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Fog Horn
05-01-2011, 11:29
I went car camping this weekend and I'd forgotten haw fun it was. We had a seven person tent I could stand up in for two people, full sized pillows, a cooler full of booze and snacks, and enough wet wipes to bathe a baseball team after a rainy game. When you get into backpacking you crack down on comfort for weight and volume, but it was fun to forget how much the two sleeping bags each weighed. I had seven days worth of clothes for a two night trip instead of two days worth of clothes for a two week trip. If you haven't gone car camping in a while, you should try it again. Just don't forget the s'mores!!!!

Lilred
05-01-2011, 11:40
You think car camping is heaven, try camping with a little trailer. Hubby and I are now into vintage travel trailers and I may never backpack again... LOL (not). The first time I used a toilet and running water while camping made me feel like I was in heaven!! We just recently acquired one from 1946 and in the process of restoring it. What fun!!!

Mags
05-01-2011, 11:44
It is what the future Mrs. Mags and I do during the shoulder seasons.

It is a great way to be immersed in an area that is otherwise

a) more for day hiking
b) a bit too far far to drive to for just one day

From car camping, we have really explored such areas as the Pawnee Grassland (http://www.pmags.com/high-plains-drifting-pawnee-buttes-pawnee-national-grasslands), the Colorado National Monument (http://www.pmags.com/red-rocks-colorado-style), the Sand Dunes (http://www.pmags.com/sand-and-snow-great-sand-dunes-national-park) and our recent trip to the Rio Grande Gorge. (http://www.pmags.com/into-the-rio-grande-gorge)

All cool areas that really aren't really "backpackable" but I'd definitely include as some my of most memorable trips.

We don't do the trailer thing, but my little pickup works well. :)

Tailgates are wonderful for holding beer. ;) And if I rig up a tarp, it it makes a great 'patio' for sun/rain protection:

http://pmags.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=22915&g2_serialNumber=1

Mizirlou
05-01-2011, 12:10
You think car camping is heaven, try camping with a little trailer. Hubby and I are now into vintage travel trailers and I may never backpack again... LOL (not). The first time I used a toilet and running water while camping made me feel like I was in heaven!! We just recently acquired one from 1946 and in the process of restoring it. What fun!!!

Pics? How about some pics! What’s the smallest size you’d go with for total comfort? What’s your comfort baseline, ie., shower, oven, etc.? I’d consider retrofitting but can’t take my eyeballs off a new Airstream. Interspersed with bouts of lightweight backpacking, it's nirvana.

Cookerhiker
05-01-2011, 12:27
When my children were growing up from the mid-80s through mid-90s, the family vacation was almost always car-camping in National Parks and doing day-hikes. In that time period, we did this at Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon (both rims), Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite, Sequoia, Redwood, Crater Lake, Olmypic, Mt. Rainier, and the Black Hills of SD. It gave them a great taste of the outdoors, an interest which still holds them today now that they're in the early 30s.

Panzer1
05-01-2011, 13:14
I have car camping down to a science. I organize gear just like when backpacking. gear is stored in containers to organize them. when not hiking I store gear in these same containers so I don't have to look for gear when I'm ready to go camping. gear is also organized to make packing and unpacking the truck easy and to make carrying gear from the truck to the campsite easier. containers are also waterproof so I don't have to worry about gear getting wet from rain.

Panzer

bigcranky
05-01-2011, 13:38
Hey, Lilred, I'm interested too. We've wanted a small trailer for a while -- is there a good online resource where I can find out all the info on vintage trailers? What models are best for restoring, that sort of thing?

Thanks!