“Eight months ago if you had asked me anything about social networking or Flickr, not to mention Twittering, you would have received a blank stare of ignorance.” writes James Handlon in his first blog entry. Much has changed over those months as James has written about his trip to India and hiking around the United Kingdom. His adventures are just beginning.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. | James’ Travel/Adventure Blog | 2 comments |
Post categories: Blogs
Post tags: camping, England, hiking, India, overland travel, United Kingdom, Wales

Mention camping at a party and people bump into each other turning away with the sudden need to refresh their drink. Mention glamping, and eyebrows rise. Mention that it’s do-it-yourself, as opposed to the travel companies’ semi-permanent-dwelling-safari-type-the-circus-just-came-to-town-only-the-rich-can-afford-it version and you’ve got an audience.

Glamping is upscale camping in which a tent large enough to walk through replaces the pup tent, bedding takes the place of the sleeping bag, a nice rug covers the plastic ground floor, and campers use real barware instead of Dixie cups. In short, it’s more comfortable, civilized camping. Face it, we’re all getting older. Our fuse for tolerating the heat and bugs and lack of comfy slippers and a shower, is short(er).

Glamping is upscale camping in which a tent large enough to walk through replaces the pup tent, bedding takes the place of the sleeping bag, a nice rug covers the plastic ground floor, and campers use real barware instead of Dixie cups.

I’ve been invited on 4 all guy hiking/fishing trips – three into the Wind River Mountain Range backcountry of Wyoming and once to Canada’s Quetico (just across the border from the Boundary Waters). The first invitation was acquired after I asked (both the men and their wives). The subsequent 3 invitations were extended because I carry my own weight. And I do it pleasantly, professionally, and without so much as a whimper or whine. The combination of a 50+ lb backpack and reaching the 11,000 foot summit well ahead of the men on the first trip sealed my reputation as a chick who can hack it.

Two years ago a couple invited my husband and I to camp with them for 12 days in the remote Medicine Bow area of Wyoming (trout fishing on the North Platte River). Arriving in camp two days behind them, I spotted their camping area from the top of the hill that descends to the river. “Two people need all THAT?!” Rolling my eyes, pride swelling at the sparseness of the equipment I’d packed, my husband declared “some of us like a bit of comfort for 12 days in the wilderness – don’t ask to use Judy’s shower stall.”

Crawling from the truck after a 12 hour drive, Judy greets me before I can slap a smile on my face. “How was the drive I caught several HHHuuuGGe trout today and Steve and I just poured a cocktail what do you think of our GLAMP?!” My stony face didn’t respond quickly enough and she went on, “YOU know, our GLAMOUR camp??”

Six days later, all pride swallowed (I’ve been told I must like crow – I eat a lot of it), I shower. I long for an internet connection to order a B.A.T. (big ass tent), a queen sized bed on a stand, mesh hanging bags for convenient storage, a chair by the tent door for putting on and taking off wading boots, one of those bag chairs with a drink holder, a lantern with remote control, and yes, even a small, hanging mirror.

$600, a B.A.T., and one year later, the transformation’s complete: I’m a glamper. And when I realized how people at parties gathered around when the subject was broached, I became a vocal one. The physically demanding hike into remote backcountry with the guys? It’s still on the agenda every year or two. But it’s the now-annual glamping trip I long for. Pride goeth before the fall.

Transform Your Camp into a Glamp

In addition to the basic camping gear (see my previous series, Camping 101), here’s what you’ll need to alter your camp into a glamp.

Judy’s energy, enthusiasm, kindness to those with stony faces, and refined hostess abilities, are not required, but are a really nice add-on. Sadly, she’s not available online.

• Tent large enough to walk upright all the way through. 10 ft. x 18 ft. size works nicely.
• A couple of small camp chairs for the tent – one on the inside and another outside near the main door
• Commercial rubber kitchen mats for the exterior at the door of the tent. These are also handy in the “commons” area of the camp – such as for the floor of the camp kitchen or around the picnic table. Having these eliminates or greatly reduces problems related to mud in high traffic areas. I’ve never been camping for over a week when it didn’t rain. We found kitchen supply stores carry these and the 3 ft. x 5 ft. size works great.
• Shower stall or “privy shelter”. Usually measuring about 4 ft. x 4 ft. x 7 ft. with no floor, and made of lightweight polyethylene, these are made to be staked into the ground similar to a tent. A small plastic mat to cover the ground again avoids mud and grass issues.
• To complete your shower, you’ll need water. A 5 gallon tank with a hand pump (they come with an on-off plastic shower head/hose) works great. To heat the tank you’ll need a propane heating stand. This shower system is not luxurious by any means. But it enables me to take a shower, and wash and rinse my hair. Without hair washing, one tank would be enough for two showers.
• A small table to place next to the front door of the tent. I found a narrow, folding table at Walgreens, a drugstore chain here that works perfect as a catch all for small things at the end of the day. Plus, it creates storage space underneath.
• Your bed needs to be on a stand, which creates storage space underneath. Glamping means you get in and out of bed without crawling on your hands and knees.
• Nice bedding. Bring your sheets/blankets/pillows from home. If you REALLY want your camp to be glamorous, buy a matching “bed in a bag”. These come with a matching comforter, pillow covers, and a bed skirt. Judy does this, I don’t. Yet.
• This year, I’ve added a foam mattress topper for the inflatable mattress. Can’t wait to use it in August!
• Indoor-outdoor “carpeting” to cover the plastic tent floor. We pieced ours together to match the footprint of our tent with coordinating duct tape that can now be purchased in a rainbow of colors. We use a few small all-weather rugs (on top of the indoor-outdoor cover) at the tent doors.
• Marine coolers to hold plenty of block ice
• Lanterns with remote control
• Plastic bar ware
• A camp kitchen
• 10 ft. x 10 ft. EZ-up pop ups to cover the commons area
• Mesh hanging bags for everyday essentials such as underwear, socks, toiletries, etc.
• Vinyl tablecloths for the outdoor tables/picnic table (matching if you want)
• Wedges to level everything, both in the tent and around camp. Do not leave home without these.
• A small trailer to haul it all.

Here’s a list of Web sites that will put the glam on your camp:

• Cabela’s
• Sierra Trading Post
• Campmor
• REI.com
• E-Zup Direct
• Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps All-One

© Gretchen Wilson-Kalav for TravelBlogs, 2009. | Glamping: The Insider’s Guide to Camping in Style | 15 comments |
Post categories: Articles
Post tags: camping, glamping, luxury camping

Badlands National Park. Photo taken in South Dakota, USA by Hayden Carlyon.

A series on camping wouldn’t be complete without a discussion about etiquette. We camp to get away from it all. The problem with that yearning is that during high season, most campgrounds are crowded. So you either need to toughen up and camp during the off-season (meaning you’ll need to deal with colder weather), or learn some manners. Even for those who consider themselves a seasoned camper or outdoors person, the leap to knowing how to play well with others when your playground is a campground isn’t always a given. I assure you however that it is possible to happily co-exist in nature when the most you’ve got separating you from your neighbor is a few feet and a tent wall.

First things first: Get along with your camp mates

Getting along with your neighbors must be preceded by getting along with your camp mate(s). Camping is not an activity that can be performed solely from the lawn chair. There’s a time for that, but most people do not need that time pointed out. It’s the “participating” part for which they need a gentle nudge.

• Discuss ahead of time duties and who’s going to do what. Do a blind draw and plan to switch jobs mid-trip so that what appears to be the draw for an easy job doesn’t create hard feelings for the entire stay.

• Everyone should be prepared to volunteer to take on unforeseen chores (guaranteed to be some).

• If you’re the cook, cook like you’ll be doing the clean-up instead of utilizing every pot, pan, and utensil to make your job easier/quicker. If you’re doing clean-up, clean-up like you’ll be cooking the next meal.

• Clean and pick up after yourself. Too basic? Camp with others a few times then share some sob stories about how many people lack the grasp of this basic concept. Get out a hanky – there’ll be plenty of stories.

• If you’re an inexperienced camper, don’t wait to be asked to do something. When meals/clean-up are in process, campfires are being prepared, camp being erected or broken down, hover and be enthusiastic to help.

• Only go camping with people you know and like — another obvious and oft-overlooked basic that deserves to be mentioned.

Getting along with your campground neighbours

About those neighbors…

• The tent wall I spoke of previously? They’re thin. As in NON-EXISTENT. Don’t be lulled into thinking that tent protects you from anything other than a bit of weather. In the dark, quiet of a campground even a whisper carries. And if you’re camping anywhere near water, be prepared for the world to hear your every utterance. People get behind tent walls and become the child in a box in the living room floor thinking they’re hiding, all the while giggling and begging you to find them.

• After dark make an effort to keep your flashlight pointed at the ground. That beam of light is even more unwelcome than loud, late conversation.

• Pets. Not everyone loves them. Respect that.

• Know the rules of the campground. Follow them.

• Leave the area spotless by picking everything up, including the small stuff. It’s the small stuff that’s harder for others to remove and causes the most unsightliness over time.

• Think about others. Treat them the way you want to be treated.

• Check out the Leave No Trace website. The principles associated with this environmental edict sum it up: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, Be Considerate of Other Visitors.

Don’t be deterred by the fact camping requires a bit of thoughtfulness and civility! My husband and I camp frequently in the late summer and fall in a fairly crowded campground. Most campers are there for the very same reason, are respectful, know the rules and follow them. Regretful instances of pitching our tent are rare. The guy with the chain saw for firewood or the family that zips and unzips their tent enough times to replace the exercise of counting sheep are few and far between. Most campgrounds have a ranger or campsite volunteers that can be found after-hours if you need them (be familiar with your campground). I’d recommend doing that over directly approaching an offensive camper. Short of finding a ranger, chances are if you’re offended, others nearby are as well. A group effort to quiet a rowdy camp is the diplomatic choice should you be faced with such.

© Gretchen Wilson-Kalav for TravelBlogs, 2009. | Camping 101: Campground Etiquette | 6 comments |
Post categories: Articles
Post tags: camping, etiquette, glamping

American Buffalo, South Dakota. Photo taken in the USA by Hayden Carlyon.

More and more baby boomers are retiring and heading back to nature after decades of material excess. We‘re no longer interested in crawling in and out of a small tent, sleeping on the ground, scrounging up a meal over a 3 inch burner, and deploying the grunge look for that week in the wilderness. But camping has an irresistible nostalgic allure, is a very affordable means of travel and unfortunately, still has many women digging in their 3-inch heels against it.

Baby boomer or not, female or male, this article is for all of you who want to camp, but can’t (or don’t want to) hack the roughing-it part.

The Camper’s Packing List

The first article in this series on camping covered camping tips and tricks to help ensure you get a good night’s sleep while camping. Eventually though you have to step outside the tent. Listed below are the things you should bring along to make that experience as pleasant as your good night’s sleep.

• A 10 ft x 10 ft EZ Up canopy. It’s a $140 roof for your campsite. Place them over your picnic table area for taking meals out of the sun, cooking, playing card games, etc. They’ll make your camping area look like a Saharan caravan. They come in a heavy duty carrying case, and are a breeze to erect and store. Tip: you can find them at Academy or similar sporting goods’ stores for less than online. But the online site is helpful for seeing what’s available. The website is below.
• Two burner camp stove. These run the gamut from the basic table top model to fancier ones that are free-standing. For our general camping trips, we still use the table top model placed on the end of a picnic table; plenty of propane bottles for the stove; striker to light the stove.
• One cast iron skillet or non stick skillet. A pan for heating water. A camp coffee pot. Coffee (the only food item I’ve listed and the only one I can’t live without). Insulated cups for coffee, tea or soup. Utensils. Heating pads/gloves. Kitchen towels. Paper towels. Salt & Pepper (Grinders makes a pair of small, plastic shakers perfect for camping). Dr. Bronner’s liquid peppermint soap (comes in other scents but the peppermint smells so clean). It’s concentrated so a little goes a long way even in cold water. You can use it for everything, even bathing, and it’s easy on the environment (completely biodegradable). Scrub pad for clean-up. Spray cleaner, plastic tub for transport of dishes. Foil. Spray oil. One cookie sheet (multi-purpose).
• One multi-tool. No household should be without one of these, much less a camp site! Otherwise: bottle opener, screw driver, scissors, knife, pliers, tweezers, toothpicks, file, wire cutter.
• Cork screw, bottle stopper.
• Camp lantern. BATTERIES.
• Toilet paper and handi-wipes. Put them in an open weave mesh cinch sack and tack them to a tree.
• Bag chairs for everyone. Preferably with the drink holders in the arm.
• A large rubber mat for your tent’s exterior door mat. You can find these at kitchen supply stores.
• Small camp/bag/lawn chair to be kept outside your tent door for putting on shoes, etc.
• A small card table. Metal works great here since it’s easy to clean, the weather won’t affect it, and they’re lightweight. This table is indispensable in the camp cooking area or as a place to sit the kids to work on a puzzle, play games, or take their meals.
• Marine cooler with plenty of block ice; ice pick. Makes a great bench.
• Separate cooler for drinks and food.
• Vinyl tablecloths to cover the picnic table and the small extra table for the camp kitchen.
• You know when it rains or there’s been heavy dew and you have to sit at the picnic table? To alleviate this issue I pack a couple of what I call “gardener’s knee squares”. They’re a square piece of closed cell foam, fit most behinds perfectly, serve as a shield from the dampness, and provide some cushioning!
• An assortment of bungee cords (different lengths), large “S” hooks, clothes’ pins, various sized carabineers, etc. for an plethora of needs. The clothes pins can be used to close food packages, a use I overlooked for years.
• Plenty of nylon parachute cord. Besides making a great clothes line, it’ll come in handy numerous other unfathomable ways. Throw in a few nails. They come in handy for nailing the trash sack to a tree or making a place to hang the mesh bag for TP and handiwipes.
• A package of wood wedges for leveling things in the tent and around camp. Makes life oh so much more pleasant.
• Several packages of Extra large Wet-ones for tent bathing, kitchen clean-up, etc.
• Hand pump of sanitizer to keep in camp kitchen.
• A small hand ax. Many campgrounds provide fire rings and while you can purchase firewood and bring it with you, it’s fun to take a little walk in the woods and gather it yourself (watch out for poison ivy, snakes, etc. – know what the dangers are in your area). Make sure your campground allows this. And I’m not talking about felling any trees. Rather picking up fallen limbs, sticks, etc.
• Fire starters. There are several types available. My favorites are “Magic Fire Starters”. You can get them at Cabelas.com.
• Once you establish whether or not you can have a camp fire which will be dependent on the camp grounds and weather conditions, choose the appropriate “paper” ware. If I know we’ll have a campfire, I prefer paper cups, plates, etc. and then carefully burn them in the fire ring. If not, then you’re stuck with plastic, but with those you can wash and re-use them to an extent.
• A black Sharpie for marking drinking glasses, etc. Attach it to a cord and keep it in the camp kitchen. Anyone removing it and not replacing it gets a pop of the dish towel.
• I’m getting greener and so purchased a Lexan fork/spoon/knife set that I wash and re-use for every meal.
• A large heavy duty trash sack. I’m in the market this year for a folding trash can (in which I’ll put the trash sack instead of tacking it to a tree). Actually they’re sold as pool side accessories, but they work great for camping and fold down to take up only a tiny amount of room when storing. I think Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, among others sell them.
• Being outside all day chaps my lips. They sting at night, which experience has taught me interferes with my sleep, as in miserably interferes with it. SO I bought a long lanyard and attached to it a tube of Eco Lips “Face Stick” a small stick of 30 SPF sunscreen that can be used on face or lips (website information below), a tube of Burt’s Bees replenishing lip balm for nighttime use, and a whistle. The whistle is great for calling kids (my son is grown now but I’ve got just under 20 nieces and nephews), calling out in the wilderness if you need help or to find other’s in your party, etc. I get up every morning and put the lanyard and headlamp around my neck. I never have to look for sunscreen or chapstick and I never get caught at night without some light to guide my way back to the tent.

Whew! I’ll leave the food and drink items up to you.

Once you’ve got these things assembled, you’ll need a way to organize and transport. I recommend the large, clear storage boxes now available everywhere. The lids snap down with handles on both ends.

One Final Suggestion

Last summer after many camping outings, my husband and I sat down to eat the wonderful one skillet breakfast he’d prepared of eggs, sausage, peppers, hash browns, and cheese only to discover I forgot to pack forks or spoons. When it comes to camping, improvisational skills are vital! We ate our meal by alternating the spatula he’d used to cook the meal. The thing was so big we could only use the corner of it – a very memorable meal!
So my last suggestion is this: Make a list and put it in the permanent camp box. Add to it as needed. Then follow it.

More Resources

Here’s a list of websites that will get your camp stocked in no time.

• Cabelas
• Sierra Trading Post
• Campmor.com
• Eco Lips
• Burt’s Bees
• REI
• EZ Up Direct
• Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps

© Gretchen Wilson-Kalav for TravelBlogs, 2009. | Camping 101: Knowing What to Pack | 13 comments |
Post categories: Articles
Post tags: camping, glamping, packing list

Badlands, South Dakota. Photo taken in the USA by Hayden Carlyon.

With fuel prices being the lowest in 4 years and vacation budgets being a non-factor in a lot of people’s minds right now, the stage is set for summer camping trips to be the boon. As our inability to spend on a foreign vacation destination is pitted against our need to have a break, we have an opportunity to rediscover the campground. Camping meets our need for frugality as well as our desire for rejuvenation.

From the Bare Basics to Glamping

As a long-time camper I’ve morphed over the years from a pup tent with a ¼ inch mat to cushion me against the ground to a more luxurious camping experience. Once or twice a year the one-man tent and the mat still come out for a backpacking foray to fish for wild trout in backcountry streams, although the mat has grown to a ¾ inch thick cushion. Once a year for a 10-12 day stay my husband and I pull out all the stops and glamour camp – “glamp” – in a remote part of Wyoming. The rest of the time, our camping experience falls somewhere between these two on the comfort scale.

There is single piece of equipment that sets apart the long glamping trip from all the other camp-outs: the tent.  For the Wyoming annual outing we purchased a 10 ft. x 18 ft. tent, large enough to enter from either end standing upright all the way through. We dubbed it the B.A.T. -  Big Ass Tent.  The initial cost was $300. We’ve used it 4 times, which breaks down into a lodging cost of about $8 per night ($300 / 40 nights).  The effort expended to set it up precludes using it for shorter trips.

For simplicity’s sake, you may want to start with car camping. Simply put, car camping means you’re not hauling all your equipment on your back for the duration of your stay, which means weight is a not an issue.

In a future article on backpacking we’ll cover some tips and tricks for trimming the weight of your pack while still managing a degree of comfort in camp.

Getting Started

Since a good night’s sleep is critical, this article will cover the basics for that. In my opinion, once you have that down, everything else is a piece of cake. If you’ve had plenty of rest, you can handle the other potential mishaps that are inherent to interaction with the great outdoors.

Let’s assume you want to pursue camping outings in the range of say 2-5 nights, you don’t want to do the crawl around on your hands and knees routine, and you’re starting from ground zero or your equipment is outdated.

Here’s a list of basic items I recommend you consider.

•    A tent in the range of 9 ft. x 12 ft. with a large “D” opening on the side (not end) will provide a moderate amount of space and be quick to set up.  You’ll want to ensure there’s a gear loft and gear pockets in it for storage. Tents have come a long way in the ease to set-up department. Color codings on the tent poles, amenities such as gear lofts and pockets, and various ventilation extras will surprise you if you’ve not seen a new tent in the last 5 years.  A new tent purchase comes with everything you need to set it up (rain fly, stakes, instructions, poles, guy wires, etc.), with the exception of a ground cloth.  However, I recommend purchasing a separate set of heavy-duty tent stakes in lieu of those that are included. You’ll need to purchase a ground cloth, which does NOT come with the tent.  The ground cloth should be a heavy duty plastic tarp, about the same size as the footprint of the tent (bigger is better here because you can tuck under the excess – too small and you’ll still have a wet tent floor which is what you’re attempting to prevent). This is laid on the ground first; erecting the tent over it and then tucking any visible ground cloth in under the tent once the tent is completely staked (do not stake the ground cloth to the tent!). The ground cloth is critical to keeping the floor of the tent dry in rainy weather, or even heavy dew.  If the tarp is larger than the tent and you leave the ground cloth showing it’ll gather water which will seep in between the floor of the tent and the ground cloth, and you’ll have a wet floor.  Misery will be the result.  A rain fly keeps the top dry, a ground cloth the bottom. Both are critical.

•    A hammer for pounding in stakes should be thrown permanently into the tent bag.

•    Bedding has also come a LONG way. Several years ago we began searching for a way to get the bed off the floor of the tent and discovered they now make frames that stand about the same height from the floor as a normal bed. The frame we purchased from Cabela’s has a pocket into which you insert an inflatable mattress so you never have to worry about sliding off the frame. Tip: partially inflate the mattress then insert into the pocket before topping it off. We purchased a Queen size Coleman inflatable mattress and the Queen sized stand and now camp with a bed that sleeps almost as well as any bed you could hope for.  Another wonderful advantage of the frame is the storage underneath.  We shove tons of stuff that won’t be needed until the tear-down under the bed and out of sight.  The frame folds neatly into its own container for storage.
The 9×12 tent I spoke of previously holds a Queen sized bed with plenty of walk around room.

Tip: Inflatable mattresses expand and contract with temperatures.  To keep the bed comfortable, take the time to add some air at the end of a cool day.  But be careful! If the temperature swings are broad, overfilling can potentially result in a busted seam during the days rising temps.

•    Look for a mattress that comes with a BATTERY powered inflating unit (Coleman includes these with their beds) since there won’t be an electrical outlet in your tent!  Purchase plenty of appropriate batteries for the unit. DON’T FORGET THE BATTERIES.

Perform a test run of setting up the bed/frame/mattress at home just to make sure everything works.

•    Since we sleep on a Queen sized bed at home, sheets are not a factor. I’ll grab a set of sheets and the appropriate blankets from the closet just prior to a trip. Take more blankets than you think you’ll need. Even though you’ll be in a tent, 3-season tents typically mean part of the “ceiling” is mesh.  The rain fly will keep you dry, but you’re sleeping in the great outdoors. You can always remove cover but if you don’t bring it, you can’t add it.

•    An inflatable mattress repair kit should be thrown permanently into the bed container.

•    I sleep with my head elevated so I bring pillows from home.

•    A small LED headlamp is indispensable in camp and I wear mine around my neck during the day so that at nightfall I’m not searching for it. But since we’re talking about sleeping comfort, that sweet little headlamp means you can read in bed for a bit before drifting off to the sound of crickets or frogs or owls or nightingales or loons or all of the above.

•    Finally, here are a few other assorted things that are useful in a tent: a mirror with a handle of sorts that you can hang from the tent ceiling against one of the walls; an inexpensive indoor/outdoor rug for the floor of the tent – it’s useful at the entry and feels so much better underfoot than the plastic tent floor; and a battery operated lantern that never leaves the tent.  If you have to exit the tent at night, use your headlamp (great because they’re “hands-free”).

Oh yes, KIDS!  Assuming they’re old enough for a separate tent (and I have been with all the above recommendations for you), a basic tent with army cots and blankets (again this means you have some storage space beneath the cot) or sleeping bags/pad will have them thinking they’re in heaven.  Hang a small headlamp around their neck, put some flashlights in their tent, and nighttime entertainment will never be an issue.

In the next article we’ll cover basic equipment for the rest of the camp site and additional tips to make camp-outs something you want to incorporate into your spring, summer, and fall.

© Gretchen Wilson-Kalav for TravelBlogs, 2009. | Camping 101: Getting a Good Night’s Sleep | 6 comments |
Post categories: Articles
Post tags: camping, glamping