Anyone into camping?

Hoektastic

We are doing a weekend bike tour in July that has us camping overnight  We need to get a tent and i think an air mattress.  Since we will be biking about 40 miles each day, I want to be really comfortable overnight. Henry will be with us so we will need to fit a pack n play in the tent. (Thankfully the organizers arrange the transportation of our gear and take care of food/drink.)

Any suggestions? Will we look crazy if we have an 8 person tent?

 

Desmond&MollyJones*

I don't think you will look crazy.  I don't think an 8 person tent is obnoxiously big.

I used to go camping all the time as a kid.  I miss it!  And I defnintely think you need an air mattress. 

Hoektastic

Desmond&MollyJones*:

I don't think you will look crazy.  I don't think an 8 person tent is obnoxiously big.

I used to go camping all the time as a kid.  I miss it!  And I defnintely think you need an air mattress. 

Ok good - I don't want to look like Troop Beverly Hills.

Costco has a Coleman 10 person tent with a room divider - I think we may check that out.

MrsJuliD

We love to camp, but do mostly backcountry camping.  We sleep on the inflating mattress pads:

http://www.rei.com/product/797485/therm-a-rest-basecamp-sleeping-pad

I find them plenty comfortable but I'm usually a pretty hard sleeper.  And I think air mattresses take up a ton of room in a tent - but if the air mattress will keep you coziest then go with that.

I don't know about the tent, because we just have our small ultralite hiking tent, but I say no one will think you're crazy with a huge tent.

Kasa

I know nothing about camping, so I have no advice.

But I wanted to say that this trip sounds so cool!  Where will you be biking?

Hoektastic

Kasa:

I know nothing about camping, so I have no advice.

But I wanted to say that this trip sounds so cool!  Where will you be biking?

It's the 2-day Michigander. Just from Kalamazoo to South Haven and back the next day. Mike has done bike tours before with lodging, but Henry and I have never been.  And it has been a long time since I have camped.  Hopefully it goes smoothly and we can work our way up to longer stretches.  

gvsubride05

Hoektastic:

Desmond&MollyJones*:

I don't think you will look crazy.  I don't think an 8 person tent is obnoxiously big.

I used to go camping all the time as a kid.  I miss it!  And I defnintely think you need an air mattress. 

Ok good - I don't want to look like Troop Beverly Hills.

Costco has a Coleman 10 person tent with a room divider - I think we may check that out.

we bought that a few weeks ago. We are going to a campground near my parents for a weekend this summer. We will leave the kids at my parents for the first night and then pick them up in the morning to bring them to stay with us the last night. So we will have 2 people in a 10 person tent.   I like the screen in room. I figured that would be a good spot to keep the kids entertained in case it rains.

Hoektastic

gvsubride05:

Hoektastic:

Desmond&MollyJones*:

I don't think you will look crazy.  I don't think an 8 person tent is obnoxiously big.

I used to go camping all the time as a kid.  I miss it!  And I defnintely think you need an air mattress. 

Ok good - I don't want to look like Troop Beverly Hills.

Costco has a Coleman 10 person tent with a room divider - I think we may check that out.

we bought that a few weeks ago. We are going to a campground near my parents for a weekend this summer. We will leave the kids at my parents for the first night and then pick them up in the morning to bring them to stay with us the last night. So we will have 2 people in a 10 person tent.   I like the screen in room. I figured that would be a good spot to keep the kids entertained in case it rains.

Now I am convinced we need that space!

xDanniellex

H and I bought a huge tent when it was just the 2 of us.  I find the extra room gets used.  Between bags and not wanting to be pressed right up next to the sides when you stand.  Plus we have one of those double high air mattresses, so that's more room too. 

 Advice- set it up at least once in your yard ahead of time so you can get an idea of how it sets up.  Usually they are pretty easy, but you'll feel less like a dork if you've done it at least once before.  

gvsubride05

xDanniellex:

H and I bought a huge tent when it was just the 2 of us.  I find the extra room gets used.  Between bags and not wanting to be pressed right up next to the sides when you stand.  Plus we have one of those double high air mattresses, so that's more room too. 

 Advice- set it up at least once in your yard ahead of time so you can get an idea of how it sets up.  Usually they are pretty easy, but you'll feel less like a dork if you've done it at least once before.  

Good idea, but in our case, I would be more worried about bickering between TH and I and lots of swearing.  ha ha!

Hoektastic

xDanniellex:

H and I bought a huge tent when it was just the 2 of us.  I find the extra room gets used.  Between bags and not wanting to be pressed right up next to the sides when you stand.  Plus we have one of those double high air mattresses, so that's more room too. 

 Advice- set it up at least once in your yard ahead of time so you can get an idea of how it sets up.  Usually they are pretty easy, but you'll feel less like a dork if you've done it at least once before.  

We will definitely do a trial run set-up. Thanks for the suggestion!