Re: The Crappy Hamper Thread
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:11 pm
Darrens camper appeared in Volksworld many years later and I’ve been working away at different things to try and convince the Mrs.
However, as I mentioned in the other thread, the rental didn’t go quite as planned. I figured if I could get her hooked on a Vanagon, then a Brazilian T2 was a mere step away. But it didn’t go well - mainly due to my intolerance to be a food source to Wisconsin mosquitoes and so damn hot.
It was still fun and a good memory maker. Even though the packing Tetris with a kid and two dogs (and a wife who generally overpacks) was painful at the end of every day.
Pretty cool seeing parts of the US you would only otherwise see via a freeway - if at all. We bent the rules slightly taking two small dogs (they only strictly like 1) be we figured two small dogs = 1 big dog... The pop top was a godsend as the little un could make that his and also my lumbering 6'2" frame could stand upright. It was good during Covid to be able to grab food and eat it in the wagon. The pups seemed to enjoy their time traveling with us and sniffing out deer in the woods (of which there were many) Just being careful of deer ticks. It’s a fun way of seeing America off the beaten track. And prebooking state park camp sites at $18 a night (with communal showers and toilets) made it a little easier. All the sites we stopped at had BBQ grills in our camping area as well as fire pits. Though you can only burn local wood. I think there was only one place we stopped where you could see anyone else from your camping place. A far cry from ‘getting away from it all’ in Somerset or Cornwall used to be as a kid. That said, I’m not sure which I prefer... For some reason it feels a little safer in a field with a bunch of other people, rather than being woken up in the middle of the night, dogs going bananas at the window and trees rustling...
Financially, a hotel would be cheaper.
The camper rental was $150 a night, plus an extra 50c per mile after 50 miles a day.
Gas wasn’t inexpensive, $18 for the camp site a night. Probably cheaper to fly somewhere internally in the US, have a cheap hotel room and rent a car! Not as romantic though (as being eaten alive by the mozzies.)
However, as I mentioned in the other thread, the rental didn’t go quite as planned. I figured if I could get her hooked on a Vanagon, then a Brazilian T2 was a mere step away. But it didn’t go well - mainly due to my intolerance to be a food source to Wisconsin mosquitoes and so damn hot.
It was still fun and a good memory maker. Even though the packing Tetris with a kid and two dogs (and a wife who generally overpacks) was painful at the end of every day.
Pretty cool seeing parts of the US you would only otherwise see via a freeway - if at all. We bent the rules slightly taking two small dogs (they only strictly like 1) be we figured two small dogs = 1 big dog... The pop top was a godsend as the little un could make that his and also my lumbering 6'2" frame could stand upright. It was good during Covid to be able to grab food and eat it in the wagon. The pups seemed to enjoy their time traveling with us and sniffing out deer in the woods (of which there were many) Just being careful of deer ticks. It’s a fun way of seeing America off the beaten track. And prebooking state park camp sites at $18 a night (with communal showers and toilets) made it a little easier. All the sites we stopped at had BBQ grills in our camping area as well as fire pits. Though you can only burn local wood. I think there was only one place we stopped where you could see anyone else from your camping place. A far cry from ‘getting away from it all’ in Somerset or Cornwall used to be as a kid. That said, I’m not sure which I prefer... For some reason it feels a little safer in a field with a bunch of other people, rather than being woken up in the middle of the night, dogs going bananas at the window and trees rustling...
Financially, a hotel would be cheaper.
The camper rental was $150 a night, plus an extra 50c per mile after 50 miles a day.
Gas wasn’t inexpensive, $18 for the camp site a night. Probably cheaper to fly somewhere internally in the US, have a cheap hotel room and rent a car! Not as romantic though (as being eaten alive by the mozzies.)