Camping anyone?

[Leftygrl]

Oh so many years ago I simply adored camping.  And I'm talking about the good old fashioned tent camping.  But as years progressed and those air mattresses under my trusty sleeping bag kept slipping, the charm began to wear off.

But wait!  Now they have these wonderful camping hammocks!  I simply ADORE hammocks.  Maybe if I can convince some friends (or at the very least ONE friend), I can again go camping!  The rest of the camping experience is simply marvelous...and with these hammocks - OMG...the great outdoors seems to be calling me again! ;-)

[Zochitl]

Let me tell you they are not that comfortable either Leftygirl- I don't think I could sleep in one and then I would be worrying if anything in the wild would show up and bite me. ha-ha.   As it is I never liked camping. My friend and her husband go all the time and they love it. But I know they use sleeping bags?

[Leftygrl]

Oh contraire! LOL!  I experienced some wonderful respites on this particular hammock while vacationing on Conzumel a couple of years ago.

"

[Robert Burke]

It sounds like a good idea.  When I first read it, I thought, "But what about mosquitoes?"  Googled hammock + mosquito net, and came up with some pages.  Here's a link to one:

http://www.hammockheaven.com.au/shop/item/mosquito-net-to-cover-you...

The privacy would be less than a tent, but how much private activity happens in a tent anyway?  Campgrounds have showers and toilets, and beaches have a place to change clothes.  Interesting idea.  Some campgrounds, though, ask that you not tie ropes around the trees.

Kooner, if you travel to places to camp throughout the year (like Florida in the winter) you can justify the expense of the equipment.  Campgrounds, especially State parks, are tons cheaper than hotels.  Camping equipment has changed a whole lot over the last few years.  It's smaller and weighs less.

My concession to aging is to change from backpacking to car camping, and to get a nice cot so that I can just swing my legs off the side and stand up.

[Zochitl]

Kooner, sorry I didn't answer before your question. I don't like camping because  not only is it uncomfortable for me ( I would be up all night and would end up with a worse back ache than I usually have) and next--I would be afraid someone would come and hit me over the head to steal from me. Especially down in Mexico where things are so uncertain in that country.  People have changed and you have to be aware of the situation that is going on- on the beaches and public places you know. then the mosquitoes just love me and forget it--even with that thing you spray on you they still love to torture me. ha-ha.  I'm glad you enjoy it. Just be careful.

[Karin M Fichtner]

My ex and I went to California back in '89, and we camped once in eastern Colorado, and once again on the banks of the Colorado River in Rifle, CO.  We had a small 3-man tent, an air mattress, two sleeping bags, and a couple of pillows.  I had packed a cooler with food and I gathered firewood, while my ex pitched the tent.  We built a fire, and roasted hot dogs and ate the fruit and snacks from the cooler.  We even roasted marshmallows!  It was idyllic.  We could hear the river rushing over the rocks nearby.  I had never seen so many stars.  It got really cold that night, though.  I was kinda wishing it wasn't my EX husband I was with  ...... if you know what I mean (wink, wink, nudge, nudge!)  Pride be damned......ex or not....I cuddled up close to stay warm.  He came home and told everyone I was much friendlier when freezing.  ;-)

[mercerquietman]

Camping hammock? Looks like a bear taco. I love the outdoors. I enjoy boating, fishing, hiking and biking. But at night, I want a mattress under me and a door shutting behind me. Sleeping outdoors with skeeters and humidity on the hard ground is for the birds. One of the happiest days of my life is when my son chose not to continue on with scouting and go from a cub scout to a boy scout. All those guys do is go camping and I was heavily involved in his activities through the years and would likely have been doing that right alongside of him. He is not a fan of skeeter swatting either.

[Johnnieboy]

So many camping stories I couldn't possibly relate them all. The first time I camped with my ex we went up to Big Bear with her sister and her husband. We only brought sleeping bags and some cooking utensils and food for a night. A nice BBQ then time to lay the sleeping bags out for the night. Turns out we only had three sleeping bags cuz of some miscommunication as to who was bringing what. We had a blanket so my ex and I tried sleeping with the one sleeping bag and the blanket wrapped around us. It was late October and it got chilly that night. (Actually, we froze out asses off.) Didn't realize it got that cold in the mountains in October. When morning came we hurried out of there! Oh yeah, we soaked our dinner dishes is a pot for the night and the water was froze solid in the morning. Have had oodles of pleasant camping trips since then but now I have a travel trailer with heat and a microwave!!

[Robert Burke]

By the way, Leftygrl, that beach vacation must have been fabulous.  I've never been outside the U.S., but judging from the videos I saw on YouTube, that would be a great place to visit.

[Leftygrl]

Thanks for the videos Robert, especially the second one.  It's mostly drift diving off of Cozumel - and the diving is fantastic! I would go back in a heart-beat! 

Pic of dive boat with gear.  My infamous blue shirt has accompanied me on every vacation!

[Robert Burke]

I had to look it up to find out what "drift diving" is.  Wikipedia says it feels like flying underwater.  Nice.

[Eaglewoman]

When we were young (?) we used to go camping every week-end with my brother and his family. We camped the whole week before my yougest son was born, came home on fri had him on sat and went back camping the following week-end.My idea of camping now is a nice motel and a restruant.

[Robert Burke]

You could give some thought to renting an RV.  It's like a small hotel room with a kitchenette.