm and stayed dry inside. Same with my friend's tent. I promised myself I wouldn't skimp if I had trouble with that tent in the rain. Granted, I haven't camped for several years now, but I never had to follow through on that promise because my cheapie tent held up like a champ. Initially, it was a matter of being much younger and trying to save money. Money wasn't an issue anymore years later, but there was just no justification to buy a more expensive tent until I suffered through a wet night, which never came.
Anyway, that's my experience... I would never recommend to someone that the cheap tents are as good as the expensive ones, but I don't think I could, in good conscience, tell anyone that the cheap tents are worthless or inadequate, either.
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