West Tents to Airstreams

[Gene]

Many years ago our dig had a pack with punches ion each side. When she tried to go through two trees or other things close to together, she'd get stuck since she took quite a while to realize she was wider.

[blacklab]

I've spent many, many nites in tents. Some in the backcountry and some in car-camping campsites. I love sleeping in a tent, but these days, not so much of the annoyance of being in a tent for middle of the night needs.

But, that annoyance becomes part of the routine, accepted, and adapted to.

But, what I'm increasingly not adapting to is the extra issue of being in a tent in grizzly bear country. I lived near Glacier National Park for five (5) years and spent many, many nites in the backcountry or remote campgrounds where grizzly bears were a fact, not just a hypothetical. For anyone who's ever been close to a wild grizzly bear (and for me, "close" is 50 yards) or watched a grizzly bear run up a steep incline with the ease of a gazelle, they are not to be messed with. They can do whatever they want, and there's not much you can do about it.

I'm less and less interested in having to worry about an adolescent male grizzly coming into my camp in the middle of the night with me having nothing between me and him other than my tent fabric. But, I don't want to forego my love of camping in grizzly country. So, our search is on for our first ever RV and it will likely be an AS.

Living in Oregon, grizzlies aren't an issue. But, our travels include trips to MT, WY, ID and Canada where grizzlies are a reality. So, we are indeed greatly looking forward to pulling our hard-sided "tent" behind us.

Cheers,

Bryan
Portland, OR

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Even a raccoon that's rummaging for lunch / dinner can make an absolute mess of things while you are out and about. Even if you surprise him, it's not life or death (so on a very different scale than a bear). That said, you now have a shredded tent and a lot of picking up to do. There's also the inevitable conversation about "did you leave any food out?". I'm not quite sure which part is worse ....

Why did this pop into mind? The wife still is obsessive about putting all the food away, even in the AS. It came up a couple of days ago. It's been a *long* time since we've had any problems with critters ..... Some memories stick with you.

Bob

[Gene]

Long ago when I was a tenting novice I did things that I learned were stupid. Food in the tent, a fire too close to the tent with the evening wind blowing down a canyon sending sparks toward the tent, not bringing warm enough clothes in July for camping in the Colorado mountains, not being careful about the water in creeks, are just a few. I did wonder what those scratch marks were in the tree bark at the campsite. I survived.

A friend went camping in the Boundary Waters about 25 years ago. His new wife (now long gone) woke him up repeatedly to tell him she heard a wild animal. He told her she was imagining it, but finally went outside to calm her down. There was a bear feasting on toothpaste, shampoo and other unlikely "foods". My friend is pretty big, though not quite as big as a well fed black bear, yelled, then threw things. The bear didn't care until I guess he ate enough and left. A sleepless night and getting up very early, they packed up the canoe and started to the next stop on the trip. They noticed the bear swimming along, apparently wanting lunch. The next portage was very nervous, and back in the water, somewhat behind was the bear. Paddling seriously, they finally went so far the bear lost interest. The rest of the trip was somewhat disturbed.

The next year they went camping in Colorado's Poudre Canyon. Guess what? A bear. Another trip some time later and once again, a bear. I told my friend he had a scent which attracts bears in rut off season, but he didn't want to believe it. Apparently as he matured, bears were no longer interested or he washed better. Maybe he changed shampoos, though I never heard of anyone bringing shampoo on a camping trip. At least the former wife is long gone—I tried talk him out of that marriage, but it didn't work (does anyone ever listen?). He is doing better with women now and still goes camping.

People do stupid things all the time and most often get away with it. That makes them overconfident, then there is the time they don't get away with it. By the time I got smarter about camping, my knee wouldn't let me backpack and I kept the bear attractants in the truck. I know a bear can tear off a car door, but usually they don't. Several years ago someone posted a photo of an Airstream attacked by a bear. A large section of the inside and outside skin was torn aside, but the bear then had to get through a cabinet. That's when the bear gave up. He could have torn the door off, but didn't think of it. If you leave windows open, a bear can pull them off and may be able to climb in. A hard sided vehicle of any sort is a deterrent, but a determined bear can get in. I have carried bear spray in trailers for a long time and I understand wasp spray may work and shoots further. I have seen many bears from a car or truck, whether near my house or on travels to the north country. I never have met one while possessed of a gas pedal and am glad.

[Len n Jeanne]

Oh, gosh-- if we're into bear stories.....


What do they call hikers' bear bells in Montana?

Dinner bells.

[Ray Eklund]

Thank you for those participating. We returned from a wonderful tent camping trip further into the Gila and Apache National Forests (Reserve, New Mexico area) at 7500 to 8500 feet into the wilderness.

Those who participated in the two New Mexico Adventures with Airstreams will recall, 90% of access points that trailers cannot pass as roads, trails or ruts. Those forest service roads we used in this area, today are impassible for a trailer of any kind. We experienced what is now only ATV and serious 4x4 travel... and some thought when the roads were just passable...were sketchy!

We caught the warm days and the heavy Monsoons in the two New Mexico Adventures. This adventure caught the extremes in climate this June. Climate change, no doubt. Dry with extremes in lows and highs... not the mellow 2016 experience.

Remote access for our 4x4 Ford F350 provided thought to our Airstream to Tent Camping comparisons on this trip. Nancy and I have a whole list of comparisons of Airstream 'roughing it' and Tent Camping 'roughing it'!

We discussed the pros, cons and compared of our 23 foot Airstream, 25 foot Airstream and our 100% tent preparation and supplies that we also kept in our Airstreams.

For those of you who went from Tent to Trailer... is one thing. Going from Tent to Trailer to Tent... this you may want to hear. After unloading the pickup at home, a 'real shower' is my next goal and to sit back with some freshly popped 'pop corn' and some civilization.

Please keep posting the experience comparisons. This is stuff you do not find in a Service Manual or Trailer 'things to do' when campgrounds become... boring.

...so much for cleaning up for the trip home using less than two soda cans of fresh water. This shower at home is well deserved and a comfortable bed... there is 'no place like home'.

Many camping in a tent, anywhere in the Rocky Mountains, understand what a 'Two Dog Night' experience may be. Well, we experienced some of the most dramatic outdoor, isolated camping anyone could imagine. From the low 20's to low 70's.

We could have used a 'third dog' one evening.

[rmkrum]

Ah, Ray, we remember those days. We still travel with at least four dogs in case of a seriously cold night.

Our best camping experience was San Diego to Washington state through the redwoods on the CA coast. Passed through Crater Lake on July 4 with 12 feet of snow on the ground at the summit.

Three boys aboard, youngest only 8 months old. Nothing like warming a bottle of baby formula at 0400 in torrential rain in the middle of a redwood grove. It’s a beautiful thing. We camped out of the back of a ‘77 Volvo station wagon for two weeks.

The next rig was a ‘79 GMC long wheelbase van I converted into a self contained boondocking rig. The old Volvo was in our family for 21 years, but was just too small for a growing family.

Much easier, warmer, and better camping. The boys could sleep on the floor, but usually pitched a tent.

All three of them are Eagle Scouts and love camping. Must have done something right, I guess, as they are all successful parents and have great jobs and families.

[bkitchens]

Well...Just got word that my daughter is considering a job in Seattle (and we live in VA). This may be our opportunity to throw the dog in the truck, hook up the AS Base Camp and work our way from park to park across the country this summer. This is the kind of trip I had in mind while hunting for the Base Camp. I’ll post updates if it comes together.
Bill

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by bkitchens

Well...Just got word that my daughter is considering a job in Seattle (and we live in VA). This may be our opportunity to throw the dog in the truck, hook up the AS Base Camp and work our way from park to park across the country this summer. This is the kind of trip I had in mind while hunting for the Base Camp. I’ll post updates if it comes together.
Bill

******
Oh... Boy.... are YOU going to have an adventure. When you get to Denver, you can go West, Southwest or Northwest. Unlimited FREE camping.

Get yourself a small collection of Atlases with major passable roads to possible campsites. Mark down the location of good spots. Mark down the location of bad spots. Next year, five years or ten years later... you will have a perfected favorites.

Your Base Camp can get you into most, anywhere. It is the getting your Base Camp OUT...

Looking forward to reading and seeing photos on this trip... Uh... where is... Vigrinia?

[bkitchens]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

******
Oh... Boy.... are YOU going to have an adventure. When you get to Denver, you can go West, Southwest or Northwest. Unlimited FREE camping.

Get yourself a small collection of Atlases with major passable roads to possible campsites. Mark down the location of good spots. Mark down the location of bad spots. Next year, five years or ten years later... you will have a perfected favorites.

Your Base Camp can get you into most, anywhere. It is the getting your Base Camp OUT...

Looking forward to reading and seeing photos on this trip... Uh... where is... Vigrinia?

Ray
VA is on the east coast by the Chesapeake Bay. It’s about as far east as you can get from Seattle. It should be an epic adventure. Just had a lift kit installed on the BC....just in case.

Bill

[GettinAway]

I still love tent camping. Not all of my vehicles are AS capable.

[ktmkirby]

Love my Airstream, but I just like where a tent can get you.

[Bob662]

Bryan-
Take a hard look at the Aliners before you decide on an AS.

[GreenEyedTadpole]

We have tent (ALL sizes and places) and camper camped for 15+ years and enjoy both. They both serve different purposes and to us, fit different seasons of the year. Having previously owned three Airstreams: 30' Motorhome, 30' Classic, and 25' Classic we sold the 25' and decided to try other options that had caught our interest over the years. We bought a slide-in truck camper - too small and confining, a pop-up - great space but a pain to set up and always had damp feeling even with the A/C running, and a new Aliner Expedition - a MAJOR disappointment. So, long story short, we realized we compared everything to our standard, an Airstream. We bought a 2019 Flying Cloud 19CB and love it. We will either tent camp in the colder weather here in Georgia or will be in our Airstream when we desire more creature comforts. They're both equally portable and the right options for us.

[MJAI]

Congratulations, I used to have a 20’Flying Cloud love it , had it for 8 years, until I retired, empty nester, and the hitching and unhitching gradually became very difficult have to let it go and get the 2020 interstate 19 I’m falling in love all over again.

[TouringDan]

Originally Posted by GettinAway

I still love tent camping. Not all of my vehicles are AS capable.

Like GettinAway and ktmkirby, I still love tent camping. I gave up motorcycling about 5 years ago but still do a lot of tent camping in my car if I am going more than 200 miles and I am by myself. I always bring my bicycle and sometimes my kayak.

I camped in August on the Susquehanna River and went to the Little League World Series.

Two weeks ago I camped in Brooklyn, NYC and last week I camped on the street with my Airstream in downtown Raleigh, NC for 5 days at the Wide Open Bluegrass Music Festival.

Dan