During a recent late summer tent camping trip, I found myself doing the familiar butt scoot when getting dressed in the morning. At this point I realized the truck was parked a mere ten yards from the tent and that maybe I didn’t really need to be in backpacking weight saving mode with my gear.
- For years I’ve tent camped a few steps from the truck using a small backpack style tent and sleeping bag.
Tent Camping Upgrade
The day after I returned home, I went to Bass Pro Shops website and began shopping. The first thing on the list was a tent. I wanted one where I could stand upright, be able to set up by myself and not cost a fortune. The tent that caught my eye was the 9’ x 10’ 78” Bass Pro Shops 5-person Speed Frame Tent.
The feature that intrigued me was how the tent comes out of the carry bag with the steel pole frame and tent body already attached and claims to set up completely in a matter of minutes. The rainfly and tent are made of a durable 190T poly with a 600mm PU coating and the floor is a 230gm polyethylene bathtub floor. I also liked the covered awning in front of the tent’s door for dry entry and gear storage. I really didn’t care that it weighted over 27 pounds. I’m going to set it up right next to the truck.
If I’m going to go fancy with my tent camp set up, then why not a cot? Keeping with the speed theme, I went with a Bass Pro Shops XL Speed Frame Cot. This Heavy-duty, water-resistant 600D polyester fabric extra large cot features a speed-frame design that comes fully assembled. You simply unfold it and BAM you got a bed. Again, I didn’t care that it weighs 24 pounds.
Then I got to thinking, what good is having a bed, if you can’t lay in it and read. So I went out and got a night stand. Here I went smart (cheap). I purchased a wooden folding nightstand table from Wal-Mart for under $10.00
For lighting my new home, I went with the Zippo rechargeable waterproof lantern that I’ve had for a few seasons now. It lights up the tent nicely, but when the charge gets low, the red flashing light can get a little annoying.
One last piece of furniture was needed to complete the new home. I went with what I had on hand and placed my camp chair next to the night stand. The Ameristep Camo Director’s chair I purchased several years ago from Sportsman’s Warehouse is a great all around chair. I’ve used it to deer hunt, dove hunt, goose hunt, and of course to sit by the campfire. My only regret is not having a second one.
The first time I set up camp, I didn’t even sleep in the tent but it got a heavy duty rain test. I had gone to the Overland Expo East in Asheville North Carolina, where it steadily rained all the first day. With the weather report calling for more and heavier rain over the next two days, I called the trip short and packed up for home. The tent however was perfectly dry inside after the daylong rains.
The following weekend, I traveled to the mountains of Maryland for a few days of hunting. Again I was welcomed with some rain. Late into the night I laid on my new cot read Russell Annabel and listened to the rain tickle the tent. All the while perfectly warm and dry.
The first tent camp with the new set up was 3 nights and 4 days long. By the end of the trip, I really could have kicked myself for not moving out of the backpack tent long ago. This coming weekend, I’ll be out again with my new camp in the mountains. I could really get used to this level of luxury.
- But I still see a few more of these nights sleeping under the stars in my future. Sometimes a man just needs to feel the night air and watch the stars.
