Stepping down to tenting

[kaguilbeau]

We have an older 5th wheel that we enjoy using.(I stress older so you won't think we are camping in true luxury like some of the newer 5th wheels!) When we camp locally, I pull the boat and DH tows the camper. I mentioned to him about camping at some campgrounds in a nearby state - but he was wanting to have the boat with him.

Then I thought, if we had a tent we could camp and he could still have his boat. While I would have to buy a tent, we do have alot of the other camping gear (stove, lantern, camping table etc)

I know I wouldn't want to make a permanent switch to tent camping - but it could be do-able for awhile.

One thing I'm afraid of is getting caught in a downpour. I've seen tarp like covers for tents and also easy-up type covers. I'd be afraid the easy-up would blow away.

I'm sure that I have a question here somewhere - but for now, would any of you like to make comments, suggestions, etc.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

I personally enjoy tent camping...within reason. Im getting up there in age, so I need all the gizmos and gadgets they now have to make it much more comfortable. Screw sleeping in a bag on the ground...a nice raised airmatress can be quite nice, and make it alot easier to get up in the morning. Rain CAN be a real disaster...but most tents, even the cheaper ones are pretty well weatherproof...some seam-sealer can eliminate any real need for putting a tent over your tent...although a tarp for shade will certainly keep things cooler in the summer months...and a portable A/C can take you even further into the real comforts of tent camping.

Its a get-away....it not like your committing to a life of living in a tent. Its only for a few days max.....if thing go terribly..pack up and head home or to the nearest hotel.......its not going to be the end of the world!! Ive always said...its always the little things that go wrong that make up for the best memories of a camping trip.

 

[kaguilbeau]

Thanks for the opinion Rog - You know how the weather is down here in South Louisiana . . . Do you use some sort of tarp over your tent? Or is your tent such a good quality that it is waterproof?

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Ive never used a tarp over my tent, and our last trip to the fort it literally stormed several times...and I have a regular run of the mill cabin tent ($99 from Academy Sports)and it stayed completely dry. I have given thought to using a tarp though...simply to shed the tent from direct sunlight and help keep it cooler in the hottest parts of the day...but I have been to lazy to actually get around to getting it done!

 

[BRDof3]

We bought a 10x20 foot tent from Cabella's a couple of years ago when our Sears tent fell apart. It was pricey, somewhere between $200-300, but worth every penny. It has a full rain fly, so the entire tent roof is ventilated. That makes a huge difference in the temperature inside the tent.

The rain fly will roll up on all the doors and windows, or you can zip it down and have the whole tent covered, right down to the ground. The cheaper tents we looked at didn't have a very good rain fly, esp if there was any wind at all. We also discovered that if you zip the fly down and cover the tent, but keep the bottom of the fly a few inches off the ground, it created an updraft inside that made it cooler than when the fly is up and the windows open.

I would vote for having a tent with a fly. Being able to ventilate the roof of the tent really helps with the temperatures.

 

[Cindy F]

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[BigDaddyRog]

Great job on the improv tail light!!! Neccessity is the key to ingenuity!!

 

[Brer Bear]

We have had an RV for the past 8 years, but I probably tent camp 4 times each year with the scouts and I really enjoy it. My wife, on the other hand, is not very fond of bath houses and going in the woods is totally out.

For a bunch of teenage boys...nothing better than "claiming" every tree in the forest!

The biggest down side to tent camping to me is it takes a LOT longer to set up and take down camp than with my rv. Other than that, I'm good either way. If you take a few minutes to plan where to put the tent well, you won't have any problems with drainage and if you guy line it out well so water won't stand or collect in pockets, it shouldn't be a problem either. Nothing better than laying in a tent listening to the rain!

Nothing worse than laying in a tent listening to it rain and needing to go pee REALLY BADLY!

Go tent camping...Have fun!

 

[BRDof3]

Nothing better than laying in a tent listening to the rain!

Go tent camping...Have fun!

That's what I'll miss the most now that we have the TT. Crickets at night, rain, and birds in the morning.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

That's what I'll miss the most now that we have the TT. Crickets at night, rain, and birds in the morning.

But now you can enjoy elbow room and a beer when it rains at night and coffee and cartoons in the morning !

 

[BRDof3]

But now you can enjoy elbow room and a beer when it rains at night and coffee and cartoons in the morning !

Yep, and a bathroom so I don't have to go out in the rain. The coffee is the most important. I kept the ice chest under the end flaps of the tent, so I could always get something out if I wanted it, but I couldn't set the coffee maker in the tent.

 

[des1954]

The only thing I disliked about tent camping - or a pop-up, was having to break camp in the rain. When we got home we'd have to set everything back up to let it dry out. PITA.

That being said....there were many other things about tent camping I really enjoyed. Before portable chemical toilets, we kept a "pee bucket" in the tent for those midnight tinkle needs.

 

[kaguilbeau]

I think treking to the bathhouse in the middle of the night is one of the things I worry about the most.

I do remember my one and only camping trip as a newly divorced mother of three little girls . . . they were all a little scared when it came time to go to bed and each wanted to sleep beside me. Mathmatically, that doesn't work - so the 2 yr old just slept on top of me!

After that trip, I vowed never to tent camp again! Now that 2 yr old is 18 yrs and the trips would be just me, DH and DS13. I'm thinking it would be a different experience this time.

Thanks for the feedback. It's interesting reading everyones opinions and experiences!

 

[Just Beachy]

For a bunch of teenage boys...nothing better than "claiming" every tree in the forest!

My dh is 37 and still does this. Too much trouble to come inside....

 

[Pinkee77]

I have to say that so far, I have enjoyed tent camping. Although, after reading all the posts by Cindy where she mentions her pop-up (lol)...... I sooooo want to get one! It will have to wait for now, it's just not in the budget. But when my tent wears out I will be looking for a fixer-upper, not another tent.

And about the whole bathroom in the middle of the night thing....I would agree that was the hardest part. Even camping at the Fort with a comfort station nearby, I had to wake up the 8 year old in the middle of the night because the 5 year old had to go to the bathroom and there was no way I was going to leave an 8 year old sleeping in the tent by herself. She was mad that we woke her up, too! lol.

 

[Cindy F]

I have to say that so far, I have enjoyed tent camping. Although, after reading all the posts by Cindy where she mentions her pop-up (lol)...... I sooooo want to get one! ......

Oh, have I mentioned my popup here? I couldn't remember if I did or not.

 

[Pinkee77]

Oh, have I mentioned my popup here? I could remember if I did or not.

Yes, you have... maybe once or twice.

And please don't stop! I love it! It's been very inspiring.

 

[kaguilbeau]

I liked the pop up we had too. But when we moved to the 5th wheel, I looked forward to easier set up and breakdown of camp. And being able to leave all the stuff in the 5th wheel until the next trip.

Pinkee77 I can only imagine how hot tenting is in the summer in Florida ('bout like it is here in Louisiana ) Do you use an a/c in the summer?

 

[Cindy F]

I liked the pop up we had too. But when we moved to the 5th wheel, I looked forward to easier set up and breakdown of camp. And being able to leave all the stuff in the 5th wheel until the next trip.

That's what I'm looking forward to with the hybrid! Ease of setup, additional space, and additional amenities without losing the tent bunk ends I love so much--the best of both worlds.

 

[Pinkee77]

I liked the pop up we had too. But when we moved to the 5th wheel, I looked forward to easier set up and breakdown of camp. And being able to leave all the stuff in the 5th wheel until the next trip.

Pinkee77 I can only imagine how hot tenting is in the summer in Florida ('bout like it is here in Louisiana ) Do you use an a/c in the summer?

Well, I have only camped a grand total of twice, so I am probably not the person to ask. However........

When we camped last July we did MK in the morning until it got hot, headed to the Meadows pool to cool off, got rained on, then headed back to MK. When we returned to the campsite that night, it had cooled off quite a bit. I think mostly because the inside of my tent was a bit damp. lol. We left stuff up against the side of the tent, and some water came inside. (darn kids) Anyway, we were fine with just a coleman ceiling fan in the tent at night. If I were camping for more than a few days though, I think I would consider bringing a/c. I also had an inexpensive box fan to use when we sat under the canopy. All in all, the kids never complained once about the heat, they were way too busy having fun!

The link to my trip report is in my sig if you'd like to see pics & the rest of the story.