We went tent camping two times this season. We normally camp and travel in a Rockwood Mini Lite 2205s, but the RV spent a lot more time in Indiana this summer than we did. Partly, this was because a hole got punched in our sidewall at a campground, and we had to leave the trailer for service while we headed home without it. When we went back to Indiana, we had to make another fairly short trip home, so we made arrangements to store the trailer in Indiana to make travel faster.
While we were home without the trailer, we still wanted to go camping, so we gathered up our tent-camping gear, which we’d been accumulating for a few years. We took two trips. Although one of those trips was planned for three days, each outing only lasted one night.
Tent Camping at Curt Gowdy State Park [Wyoming]
Our first tent camping trip was in July. We went to Wyoming from our home near Albuquerque, New Mexico. We actually drove to Colorado and stayed with family for a night, then went on to Wyoming the next day. Our main reason for taking this trip was to welcome the Union Pacific Big Boy steam engine back home to Cheyenne, Wyoming, after a trip west.
I had searched for a site at Curt Gowdy State Park that offered privacy and a bit of windbreak. As we drove through the park to our site, we decided we really did get the best location. There are several campgrounds clustered in the state park. We chose a site right on the reservoir, so we were able to see people playing in the water but were still protected by vegetation.
We started our setup with a sand-free mat to use as a floor for our tent. Rather than a traditional tent, we use a Lippert pop-up picnic gazebo, so we do need a separate floor. Once we decided on the perfect location, we popped up the gazebo. I can actually open that tent pretty much on my own, though I need a stick because I’m not quite tall enough to convince the center to pop to its full height. Tony can do that part, though.
We worked together to place the tent just right. We do not like to use tent stakes because they are difficult to get into the ground and even more difficult to remove, so we have a selection of three sizes of lag bolts that we screw into the ground with our Ryobi drill. It makes quick work of tying the tent and mat to the ground. We also purchased the five walls for the screen gazebo, so we installed those outside the tent for wind resistance and privacy. The door was facing the bushes, so although it was only a screen, we didn’t feel too exposed.
Next up, we opened the heavy-duty cots and used the Ryobi compressor to inflate the air mattresses. …Oh, sorry, did you think we crawled into a two-man tent and slept on the ground? Haha! Never again!
I made up the beds with RV SuperBag, which I had separated and folded individual sheets into. Pillows from home made the beds homey and comfortable.
Outside of the Lippert tent, we set up the Sylvan Sport Privy Bivy and put the Camco camp toilet in that tent for overnight bathroom needs. There was a building with pit toilets nearby, but I didn’t want to have to walk that far in the middle of the night.
Next up, we set up the induction cooktop plugged into the Jackery. We carried our perishable food in a 12-volt cooler. I heated canned chili with hot dogs. We cleaned everything up so we didn’t have wild visitors or worry if a little rain came. Neither of those was a problem.
We left the Starlink at home, not wanting to bother with it in the tent for just one night. Sadly, Tony’s cell phone didn’t have much service, so he didn’t have much to do in the evening. I looked around for a paperback or magazine but had no luck. I had some signal, so he tethered it to my phone for a while. I had my Kindle, so I was able to read my book without Wi-Fi.
Around dark, we turned in. It was the perfect sleeping temperature, and the breeze died down early. It was a beautiful night. The weather was just cool enough to cuddle into our bags, but not so cold that we were uncomfortable. We didn’t realize how lucky we were until our second trip.
Train Day — Union Pacific Big Boy
Friday, we awoke after a great night’s rest. We started packing up, ate breakfast, and recorded our podcast from inside the tent. It was a lot of fun. Then we finished packing up. The only showers at this park are at the Visitor Center at the north park entrance, so we drove there to shower.
That’s when I realized I had forgotten to bring the quarters! We bought quarters from the machine outside the shower rooms. I had a really nice shower, but Tony couldn’t get warm water until he finally gave up. Dang it!
It was threatening to rain when we got into Cheyenne. It didn’t take long before the threat was a reality. Tony was undaunted and stood by the fence for about three hours all together. My sister and brother-in-law brought their grandkids and met us. I took the kids into the Cheyenne Depot Museum to keep them occupied for a while. Around 4 p.m., we headed out to find the grownups. Tony hadn’t moved from his spot by the fence. It was drizzling pretty good by then.
The train was waiting just outside of town because another train was on the tracks. Finally, that train got out of the way, and the Big Boy pulled into the museum at around 5:15. There was a flurry of video cameras, umbrellas, and cheers. The train whistled as it approached, which surprised everybody and made us jump a little in surprise! After the train stopped moving, they opened the gates, and we were able to get a little closer. I tell you, that is a BIG engine!
We were all wet but also very excited to have seen the Big Boy up close. We took a bunch of photos and selfies, then headed toward home.
Tent Camping at San Antonia Campground [New Mexico]
In September, we had one more tent camping trip planned. This trip was closer to home and with another couple who had their travel trailer. Our reservation was at the San Antonia Campground in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. We were supposed to camp for three nights. The day we were supposed to leave, we had a lot of last-minute problems that we had to fix, and we just could not get away from the house in enough time to set up camp, so our friends told the camp hosts that we would be there in the morning.
We were ready to go early the next day and headed to camp early. We arrived and got set up pretty much the same way as we had in Wyoming, just without the lake outside our door. This campground had no shower facilities, so I booked us all a soak at the local mineral springs for the next day.
We had a nice day with our friends and a good dinner together. When darkness fell, we were ready to turn in. Unfortunately, this trip was a lot colder. There wasn’t really any wind, but the air got much colder than we had planned. I had packed extra blankets, but our heads were exposed, and we really could not get warm enough all night. In the morning, we thawed out by sitting in our friends’ trailer or around their propane fire pit.
It was such a difficult night that after our soak in the morning, we went back to camp and packed up. So, we only ended up with one of our planned three nights of camping. Apparently, we were so busy being cold that we didn’t even take any photos of our camp. That is unlike me! Our friends sent a photo of our site that they parked in because their site was too small to accommodate their trailer and truck!
We do really love the Jemez Springs area and will definitely return. We might even tent camp there again, but we will be better prepared for the next trip.
RV or Tent Camping?
This trip taught us a few lessons that helped us prepare better for our next trip. We didn’t have any sort of a heater. Before we tent-camp, next time, we will buy a propane heater that is safe for use inside the tent. We also will pack more warm clothes, including knit caps to keep our heads warm in the night. With those few changes, we should have a successful tenting experience. However, we now have our travel trailer back, and it actually comes with a heater and solid walls, so the tent is packed away in the garage for the time being.
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 Peggy and Tony Barthel are RV industry veterans who travel part-time in a Rockwood MiniLite 2205S travel trailer, looking for fun and unique destinations as well as tips, tricks, and discounts to turn the American RV adventure into StressLess Camping. You can catch them Thursday mornings on their podcast, or any time at www.stresslesscamping.com |
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