Campers VS Tents on Scout Campouts

[fullquiver]

I''m a long way from 50, but I still get stiff and sore from sleeping on the ground. I can "tough it out", but I have found a way that is a lot more comfortable. After a great deal of research I went with a Hennessey Hammock. It is the most comfortable night sleep I have had camping! I have now convienced a couple other adults and some boys to try a hammock. At summercamp I had an adult that slept 5 nights straight in the Hennessy. He said even at home he wakes up with a sore back. After 5 nights in the Hennessy his back was not sore in the morning.

 

One issue is the hammock is a one-seater, but you can set up a small tent under your rain fly and you are as close to your cub as in a tent.

 

Another issue is colder weather, but with a little research you can remedy that issue.

 

One more plus is you''ll have the coolest tent on the campout and the boys will think you son has the coolest Dad in the world....

 

Hope this helps!

[OneHour]

Tents can be quite comfortable with a Byer cot ~ $60 and a sel-inflating mattress. I have a bad back. I bring the small cot with me to put inside the 3-man tent that I have. My son used to sleep in his sleeping bag next to me with no problems. People bring camper not for comfort for their backs, but mainly for weather-proofing (air conditioning or heating, rain, etc.). No one will fault you for using a cot or an air mattress in a tent, but they will make fun of you for the camper!

[Vicki]

On the sleep apnea front, one of my WB patrol members had a battery powered CPAP machine. Don''t know the ins and outs, just that he charged the battery during the day so he could use the machine at night.

 

Vicki

[Eamonn]

Justadad1999

Cub Scouting is a family program.

Do what ever it is you need to do, so you and your son get to spend as much time as you can together.

Time passes far too quickly, before you know it the only time you''ll see him is when he is hungry or needs money for gas!!

When that time comes where you slept is not going to be a big deal.

But the times you spent together will provide a lifetime of memories!

Get out there, have fun, do things that kids love to do.

What you do now will play a big part in what kind of man he becomes.

Her Who Must Be Obeyed is forever telling me that I''m just a big kid. I still enjoy watching fire-flies, butterflies, groundhogs and chipmunks. Share all this with your son and his pals.

Find a place to park your camper or put up your tent.

The main thing is just being there.

Ea.

[scoutldr]

Amen, Eamonn. It seems like yesterday that my boys were Wolves. I can''t believe that they "aged out" at 18 over 11 years ago. I''m still plugging along, wondering what the scout''s dads have to do that''s more important than spending quality time with their sons. We (my fellow SCouters whose sons have aged out) have decided to get this group to Eagle and then pull the plug. As of last Monday night, they are all Life, no thanks to the "drive by" parents.

[ASM857]

In our district scout areas do not have access to pop-ups or rvs. when we do family camps for the cubs we schedule it in a state park so people can bring thier trailers if they wish. I use a thermorest pad for when we backpack in and a slumberjack cot for drive in camping, this has helped my back a lot more than my old military foam pad. As you said a little discomfort might be worth the joy in your boy''s eye. I know it''s great to go out with the troop and see my son growing more each year.

 

YIS

Doug Buth

[Torveaux]

It seems that many scout camps have indoor facilities. If those are OK, I see no reason that a pop up tent is not OK.

 

Sure, there will be some camp sites that will not be able to accommodate, but for the most part it is not much different that being at a camp with platforms under the tents and cots inside them.

 

As for leave no trace, a popup tent camper has a smaller footprint than most tents. It may be gauche to tenting=camping purists, but don't let small minds prevent you and your family from enjoying camping together with your Pack.

 

I'm pushing 50 myself, and I certainly would rather be in my pillow top bed to sleep, but for 1 or 2 nights I can tolerate the tent on the floor with my sons.

 

 

[eolesen]

1) CPAP machines. I participate on a RV forum, and several members there use CPAP machines. Many members have units with both a 110V and a 12V plug, so that they can operate off of a car battery without the need for an inverter. You'll get a lot more battery life that way, since you're not wasting any power in the inversion process.

 

2) I've owned popups, fifth wheels, tow trailers, and a motorhome. The only time any one of those entered a Scout camp was when we were picking up our son at Camp Frank Rand on our way to Colorado (we lived in Texas and the troop was doing some mountain camping).

 

At our last Camporee, two of the commissioner staff brought RV's, but they were being used as part of the HDQ setup (one was for First Aid), and not by individual units. That's the only way I'd consider bringing mine in the future.

 

One of the cub packs did have a pop-up, but they became the butt of a few jokes as a result.

 

 

If you bring a full size inflatable mattress, be sure to have some insulation between you and the ground and/or mattress. They have zero insulating value. I've made do with a Thermarest pad for the past few years, but I'm still on the uphill side of 50.