Campfire Tales

If you haven’t gone camping in a while, I suggest you go.

You learn a lot about yourself. The people you go with, and nature.

Nothing like comparing the DEET levels of your mosquito repellent that really brings people together.

I had the good fortune to be ensnared  (Lori, yes I’m talking about you dahling…) into a weekend family camping trip. It was really “Camping Lite”- us, the hubs and kids went to a local boy scouts camp, where they had bathrooms, showers, a pool, even a potluck dinner and candy-bar bingo. There was also archery, a fishing derby, BMX bike course, rock climbing wall, volleyball and basketball courts and finally,  an obstacle course and wood fort that Lori and I wisely chose to park the tents by. Instant babysitting- both tiring the little suckers out after getting hopped up on sugar from the plethoria of candy, bug juice and doughnuts supplied (some by yours truly.)

So back to the introspective part of the trip. Going camping really reveals a lot about you. Do you bring a lot? Or do you bring just the bare necessities? Do you think of the inconveniences of camping as a challenge, or embrace them as a part of the experience?

It was interesting to see how various people camp. At another site, there was the “expert” camper. Up at dawn, breakfast cooking eggs and baking on well-stocked camp stove. Custom camp box filled. He sets up camp in an hour, breaks in less- his shirt indicates he’s a Scout master. Utility belt has swiss army knives, and tackle box ready at a moments notice. He carries the minimal but maximizes what he does have- everything does double duty. You feel slightly creeped out by how this man is into camping.

I, on the other hand, am not that. Nor do I aspire. I’m between that an the guy who rolls in with the Star Wagons Winnebago from Hell, with pop-outs. (oh and yes, if you clicked through that’s Wonder Woman’s Lyle Waggoner on the site- he owns the company) I just don’t get the ones that  eats, sleeps and hangs in air-conditioned splendor and call that camping. It’s something out of a George Carlin comedy sketch “Stuff.” Classic.

What I do know is that our form of camping- borrowed tent, sleeping bag and cook-stove– and the fact we were camping “Lite”– waa a whole heck of a lot of fun.  And it also will probably mean we’ll go more. I think we’re going to shoot for the bring the minimum amount of stuff, plenty of mosquito repellent (DEET-free,) fishing poles, camp-stove cooking, s’more eating and definitely star-gazing type of camping.

But with bathrooms. Yes, definitely bathrooms. And showers. Definitely showers.