polka dot suitcase

Our camping trip a couple weeks ago is still on my mind. Mostly because I’m still feeling guilty/amazed that I enjoyed the tent camping so much. Recap: I used to tent camp a lot in my bachelorette years, and then during our early marriage years. Did a bit when the kids were younger. Then my parents started letting us borrow their camper, and the thought of sleeping on the ground, crawling in and out of a tent, and washing dishes at a spigot didn’t seem as appealing. So we went several years camping — but not in a tent.

Enter our Atlanta trip last month. Tent camping. As I said at the time, shockingly fun. We’re already planning the next tent camping expedition. Two things I’ve been thinking about:

Gadgets. I don’t know if these really count as “gadgets,” but I have the burning desire to own them: Dutch oven (for the campfire, not the pretty indoor ones) and pie iron (I’m eyeing the double one so Sir and Mister can make ‘em at the same time). I’ve suddenly become obsessed with these, and they’re on my wish list for my birthday. I’ve dug up all sorts of recipes, and I’m thinking we may have to just eat in the backyard several nights just to try them. For research.

Air conditioning. The only drawback to tenting that remains is sleeping when it’s hot at night. Hate it. Laying there, sweating, dead air pressing down. I see many tenters are now going with the “air conditioning in the tent” option, and the old-fashioned hold-out in me just thinks this is wrong, wrong, wrong. But why? On the one hand, you’re cool. On the other…a/c in a tent? But how is it different from a/c in the camper (which I whole-heartedly embrace)? You see me waffle? I’m pretty sure I won’t be investing…I felt guilty using a fan in the tent. But still…it’s the one thing that keeps me from completely loving tenting again. Long, sweaty nights. They could be over if I could get past my martyred snobbered objection. But it just seems like an affront to the fundamental camping experience: the idea that, even with your Dutch oven and wifi connections, you’re “roughing it.” There’s a kind of pride in toughing it out. And yet…sleeping in comfort is awfully tempting. If we have this ability, why be a hero and sweat it out? What to do…