What I bought this summer with my rifle money(pics)

[WCF3030]

New 10x18ft tent (too replace the 10 year old Coleman) $160
Igloo 6 gal water cooler $24
5 gal container $10
8in Dutch Oven to go with my 12in oven $22
2 Air matresses $40
Small radio $16
Gas for Big Red $90
Gas for Trailblazer $200
Small assorted camp items $50
Horse rides at "Cowboys and Clowns" $40
A happy wife and 3 big smiling faces after our second 4 day camping trip.
Priceless!!

Gladstone Michigan Old tent





Sandy Beach Mi new tent

[TedH]

Ahh yes, good times.

[Mike S.]

Awesome!! Not many things are as fun or challenging as camping with the kids.

I was just thinking this afternoon that I need to get my 3 yo out for a trip - I know he'd love it just as my other two do.

I still like tent camping, my wife not so much - she's thinking a pop-up would be nice.

Mike

[Ysabel Kid]

Cool!

My wife's idea of camping and/or "roughing it" is the Holiday Inn...

[Tycer]

Good dad/hubby!

[brucew44guns]

I well remember for over 20 years as my 3 kids were growing up, virtually every holiday I worked 15 hours hauling some stupid gasoline down the road to a station someplace,so a whole lot of other people could go camping, go to the mountains, the beach, the lake, while my kids sat home with mom. Anybody who takes their kids camping, does the things that makes kids eyes light up like these kids eyes are lit up, I gotta say, God bless you, you're on the right track. Go wear that tent out every chance you get. Take lots of pictures too!!!

[rjohns94]

Well done. perfect priorities. the smiles are priceless

[hfcable]

outstanding, beautiful family, and great times. THIS is what it is all about!

[RIHMFIRE]

outstanding, beautiful family, and great times. THIS is what it is all about!

DITTOS ON THAT ONE!

[gamekeeper]

outstanding, beautiful family, and great times. THIS is what it is all about!

+2

[GANJIRO]

Nice pics, lovely family, thank you for sharing. I remember when that Chevy truck body style first came out, sheesh I remember when the previous body style was new... What an old fanny burp I am.

[Paladin]

You are defiantly on the right tract.
Thanks for the photos, brings back a lot of great memories.

[BenT]

Just got home last night from a weeks camping throughout Michigan with the kids. Daughter 10 and son 8 .Alot of fun. Stayed at Indian lake and Sleeping bear dunes. Started in northern WI, through the UP,all the way to Niagra Falls and back. Over $600 in gas, but it was worth it. Looks like you had just as much fun as I did.

[winchester1886]

Dog gone it WCF3030 how can we argue with that choice you done well real well, that's more important then all the lever actions ever made, you'll be collecting interest on that kind of a deal till the day you die, says a lot about you to, may the good LORD always look after you and yours.

[Hobie]

[2ndovc]

Very Cool!!!

jb

[Pete44ru]

Very nice - It sure brings back the memories of when my children were young.

BTW - For interested parties, of course - Here's how I got my wife into a "pop-up" tent trailer, which I wanted from the get-go.

I took her semi-wilderness tent camping in Maine, to a state-maintained campsite off the Applachain Trail.

I made sure we had an umbrella tent - which had small windows up high, waaaay above where we'd be sleeping at ground level - and that friendly Raccoons visited the trash barrels @ night (I hoped the evidence wasn't from bear visits, though).

Yup - after a beautiful evening around a nice campfire, and retiring to the sound of the Loons, etc, a racoon came a'scratchin' at the back tent wall in the wee hours !

After the 'coon left, the first words outta her mouth were: "Hon.....Why don't we look around, at some pop-ups ? "

(Got 'er done !)

.

[BenT]

Pete I know what your talking about. My wife and I have tented it for more than 20 years. We traveled the country on motorcycle. With kids it's a little different to say the least. Anyway I had her looking at popups a couple years ago but couldn't get her to want to spend the money. (don't buy new plenty of 3 to 4 year old ones out there at half price) Well when it came around to getting a different truck 2 years ago to pull her horse trailer. I found a 96 ford that came with a slide in camper. I told her we can sell the camper and the truck would even be a better deal. Well I made her go camping in it a couple times and she was hooked. No selling the truck camper now. Plus now I can do over night fishing trips with ease.

The only difference I find with a camper is breaking camp. When your traveling across country it's great. But if your setting up for the weekend in one spot it doesn't make a difference. I still won't get rid of my tent. Even those times you get flood in a rain storm. You will talk about those times for years.

[WCF3030]

Ji,
That is a 74 C20 Custom with only 27,000 miles. Although the body is about the only stock thing on it.
It was a special order for the local fire department. Commercial axles, 6000lb payload, dump bed, full time 4x4 and 5:56 gears. Needless to say if your not hauling something or pushing snow or basically making money with it (or taking the family camping) it stays parked.

Thanks all for the kind words. Although I must confess when the saved up cash started going through my hands I had some self pitty, but the moment we climb into the Trailblazer and pointed it north for our first trip that all went away. Money well spent!!!

[Modoc ED]

Good on ya!! I used to love tent camping but my old bones just won't take it anymore. Glad to see the tradition is continuing with you younger guys.

[Andrew]

Is it also a 24V system?

[WCF3030]

Is it also a 24V system?

Yes. I almost learned the hard way about replacing batteries the wrong way in a 24v system.

[AndyM]

Very cool - the rainbow picture is cool

[Blackhawk]

+3