Greener way to camp comfortably

[chaney]

We are introducing a new twist on a camping trailer - the Explorer Box.

It is a ‘tent topped trailer’ and is more than compact and a simple way to enjoy camping; it’s being aware of your impact on the environment, saving money and conserving fuel. (The entire Explorer Box weights 350 to 400 pounds dry.) It’s about having room to take your bikes, dogs, kayaks, gear, and canoes to spend most of your time outdoors without having to sleep on the ground. A tent topped trailer is a smaller space, but how much do you need to sleep and change clothes? You can tow this RV with a smaller car, like a Subaru Outback Sport - which we drive, without overtaxing your vehicle. You’ll use less gas, have less stress and sleep better at night.

To have experienced many ways to camp - from motor homes to a tent trailer, we’ve realized sitting around a campfire and watching the sky much more rewarding than watching a satellite television and eating microwave dinners indoors. This, to us, is not camping. Its fine if that’s what you like to do - but life is too short and we believe experiencing the natural world an important activity both for mind and body. With tent topped trailers, we can without leaving a huge footprint and have the comfort these aging bones require.

The question one needs to ask is; “What is camping to me?” If its nature, solitude, simplicity and relaxation - then a tent topped trailer is for you. It has no kitchen, no bathroom and no hassles. Your kitchen is your camping stove on the front kitchen galley or campfire, your dining room is a log or chair by the campfire. Your TV is the night sky. It’s all about enjoying where you are, not bringing your headaches and distractions along.

To pull into a campsite in the middle of the night and have our bed set up in less than five minutes is a great selling point. The tent does not require us to make our beds every morning - we can just fold the entire tent up and when we return our beds are waiting for us. When it rains, there’s plenty of room to wait out the storm, play a game or cards and stay warm and dry. The tent topped trailer has all the advantages of a tent and trailer without the added weight and expense.

I have to admit, my days of sleeping on the ground are over. These bones are healthy and strong - but they have endured over a half a century supporting me. But I’m not ready to pretend that camping is a huge steel box with lights, TV and an oven. No - the sounds of an owl at night and the chipmunks busy in the morning are soothing and special.

If you feel the same way, check out our new business venture at Compact Camping Concepts, we’d love to hear from you.

[gludeman]

Interesting idea, but I prefer to get out away from the camp grounds, which is hard to do with anything more than a backpack. Personally, some of the best night’s sleep I've ever had were in a sleeping bag on the ground. I'll take a nice layer of pine needles to a Tempur-Pedic mattress any day.