The Random Thoughts Thread

...nor to bleeding heart juries that'll award millions for one person that develops a pimple from using an epi-pen in that extended period.
 
Dave said:
Yes. More Gear than Go...
Click to expand...

Exactly this. Over this past weekend the wife and I realized we have absolutely screwed ourselves. We both grew up camping all over Holcomb Valley, Barton Flats and the San Jacinto mountains. Camping, like grab a blanket, maybe a pillow and enough food for the weekend camping. Even better if you didn't have to cook it. Once we became a thing we started out camping in the back of my first pickup ('69 Ford F100 with a 390 and C6 tranny, yes -- purchased used but it's barely older than I am), and moved on to ground tents after the first set of kids were born. No problems sleeping in the truck, just "thought" the tent would be more comfortable. Spring forward five years, the next two kid-lings are born and the wife and I decide to upgrade to a pop-up trailer. We just "thought" that with four kids the trailer would be easier, faster and more convenient. Oh baby, the Fleetwood Utah is loaded with everything we "thought" we needed. 2 king beds, couch converts to a single, table converts to a short double, refrigerator, shower, cassette toilet, forced air heater, outside shower for the dogs (and kids). EVERYTHING!!!!! We were gonna be camping royalty.

Easier -- Uh huh -- easier than neurosurgery maybe
Faster??? Uh -- No. Just - No
More convenient -- Oh waaayy more convenient. It was so much easier, faster and more convenient to not go, than to pack and haul that damn trailer around that we basically quit going.

Oh ya - -almost forgot to mention the campground membership we bought. Easier, more convenient. Full hookups. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb decision. Kids got bored after the 3rd or 4th trip to the same place. We learned that hookups are nothing but chains that tie you down at uninteresting places

Now that the kids are all grown (my baby is 22 -- I'm so old) the wife and I have been camping solo for the past few years. No, the trailer is still not faster, easier or more convenient. But I pay the registration and insurance so I "thought" we might as well use it. This past weekend we decided to say screw it and get out to Whitney Portal for some hiking. Last minute, I mean just before we pull out of the drive we threw in an old Columbia tent, two walmart ground pads and a pair of blankets with a 20 year old chuck box that was barely stocked.

BEST TRIP WE HAVE HAD IN TWO DECADES!!!!!! -- No reservations. No trailer hassles. No plans. Just up to the top of the road, miles of hiking with beautiful lakes and waterfalls, cold cut lunches and colder beverages from an ice chest. We tried for the campground but it was packed. Went down the road and spotted a two track near the bottom that led to a cottonwood grove. Primitive camped in a clearing with the wife on one side and Nala the camp mutt on the other. Oh!!! No trailer - just the tent.

We realize how badly we "geared" ourselves away from the basic joys of camping. No hassles, almost no gear. No need for showers, a gajillion watts of lights or the latest "broverland" gadget. We screwed ourselves out of countless trips because we made camping a hassle. We definitely learned the "Less gear=more go" lesson and will definitely stop thinking so much.
 
bigTpolecat said:
Exactly this. Over this past weekend the wife and I realized we have absolutely screwed ourselves. We both grew up camping all over Holcomb Valley, Barton Flats and the San Jacinto mountains. Camping, like grab a blanket, maybe a pillow and enough food for the weekend camping. Even better if you didn't have to cook it. Once we became a thing we started out camping in the back of my first pickup ('69 Ford F100 with a 390 and C6 tranny, yes -- purchased used but it's barely older than I am), and moved on to ground tents after the first set of kids were born. No problems sleeping in the truck, just "thought" the tent would be more comfortable. Spring forward five years, the next two kid-lings are born and the wife and I decide to upgrade to a pop-up trailer. We just "thought" that with four kids the trailer would be easier, faster and more convenient. Oh baby, the Fleetwood Utah is loaded with everything we "thought" we needed. 2 king beds, couch converts to a single, table converts to a short double, refrigerator, shower, cassette toilet, forced air heater, outside shower for the dogs (and kids). EVERYTHING!!!!! We were gonna be camping royalty.

Easier -- Uh huh -- easier than neurosurgery maybe
Faster??? Uh -- No. Just - No
More convenient -- Oh waaayy more convenient. It was so much easier, faster and more convenient to not go, than to pack and haul that damn trailer around that we basically quit going.

Oh ya - -almost forgot to mention the campground membership we bought. Easier, more convenient. Full hookups. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb decision. Kids got bored after the 3rd or 4th trip to the same place. We learned that hookups are nothing but chains that tie you down at uninteresting places

Now that the kids are all grown (my baby is 22 -- I'm so old) the wife and I have been camping solo for the past few years. No, the trailer is still not faster, easier or more convenient. But I pay the registration and insurance so I "thought" we might as well use it. This past weekend we decided to say screw it and get out to Whitney Portal for some hiking. Last minute, I mean just before we pull out of the drive we threw in an old Columbia tent, two walmart ground pads and a pair of blankets with a 20 year old chuck box that was barely stocked.

BEST TRIP WE HAVE HAD IN TWO DECADES!!!!!! -- No reservations. No trailer hassles. No plans. Just up to the top of the road, miles of hiking with beautiful lakes and waterfalls, cold cut lunches and colder beverages from an ice chest. We tried for the campground but it was packed. Went down the road and spotted a two track near the bottom that led to a cottonwood grove. Primitive camped in a clearing with the wife on one side and Nala the camp mutt on the other. Oh!!! No trailer - just the tent.

We realize how badly we "geared" ourselves away from the basic joys of camping. No hassles, almost no gear. No need for showers, a gajillion watts of lights or the latest "broverland" gadget. We screwed ourselves out of countless trips because we made camping a hassle. We definitely learned the "Less gear=more go" lesson and will definitely stop thinking so much.
Click to expand...

That story speaks a truth few will listen too. I know it's taken a few years to find out for myself the truth of your journey.
 
bigTpolecat said:
Exactly this. Over this past weekend the wife and I realized we have absolutely screwed ourselves. We both grew up camping all over Holcomb Valley, Barton Flats and the San Jacinto mountains. Camping, like grab a blanket, maybe a pillow and enough food for the weekend camping. Even better if you didn't have to cook it. Once we became a thing we started out camping in the back of my first pickup ('69 Ford F100 with a 390 and C6 tranny, yes -- purchased used but it's barely older than I am), and moved on to ground tents after the first set of kids were born. No problems sleeping in the truck, just "thought" the tent would be more comfortable. Spring forward five years, the next two kid-lings are born and the wife and I decide to upgrade to a pop-up trailer. We just "thought" that with four kids the trailer would be easier, faster and more convenient. Oh baby, the Fleetwood Utah is loaded with everything we "thought" we needed. 2 king beds, couch converts to a single, table converts to a short double, refrigerator, shower, cassette toilet, forced air heater, outside shower for the dogs (and kids). EVERYTHING!!!!! We were gonna be camping royalty.

Easier -- Uh huh -- easier than neurosurgery maybe
Faster??? Uh -- No. Just - No
More convenient -- Oh waaayy more convenient. It was so much easier, faster and more convenient to not go, than to pack and haul that damn trailer around that we basically quit going.

Oh ya - -almost forgot to mention the campground membership we bought. Easier, more convenient. Full hookups. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb decision. Kids got bored after the 3rd or 4th trip to the same place. We learned that hookups are nothing but chains that tie you down at uninteresting places

Now that the kids are all grown (my baby is 22 -- I'm so old) the wife and I have been camping solo for the past few years. No, the trailer is still not faster, easier or more convenient. But I pay the registration and insurance so I "thought" we might as well use it. This past weekend we decided to say screw it and get out to Whitney Portal for some hiking. Last minute, I mean just before we pull out of the drive we threw in an old Columbia tent, two walmart ground pads and a pair of blankets with a 20 year old chuck box that was barely stocked.

BEST TRIP WE HAVE HAD IN TWO DECADES!!!!!! -- No reservations. No trailer hassles. No plans. Just up to the top of the road, miles of hiking with beautiful lakes and waterfalls, cold cut lunches and colder beverages from an ice chest. We tried for the campground but it was packed. Went down the road and spotted a two track near the bottom that led to a cottonwood grove. Primitive camped in a clearing with the wife on one side and Nala the camp mutt on the other. Oh!!! No trailer - just the tent.

We realize how badly we "geared" ourselves away from the basic joys of camping. No hassles, almost no gear. No need for showers, a gajillion watts of lights or the latest "broverland" gadget. We screwed ourselves out of countless trips because we made camping a hassle. We definitely learned the "Less gear=more go" lesson and will definitely stop thinking so much.
Click to expand...

BEST POST I’ve read in a very long time. I think many of us are finally coming to our senses, and coming full circle!

:bowdown
 
39976078_1656588861136017_2004811079309328384_n.jpg
 
Should have been a year and a day, that would have fixed his wagon real good. He's lucky to be alive after that bison gig.
 
I'm too stupid to figure out how to post a picture here from my phone...anyway we got our first 2019 Chevy Silverado's in today...after I don't know how many years they finally have ROUND fender cutouts for the tires, rather than the square shaped openings that never made any sense!

No idea what the hokey air scoop is supposed to be on the front fenders.
 
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