Before Camping Got Wimpy

[Nor Cal Mike]

Originally Posted by garycarolyn

Yes it is called the RV Hall of fame, really cool old campers. A great day trip for anyone, and you can boondock in their parking lot for free.

On the subject of old campers and museums, The John Steinbeck Museum in Salinas, California has on exhibit the old Ford pickup and camper that Steinbeck and his dog Charlie traveled in during the writer's quest to go out and see the country. Steinbeck chronicled that trip in his book, "Travels With Charlie". The exhibit with the truck is set up as a boondocking camp that Steinbook would have stayed in during the trip.

[dmad1]

Didn't see much about learning to camp and hike in the military...

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal Mike

The exhibit with the truck is set up as a boondocking camp that Steinbook would have stayed in during the trip.

Or, as I've read, if he actually stayed in the truck for any length of time. I gather camping wore off rather quickly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/bo...-checking.html

[Alf S.]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Or, as I've read, if he actually stayed in the truck for any length of time. I gather camping wore off rather quickly.
Steinbeck’s ‘Travels With Charley’ Gets a Fact-Checking - The New York Times

Hi: Glenn Baglo... IMHO camping didn't "Get wimpy" people did!!! At least some fiberglass trailers are a form of "Hard sided tent".
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Tammie]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

I really thank God for giving us "Wimpy Camping". Otherwise, I would be doomed to my recliner for relaxation the rest of my life.

And thank Aaron Feuerstein for Polar Fleece. Interesting history

[Nor Cal Mike]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Or, as I've read, if he actually stayed in the truck for any length of time. I gather camping wore off rather quickly.
Steinbeck’s ‘Travels With Charley’ Gets a Fact-Checking - The New York Times

Well bust my bubble.... but I still enjoyed the book. There is a photo of the truck/camper display I referred to at the Steinbeck Museum in the article. I see by the photo it was a GM product. I remembered it as a 60ish Ford. But is has been 5 years since I was there. Knowing that I am a Steinbeck fan, my daughters took me to the museum for my 60th birthday. One of my camping rituals when the girls were growing up was that we pass a copy of Cannery Row around the campfire taking turns reading aloud.

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by John Linck

No generators, apps, microwaves, FGRVs, DEET, solar panels, Goretex.

What? They didn't hike or ride horseback to their camp site but rode inside in the luxury of a Model T to get there. Now that was probably considered "whimpy" back in the day. And those look like pneumatic tires. Way wimpy!!

[chetandren]

Originally Posted by John Linck

No generators, apps, microwaves, FGRVs, DEET, solar panels, Goretex.

Been there, done that and got my merit badge to prove it. I no longer enjoy the concept of basic camping. What I now do enjoy is traveling the open rode and boondocking in my Bigfoot.

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by John Linck

No generators, apps, microwaves, FGRVs, DEET, solar panels, Goretex.

From tent to pop up to casita . You got to remember that 90% of Of The RV population wonder's how we could get by in a tiny egg

[ZachO]

Very, very true.

That tent is the perfect hunting base camp, though. Of course now that I think of it...so is my Bigfoot! But I can't break the Bigfoot down and strap it onto horses and haul it into the backcountry...

[Rick W in MI]

I just went to the RV Hall of Fame Museum in Elkhart IN. What a great way to spend the afternoon. I thought I would put this picture up of a 1913 Travel trailer. Wooden spoke wheels and all. The table does lay down to create a bed. People were clever.

Rick

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by NEWYORKHILLBILLY

From tent to pop up to casita . You got to remember that 90% of Of The RV population wonder's how we could get by in a tiny egg

The picture of your tent reminds me of deer hunting in Northern
Minnesota back in the late 60's. Being the first one up in the morning when it's 20 below and trying to get the wood stove lit was always a thrill !
I miss those days mainly because I was younger and because of the good times we had. Some of the guys I hunted with have passed on and several are in their mid 80's so that part of our lives is gone forever.

Thanks
Steve D

We just signed the papers on 20 + acres of hunting land and are dealing on adjoining property . Hopefully this fall my son , grandson , and I will be deer hunting together and spending the week sleeping in a tent and cooking outdoors over a campfire .

[Hazel in Sk]

I have camped with a pup tent, camped with a larger tent, camped while canoe tripping and now I camp from a very basic Trillium. I don't have a yearning for a big, just like home rv, though many do. In honesty I can't afford one either.


Camping is very flexible and should be able to accommodate a variety of styles. For me the hardest thing about the changes in how some people like to camp is accepting how powerless we little people are. Rich folk with big units whined for hookups which then chewed up the ground cover. They whined for more space around their unit so two sites were combined to please them and shut others out. Now, I hear they are whining because tents and small units look 'trashy'. Many of the delightful places we used to camp are now noisy with sound systems and TV's playing. All this has been achieved with MY tax dollars and despite my objections. Apparently money talks!

[Jon in AZ]

The Arizona public campgrounds we know have separate areas for full hook-ups, partial hook-ups, and no hook-ups. The full-hook-up area tend to look more like RV-parks: pull-through sites in straight rows, minimal native vegetation except around the perimeter. The primitive sites are generally older with smaller parking pads but more open space and vegetation. Seems like in most cases it would be cheaper and more efficient to develop a new area with hook-ups than to retrofit them in older, primitive areas. In Catalina SP they are two separate campgrounds with separate entrances.

It doesn't have to be either/or.

[Mitzi Agnew-Giles]

People have slept outdoors and tried to mane it comfortable since the beginning of time. DH showed me a letter from a young man riding west on the Oregon Trail dated 1847- he had an uncomfortable night because his rubber air mattress developed a leak and deflated.
My first backpack trip was with a 5 lb fill cotton sleeping bag, a standard (2 D cell) flashlight and a gallon of H2O. Learnt my lesson well and in no time was teaching beginning backpacking for FTA and PB Pack n Paddle Club.
When my son and I joined the local Boy Scout troop there was amazement at how light I packed. It was good training for the troops 4 trips to the BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Base. We were limited to the gear we could stuff in a 5 gallon bucket, and that included our sleeping bag and air mattress. I made it with room to spare, and also fitted in 3-4 thick books to enjoy. I'm glad I joined and served when I did. I planned to do more after retirement, also doing some thru hiking on the AT and North Country Trail. Never even entered my mind that I might not be in good enough shape to do these...Wound up unable to work more than 1/2 day and impossible to work 2 days in a row. I didn't realize just how depressed I had gotten over the last few years until began to entertain the notion of a teardrop camper. Researching gave me quite a lift, but the cats started to arrive, and I had to face the fact that with all my various past injuries I would not be comfortable using a teardrop.

Since picking up my Lil Snoozy 12/01/2016 I've been MUCH happier and enjoyed life a HECK of a lot more. Having the A/C meant less breathing problems and less pain, having the large storage under the queen size bed gives us a hide away for the super gigantic litter box, and having all these windows means the outdoors is easily visible. Life is so much better now. I know that in my youth I would have considered using a camper would have been wimpy in the extreme, but now, being hopefully wiser as well as older, one realizes that each person has their unique circumstances and maybe the important thing is that people are getting outside, regardless of what kind of method is utilized.

[monB]

And....171 years AFTER the Oregon Trail, air mattresses STILL develop leaks and deflate in the middle of the night...

Mon

[Jon Vermilye]

As long as we are looking at "the way it was", here is a link to a bunch of photos of a 3 month camping trip from New York to California & back (on the real RT 66) in 1950 in a 1938 Plymouth pulling a home built camping trailer.

I was 5 at the time, and only have vague memories, but that included seeing the firefall at Yosemite, something I'll never forget, and learning to swim in the Great Salt Lake (so salty you couldn't sink).

[Tom 72]

I'm not referring to this group,but I wonder what percentage of general population could navigate -triangulate with a compass? Or, how many ways they could name to make popcorn?
I remember Halazone tablets at least 50 years ago, and sense they go back much further. Of course you needed powdered drink mix to make their taste. No that wasn't modern purification.
Then there were the settlers who came West in covered wagons a hundred years ago with a silver quarter in their water bucket.
Who here recalls what they always advised their children on the matter over 100 years ago?
"Boy, girl, always use a pre 1965 quarter. The new ones contain no silver."

[k0wtz]

we have flown our tent to Alaska 1 time, we have flown our tent to Europe 4 times. all times nothing but fun did I say fun. if my back heals up just a little better off we go to Europe again can I say if at 76 I can make it one more time!

life is good and tenting is the very best if you are able but now in a scamper 13 and its rough at times. not giving up on camping yet!!

bob

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

As long as we are looking at "the way it was", here is a link to a bunch of photos of a 3 month camping trip from New York to California & back (on the real RT 66) in 1950 in a 1938 Plymouth pulling a home built camping trailer.

I was 5 at the time, and only have vague memories, but that included seeing the firefall at Yosemite, something I'll never forget, and learning to swim in the Great Salt Lake (so salty you couldn't sink).

Neat photos, Jon. The oil derricks on the beach surprised me.