Highs and Lows of Camping

A hoy-hoy! Feel like talking camping today? Okay, good! (Pretending like you said that you were). My husband and I are embarking in a new adventure by purchasing the Happier Camper HC1. This new venture has lead me to realize that I think (hope) it would be beneficial to discuss the differences from tent camping to camping in our A-Frame, to now the HC1. First of all, I have to admit that we do not have the HC1 and have therefore not been camping in it. Second of all, I made the list of Pros and Cons with help. To address the first caveat, I will, once we receive the HC1 create another post about it! I am very excited for this! I will write down a couple of things that we know about the HC1 in this article too, but will get more in depth at a later point in time ( you know, when we actually get it LOL). Without further ado, let’s dive into the Pros and Cons of the different types of camping that at least I have experienced. You may agree or disagree with my friends and me, but this is what we came up with. 

TENT CAMPING

PROS: Let’s start with the good stuff! The first word that comes to mind when thinking of tent camping is: simplicity. Now, tent camping is not as simple as hiking/camping, but, for those of us, it is as simple as it gets. There is the tent, the fire, and you. Yes of course we could also bring in the cooler, the sleeping bags and so on. But honestly, compared to some RVers with electricity, toilets, showers, black and gray tanks and so on and so forth. Comparatively, tent camping is, well, simple: you, the tent, and nature. Unlike RVs, tents are relatively little to low on maintenance and upkeep. Maybe a patch here or there, if needed, if you purchase a good quality tent, it will last for years. RVs on the other hand, begin to show their age with wear and tear. The longer you have an RV, the more stuff can go wrong, from electrical to screws coming out of the walls to leaking. Another benefit of tent camping is the lack of electricity. That means the opportunity for camping spots opens up for you. Typically, everyone wants/needs an electrical camping spot to plug in their campers and RVs for lights and heat and air. With the use of a tent, there is no need for electricity! Most of us that tent camp have all of the lights we needs through lanterns and most of the items we might use typically take batteries. 

I must say that since the Pandemic, the popularity of camping has increased. Which is great, except now it is hard to find spots and planning and preparation are required: gone are the days of last minute camping trips…. Unless you have a tent, there are usually plenty of primitive spots. Not only does it open up the amount of spots available, but no truck is required. I have a Honda Insight and we could take that camping because we don’t have a cumbersome RV or camper to haul around. This also means not having to buy expensive towing packages for the camper or your vehicle. Speaking of RVs and campers, tent camping is, in general, or can be, less expensive. Now of course, the more gizmos and gadgets you have, the more expensive it can be, but as a rule, tent camping has less of the frills and more “back to nature” vibes. 

CONS: So, here’s the thing: I actually cannot stand tent camping. Hence why I had collaborators help me with the Pros and Cons lists. Am I a complete princess because I require air conditioning? Maybe, don’t care. I will go for a couple of days without a shower (I use baby wipes to freshen up), don’t really care about my hair, and I don’t wear make-up. However, I need air conditioning, darn it! Okay! That being said, lets get started!! Let’s begin with my number one Con with tent camping: mugginess and all-around feeling of dampness in the tent. I’m sorry, I HATE it. That’s right, HATE. I hate being excited to go to bed and have your pillow and blankets be damp and moist. Yup, I said it, I said the word. Moist. HATE IT. You also have to make sure that nothing touches the sides at night or they and tent will become wet with condensation. If you have a smaller tent, this makes the space even tighter. Speaking of condensation; if you pack up early in the morning while there is still dew on the tent, the moment you get home, you should set the tent up again in order to dry everything out and make sure that the next time you set up the tent, there isn’t mildew. The set-up and take down is also time consuming and annoying. My husband and I actually only set up our tent once together. After that, he would go down before me with a friend. They would set up everyone’s tents before the rest of us got off work to join them. (Side Note: to be fair, my husband and I cannot canoe together either, so….). 

Storage. Now, this is an interesting Con to discuss. Why? Because. LOL. Okay, but seriously, when tent camping, you are pretty much camping out of your car as you have most of your belongings such as chairs, coolers, any tables, and canopies. When we used to tent camp, we actually had a separate tiny tent that we would put all of our food supplies and the cooking apparatuses into. This being said, there are some campers that are small or even teeny tiny that also requires you to use your vehicle as storage. Just wanted to let you know that it can also be a Con for small campers (to be fair). Another note I should make is: use of a good cooler. There are no refrigerators, so you want to make sure you get a good quality cooler – your health more than likely will depend on it. 

Comfort. LOL, this is interesting as you get older (whether we want to admit this or not), but, comfort is something we need to discuss. As kids, our parents gave us sleeping bags and we were good to go laying on the tent’s floor. In our teens and early twenties, a blow up mattress was good. Beginning in our thirties and definitely our forties, we trade up to a cot. Problem is, those take up precious room in the tent. And not all cots are comfy. I had one that was not the greatest and very narrow to where I felt like I couldn’t move lest I fell off. 

In general, those are the Pros and Cons of tent camping. As we move into RV or camper camping, I think we will see that some of the items in the tent list will also be relevant for the RV camping list. I should also explain that this list is made by my friends and I to reflect our style of camping. I will try to divulge more into this, especially when we get into the aspect of having (or not) kitchens and bathrooms. 

RV/CAMPER CAMPING

PROS: As with tent camping, I will tell you the first word that comes to my mind when I think of RV camping: comfort. Now, don’t get me wrong, its not like a five star hotel or anything. But. There is heat and air conditioning, well, our A-Frame did at any rate. And those two amenities are worth the price of admission, to me. LOL. Next, there is a bed. I believe in the new, more expensive campers and RVs, the beds are of good quality. However, for many of the older models, the beds are better than cots and air mattresses, but can still cause backaches. There are tips and tricks to make your bed more comfy (I go more into that in my other Glamping post). However, there is a bed!! And did I perhaps add that there is typically air conditioning and heat? No? LOL, I didn’t think I had mentioned it. Having a bed is one major benefit to me is the addition of heat and air conditioning. Another feature of RV or camper camping is the amount of storage you have! So much storage that doesn’t have to be jammed into your car and taken out and then put away when the trip is over: it all just stays in the RV/camper. Lovely and easy. 

Bathroom/Kitchen – Okay, here is a point of controversy of an opinion that I have (well, my husband and I have): we don’t like bathrooms or kitchens in our campers. I know, I know, “but, Bridget, why not?! What! Its so convenient and wonderful!” So, no. I say, no. LOL. Sorry. Here is why, you can take and leave it or understand. Either way, I’m okay with. First of all, the main reason we do not use kitchens or bathrooms while camping in the RVs is because of the gray and black tanks. The filling up, and then the inevitable emptying of said tanks, as well as cleaning of the bathroom and kitchen area (not to mention pooping in the same small space in which we sleep just sounds YUCK!!). We just don’t want to deal with it. And honestly, do to the many years of tent camping, we are simply used to cooking and cleaning outside. And as of yet, we do not boondock and always make sure that where we camp, there are bathrooms with running water. I am placing kitchens and bathrooms in the Pros because almost everyone else considers these as such. Which I totally understand. We just don’t want to deal with all of the work (and waiting) and smells that comes with these items in your RVs or campers. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!! Now, that being said, if we ever choose to begin boon docking, we may invest in a little toilet, but that is down the road a bit, I think. For now, we are happy camping in State or National parks. Can I see how this could be nice? Absolutely. However, we are just too lazy to deal with not only the emptying and maintaining with chemicals, there is also winterizing and just the general grossness of the toilet situation. Some, many, will most likely disagree and that’s okay. I’m just a girl, giving her opinions on indoor kitchens and toilets (in RVs) LOL. 

Another great benefit with RV/campers: setup! Lovely, easy set up!! A couple of years ago, my husband and I pulled up to our campsite, in the rain. Of course. LOL. We setup everything and were done within 5 minutes (A-Frames are so easy). The next day, our “neighbor” came by to ask about the A-Frame and exclaimed how shocked they were when we pulled up in the rain. He commented on how he had thought were were in trouble trying to setup in the rain and then saw how quickly we were done! Barely got wet! One last Pro, that is more a Bridget Pro, is (don’t laugh or roll your eyes): redecorating. Yes, redecorating. LET ME GLAMP!!! Hahaha. Sorry, but I truly enjoy picking out colors and fabrics and such. In a tent, you can’t really do that besides a blanket here and a cool lantern over there. But in general, only true fun of be had with blankets and curtains and the like. I like to make things as cozy and comfortable as I can. Hop on over to my Glamping the A-Frame blog and see what my husband and I did to our, then new, A-Frame! 

CONS: Piggybacking off of the pro of it being easy to setup, I must tell you, that since the pandemic, camping sites are very hard to find last minute. Some sites you have to get a year in advanced. Especially the electric sites, we have noticed that the primitive sites are open, but not the case with the electric sites. And unless you have solar and can stay in primitive sites, RVs and campers need the electric sites. With that being said, I feel like, in general, RV camping is more expensive then tent camping as there are a lot of maintenance costs and traveling costs involved. With getting and using an RV, you need a vehicle that is capable of safely towing it(n normally a truck). Not just any truck, a truck with the towing package. You are pulling a large RV behind you, therefore you are go to go through a lot of fuel, and you are going to have more maintenance costs not only for your RV but for the truck as well. More oil changes, brakes (for both vehicle and RV) as well as tires, a lot of tires. 

Now, the RVs are made to last, but, after 10 or so years, with all of the bumping and moving, walls and screws begin to loosen and come out. And unlike a house, it is difficult to re-screw them back into the walls as they are not drywall. They are thinner and therefore have nothing for the screws to hold onto. In our poor A-Frame we have lost a mirror, the small curtain for the door window, and the side wall has popped out from the microwave cabinet. Now, the cabinet is still anchored to the floor and is not moving around, but still, the wall is no longer attached to it. Also, leaking occurs. The more windows you have, the more leaking you get. By experience, suddenly getting rained on in your camper is pretty much akin to getting rained on in your tent. 

All of these issues I have mentioned can be fixed, of course they can, I am just saying and pointing out that this all costs money. One last issues I will discuss, which I have already brought up, are the gray and black tanks. DISCLAIMER: again, this is my opinion. Is it nice to be able to go to the bathroom and take showers like at home? Yes. Is it nice to wash your dishes? Also, yes. However, once all of that is done, you have to do something with all of that used water. YOU have to take care of it. So yeah… also, once winter will be setting in, you have to winterize the pipes and such to make sure they do not freeze. There are a lot of chemicals involved in maintaining these tanks. Once you are ready to use your RV again, you have to clean out the tanks and lines to make sure the winterizer is gone. Again, my husband and I feel like it is not worth it, at this time. Now, if we ever decide to start boondocking, I can see us investing in a portable toilet. But, that is a bit down the road (see what I did there? Down the road??!!). 

So, there it is. For better or worse, these are my Pros and Cons for tent or RV camping. I hope you enjoyed this, please let me know if you would like more camping posts. I was planning on doing another one when we get out HC1. Either way, get out there, explore and unplug! Camping and getting out into nature in general is great for the soul (and anxiety)!