Roughing It Easy

Today's society has an obsession with convenience and instant gratification.  We are surrounded by "labor saving" devices and we have a tendency to carry our obsession over into our camping experiences.  I have a friend whose idea of "roughing it" was having to ring twice for room service. Let's face it: we like our creature comforts!  No doubt one of them is not having too many uninvited creatures in our living abode!  That is, certainly, one of the driving forces behind Recreational Vehicles (pun intended), but even when tent camping, we like to make things as comfortable and easy (and free from unwanted intruders) as possible.  We seek equipment that is lighter, roomier, more comfortable, more durable and easier to carry and use -- and to clean.  My favorite tent is a pop-up tent.  To set it up you just remove the retraining strap and throw the folded tent up into the air.  Its fiberglass poles make it spring loaded.  Poof!   It pops open, ready to stake down and use.   Instead of sweeping it out I usually just pick it up each morning and shake out any debris that has been tracked in.   Camp chairs have evolved from heavy wood and canvas creatures of yesteryear to lightweight aluminum and fiberglass mesh creations that weigh a fraction what their predecessors did and fold up into more compact form.   The more recent "bag" or "quad" chairs collapse into a 4" square package for transport that is easy to carry and takes up very little room.  We use sleeping pads and air mattresses and even folding cots to increase our night time comfort.  Camp stoves give us near residential control over cooking instead of having to cook over fickle open fires.  We bring along folding tables and chairs and awnings and umbrellas to increase our camping comfort and keep at bay the very nature we came camping to enjoy.   Gas and battery powered lanterns give us near residential illumination options in even the most remote locations.  Portable water heaters give us hot showers even when tent camping.  Battery powered radios and TVs bring home-like entertainment even out in the sticks.

Luxury motorhomes are the epitome of roughing it easy.  Some are literally equipped with ALL the comforts of home, including forced air furnaces, air conditioning, range and oven, washers and dryers, dishwashers, multiple bathrooms with hot water, and even sophisticated home theater entertainment systems.  I've even seen some with hot tubs!  Most modern motorhomes and travel trailers include a microwave oven. Some are equipped with a "power center" built into the counter top to power a variety of food processing implements.   Many up-scale RVs include elaborate and powerful home theater systems that rival or surpass their residential counterparts.   Queen and king size beds with memory foam pillow top mattresses often match or even exceed their equivalents at home in terms of slumber inducing comfort.   Even the famous "Sleep Number" beds are available now in sizes to fit your RV.  Side by side refrigerators and ice makers adorn high end coaches.   Some even have gas or electric fireplaces!  We liked that idea so well we purchased a small portable electric fireplace to use in our classic Class A motorhome.   It adds a nice, cabin-like ambiance together with 1500 watts of auxiliary heat on cool nights.  Automatic electric steps and electrically operated awnings take some of the physical labor out of using your RV -- hopefully leaving you more time and energy for fun activities!  Hydraulic and even computerized automatic levelers level and stabilize our homes on wheels at the touch of a button.  Unfortunately, the only exercise many campers get is bending their elbows to consume their favorite beverage and the only weight lifting they do is hoisting a brewski from the cooler or a remote to tune the TV.   That is one reason I find adding OHVs to our camping trips healthy as well as fun and exciting.  You might be surprised how many calories you can burn riding a motorized off highway vehicle!    Even though the motor does most of the work, Supercross has been defined as THE most physically demanding sport in the world and since it is a formalized form of dirt biking, dirt biking is also quite demanding.   I usually have to  (happily) take my belt up a notch or two after a weekend of dirt biking.

Just because you enjoy the air conditioned comfort of your home-theater equipped luxury motorhome when you're "camping" doesn't mean your not a "camper".  You don't have to work up a sweat and smash your thumbs setting up a tent to enjoy the benefits of camping.  The sights, sounds, and smells of the campground are the same whether you're sitting under your beach umbrella or lounging under the awning of an elegant 40' Class A motorhome.  There is nothing wrong with seeking the most convenience and comfort you can afford.  Whether your temporary abode is a second hand tent or the most magnificent mansion on wheels you can still share the love of the great outdoors and revel in the camaraderie of the campfire and it is great to "get away from it all" for a few days or so.  And no matter what our individual means of transportation or our choice of accommodations, we all strive to make our outings more convenient and more fun.

What will make your camping life easier?  Your needs will vary according to your camping style, climate, activities, destinations, family size, and personal preferences to say nothing of your budget. Almost every camper will benefit from light weight, comfortable camp chairs.  Good lanterns and flashlights will improve and make safer evening and nighttime activities.   If you don't like cooking over an open campfire, check out the many alternatives -- camp stoves, portable BBQs, solar ovens. Each time you visit a sporting goods or RV supply store, look over the new gizmos and a gadgets, especially devices which help you better organize your gear and campsite.   As time goes by, manufacturers make improvements to traditional products that may make them lighter, more compact, more convenient, more powerful, or more durable so compare new products with those you're already using.  And don't let anyone talk you into things you don't really find appealing or out of of things you really like.  Hey, if having and using nice, professional grade, stainless steel cooking and serving spoons gives you pleasure, go ahead and upgrade to restaurant quality from the cheap plastic ones you may have started out with.  They may be heavier to haul around, but the extra weight and durability might be more than worth it.  My wife criticizes my fascination with and seeming addiction to hand tools, but quite honestly, they give me pleasure and I usually find them to be very useful. Some simple, inexpensive camping gizmos we've found useful include clamps to secure the table cloth to the picnic table so it doesn't blow up over things (or blow things over) and wall-mount toothpick and match holders that put them right at your fingertips when you need them.  Bathroom organizers hold and protect toothbrushes, toothpaste, and paper cups.

Some motorhomes and travel trailers are equipped with central vacuum systems.   If yours doesn't have one and you have a spare cabinet (like under the bed or dinette) you may be able to add one.  Or just get a compact canister vacuum. It will be a lot less expensive and nearly as convenient.

Tent campers are not immune from seeking more comfort.   Larger tents with front porches or built in screen rooms expand livability.   Portable canopies provide extra outdoor comfort with shelter from sun and rain.   More comfortable sleeping pads or mattresses or cots make for better slumber.  Improved gas or battery powered lanterns can give almost the same illumination as 120-volt lights do at home.   Portable hot water systems can deliver wonderful hot showers on demand.   Portable chairs and tables reduce reliance on picnic tables and let you avoid sitting in the dirt!

Funny isn't it?  We go camping to get away from it all and then try to take it all with us!  And that's OK!

Rough it easy!