Starter(Newbie) questions about getting started camping.

[Captainstarfleet]

nevermind shebantam I understand now that I read your post again

[dademt]

I will put my 2 cents in as I have tent camped my whole life but just started pop up last year.  Always put a tarp under for protection otherwise you will find lots of little pin holes that will leak.  Don't waste money on all the gadgets to "accessorize" your tent, you will basically only sleep in it.  If you try to spend to much time in there you will only get everything dirty and moist.  Which brings up one more idea, get a cheap door mat to put outside your tent so you can take your shoes off before stepping in.  We use to put a second one inside to keep the shoes on if the weather was bad.  Dome tents are the best, lighter and they don't bend up in the wind like pole tents do.  I have used "cheap" walmart/kmart/others over the years and they all work well.  Keeping your sleeping bags rolled up during the day will keep the moisture out of them.  Another idea would be to visit a boy scout store and pick up a manual on camping.  They have lots of great ideas (usually very cheap ideas at that).  You might actually consider two smaller tents to give your daughter her own and then you wouldn't have to worry about being to large on a site.  You could split the two tents to opposite sides.  Sorry to type so much, leave it to a cub master to get excited when some asks how to tent camp.

[SheBantam]

OK lets go back to my favorite store...and talking about daughter ahving a seperate tent.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3616045
(you need to make a trip to Delaware for sales tax free shopping) Walmart has a 3 room/3 tent tent...it can be joined together for one big but divided tent or a large tent and two smaller ones. This tent is actually in my Walmart store and I think the price is closer to $70.00

[Captainstarfleet]

Hey Guys!   Been trying to take your advice and have been trying to find an affordable PU. one on e-bay but i stopped bidding on it because the guy won't email me back with the answers to my questions. and another from the classifieds on pupup times. Thanks Tracy for all your help in this!    Keeping my fingers crossed.

[SheBantam]

I would be leary of a popup rom e-bay without actually seeing it up close and personal before I started bidding...

We bought our very very first popup from a dealer in Symryna DE for $800 cash, we took it out that weekend and lo and behold it literally fell apart...the wood between the paneling and the aluminum outter covering was rotten...It almost took an act of conress to get them to even look at it...Their mouths dropped open when we pulled it into their garage, they could not figure out how we got it back together...Had to wait for our check to clear before we got our money back, then bought the Jayco, which has mildew holes in the canvas, the water lines were messed up, no a/c and a few other MINOR problems. It was not worth what we paid for it, BUT this was when gas prices started raising, the spring of 2001 and popups were few and far between, so we took what we could.  We did enjoy it and was considering buying new canvas and an AC, but put that money on the Bantam instead and saved the Jayco when Raymond wants to take his grandkids camping with us (we take both trailers), so we had to buy a minivan to pull the Jayco when we pull the Bantam also (truth is I REALLY wanted the Minivan and the towing was just the excuse to get Raymond to agree).

So be careful when you buy one and if it is cheap, then you probably will have to do some work on it.