How did you get started?

[Komodo]

There are probably as many reasons for choosing camping as there are members in this forum. I thought if we share some of these reasons it might give other campers ideas that might make some of our camping trips a little different from time to time, or place to place.

The reason I chose camping is based on my love for scuba diving. I dive a lot and the different dive sites could take anywhere from two to fifteen hours of driving to get at. I used to book hotels but found the before and after diving activities such as equipment cleanup very cumbersome.

Then one year I took a friends advice and tried camping. It was a tent but I loved going to the dive site by foot straight from my campsite. I loved it so much the very next trip was with my brand new Rockwood HW277. For the last three years now camping and diving is one and the same parcel.

Here are some of my camping / scuba photos
MSDdivers

How did you get started?

[Iwritecode]

Parents had a permanent site when I was a kid. My grandparents were in the same CG and my uncle was only 1 year older than me so I had always had somehow to pal around with.

My parents pulled their trailer out when I was around 8 or so but I typically spent a week or so during the summer with my grandparents in their trailer.

When my wife and I got married we got a tent for a wedding present. Spent about a year using that before buying a bare bones pop-up. Have since upgraded over the years to 42' fiver on a permanent spot of our own.

My parents ended up coming full circle and have a 28' TT on the site right next to ours.

[Gleaner]

I grew up tent camping.
When I was a teenager my family got a pickup camper. It was good.

When I got married we always tent camped.
We were young and being wet now and then wasn't that big of deal.

Then we had kids.......
After a few wet, muddy trips, we rented a TT for long weekends.
Then we bought one.

Not goin' back.....

[oxcamper]

Avid backpackers for 30+ years.
Got old
Tired of sleeping on rocks
Tired of setting tents up in the rain and dark
Just tired!

[Kels4g]

A love of traveling and hiking.

[SuicideSaints]

My father and I went camping every summer, usually just one trip that lasted a week. This was some of the best memories from my childhood. I didnt camp for years and the I went with my father in law and wife and his camper. After a few years he bought a new 5th wheel and gave us the old TT. We used that TT for 4 years or so, then we had a son of our own and now we bought a brand new TT that fits us perfect.

It all started with my dad and hopefullly for my son it all starts with me, I know he loves camping now and he's only 3.

[Kzutter]

Backpacking->Tent Camping->PopUp->Travel Trailer
Teens & 20s->30's->40's->50's->60's

[cdangel0]

Grew up tent camping. Got away from it for years, had kids and got an itch one day. Bought a tent on Ebay to use in the backyard. After a year of mini-trips and camp-yard I finally convinced my wife to try it for a short weekend. She loved it.

Tent camped for a few years, then my back got old, and my knees got bad. One night we ended up with bear cubs in our site. Bought a pop-up shortly thereafter.

Then I got tired of setting up the pop-up, trying to store everything we needed, and lifting the pop-up roof in to place with my beer still on it. Had a terrible storm once and ended up with DW and I, 3 kids, and 1 very frightened dog. Upgraded to a new to us Hybrid before the next trip.

When that finally fell apart we upgraded to the TT we have today. Now we take more trips, to better places, with more conveniences, and set up is all but done in about 10 minutes.

[Radio]

Our knees got tired.

Rattling around in the cupboard of our 5th wheel are some of the "pots and pans" we used to take backpacking. And my floppy hat. Still have that.

[mcnabbwr]

Parents and grandparents camped, this was one of the many two week vacations out west with the parents and dads new truck.

[SkipnTerri]

My parents got my brother and I camping in the mid-60s with their Go-Lite TT. When I met Skip ('74), he had only tent camped so, consequently, I regressed (for a bit). Since then -- pop-up, TT, 5er, A, and now C. Lots of fun with every type!!!

[Wobbles]

I learned to camp with my father. Learned to improve my trips from my father (he loved gadgets, had a cigarette lighter powered coffee pot in the station wagon in the 60's). I have even spent a few years in a jungle hammock as a minimalist. I now want the creature comforts, not just because of the wife, yes I use her to explain to my buddies why I now plan my trips.


I am Getting older and can pay for the better slice of life, not rich, just not going to spend 2K for an airplane ride somewhere for a week or two for one vacation a year.

[bob caldwell]

Boy Scouts...dad was a scout master, later a district commissioner, took me on a cross country trip to a jamboree in Valley Forge, then got away from camping only to return when I built a street rod .....went to some local rod runs, met folks, started going further, so a open trailer and a tent where the norm...getting older, ground getting harder, bought a Starcraft tent trailer. Then my dad passed and my brother didn't want dad's trailer, so it became mine....used it for awhile, then my ship came in, and I got my (our) 5er.

[SKnight]

My parents had a little PUP in the 70's. I don't remember too much, but I remember it was fun. I become an adult, and got thinking about it. The ex said no way.

Then I got into astronomy, which led to tent camping at star parties (Think convention, in a field, with tents.) so we tented for a couple of years. One of those sites had open top showers.

One fine day, sweating in the tent, she came practically bursting in, soaking wet, towel around her, clothes in hand.

"You know how you've been talking about a camper? Today's your lucky day, cause we're going shopping."

It seems that as she was taking a shower there was a guy on top of a coach with a video camera. Not pointed at her, but scanning the field. She lost it and decided she needed her own shower with a roof.

That was 2002, I started with a 28' TT, now I've got a 38' 5er. We started taking vacations in it, since the payment was part of the household budget we enjoyed the extra spending money camping allowed. It's funny, now that I went bigger I'm boondocking more, sometimes for free. Go bigger, it gets cheaper!

[NoviBill]

Been doing it from before I remember.

Camping at 11
Our Banner 17' trailer that slept 6 - 1971 by cdrdwd, on Flickr

Backpacking at 20
img048 by cdrdwd, on Flickr

Back to camping at 50 something...
Our Lexington 255DS Sleeps 4 - 2015 by cdrdwd, on Flickr

It is a great way to connect to old friends and new friends, nature and God.

[SkipnTerri]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

Boy Scouts...dad was a scout master, later a district commissioner, took me on a cross country trip to a jamboree in Valley Forge, then got away from camping only to return when I built a street rod .....went to some local rod runs, met folks, started going further, so a open trailer and a tent where the norm...getting older, ground getting harder, bought a Starcraft tent trailer. Then my dad passed and my brother didn't want dad's trailer, so it became mine....used it for awhile, then my ship came in, and I got my (our) 5er.

Our tent trailer (pop-up) was a Starcraft as well -- '82

[Allzright]

Originally Posted by Wobbles

I learned to camp with my father. Learned to improve my trips from my father (he loved gadgets, had a cigarette lighter powered coffee pot in the station wagon in the 60's).

I found a complete set of percolator, cups, and mini-canisters in a case at a garage sale. Included AC and DC (cigarette lighter) cords and a metal device to attach to open glove box (back in the 60s when they were metal). Green of course It is now carried in our truck and still used!

Ours was tent camping until we realized even with air mattresses it was too rough. Rented a class C for a few days (having never been in an RV before). Within a month we had purchased a truck and fifth wheel. We are now "majority timers" (out 7-8 months a year).

[bob caldwell]

Originally Posted by SkipnTerri

Our tent trailer (pop-up) was a Starcraft as well -- '82

When I bought mine, I needed something I could pull with my Model A that didn't way a ton.....sure was a step up.

[Wobbles]

Originally Posted by SKnight

That was 2002, I started with a 28' TT, now I've got a 38' 5er. We started taking vacations in it, since the payment was part of the household budget we enjoyed the extra spending money camping allowed. It's funny, now that I went bigger I'm boondocking more, sometimes for free. Go bigger, it gets cheaper!

Got the wife's vote when I took her tent camping after a bad night in the tent over tree roots. Bought a TT months later. I am now working on her mind to get her into a 5er. Might take a year or two but the backing up arguments are working on her. (She just cannot stand behind the TT and give me a thumbs up when I cannot see her in the mirror)

[SkipnTerri]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

When I bought mine, I needed something I could pull with my Model A that didn't way a ton.....sure was a step up.

We had a '79 Camaro