When Camping Becomes Work
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Camping is one of my all-time favorite pastimes, but it seems that the older I’ve gotten the more this quick weekend get-a-way has turned into a week of overtime. I now have a whole new level of respect for my parents. I remember many camping trips that were just awesome, but I never remembered all of the extensive planning that it entailed. Between grocery shopping, packing, camper maintenance, and splitting wood (I refuse to pay five bucks per log at the campground) it truly is a lot of work.
About a month ago my girlfriend told me she wanted us to go camping with some friends. Immediately, I was excited. I thought this would be a good experience for us as a couple to work and plan together. I figured I would organize 
some camping gear: my tent, a couple sleeping bags, and a cooler. I’d be ready to roll, no more than 20 minutes of work tops. Little did I know she had different plans. I told her about my tent… apparently she’s more of a hotel girl. So I suggest we borrow my parent’s camper trailer. They said “no problem,” but they didn’t know if everything was going to work, seeing as they haven’t used it in a few years. I told my dad that I’d be over the next weekend to take a look at it.
The following Saturday my father and I tackled the camping checklist by testing the amenities. Air conditioning worked good, fridge worked well, and the stove and microwave were a go. Now on to the plumbing. I ran a hose to the side of the camper and turned it on. I had to shut it off very quickly as I noticed there were more leaks in that camper than a BP oil rig. It turned out
that the last time the camper was used, the plumping was not properly drained and no RV antifreeze was placed in the holding tanks. The water froze and cracked some of the fittings and couplers. I turned the faucet back on and made a list of what needed to be replaced. The toughest and most disgusting obstacle was the toilet. The flush line that went in to it cracked at the fitting and needed to be replaced, which required me to fully remove the toilet. Just so you can learn from my mistake, NEVER REMOVE A TOILET UNLESS ITS CLEAN AND EMPTY! So after cleaning up this three year old excremental emergency off my lap, hands, and feet, I went and purchased the parts I needed and finished the repairs.
Now with that monkey off my back and “Plumber” added to my list of many hats, my girlfriend agreed to take care of the food preparation out of appreciation for the literally crappy weekend I had. We went grocery shopping and stocked up on beer, brats, and breakfast foods. After shopping we went and stocked the shelves in the camper trailer, made the beds, and gave the camper a quick once over with the broom and vacuum. We were ready!
The night before our first day of camping was hellish to say the least. The significant other thought it would be a good idea to park and level the trailer the night before we went camping, so everything would be ready and we didn’t have to work during our mini-vacation. I told her it would be better to do it in the morning rather than at night 
because the lack of light would make it difficult to park and level the trailer once disconnected. She disagreed. Instead of arguing with her and pointing out her clear lack of logic, I decided to go with flow and not spoil the trip. We made the journey to the campsite just before twilight. While driving around in circles looking for section J, lot 114 we realized we forgot flashlights. I mistakenly chose this time to remind her about what I said earlier about setting up in the dark. She immediately went from being my significant other to my signifi-CAN’T other. She sat in the truck silently, while I played the Austin Powers back and forth game with a 22ft travel trailer and an 18ft Suburban. I finally got it in position, told her that I would just uncouple the trailer and level it in the daylight. Needless to say the ride home was quiet until we pulled driveway and I exclaimed “AIN’T CAMPING FUN HONEY!” I thought this was a lot funnier than she did.
So the next morning I woke up on the couch and headed into work for a half day to tie up some loose ends, as I planned on meeting her and her friends there at the campsite. She called me to see if I could grab a few forgotten items on the way, still with an agitated tone in her voice. I finished my business, jumped in the car and was off. Upon my arrival I was greeted with hugs and kisses of gratitude. It was like my livid little lady was transformed into a vivacious vacationing vixen. Within moments of me unloading the firewood, I had a beer in one hand and a bean-bag in the other…true bliss.
As with most things in life the amount of effort that you put into doing something right determines the satisfaction with the end result. This really made me realize why I had so much fun camping with my family during my childhood all the painful preparations were handled behind the scenes – I just had to show up. So here’s to all the mothers and fathers out there who have walked through hell on Sunday to make their vacationing plans realized. Your children thank you and will never forget the fun they had, and when they become parents they too will hopefully carry on this grand pastime.
Travis Mai - Hitch Guy
Social Media & Tech Specialist - CURT Mfg.
