Camping for the Bourgeoisie
The first year we bedded down in a tiny tent, the baby nestled between us.
Ten years later we’ve acquired: three more children; a huge canvas castle; tables and chairs; three-ring gas cooker and ‘compact’ fridge; bikes and sand toys; tablets, board games and teddies. Fairy lights and bunting are inessential but fun. A bubble machine, bat detector and barbecue inspire admiration and envy in equal measure.
One day we’ll pack two mugs, a good knife and a hammock and head for the hills. In the meantime, I just have this load of washing to finish and a groundsheet to air.
(Genre; unreliable memoir)
Miranda Lewis, 2017
It’s been a while since I took part in Friday Fiction. Being under canvas when this week’s photo (copyright Jan Wayne Fields) was posted by our esteemed host, Rochelle, I couldn’t resist.
Camping is a strange beast. Once a cheap option for the shy, the adventurous, the lover of nature it has become a huge industry. It’s also a great way to people watch – on a busy campsite you can see almost everything that usually goes on behind closed doors (and probably hear everything you can’t see.)
To go right inside all those yurts, tepees, wigwams and tents of the world click here.
Here’s a comment from my friend Natalie who linked in from my facebook page. (Aren’t I just the social media butterfly!) This made me laugh: ‘Your story could be about my family. We started with all four of us in a little 2 man tent for a night in Poole. Ten years later we had a trailer tent with double mattresses, electricity, a fold out sofa, gas BBQ, fridge, gazebo…the works!’
I had to laugh — you are so right.😊 One place we lived our next-door neighbors had a little campsite lot with a small trailer at a camp-ground about 10 km down the road. They would spend a week there in summer, but could easily slip home if they needed something. That’s the way to camp. 😄
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Made me laugh! I’d love a summer house in the garden – and then I’d slip inside for a bath.
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I loved this, right down to the genre description
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Thanks Neil. All memoirs are unreliable to some extent. Admitting it gives you greater scope from the start. It’s great fun!
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I agree. It’s not commonly recognised
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I love the idea of camping but I would prefer a trailer to a tent. That way we could hitch up and head for the lake as soon as the weekend started.
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Just roll up a hammock and head for that lake anyway! Thanks for the visit.
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I really liked this. Thanks for posting.
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And thanks for visiting!
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I feel this reality inexorably creeping up on me too (although we haven’t gone camping since the first one was born). Good story!
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The inexorable creep of the inevitable. Hard to resist!
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Welcome back, mil, loved the feel and full-circled nature of this story, where we wish for better times, simpler times, but we always make things complicated. Always.
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Glad you noticed that circle! I went to live in America for a couple of year thirty years ago. We took less stuff with us than I nowadays take on holiday.
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I could never do that. My type of camping is where I try to set up a tent, then end up sleeping in the backseat of a 1980 Toyota Corolla while the rain pours outside on a California coastline. Well done on memories!
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That does sound more spontaneous! Thanks for visiting.
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This is so funny and reminds me of my childhood. We had these fancy campers that got fancier over time. Only as an adult have I camped with tents, and the best one yet is a very small one. I doubt that I’ll do the hammock thing though. Lovely, fun story, and the title is a hoot.
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The coolest campers on my last camping trip were two French women with a tiny tent, a very small gas stove and the best cup of coffee on the site! Glad it struck a funny bone!
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Dear Miranda,
I can so relate to this. We went camping as our ‘honeymoon’ the first year we were married. A little two man tent that we shared with our puppy. We cooked over a campfire and washed dishes in a plastic bowl. My husband now works in a sporting goods store so he has to have all of the latest innovations in camping supplies. Hang the fact that we haven’t gone camping together in ten years. But he does have his castle in Sturgis 😉 Sorry…I’ve gone off babbling. Good story! Good to see you back, too.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle, I’ve loved all these stories in response to mine. We all know happiness isn’t possessions but it’s hard to resist. Love the honeymoon description! Miranda
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My husband and I still tent camp, doing our best to get away from “hotel on wheels” with generators and T.V.s. I mean honestly. If you want to live inside while being out in nature, rent a room! Loved the collection of stuff in your piece. Nicely done, and WELCOME BACK!
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Yes, that hotel on wheels! The purpose of camping is to be outside and be free of all that. Glad you like all the stuff- I thankfully don’t own it all myself but have witnessed every single thing right down to the bubble machine and bat detector.
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For the best camping just take a frying pan, and hope for good weather. But not for the bourgeoisie
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Your comment reminded me that when I went to live in the States for a while my husband packed a frying pan in his suitcase! I’ve never been sure why.
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A beaten up old frying-pan cooks the best sausages😉
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You nailed it, Miranda. In fact, I’d just started a longer story a couple of weeks ago entitled “The Great American Camping Trip” that somewhat mirrors your post. We start primitive and simple, and evolve into taking the entire grocery story and dragging a miniature hotel to a campground that “must” have electricity, running water, and hot showers.
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So true! Good luck with your piece – much comic potential. People really do expose themselves when camping.
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Lovely take on the prompt. I could totally picture this
Click Here to see what Mrs. Dash Says
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Oh we did cut down our equipment to the bare minimum… so much better when you can carry it on your back.
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Better not take Dale camping then!
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That’s how it goes…. for us too! Tent to pop-up tent-trailer to trailer. No way in hell you could get me to go back to a tent and a sore back after attempting to sleep in the damp. Ugh.
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Better not take Bjorn camping then!
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Ha Ha!!
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! For the best camping just take a frying pan, and hope for good weather.
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