Roughing it...

So we are preparing for a short trip into the wilds (ie a well appointed campground, complete with bathrooms, electricity and hot running water).

Since we'd like to commune with nature for a little longer this year, and since our children have grown considerably since last year, we accepted that we should probably invest in something a little larger then the 2 pup tents we took last time. (It was cozy).

And so I have been researching tents (ie trying to find the cheapest one that would keep us all relatively dry), air mattresses and other things that make it seem as though you are sort of at home, just slightly less comfortable then if you'd stayed there. In your own home. Camping is weird isn't it? Unless you go all out bundu-then it makes more sense. Anyway back to my shopping for quasi-primitive shelter, quest.

People, people, people. I should have known, but I had no idea. Did you know that there is such a thing as a hybrid sleeping bag? It's what all the movie stars are sleeping in. Did you see the mummy bag? It makes me feel a tad claustrophobic to look at, but I'm imagining that you would welcome the sense of goose-down mummification atop a snow-blown mountain.

Also, there are apparently more species of tents on the market then there are mosquitoes in my backyard. There are tent buying guides, people! Tent buying guides. I could have saved myself literally hours this very morning if I had discovered this sooner. I even found a tent with it's own source of energy. Slick. Personally I feel that while camping you should be comfortable but not TV satellite dish comfortable. Part of the novelty is feeling around in the dark for a flashlight to find out what you are sharing your sleeping bag with. But maybe that's just me. Speaking of flashlights, isn't it funny that we have to become more advanced to become more primitive. I am thinking of crank flashlights which I personally love because kids can read with them until they fade to black.. No more run down batteries or irritable kids who read until 2am.

Further complicating matters, the question of how to cook the food that you caught with your bare hands from the shelves of Kroger. You already know that Dutch ovens have bad connotations for me, so until I return to a place where they are called potjie pots, that's out. No fear. Behold the NASA-esque new generation of camp stoves. I look upon them with reverence and awe and think, "yeah...that's probably not going to happen". We'll be bringing the electric skillet and some sticks for hot-dogs. Let's face it, cooking in my own home kitchen is enough of a challenge for me without bringing bottles of gas into the equation.

And you? Do you camp? How primitive do you go? What is your must have camping item? I discovered the wonders of camping cots topped with egg crate foam (thanks, Bartholomews) at girls camp this year. Dreamy.

All this seriously helpful information brought you by our friends at ShopWiki, who have made the rest of my search so much more meaningful and less, "omigosh let's just call the whole thing off already". I heart you and your wiki ways.

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