The birth of a Diva camper.

Why a comfort camping blog?  Why not.  I'm into it right now, and you must be too.  So let's do this thing.  

I suppose it all began when I cooked eggs on my Buddy Burner with dad at Camp Timberlake in the 60s.  Yes, I'm oldish.  Between Girl Scouts and age 48, there was pretty much, uh, no camping  at all.  Then in 2010 one of my friends (Mary J) who has a teardrop trailer (see photo) suggested a Diva Camping trip.  I'm like, Okay, sure, bunch of middle-aged ladies and alcohol in the woods -- what's not to love?  I'm in.  And so it began -- my camping phase.  I've been through pottery, jewelry, gardening, fused glass --  we don't have time for all the many Phases of Me I've been through in even the last 20 years.  Right now, it's camping and kayaking (we'll work up to kayaking soon, grasshopper).  Hence this blog.

The Divas watching me set up my polyethylene palace.

That first Diva trip was addictive.  We drank, we watched movies, we walked, we yoga'd, we drank, we got rained on, we drank, we painted our faces with peanut M&Ms....  Did I mention we drank?  Okay, we're not alcoholics or bums, but we did have fun.  And I think Ena still has some video of our drunken M&M tribal experience huddling under a tarp waiting for our dutch oven dinner to cook in the rain.  So, other than the loss of my camera (comfort camping tip #1: don't leave your electronics on the floor of your tent and then forget to zip that last 1.25" of zipper on the tent door), that was an awesome  trip, and I was hooked.  For all the hysterical details and great photos of this first trip and my pyschotic preparations, go here, and here.  (Looking back at these blogs, I'm thinkin' I was much funnier with an extra 20 pounds of fat in 2010.  What up with that?  Are fat people really funny?)

In fact, I was so hooked that I was motivated to try camping with my dogs near Cottonwood, AZ, so that I could explore the charming old mining town of Jerome.  Let me just cut to the chase and tell you that this was a real Learning Experience for me, which is code for, I did not have the right equipment and I was absolutely miserable and came home a day early from what I like to call "Camp Blow-My-Ass-Across-the-Hot-Desert."  My dogs and I just were not ready for debilitating heat and hurricane-force winds with no climate control in April.  April.  It should have been nice, even in the desert.  Hey, I live in the Phoenix desert, I'm used to the heat.  But I wasn't ready for a tent, aka the Easy Bake Dome, with no A/C.  I'll share the wisdom gained from this, and other unpleasant experiences I have had.  Let my trauma be your learning experience.  That blog post is here, and is a guaranteed good time read.

That first Diva outing was the beginning of a serious love affair, or at least an intense fling, with comfort camping.  I now enjoy camping about once a month, and have all but (note the "but" -- I'm always learning) perfected the "art" of solo comfort camping.  The beauty of car camping, is you can take lots of stuff and be comfortable.  The downside of comfort camping is, you need lots of "stuff" to be comfortable, (or even uncomfortable) while eating, sleeping, pooping, and doing other things out in the woods, or at most camp grounds.  So you want stuff that works, stuff that's easy-ish to haul to and from your car and your camping spot, and stuff that you can store easily at home.  I've bought a LOT of different camping things in the last few years and I am going to share the experience, and the benefit of my wisdom, with all of you.  You lucky devils.

Been there.  Done that.  Gonna take you with me next time.

Stay tuned for:  Gimme Shelter: The Many Tents of Tracy, and what to consider when selecting a COMFORTABLE Diva tent.

Camping companion Lola on her first outing -- note the unhappy poodle tension on that leash.