This is serious question that I would like everyone to answer

[cyclone]

I was about 5 when my parents discovered the joys of camping.  They borrowed this huge floorless tent from our minister and off we went to a family camp-out at Whitewater in MN.  My mom still laughs at the memory of water running through it when the rains hit.  By the next year, we had our own tent and equipment and they packed 4 kids and all the camp gear into a station wagon and took off on a three week vacation from Iowa to CA.  I remember so many fun trips growing up.  We had our favorite state parks in Iowa and went on a number of vacations we would never have been able to do if not camping.  Colorado, the Black Hills, Niagara Falls, Gettsyburg, Virginia, and on an on.  A couple of those trips were made in pop ups we borrowed from friends.  When I was in high school my parents got a Wheel camper.  Boy, was that luxury!  They eventually sold that camper and stopped camping when they became empty nesters.  

About 10 years later my sister and I (both single) decided we wanted to go camping again.  We borrowed a tent that leaked, and my parents still had the rest of the gear we needed and off we went.  That was enough to make us buy our own tent that didn't leak!  We bought a bigger tent later when we needed more space for the dog.  In the meantime my parents bought another pu when they retired and started camping again, too.  Somewhere in there I found PUT and joined as a wannabe.  About 5 years ago health issues forced my parents into selling the pu to us.  We used it for two seasons before trading it in on the Flagstaff.  We haven't gone as often as we'd like this year, but hope to change that starting next week-end.  

Would we move up to something else other than a pop up?   Yes.  It will happen someday.  A hybrid seems like a logical choice right now.  If we continue camping with each other, we definitely need something with two decent beds.  We like our own space.  For now the Flagstaff perfectly suits our needs.  Easy to tow, store, and enough space.  I suspect that eventually these bones will object to the cranking and lack of bathroom and we'll be looking for something else.  In the meantime, Happy Camping!

[fritz_monroe]

I did lots of camping as a kid in the Boy Scouts.  My parents didn't camp at all.  I absolutely loved camping.  After getting married and having kids, we tent camped a couple times.  My DW and kids enjoyed it, but I ended up doing the majority of setup and take down since someone needed to watch the kids and I knew what needed done.

We had always planned on getting a camper of some sort, but looked at the Class C RVs to use for travelling.  We don't have the storage space for something that big, though.  We though about it a little and decided that we wanted the kids do some camping.  We have space for a pup, so started looking at them.

Now, our plans for the future still include a larger camper, but that is far in the future.  After retirement, we will probably go the 5er route and do some actuall RVing instead of camping.

[Kelly]

I agree with the others ~ Great Thread!

I'm sure you have all read my story in the most recent isssue of PUT magazine, so I won't bore you with all the details.  

My parents bought a tent when I was 10 or 11 and we used that for many years.  Mostly on trips throughout Minnesota, but also on one road trip out to Yellowstone and back.  Once I started working (at 16) I missed out on most of the trips.  We also went to the same private campground every June.  The first trip was in 1977 ~ the last for my parents was in 2006.  They camped there in the tent, two different pickup campers and finally a Class C motorhome.  Anyway ~ the seed was planted.

In 2001 I convinced then dh to rent a popup for a vacation to Montana.  That was all she wrote.  We bought our own pu the following year.  Following the divorce ~ he kept that camper and I bought a new-to-me one (thanks HersheyGirl!).  I love my PU.  The kids named her Hershey and we've had many adventures in the past 3 camping seasons.  We have 17 states on our camping map and hope to add at least a few more before the children start flying the coop!

Our PU has few amenities ... furnace, fridge (with teeny-tiny freezer), a/c and that's about it.  And I like it that way.  It's hard to explain to some that sense of satisfaction I get from "putting my house together" every time we camp.  I don't mind cranking up the roof and my kids are old enough to help.  Set up is just part of the camping experience for me.  

This camper fits us so perfectly right now and I just can't imagine anything else out there fitting better.  

Will I move on to something else some day?  Sure.  If the moon and all the stars align and I am able to retire when I want to (okay ~ a big IF sometimes!) then then plan calls for downsizing.  When the kids are grown, I'd like to find a nice little A-Liner or Chalet and do a little more exploring.  They tell me they'll come with and I tell them they can't.  They can join me some place, but they'd better bring their own tent!  lol

I agree with the others ... we all have our own story and our own reasons for camping.  To each his own.  I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be out there enjoying the time I have with my kids and fellow campers.

[paulski617]

Dw and I had both camped as kids.  My family always in a tent and her's in a small travel trailer.  I used to tell her that wasn't camping.  Funny how things come back to bite you in the butt.  I remember my dad going to look at a pop up one time, he was interested, but just didn't have the money, so we continued to tent camp.  

After DW and I were married we borrowed my parent's old tent, which they let us keep, and spent as much time as possible camping.  A rodent of some sort ate a good section of it out, which greatly upset me.  We had to buy a new one.  It was one of the cheap nylon type, I wasn't real happy with it, but couldn't afford a canvas one.  

We used it for about 7 years, and still have it.  We were planning a fairly long, for us, trip this year down to LA.  I didn't feel that sleeping on the ground with all the rain I've heard they have and the alligators would be a good idea.  So, I looked into every other possibility, KOA kamping kabins, motels, renting a pup, etc.  With the cost of all these options being over $400 for a week, I convinced DW that we should look for an older, cheap pup.  This is the bite me in the butt part-She said, but wwhen we started going out you said that camping in any kind of camper wasn't camping.  I told her, yeah, but that was 25 years ago, my body isn't the same as it was back then, is your's?  

I came across 2 of the small tent campers, like the Apache that someone else had mentioned, and thought that it would serve our needs perfectly.  The first one was only around for about 2 days before someone snatched it and the other, I couldn't convince DW to go on a 6 hour roundtrip, on the chance that we may want to buy it.  We finally found one, a little bigger than I was originally figureing on.  We are happy with it, and actually just the other day were discussing the chances of us deciding to get something different.  We both feel that what we have serves our needs well.  We just wish that we had AC.  I've been looking at mods for them all over and found a couple of temporary set ups that I think I may consider.  We figure there's only 1-2 times a year that we really need it, so I don't want to do any permanent installation.  

We have discussed that we would possibly like to move to a TT or small motorhome after retirement, in order to do more extensive traveling.  That, however, is at least 25 years away.  Until then we will keep what we have unless it gets in too poor of condition, then we'll look for something else similar.

[PattieAM]

In my childhood I began 'camping' by pitching a cot in a clump of woods nearby my house.  That clump of bushes became 'the fort', and the deer had made trails through it.  Had an old Omaha Steaks styrofoam cooler I wedged between two branches and that was my refrigerator (used frozen milk jug for ice), had a 3 hole cinderblock on the ground I used as a stove (with charcoal), a wedged dishpan for a sink, a couple pieces of 1x 6 boards were various shelves.  I made a bathroom with an old tire, hole and trashbag, and privacy in that bathroom was beach towels snagged on the branches or clothespins.  My pals thought this was the neatest place (better than a treehouse).  We'd walk the roads and collect coke bottles to turn in to get money for food ... bologna was .69, bread was about the same price - less as you could get half-loaves.  Being all of 10-13, our diet was fried bologna and eggs.  We even picked blackberries to sell at our road-side stand.  Sissy and I spent many nights in our fort, and we even had a siamese cat living with us.  One night the cat was yowling/growling to beat the band and we went to check it out and discovered a skunk in our bathroom!

Ah, all good things come to an end....in later years when eldest child was about 7, picked up the camping bug again, as a neat inexpensive get away and we did weekend camping trips for several years.  Then we joined relatives for 2 week family reunion tent camping trips in NC for maybe 10 years.  About 5 years ago I developed RA, and found packing/set up to be too much.  Rather than stop camping decided to change my lifestyle and bought a popup.  My two criteria were potty and AC!  Bought an 06 Fleetwood Niagara and love it.  Love being off the ground when sleeping.  Love having AC in the heat of the summer.  Really enjoy not having to tote a ton of stuff for a 2 week trip.  Can't say that I really miss sleeping in a tent in the rain or cleaning the sand/dirt of out one.  Having the potty is a nighttime blessing.  Love the refrigerator - daily ice trips were an expensive issue.  I love the outdoorsy-ness of the Popup with it's tenting, but I sure love the amenities that are self-contained.  Love being able to hook up and go.

I don't think I will go to a travel trailer, but it will depend upon my health.  If I can't set up my PUP, it will be something to consider.

Since my original post, I did go look at travel trailers, compared several and liked most of the floorplans and even the prices.  Fell in love with the 2008 Outback (the side glide out bed giving a bedroom with space!).  Came home and dreamed for a few days and spent the night in my PUP.  Thinking about towing the TT - and remembering wind resistance, passing tractor trailers, and also storage/maintenance/cleaning of the unit.....I definately put the TT on a back burner.  Love being able to clean the PUP roof by standing on a small step stool.  PUP 'fits' just about anywhere and is lower than my tow vehicle so I don't have to worry about branch damage when passing.  An even nicer thing that really hit home with me is that my PUP is paid for.  I'm at the stage in life where I don't want or need any additional debt.

[archer]

I started camping before i can remember. My parents had a truck camper with a 72 Ford pick up. Then my dad bought a motor home and spent many a great time in that motor home. Actually my dad still has it. We traveled to about 40 different states and stayed in tons of campgrounds. My DH and I began tent camping and I really fell in love with camping again. I really loved the outdoors and having little to no modern conveniences.  We recently bought pup because our bad backs cannot take sleeping on the ground anymore. The pup is the best of both worlds. A little like tent camping and little like camping in a camper. We just love it and because of gas prices it works for us. We would like to retire and travel in a 5th wheel but thats in the far future. Have bout 15yrs till dtr is on her own. So we are very satisfied with out pup.

[ronerjones]

What a great thread and some fantastic stories to read. I unfortunately did not get to camp as a kid, always wanted to. About 5 years ago I got involved in a group called Indian Princess (kinda like girl scouts but its for dads and daughters). My girls at the time were 4 and 8 and they loved it and could not wait for additional camp outs. We camped about 6 times a year mama never joined us. It wasn't until I bought a bigger tent about a year ago that the kids came home so excited they wanted mom to join us for a family camp out. We came home from a great weekend and went again 2 weeks later (mom was hooked). Unfortunately summer was upon us and the tent camping was shortly going to come to a halt for a few months. That is what got us interested in a PUP. Only out 4 times so far in the PUP but the kids would go every weekend. My oldest has already decided that when she goes off to college she will stay local and live in the camper on the side of the house.

Get this we have been to Fort Wilderness twice this summer, 4 days each trip. We went to sea world for 1 day. The kids didn't want to go to the parks they would rather stay at the camp grounds and ride bikes, swim, and play family games. If nothing else we come home feeling a whole lot closer to each other. The weekends are a great get away from the TV, cell phones, and computers. We try to leave that stuff home and no one misses it.

I have friends that just can't believe that I would choose to spend a weekend away in a camper. I understand it is not for everyone but it sure is a nice change of pace from the real world.

[CajunCamper]

I'm so glad that so many of you have responded to this thread by letting the rest of us in on your camping experiences starting from the beginning.

Well I sort of told you some of my story, but here's the Readers Digest version of my full camping story:

When I was about five years old my dad set up a pup tent in our back yard and we spent the night out in it with nothing but blankets and a pillow. I was hooked. Although most of our vacations were spent in small little motels, we were always going to places like the Grand Canyon, Smokey Mountains, dude ranches and the beaches of Florida etc.

Even though my dad took us camping on ocasssion it wasn't until years latter that I learned the reason we didn't go as often as I would have liked was because he had injured his back in a plane crash during WWII and sleeping on the ground was very difficult for him.

I spent my childhood with my friends building camps in the woods and tent camping as often as we could. As I got older, I would backpack and tent camp while on hunting and fishing trips and by the time I was 20 I layed off of the camping for a little while.

After I got married and still a newlywed, my wife and I wanted to take a weekend trip to get away, but everything we looked at was too expensive for us. Oh we could afford the gas to get to these places we wanted to go to, but throw in hotel and eating in restaurants and that blew our budget.

So I suggested that we go camping. My wife had never camped before and she was not keen on the idea. She said, "we don't have camping equipment and that will cost a lot of money just to get the gear. Well I told her that I had all the gear we would need in my dad's garage. She still wasn't sure. So I told her that I would do all the planning and packing, that I would set up camp and tear down camp and that I would pick a campground close to the house and that at anytime on the trip, if she didn't like it for any reason, I would tear down camp and we would go home. That was 22 years ago that she got hooked on camping and we have camped every since.

Our two boys both started camping at an early age. our oldest at 2 years old, (don't ask what took us so long) and our youngest at 18 months. They both took to camping from the very beginning. Camping became our family activity, it was the one activity that we all loved equally. Every vacation was spent in campgrounds and we would not have had it any other way. Like many of you we felt blessed to have this wonderful outlet that we all enjoyed doing as a family.

We then decided we wanted to take longer camping trips and that we wanted to extend our camping season to year around. (The year around thing was hard to do in a tent especially in the brutal summer months here in the deep south) That's when we started thinking about a pop up with AC. We didn't want to buy new because we were not sure how much we would like it, so I put the word out we were looking and a guy at work said he had an older unit that he wanted to get rid of. He told me it needed work, but he would let me have it for $100. Well it did need work and I put about $500 into it including a used window unit that mounted in the back of the box and we had our first pop up camper. It was a 1970 Venture, made by Starcraft and I was actually able to send off to Starcraft and get a manual for the unit.

We camped in the venture for about a year and decided that a pop up workrd great for us and that we wanted to buy new. I put the Venture out by the road with a for sale sign on it determined get sell it for the money I had put into it. The first guy that came along was a youth pastor from a local church that was looking for a way to take kids from the inner city that had no positive male influences in their lives on weekend outing and camping was something he had been thinking about. He asked how much do you want for the camper and I said $600. He said okay thanks and said if he could raise the money before I sold it he would come back and buy it. So I asked him, how much money do you have and he said $50. I said, partner you got a deal, 50 bucks and it's yours. When all was said and done, I told him to keep his $50 to buy supplies and my wife even threw in some of our gear that she had been wanting to replace. This was the best deal I ever made. They used that pop up for 4 years before someone else donated a travel trailer with bunks that  suited their needs better. Before he got rid of the pop up he came back to me and asked me if I wanted it back and I told him to donate it to someone else. I'm not sure what happened to it, but it made memories for lots of kids that may be sharing camping with their families today.

Anyway, we bought a brand new 1997 Coleman Santa Fe pop up with AC from the local Coleman dealer with awning and add-a-room. We immediately extended the our camping season to year around as well as extending the lengths of our trips as well as the distances traveled. We raised our boys in this Santa Fe traveling all over the place seeing all sorts of things. I remember our youngest son was 5 years old the first time he stayed in a hotel and said he didn' t want to do that again because it was boring. There were no trees to climb, no place to fish and he couldn't see the stars at night.

As some of you that have been coming to this site for a while may know, on October 17th of 2003 my youngest son Alex was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and on April 1st 2004 we lost our precious 10 year old son after a very couragious battle. Dave was kind enough to print an article I wrote in the premier issue of RV Enthusiast Magazine some time later.

Camping was put on the shelf, as a matter of fact I didn't think that I could ever go camping again without Alex lord knows he would never let me go camping without him. The pop up sat in the driveway closed up for almost a year. As the one year aniversary of Alex's death approached, I decided to open up the camper to let it air out. That was very difficult. Once I stepped inside the emotions overwelmed me and I just sat there and wept for about 20 minutes. I then looked around and the memories of all of our camping trips came rushing in. Although it was hard, I had to sense of being close to Alex at that moment and it was then that I felt we needed to go camping on the upcomming annivesary no matter how hard in memory and honor of Alex. It was not easy convencing my wife of this, but my son Taylor wanted to honor Alex this way also. Well we went to one of Alex's favorite campsites and it was hard, but we spent the entire weekend thinking of Alex and crying and working through the loss. We all came back glad that we had spent the weekend camping, after all it's what Alex loved best.

So that brings me to today. We still continue to camp and enjoy it. We always bring Alex's sleeping bag, his fishing hat and his mess kit because he is always with us and every boy needs those things on a camping trip.

This more than anything is the reason that I will maintain that Santa Fe for the rest of my life and never trade it in or up for anything else. My son's were raised in that camper and it has become much more than a piece of equipment to me. It is part of our life and a huge part of our past and memories camping as a family. When Alex was sick in the hospital he would ask me to tell him stories of our past camping trips, it always seemed to bring a smile to his face. Just three weeks before he died, at his request, he and I started planning our next camping trip together. I have a feeling that the next time we see each other, that camping trip is one of the first things he will want us to do together.

I love you and miss you Alex more than I can explain.


CajunCamper

[my toys]

My sister and I were girl scouts and my mother was the troop leader.  We only camped out about once a year.  Every weekend mom would take the two of us hiking.  In elementary school we had "outdoor school".  Our entire grade went to stay in cabins and learn about nature for a week.  Noone had to tell us to go out and play.  They had to find us sometimes when it was getting dark.  We built forts in the woods and caught tadpoles.  We used to sleep in the back of my dad's truck or borrow the neighbor's tent to sleep in the yard.  I think I've always been an outdoor person.  I joined the USAF straight out of school.  I didn't have the money or the time to do any camping.  I did get to live in "tent city" during Desert Storm.  It wasn't much fun though.  After the service, I got my first tent.  A small dome tent.  The first trip out, my daughter went, we got flooded.  I went out the next day and bought a giant tarp and a shovel.  I also took my daughter home.  She was done with camping.  I dug a trench around the tent and hung my tarp in the trees.  I used that little dome tent for many years.  Then I "moved up" to a large cabin tent.  I had one of those double height air mattress' (no sleeping on the ground for me).  I had a portable heater and a dorm fridge.  I even had my porta potty in my tent.  I cut off an old chair to make it just the right height.  I had just bought a portable ac to have in the tent with me.  I had always hung my giant tarp since the first wash out.  So, I started to haul a ladder around with me.  I couldn't be happier.  The problem was, I have a small obsessive/compulsive problem.  So, everything had to be cleaned before I packed it in my vehicle.  Since I camp by myself most of the time, it took a lot of time for pack up.  Then, I would come home and my dear hubby would help me while we scrubbed everything down again.  One day I watched a couple pack up their tt.  No tents or tarps to clean before and after pack up.  I mentioned it to dear hubby.  He was in the truck before I finished the sentence.  We were off the the rv store.  I still needed my "tent feeling" so a pop up was my only choice.  I still love my tent.  I also love my pup.  Atleast,  I can clean almost everything at home instead of at the campsite.  

[munchkin]

My grandparents started camping with my aunts and mother--6 kids--to save money and travel more. When we came along, they had upgraded to a truck camper and then an RV. My parents hated camping, so we only went with the grands. Later, when I became a single mom, I took the girls "tent camping" some. Then, I met my DH, who had camped as a kid and in the Army and swore never to camp again. It took a few years, the pressure of the kids and me, and the financial woes in the aftermath of a bitter custody battle (which we won, but no longer had tons of money for hotels and condos large enough for 6) to win the battle. We bought a used pup last spring, and even he loves it! Life is good! We're in our early 40's as we begin camping together. The places we'll go! Hope not to have to "upgrade" for many years, as I love the pup experience, close to nature, but for DH, not on the ground. Health will dictate upgrades later, but I'm not sure they'll be upgrades, but downgrades to accommodate necessity. We'll won't cross that bridge for many moons, hopefully.

[jsmorse13]

I love to camp.  No matter where it is, as long as I can sit back with a beer and cook outdoors.  

I've been camping since a little after 2 years old.  My parents had an old canvas tent for 4 of us.  They soon bought a Nimrod pop-up after spending a few rainy days in Bar Harbor, Maine.  The Nimrod then led to "paradise", a Coleman pop-up with a few more bells and whistles.  When I turned about 14 or 15, they decided to "move on" to a larger trailer, I was ready to scale down.  To this day, I never slept in a large trailer.  I bought a 2-man dome and used it until I was about 22.  I bought a 6-man cabin tent and brought it to Woodstock '94.  It was never the same!  Stains from beer and mud all over it.  I used it only a couple of times.  There wasn't much time until I met my wife.  We really didn't go camping at all until recently.  A few years ago, we bought a 3-room Coleman tent.  Boy, how times have changed.  We went a few times with our daughter, dog, the works.  But, every time we go, it seems to rain.  The tent was still just too cramped.  After our last time out, this June, we came home and made the "big" decision.  We bought a used 98 Coleman Sea Pine in July.  After doing a little work to it, we will be going for our first time in 2 weeks.  My wife has suddenly become "super camper".  We already have Ft. Wilderness reservations for this Christmas.  I won't say that I will never get a "big" trailer, but it was a really big deal for me to actually upgrade to a pop-up.

[sacrawf]

I'm curious; are you  in a pop up right now because it was the camper that fit your budget and you have hopes of moving to a larger unit some day? Or is the pop up a step up for you?

I think it would also be telling to know how many started out in tents and did you enjoy tent camping.

CajunCamper

I started out "tent" camping, which means backpacking with plastic tube tents or bivouc bags, and later family tents.  The pop-up is the ideal for us, and we have no intention of moving to any other type of travel unit.  This is not a matter of budget.  It just fits our desire to be close to nature and "tread lightly" on the areas we visit.

[brainpause]

I tent camped with my family, as a child, before I can even remember. I do vaguely remember a time or two, but they started before my memory did.

Mom and Dad bought a popup. I think it was a Coleman. It took an Army to put up, because 4 people had to hold the supports up at the same time until they were all locked into place. Then, the canvas, which had been folded and put away, was hung from ....whatever it hung from, all the way around the camper. Seemed like lots of work. Fortunately, I was too small for all this, but I remember it pretty distinctly.

Debate me on this one: We then moved UP to a Coleman Brandywine. Very easy to set up, as compared to the previous camper. Had a sink, stove, dinette. The previous one was just a box, and was hard to set up. It wasn't long before I could set up the Brandywine on my own.

That camper eventually just sat in my parents' yard for a long time and then was sold.

Fast forward at least 8 years: I bought a small travel trailer, unknown age, unknown brand, unknown ___________. I towed it with a Class II hitch on an S10 with a V6, but I didn't know any better. This thing was a beast on weight. I sold it to an older couple who never paid me. I thought I could trust them.

Fast forward another 4 years. Holly and I bought our popup six years ago today (and we were also engaged the same day). We went camping in it the first time after our wedding. Nearly 10000 miles later, we traded in for a hybrid, a Starcraft 215SSO, which we love.

I really don't care what you camp in. I have stopped and talked with someone of virtually every type of unit, from tents up to at least fivers. Not many people outside of the big Class A's to talk to. Just get out there and enjoy God's great creation.

Larry

[LACamper]

Great post Cajun!
We lived in the Canadian Rockies for a few years when I was a kid. We camped in Banff and Jasper occasionally in an old Winchester 6 person tent. One of my earliest memories is looking out the tent window at a couple of bear cubs playing in a snowbank at a local campground!
We moved back to New Orleans and camped maybe once per year until I was in high school. The family lost interest and had more important things to do.
In college I took an interest in canoeing the small streams in Mississippi, and eventually badgered the rest of my college friends into camping near one of them (Black Creek in Desoto NF). We eventually took an interest in backpacking, and even caving and rock climbing (not an easy thing to do in New Orleans-it means lots of weekends driving to Alabama.) Most of that old college group is still camping together after nearly 20 years, though not as frequently as we'd all like.
In 2005 I lost my home in Slidell, LA in Katrina. We had 4 feet of lake water in the house (this had nothing to do with the levees breaking. We were 8 miles inland, but the tidal surge got us and yes, we had flood insurance. Anyone who lives in Southeast LA and doesn't is crazy!). We had evacuated to my parents home near Jackson, MS and fortunately I grabbed my backpack (with tent and sleeping bag, etc) on the way out the door. We had 28 (including a new born, a cancer patient, and my extremely hyper then 7yr old daughter) people crammed in that house (with no power for 3 days) so the sleeping bags came in handy. Even floor space was at a premium. I lost a lot of my camping and outdoor gear in the flood, but my better stuff was with us.
By January 2006 we were back in our partially completed home. I work for State Farm so my free time to even work on our home was limited. A client of mine was interested in selling his old popup as he was upgrading to a TT. He was a DARE officer and had used it while taking deprived kids camping. I knew it was in good condition so I jumped on it, knowing I wouldn't get to use it for a while.
Well, its been much longer than I anticipated. We finished the flooded home, but for various reasons decided to move across town. We're now 3/4 of the way through remodeling an older home (it didn't flood, its just old and needed TLC) and looking forward to getting back into camping and actually using that little popup!  I'm think a few close trips in the fall, and then maybe a trip to Petit Jean SP in AR this spring...

[srds]

God bless you Cajun,may his love always be with you.