I dread the day

[BigFatMeanie]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Things I like about camping:

1. Camraderie with friends.
2. Challenge of cooking on campouts (about the only time I ever care to cook).
3. Getting and using cool gear to make my life easier on campouts. If you are uncomfortable on your campout, then you didn't plan enough.
4. I like challenges, I like to push myself, a little bit of suffering gives me a hard-on.

I camp once a month and have camped more than 30 nights in the past year and a half.

It's great.

So you're talking about car camping - not backpacking? Or are you applying your assertion about comfort to backpacking as well? I'm not sure I would agree with your comfort assertion if applied to backpacking.

Here's what I don't get about car camping: People want to be comfortable while camping so they go to all this planning and effort to pack gear, set up big mattresses, buy camping trailers, generators, whatever. I just don't see how camping brings any joy that is worth that kind of effort. Having a cookout? Enjoying the great outdoors? You don't need to go camping to do those things. They could save a lot of time and effort by just having a cookout or enjoying the great outdoors on their back lawn.

"But, but - It's not the same!", Mr. Camper splutters. Fine. If I want to have a cookout I'll just drive up the canyon and have a cookout or dutch oven by the bubbling stream, and still sleep in my own bed, shower in my own shower, and watch Sportscenter. A better experience than anything Mr. Camper can provide. If I want to enjoy beautiful mountain scenery, I'll just take a day hike up the canyon to the lake, have a picnic, fish, frolic in the fresh mountain air, etc. and still sleep in my own comfortable bed, shower in my own shower, and watch Sportscenter. In other words, I can experience whatever joys people get from camping without all the hassle, fuss, campfire-stinky sleeping bags, dirt, bugs, equipment, etc.

I could possibly understand the appeal of backpacking, where you leave behind civilization, hike into the mountains with everything on your back, and don't run into any other people for a whole week. I can be convinced that backpacking offers experiences you can't achieve any other way. Car camping, however, just doesn't offer enough unique appeal to make up for its hassle.

[MikeWaters]

I enjoy both backpacking and car camping. I sleep fine with a bag and a thermarest sleeping pad. If that's too uncomfortable for you, well, what can I say. I refer you to GN's statement.

I also enjoy the propect of survival camping with the boys. That's fun.

[jay santos]

I need a sleeping pill just to sleep in a hotel bed. I can't stand camping. I don't hunt either. But I watch NFL on Sunday, bbq ribs for home BYU games, and fart in front of my wife. Where does that put me? Do we need some sort of rating system?

I've found the traditional manliness rating system is a lot of times a coverup for a true pussy inside.

goatee, drives a truck, hunts--that's a sure sign of a pussy

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by jay santos

I need a sleeping pill just to sleep in a hotel bed. I can't stand camping. I don't hunt either. But I watch NFL on Sunday, bbq ribs for home BYU games, and fart in front of my wife. Where does that put me? Do we need some sort of rating system?

I've found the traditional manliness rating system is a lot of times a coverup for a true pussy inside.

goatee, drives a truck, hunts--that's a sure sign of a pussy

I was planning on going on a backpacking trip to Big Bend. Farrah was out of town for the week with the kids, so I slept on my living room hardwood floor for a week, in preparation.

We ended up canceling because an ice storm made the freeway impassable.

[BigFatMeanie]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I enjoy both backpacking and car camping. I sleep fine with a bag and a thermarest sleeping pad. If that's too uncomfortable for you, well, what can I say. I refer you to GN's statement.

I also enjoy the propect of survival camping with the boys. That's fun.

Thermarest + sleeping bag = sleepless night. Like I said before, if that makes me a pussy then so be it but I still don't like camping.

Never heard of "survival camping" - what's that?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by BigFatMeanie

Thermarest + sleeping bag = sleepless night. Like I said before, if that makes me a pussy then so be it but I still don't like camping.

Never heard of "survival camping" - what's that?

well there are different versions. Our wussified version is this:

1. you can't bring a tent
2. you can't bring food (food, of unknown kind and quantity is provided)

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by BigFatMeanie

That's because Brad and I are identical twins. We were separated at birth.

P.S. Elvis is your avatar

Elvis is The King.

Brad Pitt is Jon Voight's son-in-law.

[Venkman]

I need to do more camping and backpacking - it's one of the main reasons I moved back to Utah. Those living here are blessed with the best camping in America, in terms of close proximity to a wide and varied topography. You've got alpine wilderness and red-rock desert within a few hours. It's a shame to live here and not take advantage of it. But, it's just as well, things are crowded enough out in the great outdoors.

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by BigFatMeanie

So you're talking about car camping - not backpacking? Or are you applying your assertion about comfort to backpacking as well? I'm not sure I would agree with your comfort assertion if applied to backpacking.

Here's what I don't get about car camping: People want to be comfortable while camping so they go to all this planning and effort to pack gear, set up big mattresses, buy camping trailers, generators, whatever. I just don't see how camping brings any joy that is worth that kind of effort. Having a cookout? Enjoying the great outdoors? You don't need to go camping to do those things. They could save a lot of time and effort by just having a cookout or enjoying the great outdoors on their back lawn.

"But, but - It's not the same!", Mr. Camper splutters. Fine. If I want to have a cookout I'll just drive up the canyon and have a cookout or dutch oven by the bubbling stream, and still sleep in my own bed, shower in my own shower, and watch Sportscenter. A better experience than anything Mr. Camper can provide. If I want to enjoy beautiful mountain scenery, I'll just take a day hike up the canyon to the lake, have a picnic, fish, frolic in the fresh mountain air, etc. and still sleep in my own comfortable bed, shower in my own shower, and watch Sportscenter. In other words, I can experience whatever joys people get from camping without all the hassle, fuss, campfire-stinky sleeping bags, dirt, bugs, equipment, etc.

I could possibly understand the appeal of backpacking, where you leave behind civilization, hike into the mountains with everything on your back, and don't run into any other people for a whole week. I can be convinced that backpacking offers experiences you can't achieve any other way. Car camping, however, just doesn't offer enough unique appeal to make up for its hassle.

The appeal of car camping is sitting around the fire until 2am shootin' the shit with your buddies.

[il Padrino Ute]

Some of my greatest memories as a 10-15 year old kid with my dad are from when we would spend a week in the high Uintas doing nothing but fishing in one of the many small lakes and eating what we pulled out of the water.

That and spending time wandering around Boulder Mountain looking for Bambi and blowing him away.

As soon as my youngest is 10 - next year in fact - I'll do the same with my boys. I am looking forward to it, as I enjoy camping in the primitive wilderness areas, hunting and I love flyfishing as much as I love golfing.