Camping Memories: Flashback Friday

Why, yes, you little smart aleck, I have mentioned camping once or twice before on my Flashback Friday posts.  But camping creates a lot of Flashbacks, don't you think.  Camping always creates memories.  Camping, in fact, consists primarily of hardships that teach us such good lessons and then turn into some funny memories to sit around and chuckle over at Aunt Lulu's Sunday dinner and stuff like that.

As we gather at family dinners, I never tire of hearing my mama tell about the very special camping trip when they took their precious little (nameless) grandson to Stone Mountain.  The little guy decided to sleep in the tent with her and my dad.  They didn’t know he was sick.  HE didn't know he was sick  -- until he puked up all over their tent.  They threw him out, sent him back to his mom and dad and my mama sat up by the fire the rest of the night gagging.  The tent still stinks, 20 years later.  Or at least we think it does, we gave it away.....

In '92 or '93, we went camping with the Hilbishes to the Santee Cooper.  Our tent, the Wagener Dome, could hold our entire family, but the Hilbishes had two tents:  the kids tent and the parents tent.  We all tucked our kids in bed and sat up by the fire playing games.  When it was time for bed, Tom and I were surprised to see Dave plugging in an electric fan.  It was a very cool evening, why would they want a fan?  We watched with fascination.  Suddenly, the burst of wind from the fan inflated their tent.  It rose from the ground in glorious fashion, they crawled inside, snuggled up and went to sleep.  By morning, we realized they had no tent poles and required the fan to keep the tent inflated.  By morning, we also realized they were pretty much frozen.

Not everybody likes to camp.  We realize that.  And we are not stiff-necked parents who make their kids do things that aren't necessary.  We are reasonable at times.  But, as with piano lessons, we certainly felt the kids each had to try camping and see if they like it.   Just like broccoli. 

Patti didn't like it.

I have to say, she likes it now and takes her daughter camping a few times each year.  But she didn't care for it back then and we let her stay home sometimes.  Like for this 2001 backpacking trip to Pisgah National Forest, we let her stay back with Marci.  If you don't like to camp, you'll most likely HATE backpacking.

Tommy and I are clearly heavy laden.  And I'm just now wondering why Marj had no backpack?  I'm sure Tommy can answer that for us.

Backpacking really caught on for Tom and Tommy.

I was never that fond of it.

I loved the serenity and the views, but some other things like, oh, the lack of an outhouse was really inconvenient for me and something I soon discovered I really didn't need to pursue in life in order to feel fulfilled.

But here I am on another backpacking trip.  (I went four times, max)  With Tom, Cousin David whom you all know so well, and my brother Steve, who seems to be taking a leak here, but really he's not.  I don't think. BTW, if you don't know my brother, click on his name.  Please.
So this was in the Smoky Mtns. in 1990, Friday the 13th.  Honestly, we went backpacking on Friday the 13th.  It rained hard the whole time. (hence the garbage bags on the packs)  We didn't have much expensive gear back then, mostly garbage bags and bungee cords.

We ate hamburger helper without the hamburger and enjoyed hot koolaid in lieu of coffee.  It was, as I recall, "a mite aggressive with subtle hints of strawberry."  And definitely no caffeine.  But I digress.

My main point being this:

Doesn't David look hot in those tight spandex shorts?