We have spent the last several weekends camping out by a nearby lake where the fishing is good and the neighbours are few. Our camper is a 15 foot hard sided fold down type that sleeps four. It was a two burner stove, furnace, fridge and sink inside with a four person dining area that converts to a double bed. As the camper is wired for electricity from a battery, there is a ceiling fan and two ceiling lights. Camp time night reading is done with flashlights leaning on one's shoulder.
As we spend 98% of the time cooking, washing, and sitting outside, the inside sink has never been used, the propane stove was used to boil water for noodles once, and the furnace is turned on for only early spring and fall nights. Food is kept inside for safe keeping from temperature and flies. Dishes and pots and pans are stored outside on a little camp table. Potable water is stored in the camper and there is an electric pump that allows one to get water from the attached outside type shower hose mechanism. All cooking is done over the fire. We carry to the camp two chairs, our own wood, ax and hand saw along with a metal fire ring that originally was the metal tub from an old washing machine. All these are packed in the back of a 1/4 Ton Chevy truck. Portable washroom facilities are placed in a privacy tent set apart from the main camping area. Fish cleaning and garbage containment is handled through using recycled bags that are packed and carried home for disposal.
Our fishing canoe is equipped with homemade outrigger system and an electric motor. We carry the quietest 1000 W generator on the market and regenerate the battery for only an hour every three days. For news updates of the world we carry a battery powered shortwave radio which is turned on for perhaps an hour a day at the most.
This method of camping is in stark contrast to the camper or what is referred to as ' the UNIT' in modern camping terms, that set up in the next area to us this past weekend. This 35' fifth wheeler was pulled by an F250 Diesel truck with a 24 foot Lund and a 90 HP Honda motor attached to the rear bumper. The screened awning trimmed with Christmas lights that was set up within 15 minutes of the truck being turned off was bigger than our whole camper. The screened in Gazebo type detached enclosure that was set up within the next half hour would have covered 80% of the rest of the our camping area. The screened in sliding insert into the screened patio door on the side of the camper would cause any insect, bird,or rodent come to a 'screening' halt while at the same time allow hands to pass things such as food, condiments, and sunscreen out into the wilderness and back again.
The WalMart purchased fire ring that never bore flame or heat any time during the three day stay, the 3000W generator that ran during every night, and the woman sweeping cobwebs off the underside of the hitch a long with the periodic smell of RAID that wafted over to our site were some of the indicators that these campers were not really out to enjoy what we in the Master Camping World refer to as the " the full camping experience."
The full camping experience involves horseflies, mosquitoes, spiders, water beetles, flies, wet salt, melted butter, burned fingers, slivers and blisters, singed hair, wet feet, leeches, warm beer, warm water, itchiness anywhere at anytime caused by anything, chipped plates, wet shoes, the taste of Musk oil, scurrying mice, baler twine, tarps , and bungee cords. This activity also involves mammals from the wild , through either sight, sound, or smell, such as moose, birds, raccoons, bears, and skunks.
I think perhaps that if our neighbours had been more in touch with this true camping experience they would have been more aware and more insightful when it came to where they put their new handy dandy plastic string-tied full sized black garbage bags before shutting off their lights and turning on their generator. Otherwise they might have been able to listen for the skunk, raccoon or possibly bear, as it rifled through their garbage that was left against the outside of the 'UNIT'. They would have then avoided the 20 foot swath of food waste, paper, plastic and cans, and loss of privacy that was spread around the campground.
This garbage incident is a prime example that no matter what we do to avoid it we will be taught a lesson every time.
These campers had come to the wilderness for their own reasons and goals, but in spite of all the tireless work they did to try to pretend that they could still achieve their non wilderness living lifestyle , the wilderness was able to still encroach on their comfort zone. This encroachment probably caused just as much disturbance to those visitors to the wild as that which is caused to ants, mice, squirrels, moles or rabbits that might enter into their own homes and gardens accidentally or on purpose.
In truth, the only real difference between our type of visit to the outdoors and that of those neighbours of screen and garbage is that we don't insulate ourselves from the very place we go to visit, therefore we aren't as surprised when 'stuff' happens or goes awry.
As we spend 98% of the time cooking, washing, and sitting outside, the inside sink has never been used, the propane stove was used to boil water for noodles once, and the furnace is turned on for only early spring and fall nights. Food is kept inside for safe keeping from temperature and flies. Dishes and pots and pans are stored outside on a little camp table. Potable water is stored in the camper and there is an electric pump that allows one to get water from the attached outside type shower hose mechanism. All cooking is done over the fire. We carry to the camp two chairs, our own wood, ax and hand saw along with a metal fire ring that originally was the metal tub from an old washing machine. All these are packed in the back of a 1/4 Ton Chevy truck. Portable washroom facilities are placed in a privacy tent set apart from the main camping area. Fish cleaning and garbage containment is handled through using recycled bags that are packed and carried home for disposal.
Our fishing canoe is equipped with homemade outrigger system and an electric motor. We carry the quietest 1000 W generator on the market and regenerate the battery for only an hour every three days. For news updates of the world we carry a battery powered shortwave radio which is turned on for perhaps an hour a day at the most.
This method of camping is in stark contrast to the camper or what is referred to as ' the UNIT' in modern camping terms, that set up in the next area to us this past weekend. This 35' fifth wheeler was pulled by an F250 Diesel truck with a 24 foot Lund and a 90 HP Honda motor attached to the rear bumper. The screened awning trimmed with Christmas lights that was set up within 15 minutes of the truck being turned off was bigger than our whole camper. The screened in Gazebo type detached enclosure that was set up within the next half hour would have covered 80% of the rest of the our camping area. The screened in sliding insert into the screened patio door on the side of the camper would cause any insect, bird,or rodent come to a 'screening' halt while at the same time allow hands to pass things such as food, condiments, and sunscreen out into the wilderness and back again.
The WalMart purchased fire ring that never bore flame or heat any time during the three day stay, the 3000W generator that ran during every night, and the woman sweeping cobwebs off the underside of the hitch a long with the periodic smell of RAID that wafted over to our site were some of the indicators that these campers were not really out to enjoy what we in the Master Camping World refer to as the " the full camping experience."
The full camping experience involves horseflies, mosquitoes, spiders, water beetles, flies, wet salt, melted butter, burned fingers, slivers and blisters, singed hair, wet feet, leeches, warm beer, warm water, itchiness anywhere at anytime caused by anything, chipped plates, wet shoes, the taste of Musk oil, scurrying mice, baler twine, tarps , and bungee cords. This activity also involves mammals from the wild , through either sight, sound, or smell, such as moose, birds, raccoons, bears, and skunks.
I think perhaps that if our neighbours had been more in touch with this true camping experience they would have been more aware and more insightful when it came to where they put their new handy dandy plastic string-tied full sized black garbage bags before shutting off their lights and turning on their generator. Otherwise they might have been able to listen for the skunk, raccoon or possibly bear, as it rifled through their garbage that was left against the outside of the 'UNIT'. They would have then avoided the 20 foot swath of food waste, paper, plastic and cans, and loss of privacy that was spread around the campground.
This garbage incident is a prime example that no matter what we do to avoid it we will be taught a lesson every time.
These campers had come to the wilderness for their own reasons and goals, but in spite of all the tireless work they did to try to pretend that they could still achieve their non wilderness living lifestyle , the wilderness was able to still encroach on their comfort zone. This encroachment probably caused just as much disturbance to those visitors to the wild as that which is caused to ants, mice, squirrels, moles or rabbits that might enter into their own homes and gardens accidentally or on purpose.
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