Time To Get Off The Couch!

by Gerry Adams

When most people hear the word camping, they immediately think about bugs, rocks that push on your back while you sleep and making use of high class bathroom facilities such as a latrine. While this certainly is a possibility, today I will touch on the more luxurious side of camping. First of all, unless you have to hike into the woods for a couple of hours, don’t be cheap and buy yourself a tent which is bigger than you really need. While it may be cozy to sleep in that 2 person dome tent, a tent made for 4 people will definitely enhance your experience. The tent I use when I know I won’t have to carry it very far is a 6 person tent, which is like a palace for 3-4 people and even allows for hanging out inside when the weather outside is less than optimal. Comfort is essential. Here I can recommend blow up mattresses. They are relatively inexpensive and give you all the comfort of your standard Motel 6 bed. All they require you to do is blow the thing up. It takes me about 10 minutes to blow up my queen size mattress with a pump and it is sturdy enough to withstand just about anything. Foodis another essential. While munching on a bag of chips is a possibility it is neither nutritious nor exciting. Prepare a bunch of food before you go on your trip, freeze it and let it thaw out on the day you want to eat it. I love to prepare a pot of chili a few days before I head out. It tastes good and is warmed up in just a few minutes. Of course you will also need something to warm all that stuff up. There is always the good old fashioned campfire (bring a grill grate to place over it for some juicy steaks or some fresh caught fish) and also one of those camping style gas cookers. They are cheap and easy to use, and they give you access to some morning java without having to light the fire. These are just a few ideas about how to make your camping trip a little more comfortable without totally destroying the point of getting outside. There are many more ways to bring the joys of your bachelor pad to the great outdoors such as blow up couches and outdoor espresso makers but I won’t touch on those till next time.