August
2006
Thoughts about camping, And a Funny Song
My husband went camping with some guys from church last night. Camping seems to bring out some very strange things in otherwise-reasonable men.
Consider my husband…he has this fascination for seeing just how far he can “rough it.” I don’t think he’s trying to prove his masculinity or anything, but it’s like a game to him. He calls it “ultra-light backpacking.” I called it “ultra-pointless suffering.” His tent, (the link isn’t his tent, but it shows what kind of tent he made) for example, is made up of a regular tarp, a paint drop cloth, a pole, and 4 tent stakes. I asked, “Why don’t you just get a backpacking pup tent?”
Well, OBVIOUSLY…the lightest weight pup tent is FOUR pounds. The tarp/dropcloth/pole contraption is only TWO pounds! And you can use the pole as a walking stick!
(Why didn’t I think of that?)
The “door” of this tent is just where the two ends of the tarp hang together. I asked him how he’s going to keep out mosquitoes. He didn’t know. But if it ended up being too bad, he figured he could get some mosquito netting and duck tape it to the tarp.
Ah yes. That really is much simpler than just GETTING A REAL TENT! 
His entire campsite, including a pocket-size stove, fit into a school backpack. Except for the pole and an egg-crate bedroll. (He decided to indulge in the luxury of a bedroll…just so the other guys wouldn’t feel like total wimps, I guess.)
I actually DO like to tent-camp. But my philosophy about tenting is the polar opposite of my darling, adorable, beloved DH. I like the challenge of being out in the open, in the rugged expanse of nature…recreating as closely as possible the comforts of my own house.
I admit, I’m hopelessly fascinated by camping gadgets. We have battery operated fans, a submersible pump hooked to a shower head, magnetic ceiling lights for the tent, and the thing I really want next…an outdoor OVEN! Our cabin tent is a three-room, 10×20 ft. palace, and we’ve even added a potty/shower shack and a dining awning. It’s not that I can’t rough it, or don’t like to. I just like the gadgets!
So I’m glad that my sweetie got the chance to go camping HIS style. I think it’s interesting that for both of us, camping is sort of a game. We just have different objectives and rules to follow.
Also, as a follow-up to my post on Thursday about not being controlled by fear, I want to submit to you a satirical song called “Duct Tape” that I thought was absolutely hysterical. The link was posted on a discussion forum I like to hang out at, and other than that, I have no other information about it. But I thought it would be appropriate to insert in this post about camping, since my husband views duct tape as an answer to the problem of mosquitoes. Enjoy!
The Thoughts about camping, And a Funny Song by Violet Voices, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Written By: Meredith Efken
Posted under: Women's Voices . 
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I told my husband I would never go camping unless it was in a camper. I tried it once as a kid and didn’t like it at all.
We got a camper and I still would rather got to a five star resort. I can’t see the point in camping. It’s soooo much work, not to mention it’s dirty! I pack for six people, unpack for six when we get there, pray on repellant, pick off ticks, and then pack up to leave and spend another day unpacking at home! SIGH! I’m exhausted just thinking about it. BTW, anyone want to buy a pop up camper?
Ah, so you told EVERYBODY in the blogosphere about not only your husband’s sort-of tent, but also the Jiffy oven! And the duct tape song!
Camy
Yes, Camy. You inspired me! Don’t you remember telling me I should put the song, at least, on my blog? Just following my friend’s EXCELLENT advice!
And Gina, I wish we could buy your pop-up! Alas, no dineros, at least not for campers right now.