Camping gear and dreaming?

Okay, I’ll confess, I love surfing the internet and looking at the weird, wacky, wild, and ultra cool things people come up with for camping.  Believe me, they are out there, even if you haven’t seen them in the same campgrounds you were in.  Gypsy Vardo campers, sheepherder wagons, teardrops, concept campers, fanciful tents, amazing extreme camping, cliffhangers, and tree camping are all possibilities that we could entertain.

Things like I had never thought about screen printed ADULT tents…like a wedge  tent that was screen printed to look like a slice of watermelon…or have a silhouette of a couple kissing.  (Here it is.  There are other designs too.) While the page shows the photos, it doesn’t list retailers or the manufacturer.

There is also a suspended tent, rather like an overgrown triple hammock with a center area for…socializing?  Climbing out of that tent half asleep come morning could mean that first step was a real doozy though!  (Take a look here.)  For a bit, I thought that it might be cool to use in the bayous and swamps along the Gulf Coast…until I remembered that some of the alligator baits are hung over six feet above the water.  I have to admit…alligators of substantial size really intimidate me.  Their ability to lurk, unseen, under the water for hours is also kind of creepy.  I think I’ll stick to dry land camping on the ground…out of gator space!

If camping doesn’t give you enough thrills and chills…there is also what is known as “extreme camping.”  While it’s not my cup of tea, neither is rock climbing.  I like my trails to be more horizontal, I guess.  For the adrenaline junkie though, the idea of sleeping suspended on the side of a cliff can be exhilarating, as well as welcome rest after hours of tense climbing.  I can’t help but wonder how these set ups are carried and put together while dangling precariously on the face of a cliff.  (Take a look at some options here.)

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the armchair adventurer, although today, many real world adventurers use technology to prepare for their experiences.  One such offering is a video tour of several trails, with a full panoramic view much like Google Maps offers for many locations.  (Take a look at the article here.)  Few of us are ever going to visit every single one of America’s National Parks, as much as we may want to, because of issues like jobs, time, money, and the price of gasoline.  That doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate them from a distance though, and being able to experience some of that beauty without having to take two week off of work to drive half of that time, only to arrive for a hurried hike to see the “hot spots” of the park before a rush to return home again.

That price of gasoline is going to be a contributing influence in everyone’s life, whether or not they are trying to reduce their use of fossil fuels in general.  Many of us have added bicycles, combined trips, or even started using smaller transportation such as scooters or motorcycles for many trips.  Few of us can afford the gas guzzling work horses on the highway that are capable of pulling massive campers or one of the “land yacht” motorhomes that have every amenity under the sun included.  At the same time, we have an aging population, and many of us are facing increasingly more restrictive physical limitations that mean that our days of backpacking and remote campsites in micro-sized tents with ultra light beds are in our pasts.  The desire to continue camping with that connection with nature may still be with us though, and finding a solution requires some creative thinking at times.  That’s what led me to the next bit.

The teardrop camper seems like the ideal solution for not-as-young-as-we-once-were but still not ready for the rocking chair segment of our population.  With their small size and light weight, these campers are not the ostentatious-and-obnoxious-blaring-television type of “Recreational Vehicle” that many of us have spent a lifetime scorning.  Almost anyone, from a bicyclist to a motorcyclist to the most compact of cars or the most suburban of mini-vans can manage one of appropriate size too.  (Okay, so the bicyclist and motorcyclists better not be claustrophobic or of substantial size…but that’s the way it goes!)  These campers can be ultra simple, with not much more than an enclosed platform for  a foam mattress to much more complex container with solar power and climate control.  Traditionally, they were made of aluminum skinned wood, often with wood trim left visible, and were practically works of art on their own.  Today, a few commercial models are available, and more are likely to start becoming available with their booming popularity.  (Just watch at any campground when a teardrop pulls in of any kind–people have to inquire about it!)

I really am enthusiastic about teardrops, and it is actually on our list of “to-do when we can afford to do” things.  We may purchase one and we may opt for the slower but more customizable option of building our own.  That hasn’t been decided–we’re in the early stages of researching for the entire project.  Supposedly, a home built teardrop averages in the $1500-3000 price range, depending on features and the cost of critical parts.  Purchased ones seem to run $10,000-$25,000 depending on features and style.  Some custom models from smaller builders are consistently in the $5000-8000 range that seem to be very comparable to the more expensive bigger companies models too.

For us, whether we invest time and money or just money, it’s a huge investment.  We don’t want it to turn out to be a mistake.  I have some legitimate concerns, such as the fact that I am claustrophobic and I know that if I feel too confined inside of the camper, I’ll be miserable and I’ll hate it.  It also has to have air conditioning, as a side effect of some of my health problems is my intolerance of heat, especially for sleeping.  Thinking about this camper is partially to allow me to continue summer camping, with the option of retreating inside when the heat begins to become a problem, as well as to be able to sleep at night.  (The South never cools down much at night due to the high humidity.)  Therefore, air conditioning is a must-have, and it has to be a place I can retreat in comfort to read or use the laptop during the day too.

That’s a tall order for a space that original models had measured off with 48″x72″ and a head height of 48″ for the “indoors” space.  Add three dogs and two adults, and watch claustrophobia reign supreme!

Thankfully, with today’s materials and engineering, the spaces have managed to get a bit larger while still remaining lightweight and easy to tow.  With an average mid-sized vehicle, even the largest of the teardrops are still do-able.

With the climate in our home region in mind, I can’t help but worry about rot in terms of our teardrop.  Wood and moisture are not a good combination, and no one can say the coastal region is dry.  (As I look out upon the lake that was a yard yesterday before the latest rain storm, it’s brought home once again too.)  Therefore, Egg Camper’s “Teardropp” is appealing with its rot proof and low maintenance molded fiberglass body.  It has a different looking design for the rear hatch as well, making it look as though we could easily stow our bicycles inside the camper for traveling, removing them when we arrived at our destination for use.  The bed is also raised, which means the issue of climbing inside the camper during a downpour doesn’t mean crawling into bed with your soggy clothes and shoes along with you.  (Another huge plus in this area!)

I haven’t been able to take a look at one in person, it seems that the Gulf Coast doesn’t have an overabundance of RV dealers who carry teardrops at this point.  Still, it is on my list of “highly interesting ideas”.

That’s not the end of my search though.  We have friends who are devout motocross fans, and love taking their dirt bikes and atv on trips, which seems sometimes to be their sole motivation to camping.  While we’re not fans, we have considered a scooter as alternate transportation, but the difficulty of taking it along while using a teardrop camper was somewhat of a dilemma.  The scooter would allow us to tour an area cheaply, while the camper and regular vehicle were comfortable for camping and distance travel.  One company has solved that issue with a sort of hybrid camper that comes in with a “fully equipped” weight of 1250 lbs.  That’s a bit heavier, especially with the added weight of a scooter inside of it, than the average teardrop, but it also has an interior kitchen and standing room, in addition to the convertable/folding bed.  With that said, Micro-Lite’s Car-Go Xtreme is still quite attractive.  Unfortunately, it’s another company without dealers in this region or a MSRP on the website, so I have no idea which ball park this trailer is priced in.

The idea of building our own camp trailer isn’t new.  Originally, I had said I wanted a trailer with a kitchen for camping, as well as cargo/storage space for our camping gear, and a space we can sleep in during exceptionally adverse weather.  With a couple of more years down the road, and some new health problems, my criteria has shifted.  Now, I want indoor, climate controllable sleeping space, with the ability to use it as seating space during the heat of the day, if necessary, as well as a retreat during those days when it’s just plain cold, wet, and miserable outdoors.  (We’ve all had trips with days like that!)  While I am not demanding luxury, complete with indoor toilet and shower, I don’t want us to be on an extended trip and feeling like a night or two in a motel is essential either.  Today, most campgrounds offer hot showers and indoor flush toilets, and if we’re in the boonies, we haven’t forgotten how to cope!

There are also more fanciful designs that could be considered, ranging from the Gypsy Vardo to a sheepherder wagon complete with wood stove heat.  (Not that creating heat is usually much of a concern in the South!)  In our case, I am really more concerned about a compact space that is comfortable and convenient, as well as easy-t0-tow so that our gas mileage doesn’t drop to unreasonable levels.  We are also naturally as well as essentially frugal–we really don’t like spending more than we need to or buying unnecessary items.  At the same time, we’re not fond of wasting our money on “junk” or making poor purchase decisions, as both of these are a waste in our opinions.  Hence I’ll be researching this project, for both purchase and building it ourselves, for quite some time before we make a firm decision.  I will admit though…we are leaning towards the idea of building it ourselves, if we live in a place that is conducive to doing so at the time we are ready to do so.  In order to build one yourself, a protected location (minimal is a carport, garage is better) is absolutely essential to protect from weather during  critical stages.  It rains far too much here to dream of trying to do it with nothing more than a tarp covering.  At the same time, building a garage or renting a garage in order to have that protected space would add enough cost to the project that it may be decided that we would be better off to buy one.

But sometimes…the romantic image of the Gypsy Vardo or the rustic image of that sheepherder wagon are very appealing!  I will try very hard though, to remain focused on the “easy to tow” portion of our concept.  I do wish that I was proficient at using CAD software…it would be so much easier!