An Overwhelmed Beginner's Journey
Hello there! After reading tons of great threads and info on this site for a few weeks now, this will be my first post. :) And while the topic of my first post is (as I’m sure has been the case fo...
Forum Discussion
One thing not discussed very much on these forum, and something probably not talked about too much in the campground either is, how we all got started and finally ended up with what we have right now.
Except for a very few exceptions, I'm pretty certain most of us started tent camping, moved to a pop-up next. After finances became stronger as we age, get better employment opportunities, advances, raises, promotions, and a higher income, we've had the baseline of tent camping, and pop-up camping and eventually move to our first hard sided camper. Some make the leap and go right to motor homes, but they are the exceptional, not necessarily the ordinary. And not everyone can be "exceptional". For the rest of us, we "grew" to where we are now.
AND!!! You will too!
I think you are right on track when you are considering a pop-up. But, before you make that first leap, why not get a simple tent, begin to gather your camping gear, like sleeping bags, pots and pans, camping chairs, stuff like that, and simply go camping with your current vehicle. You will learn a lot in a very short time, and it will also get you exposed to the practical side of things, like .... preparing meals and planning for time away from home, and time spent together in close quarters. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. You can start immediately, even before this next week-end if you want, you could have a campsite waiting on you. No time like RIGHT NOW to get started.
Actually, you can set up a tent in your own back yard to get started. The idea of a camper is not the magic bullet. It's not the cure. It's the tool you use. Camping has to be in your blood, it has to be in your soul, it has to be in your life. Otherwise, you are just acquiring a high priced toy that will soon be discarded and money lost.
I certainly hope I never have to go back to a tent. But if something happened and I lost truck and trailer, I would not stop camping. I'd start all over, and just to keep going, would not hesitate to start over with a pop-up.
We did not get our first hard sided trailer until both our kids were completely out of high school, simply because we could not afford more. Once they left home, we then had disposable money, because it wasn't being spent on the kids for school books, supplies, FOOD, FOOD, and and more FOOD! Clothing and every other item that came along! But we had a pop-up, it was affordable, it was towable, it was a LOT of fun and we enjoyed it greatly!
So, what I'm saying is, don't get hung up on thinking camping is about the RV or the tow vehicle. Its not. It's about a life-style change and a change of mind and the way you think about the world around you.
No tent? Well, get a couple lawn chairs this week end, throw a blanket over them, outside in the back yard, and have the family sleep under it this Friday night! You'll have a blast!
Except for a very few exceptions, I'm pretty certain most of us started tent camping, moved to a pop-up next. After finances became stronger as we age, get better employment opportunities, advances, raises, promotions, and a higher income, we've had the baseline of tent camping, and pop-up camping and eventually move to our first hard sided camper. Some make the leap and go right to motor homes, but they are the exceptional, not necessarily the ordinary. And not everyone can be "exceptional". For the rest of us, we "grew" to where we are now.
AND!!! You will too!
I think you are right on track when you are considering a pop-up. But, before you make that first leap, why not get a simple tent, begin to gather your camping gear, like sleeping bags, pots and pans, camping chairs, stuff like that, and simply go camping with your current vehicle. You will learn a lot in a very short time, and it will also get you exposed to the practical side of things, like .... preparing meals and planning for time away from home, and time spent together in close quarters. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. You can start immediately, even before this next week-end if you want, you could have a campsite waiting on you. No time like RIGHT NOW to get started.
Actually, you can set up a tent in your own back yard to get started. The idea of a camper is not the magic bullet. It's not the cure. It's the tool you use. Camping has to be in your blood, it has to be in your soul, it has to be in your life. Otherwise, you are just acquiring a high priced toy that will soon be discarded and money lost.
I certainly hope I never have to go back to a tent. But if something happened and I lost truck and trailer, I would not stop camping. I'd start all over, and just to keep going, would not hesitate to start over with a pop-up.
We did not get our first hard sided trailer until both our kids were completely out of high school, simply because we could not afford more. Once they left home, we then had disposable money, because it wasn't being spent on the kids for school books, supplies, FOOD, FOOD, and and more FOOD! Clothing and every other item that came along! But we had a pop-up, it was affordable, it was towable, it was a LOT of fun and we enjoyed it greatly!
So, what I'm saying is, don't get hung up on thinking camping is about the RV or the tow vehicle. Its not. It's about a life-style change and a change of mind and the way you think about the world around you.
No tent? Well, get a couple lawn chairs this week end, throw a blanket over them, outside in the back yard, and have the family sleep under it this Friday night! You'll have a blast!
