You really haven’t lived until you’re in a tent, it’s midnight, raining, cold, and only then do you discover the promises of a waterproof tent were lies. Wet sleeping bags do not dry quickly. There’s only one way to dry wet underwear, and that’s on the line between you and the neighbor campers ten feet away.

Camping is a blast. Memories float on the hissing sounds of a kerosene lantern and stove. Bacon crackling in the pan and the wonderful fragrance wafting through the pines is the seal of a great camp. Camping is the reason we stare at a fire. It’s something basic and instinctual that captures us when a flame pops and smoke gently lifts away to the sky.

I do prefer camping in a trailer. There are many who would argue a real camping experience does not include a trailer. That’s why trailers are usually called “campers”. It’s an attempt to win the argument.