Nice timing on the topic! Going camping this next weekend. Three days/nights. No backpacking, traveling by car. 7 people - two adults, 1 20yr old, 3 12yr olds, one three yr old and one dog. We'll be staying
here and tubing down the Ichetucknee River on Saturday. Playing in the headspring and hiking the nature trail on Sunday. It's my version of a birthday party for my D12 and my partner (both have birthdays in the next 10 days).
I lost custody of all my camping gear in my divorce 8 years ago, so I've had to replace it all in order to do this trip. Ok, some I borrowed...Bought two Coleman tents on Ebay, camp chairs, fire grate, sleeping bags and borrowed the Coleman stove and some lamps. Went to a thrift store and bought throw-away pots and pans and a tea kettle.
The plan is to put up the two tents facing each other, placing a tarp over the opening between them, then putting the chairs under that. We'll do a combination of campfire and stove cooking. The dog will be staked out nearby with just enough rope that he can reach us but not drag down the tents or get into the fire (he's hyper
and stupid).
I'm not obsessive about camping - ie: doing everything correctly or a certain way. I want to have fun mostly, away from tv's, computers, phones, and routine work.
We'll see how it goes this time...