Roughing it?

[bullseye]

We are camping this weekend in Wis Rapids located close to the center of the state. We are camping at a nice campground but not really roughing it. In addition to the electric and water there is cable TV and wireless internet. This is the first campground that we have encountered as we travel the state with wireless internet. From here on I guess roughing it is without cable TV and the internet!

[dakota]

As I grow older I think leaning to - maybe a camper cause I don't like a lot of wet when I am camping much anymore. Rain or snow - I have camped in the mountains of Idaho and had snow crash/smash down the tent.
When we were young camping was free most places. I liked that. Bears would at times come into camp and no one seemed to mind. Now it seems like much of society, money for this, money for that, $4.00 for a hand full of logs and such and camp is well regulated. Managers come around to tell you that there is a line - not to cross it. No music after 10:00 p.m., dogs on leashes etc.
So what to do? I guess I can still hope to find places to go where I can sight my 30-06 in and that camp doesn't need to have cable TV or pay-per-view movies or hot dog stands. But then I am an ----ing old fart.

[bullseye]

I think everyone starts camping in a tent and goes from there. We went from the tent to a popup, then a travel trailer and finally to the truck camper we have today. Much of this is as we age we like more creature comforts and ache when we try and sleep on the hard ground.

It is funny how when the people from the city come to do what they call camping they want the outdoors but want to select the creatures. Squirrels and birds are ok but that is where they want to draw the line. HELLO....you are now living in THEIR backyard. If you camp in bear country you camp different than when you don't. You have to make allowances for the racoons. You don't leave a cooler out where they can get at it.

We camped a couple of weeks ago along the Mississippi River. As I sat on the picnic table around 4am I had skunks and coons walk thru the campsite a few feet away from where I sat. One of our neighbors got their big cooler hit the evening before. Gone where their steaks, sweet corn, and the coon even took a bite out of each of their green peppers. They learned an expensive lesson. When you go into the outdoors you have to do things different than what you do at home in the middle of civilization.

Because of the actions of a few most campgrounds have leash restrictions. There are people the don't want to pick up after their dogs so some campgrounds don't even allow pets. Sighting in or plinking with your 30-06.....not going to happen.

For all of the above reasons we enjoy the week or two we spend in the National Forest sections of northern WI every fall. This is bear country and manage to see some every year. Panda, our Springer, sounds off when she smells one so they usually don't see one in camp. We are out in the middle of nohere, no others around, and so no leash on the dog and if I want to step outside to pee I can do that too. Bill and Donnie have had a sample of this kind of camping we do when we hunted together a couple of years ago. While there is no cable TV or internet I would give them up in a heartbeat to get all of the other things we get camping in the middle of "God's Country".

[Bill]

I have spent a lot of years tent camping. I use to use a wall tent and had a furnace in it and a wood water barrel and a camp kitchen and copys of George washingtons Valley Forge camp cots and also some wood camp chairs and table that I made myself. This might of been tent camping but honest guys it was as comfortable as sleeping at home in my own bed. Plus if it was cold I could stoke up the wood stove and keep us nice and toasty without any problem. I even would fill up the dishpan and heat water and take a camp bath. That sure felt good after a day shooting smokepoles and having all that smoke blow all over you.
Two Moons and I use to take canoe trips down the Niobrara river and use a sheet of canvas to sleep under. We would lay the canoe on its side and stake the canvas down on one side then over us giving us shelter from the rain. Wasn't unusall to be snowed on on some of our trips. Camping along the river was awsome but the dam coons would sometimes keep me awake digging in our kits for something to eat. Anymore though with a pair of bad knees and and a torn rotator cup and other injuries obtained from many years of working as a police officer I now have problems when I sleep on the damp ground and it takes me a while to warm up enough to move very fast when sleeping on the ground so progressed to a Pop up camper which is smaller than my wall tent but a heck of a lot quicker and easier to set up and my back don't go out from trying to put up the tent poles by myself.
One of my favorite tents though was a teepee. Almost easier to put up than a wall tent even with all the extra poles and maybe not warmer but close to being as warms as a wall tent. Not much beats a wall tent for warmth. I have slept comfortable in -30 below nights with 3' of snow piled around the outside of the tent. Did have a problem one night on a night just like that. I had rolled over and was breathing on the side of the tent and my sleeping bag froze to the side and I could not roll back again. It was kind of comical to watch me roll out of my sleeping bag from out of the top the next moring so I could heat up the tent and thaw out my fart sack to get it loose from the side of the tent. The area I was camping in at the time was so cold that they sent the game warden out to check on us every morning to see if we were still alive. The first morning he got coffee and rolls when he arrived. After that he brought the rolls and we provided the cowboy coffee hot off the stove. He was pretty amazed by how well we were doing. I think if we would of asked he might of spent the night except that there wasn't much room left with all the gear we had along. ;D Three guys deer hunting in that kind of weather can need a whole lot of gear and clothes.

[Jack]

Now that brings back memories !
When I was a Boy Scout (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth), the scout troop I belonged to had a teepee. I spent quite a few winter nights in it, very comfortably.
A teepee, and it's poles, aren't light, but it is a darn comfortable shelter.

[dakota]

We had a canvas tent that was heavy heavy (or did I say that already). It wasn't as big as the old military tents but it housed 8 people OK and it had a floor. My youngest Bro-in-law borrowed it and put it away soaking wet and told no-one about it's condition. That tent lasted about 50 years before that occurence. I never have seen another tent like it.
I think a tow-behind camper may be in my future, I suppose I would have to figure rental rates to my siblings though. My youngest Bro-in-law might have to pay a healthy deposit.

[calsibley]

The last time I camped in a tent it caved in on me. We were in the Appalachians in early April no less. I had a 10' by 16' Sears Ted Williams model tent which I really liked a lot. During the night we got about a 3' drop of the white stuff. Everythig gave in. Spent the remainder of the night sleeping in the car until dawn, then spent most of that morning digging out my car. That was my only experience with a caved in tent. Never again! Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[deputydon]

Bounce,Phil S. and I spent 3 days riding out a blizzard in Bounces wall tent once during MLer season. A little close quartered but very warm in the sub-zero weather; and when I got cabin fever I'd go for a walk about in the canyons even jumped up a huge Mulie from his bed. Then my brother Dan and I rode out a 2 day blizzard MLing on the Rez. in 2M's wall tent again nice and warm in sub-zero weather. My bro. who was home on leave from Korea at the time was impressed and said the tent was warmer then his hooch on the DMZ!!!!!!!!!

[Bill]

I have been hot in a wall tent a few times but don't ever remember being cold ;D I sometimes wish I had my last one back. It was made from sunforger canvas by Don Strenz and I loved it but DAM those poles were a pain to haul around.

[deputydon]

When Stumpy comes out in Dec. I plan on using my modified A-frame. Also made of the same material as your last one. ;D

[twomoons]

Apparantly Bill has forgotten the first M/L deer season when it dropped to 17 below and you had to stoke the stove all night.
Bill, your tent is in good hands and has served as a base camp in Montana every years since you sold it. Your cots are just as comfortable as ever and if you come to fall shoot I will even let you use one. For those who have never seen one Bill's tent was the LARGEST wall tent made at that time it was 14 by 18 feet and had outside poles. Bill had so much equipment in the tent he had to go to the shoots in a moving van! When he set his tent up the rest of the club camped on the lee side and used him as a windbreak. The ten was affectionatly called Bill's Hotel and I ate many a meal there. Hell, I might just borrow it up for fall shoot if I could get Bill and Julie to come fill it up.

[Bill]

I remember one night we had 21 people in it. Could of gotten more but thats all there was in camp ;D

No Two Moons, I haven't forgotten the first ML deer season nor the one I spent out at Chadron State Park ML deer hunting at 30 below either for that matter. ;D

[deputydon]

Bill call me today @ the office so we can get Wis. figured out.

[twomoons]

Bill I wish you could make the M/L shoot this fall we sure miss you there. The pastures don't green up like they use to, lack of bs???

[Bill]

What, you can't find anyone to talk to.