The real cost of camping vs not

Thomas/NH wrote:
What did it for me was... Staying at a cheap motel in Georgia (Hampton Inn off I95) on a road trip they made me sign a waver. "If any body fluids are found on the mattress in the morning you agree to purchase a new mattress". I asked, "how often do you have to buy a new mattresses?" The clerk responded, 3 or 4 per week. I then said, your kidding, right? She said, wished I was.

It's now; my own bed, my own toilet, my own sink and my own food.... And no, I'm not a germaphobe, I grew up on a farm in VT.

Ha, that's pretty nice that they do that. I'm a police officer and worked 13 years in patrol in an urban setting. The things that I have seen inside hotel rooms were enough to make me never really want to set foot in another one. I work in investigations now, and I can tell you that I try not to touch any surface inside of a hotel room if I can avoid it.

That goes for cheap-o "rent by the hour" motels up to the Hilton that was in my patrol area. I know every rear end that has hit my mattress and my toilet seat. I know every foot that has touched my shower floor. I know every thumb that has hit the buttons on my remote control. We use our pots and pans to cook meals.

That makes it PRICELESS for me.

Furthermore, the longer you stay at a destination, the cheaper the nightly rate is. For example, it costs me 84 gallons of diesel to drive to Florida, another 84 to get home. If I go for a week, that is a more expensive trip. Staying on vacation for 17 days though stretches that cost out and makes it much more affordable. Then factor in that we are stopping at Savannah and Charleston on the way down and back up, you get 2 more cities for essentially the same price as the Florida trip... just another $40 a night.

Flying, renting a car, renting a hotel, going out to eat for most meals... that stuff adds up AND it wouldn't afford me the opportunity to spend time in the other cities along the way.