More and more baby boomers are retiring and heading back to nature after decades of material excess. But we‘re no longer interested in crawling in and out of a small tent, sleeping on the ground, scrounging up a meal over a 3 inch burner, and deploying the grunge look for that week in the wilderness.

Camping has an irresistible nostalgic allure, is a very affordable means of travel and unfortunately, still has many women digging in their 3-inch heels against it. Baby boomer or not, female or male, this article is for all of you who want to camp, but can’t (or don’t want to) hack the roughing-it part.

The first article in this series: So You Want To Be a Glamour Camper covered camping tips and tricks to help ensure you get a good night’s sleep while camping (including discussion about what tent to buy – so start with that post and add this information to it).

Eventually though you have to step outside the tent. Listed below are the things you should bring along to make that experience as pleasant as a good night’s sleep.

Someone has to take pictures while everyone else is setting up.

a shower. a cocktail. in that order. she's laughing at the portable seat. or maybe just LIFE. It's pretty sweet in the great outdoors.

Looking for the good stuff.the glamour camp dog. gotta have one.

Glamour Camp decor

Next week, Campground Etiquette. Week after that: Camp-out RECIPES! and a basic food list.

The Glamour Camper’s Packing List

• A 10 ft x 10 ft EZ Up (pop up) canopy. It’s a $140 roof for your campsite. Place it over your picnic table area for taking meals out of the sun, cooking, playing card games, etc. They’ll make your camping area look like a Saharan caravan. They come in a heavy duty carrying case, and are a breeze to erect and store. Tip: you can find them at Academy or similar sporting goods’ stores for less than online. But the EZ Up online site is helpful for seeing what’s available. The website is below.
• Two burner camp stove. These run the gamut from the basic table top model to fancier ones that are free-standing. For our general camping trips we still use the table top model placed on the end of a picnic table; plenty of propane bottles for the stove; striker to light the stove.
• One cast iron skillet or non stick skillet.
• A pan for heating water.
• A camp coffee pot.
• Coffee (the only food item I’ve listed and the only one I won’t live without).
• Insulated cups for coffee, tea or soup.
• Utensils.
• Heating pads/gloves.
• Kitchen towels.
• Paper towels.
• Salt & Pepper (Grinders makes a pair of small, plastic shakers perfect for camping – buy them at the grocery store).
• Dr. Bronner’s liquid peppermint soap (comes in other scents but the peppermint smells so clean). It’s concentrated so a little goes a long way even in cold water. You can use it for everything, even bathing, and it’s easy on the environment (biodegradable).
• Scrub pad for clean-up. Spray cleaner, plastic tub for transport of dishes.
• Foil.
• Spray oil.
• One cookie sheet (multi-purpose).
• One multi-tool. No household should be without one of these, much less a camp site! Otherwise: bottle opener, screw driver, scissors, knife, pliers, tweezers, toothpicks, file, wire cutter.
• Cork screw, bottle stopper.
• Camp lantern.
• BATTERIES.
• Toilet paper and handi-wipes. Put them in an open weave mesh cinch sack and tack them to a tree.
• Bag chairs for everyone. Preferably with the drink holders in the arm.
• A large rubber mat for your tent’s exterior door mat. You can find these at kitchen supply stores.
• Small camp/bag/lawn chair to be kept outside your tent door for putting on shoes, etc.
• A small card table. Metal works great here since it’s easy to clean, the weather won’t affect it, and they’re lightweight. This table is indispensable in the camp cooking area or as a place to sit the kids to work on a puzzle, play games, or take their meals.
• Marine cooler with plenty of block ice; ice pick. Makes a great bench.
• Separate cooler for drinks and food.
• Vinyl tablecloths to cover the picnic table and the small extra table for the camp kitchen.
  You know when it rains or there’s been heavy dew and you have to sit at the picnic table? To alleviate this issue I pack a couple of what I call “gardener’s knee squares”. They’re a square piece of closed cell foam, fit most behinds perfectly, serve as a shield from the dampness, and provide some cushioning!
• An assortment of bungee cords (different lengths), large “S” hooks, clothes’ pins, various sized carabineers, etc. for an plethora of needs. The clothes pins can be used to close food packages, a use I overlooked for years.
• Plenty of nylon parachute cord. Besides making a great clothes line, it’ll come in handy numerous other unfathomable ways.
• Throw in a few nails. They come in handy for tacking the trash sack to a tree or making a place to hang the mesh bag for TP and handiwipes.
• A package of wood wedges for leveling things in the tent and around camp. Makes life oh so much more pleasant.
• Several packages of Extra large Wet-ones for tent bathing, kitchen clean-up, etc.
• Hand pump of sanitizer to keep in camp kitchen.
• A small hand ax. Many campgrounds provide fire rings and while you can purchase firewood and bring it with you, it’s fun to take a little walk in the woods and gather it yourself (watch out for poison ivy, snakes, etc. – know what the dangers are in your area). Make sure your campground allows this. And I’m not talking about felling any trees. Rather picking up fallen limbs, sticks, etc. P.S. don’t bother with green wood.
• Fire starters. There are several types available. My favorites are “Magic Fire Starters”. You can get them at Cabelas.com.
• Once you establish whether or not you can have a camp fire which will be dependent on the camp grounds and weather conditions, choose the appropriate “paper” ware. If I know we’ll have a campfire, I prefer paper cups, plates, etc. and then carefully burn them in the fire ring. If not, then you’re stuck with plastic, but with those you can wash and re-use them to an extent.
• A black Sharpie for marking drinking glasses, etc. Attach it to a cord and keep it in the camp kitchen. Anyone removing it and not replacing it gets a pop of the dish towel.
• I’m getting greener and so purchased a Lexan fork/spoon/knife set that I wash and re-use for every meal.
• A large heavy duty trash sack. I’m in the market this year for a folding trash can (in which I’ll put the trash sack instead of tacking it to a tree). Actually they’re sold as pool side accessories, but they work great for camping and fold down to take up only a tiny amount of room when storing. Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, among others sell them.
• Being outside all day chaps my lips. They sting at night, which experience has taught me interferes with my sleep, as in miserably interferes with it. SO I bought a long lanyard and attached to it a tube of Eco Lips “Face Stick” a small stick of 30 SPF sunscreen that can be used on face or lips (website information below), a tube of Burt’s Bees replenishing lip balm for nighttime use, and a whistle. The whistle is great for calling kids (my son is grown now but I’ve got just under 20 nieces and nephews), calling out in the wilderness if you need help or to find other’s in your party, etc. I get up every morning and put the lanyard and headlamp around my neck. I never have to look for sunscreen or chapstick and I never get caught at night without some light to guide my way back to the tent.

Whew!

Once you’ve got these things assembled, you’ll need a way to organize and transport. I recommend the large, clear storage boxes now available everywhere. The lids snap down with handles on both ends.

An Oh-so-important final suggestion:

Last summer after many camping outings, my husband and I sat down to eat the wonderful one skillet breakfast he’d prepared of eggs, sausage, peppers, hash browns, and cheese only to discover I forgot to pack forks or spoons. When it comes to camping, improvisational skills are vital! We ate our meal by alternating the spatula he’d used to cook the meal. The thing was so big we could only use the corner of it – a very memorable meal!

*** My last suggestion is this: Make a list and put it in the permanent camp box. Add to it as needed. Then follow it.

Here’s a list of websites that will get your camp stocked in no time.

Cabelas
Sierra Trading Post
Campmor
Eco Lips
Burt’s Bees
REI
EZ Up Direct
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps

Not on the list, but an oh-so-nice detail.

one of the reasons we go

I’d hate for you to think I ONLY Glamour camp. Not so. Here’s proof.

Coming out. A blister the size of Texas hobbled me the last 12 miles of hiking. Made for great stories later.

The celebrated end of a not-so-glamorous backpacking/camping trip. Backountry. Wind River Mountain Range, Wyoming. Only girl.

Definitely NOT me. But my long-term tent is like this, as in it's the same size. This is Judy, the glamour camping Queen. But I did take the pic. She gives me something to strive for. Or not.

As a long-time camper I’ve morphed over the years from a pup tent with a ¼ inch mat to cushion my body against the ground to a more luxurious camping experience. Once or twice a year the one-man tent and the mat still come out for a backpacking foray to fish for wild trout in backcountry streams, albeit the mat has grown to a ¾ inch thick cushion. Once a year for a 10-12 day stay my husband and I pull out all the stops and glamour camp “glamp” in a remote part of Wyoming.  All the other times which approximate ten to fifteen 2-3 night stays, fall somewhere in between on the comfort scale.

Two weeks in the wilderness for two couples. Not exactly roughing it!

The single piece of equipment that sets apart the long glamping trip from all the other camp-outs, is the tent.  For the Wyoming annual outing we purchased a 10 ft. x 18 ft. tent, large enough to enter from either end standing upright all the way through. We dubbed it the B.A.T. as in Big Ass Tent.  The initial cost was $300. We’ve used it 4 times, which breaks down into a lodging cost of about $8 per night ($300 / 40 nights).  The effort expended to set it up precludes using it for shorter trips.

Wyoming wildflower centerpiece.

One Mile Upstream from Camp - North Platte River, Wyoming

Assuming you want to pursue camping outings in the range of say 2-5 nights, you don’t want to do the crawl around on your hands and knees routine, and you’re starting from ground zero or your equipment is outdated, here’s a list of basic items I recommend you consider.  Since a good night’s sleep is so critical, this article will cover the basics for that. In my opinion once you have that down, everything else is a piece of cake.  And short of that if you’ve got plenty of rest, you can handle the other potential mishaps that are inherent to interaction with the great outdoors.

• A tent in the range of 9 ft. x 12 ft. with a large “D” opening on the side (not end) will provide a moderate amount of space and be quick to set up.  You’ll want to ensure there’s a gear loft and gear pockets in it for storage. Tents have come a long way in the ease to set-up department. Color codings on the tent poles, amenities such as gear lofts and pockets, and various ventilation extras will surprise you if you’ve not seen a new tent in the last 5 years.  A new tent purchase comes with everything you need to set it up (rain fly, stakes, instructions, poles, guy wires, etc.), with the exception of a ground cloth.  However, I recommend purchasing a separate set of heavy-duty tent stakes in lieu of those that are included. You’ll need to purchase a ground cloth, which does NOT come with the tent.  The ground cloth should be a heavy duty plastic tarp, about the same size as the footprint of the tent (bigger is better here because you can tuck under the excess – too small and you’ll still have a wet tent floor which is what you’re attempting to prevent). This is laid on the ground first; erecting the tent over it and then tucking any visible ground cloth in under the tent once the tent is completely staked (do not stake the ground cloth to the tent!). The ground cloth is critical to keeping the floor of the tent dry in rainy weather, or even heavy dew.  If the tarp is larger than the tent and you leave the ground cloth showing it’ll gather water which will seep in between the floor of the tent and the ground cloth, and you’ll have a wet floor.  Misery will be the result.  A rain fly keeps the top dry, a ground cloth the bottom. Both are critical.
• A hammer for pounding in stakes should be thrown permanently into the tent bag.
• Bedding has also come a LONG way. Several years ago we began searching for a way to get the bed off the floor of the tent and discovered they now make frames that stand about the same height from the floor as a normal bed. The frame we purchased from Cabela’s has a pocket into which you insert an inflatable mattress so you never have to worry about sliding off the frame. Tip: partially inflate the mattress then insert into the pocket before topping it off. We purchased a Queen size Coleman inflatable mattress and the Queen sized stand and now camp with a bed that sleeps almost as well as any bed you could hope for.  Another wonderful advantage of the frame is the storage underneath.  We shove tons of stuff that won’t be needed until the tear-down under the bed and out of sight.  The frame folds neatly into its own container for storage.

The 9×12 tent I spoke of previously holds a Queen sized bed with plenty of walk around room.

Tip:  inflatable mattresses expand and contract with temperatures.  To keep the bed comfortable, take the time to add some air at the end of a cool day.  But be careful! If the temperature swings are broad, overfilling can potentially result in a busted seam during the days rising temps.

• Look for a mattress that comes with a BATTERY powered inflating unit (Coleman includes these with their beds) since there won’t be an electrical outlet in your tent!  Purchase plenty of appropriate batteries for the unit.   DON’T FORGET THE BATTERIES.

Perform a test run of setting up the bed/frame/mattress at home just to make sure everything works.

• Since we sleep on a Queen sized bed at home, sheets are not a factor. I’ll grab a set of my nicest sheets (cotton, not flannel  — unless you plan to sleep in the raw, flannel works like Velcro and every turn will be work) and the appropriate blankets from the closet just prior to a trip. Take more blankets than you think you’ll need. Even though you’ll be in a tent, 3-season tents typically mean part of the “ceiling” is mesh.  The rain fly will keep you dry, but you’re sleeping in the great outdoors. You can always remove cover but if you don’t bring it, you can’t add it.  Note: A down blanket is great for camping; light weight and lots of loft and warmth = sweet dreams.

• An inflatable mattress repair kit should be thrown permanently into the bed container.
• I sleep with my head elevated so I bring pillows from home.
• A small LED headlamp is indispensible in camp and I wear one around my neck during the day so that at nightfall I’m not searching for it. And since we’re talking about sleeping comfort, that sweet little headlamp means you can read in bed for a bit before drifting off to the sound of crickets or frogs or owls or nightingales or loons or all of the above.

Oh yes, KIDS!  Assuming they’re old enough for a separate tent (and I have been with all the above recommendations for you), a basic tent with army cots and blankets (again this means you have some storage space beneath the cot) or sleeping bags/pad will have them thinking they’re in heaven.  Hang a small headlamp around their neck, put some flashlights in their tent, and nighttime entertainment will never be an issue.

Come back next week and I’ll cover basic equipment for the rest of the camp site and additional tips to make camp-outs something you’ll daydream about.

My husband and I made the decision this past October to cancel a trip to Spain and Morocco that I’d spent innumerable hours planning. It was a complicated trip – several legs, transportation utilizing planes, trains and automobiles. 12 days in foreign countries. Since it’s been a brutal winter for many of us and thoughts of summer travel are rampant daydreams, I thought I’d finally sit down and share a few hard-earned tips to remember when planning your next trip abroad.

Beware #1: Life Throws Curveballs

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking there is no way, no how, come hell or high water that the trip you’re planning could be cancelled.  This trip was to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. One we’d given a lot of thought to, planned in our minds for a couple of years, and even committed the resources for. Travel insurance may cover some things, but it doesn’t cover prudence. By the time the trip came within a month of departure, our job situation had become unexpectedly dicey.  The decision to cancel was one of prudence. We knew we’d lose some money, but we couldn’t lose money we hadn’t yet spent. It’s not always illness or injury or some family crisis that creates a need to cancel.

If you go into the planning of a trip with this in mind, you won’t be unpleasantly surprised when you pull the plug.

Beware #2: Currency Change-ups

All of the lodging accommodations took the initial charges/downpayments in Euros. The exchange is easy enough to calculate.  BUT on the refund end several credited our credit card in British Pound Sterling.  In most cases, what I received back when I finally got the transactions converted back to Euros then U.S. dollars was not what it would have been had they refunded the money in the original currency taken – Euros (exchange rates fluctuate daily).  Not only that, as if that’s not enough, but it’s extremely confusing when you begin converting the multiple currencies. Make sure you ASK if a cancellation becomes necessary, in what currency they’ll make the refund. You can’t change the policy, but you’ll at least be informed.

I suggest you use a full size notebook page for every leg of the trip. Organize it any way you want, but make room for this: as you book, find out exactly by what time frame you have to cancel, and should that be necessary, exactly how much you’ll receive back assuming you cancel within that time frame.  Not a percentage, not a night’s worth, but the number of dollars/euros/pounds etc. If it’s not to be money, rather vouchers, get all the details of their restrictions for use. Note all this prominently on your planning page, the date, and the person’s name that gave you that information.

Beware #3: Cash vs. Vouchers

I booked several legs of the trip through Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Happy with their customer service and responsiveness, the cancellation process irrevocably damaged my opinion of them. I hesitate to say I won’t use them again. I will say instead that I’ll attempt to avoid them in the future. Or for that matter, any other booking agent that attempts the same. Here’s why. I was generally aware of the cancellation policy. In other words, I understood that should I have to cancel my refund would be in vouchers that could only be used towards another Smith property and had to be used within a year.  Okay.  But here’s what I didn’t know. In order to use the vouchers I received upon the cancellation, a FULL prepayment (as in 100%) of the price would have to be made for the NEW trip. So for instance, come June we decide to use the vouchers for a stay at a Smith property in the U.S. I’m within the year restriction, but guess what? Instead of the requisite down payment to hold my reservation, in order to use my voucher, I have to give them the entirety of the cost of the stay. No dice. Not only will I NOT use the vouchers, but I have to cry foul on this. ALL the lessons I learned were due to my own lack of savvy. This however, is a bad business practice, aka “RIP-OFF”.

Beware #4: Don’t Call Them!

Don’t ever call THEM.  If they’re not offering to call you to iron out any snafus, they don’t deserve your business. My credit card wouldn’t clear with our lodging company in Morocco. I felt guilty about that, as if it was my fault or the thought crossed my mind that maybe they thought I was attempting something I couldn’t afford. Add to that the need to get the particulars nailed down, and you’ve got me picking up the phone and making an international call when they asked me to.  It’s embarrassing to admit that. I was very upset at my stupidity when I received the phone bill. And incensed that they asked me to call in the first place.  There was nothing wrong with my credit card, they just had problems processing a U.S. card and they admitted mine wasn’t the first.

Beware #5: International Wire Transfers

No credit card surcharges, no currency exchange issues, a way to put down a reservation hold and know exactly what the financial impact will be. Think again!

A small B&B in Andalusia required a deposit in the amount of $100 Euros and could only accept a wire transfer (with the balance in cash upon our arrival). I had our banker figure the exchange and wire the amount. She even agreed to waive their normal international wire transfer fee of $30 (nice!). We received a confirmation that USD of $149.24 had been debited from our account and $100 Euro sent to the B&B’s bank.

Things came unwound from there. An email comes from the proprietor of the B&B that a deposit of $85 Euro had been received.  I emailed her back reminding her she’d requested $100 Euro and that I had in hand confirmation $100 Euro had been wired directly to her bank account. I even got our banker into the fray, but nothing could be done. The proprietor’s bank had charged her an incoming wire fee and she had to pass that on to us, because, well, that’s the way business was done in Spain and she felt terrible that she hadn’t told me that upfront, she assumed I knew, and on and on. She blamed the misunderstanding on her bank in the end. Numerous emails were exchanged. But in the end, we only received credit for the $85 Euro.  I was helpless to combat this situation.

When I calculated what the fees were for the wire transfer of $149 USD, the total was $51 ($30 potential fee from our bank and $21 fee from the receiving bank – $15 Euro converted).  That’s just a small fee of 34% of the amount wired!!  Avoid international wire transfers unless you get all the particulars and fees assessed in writing ahead of time.

Beware #6: Foreign Car Rental

Plan to spend triple the amount you would allocate for a similar amount of time stateside. The collision damage waivers are extremely pricey. But we felt we needed the best level of coverage offered. Even if that could have been reduced with a lower level of coverage, it was difficult deciphering what was covered and what wasn’t.

Since we were to be in the South of Spain for several days, we wanted to rent a car. With plans to take the AVE from Madrid to Cordoba, we wanted to pick up the car at the Cordoba train station. Even with the help of a travel agent, the first attempt at this would have required we load our luggage into a taxi for a short ride to the rental car pick-up. Not so bad on the trip in, but on the trip leaving, that element of unknown time threw up road blocks where scheduling was concerned. Even though the car rental agency showed up as being at the Cordoba train station, when we looked closely at the address, it was off-site. At the time we canceled the trip, a rental car had still not been locked down.

Forget the fine print. Ask more questions. As in a LOT of questions. Stupid questions. Get names and emails confirming what you were told if you can. If someone wants your business, they shouldn’t mind. And prepare for this: no matter how many questions you ask, how many t’s you cross and i’s dotted, there will still be a few unpleasant surprises upon a cancellation.

On a bright note, I loved TripIt (www.tripit.com) for organizing the trip. In one glance it allows you to see the itinerary for every day, addresses, phone numbers, flight or rail numbers, costs, confirmation numbers, level of accommodation you booked, etc. I can’t think of a detail it won’t handle.

For me, since there’s no travel more rewarding, relaxing, or stimulating (the last two are not mutually exclusive) as road trips, the following travel tips are worthy of this abbreviated list, as hackneyed as they may be.

And really, I hold little close to the vest, so don’t read these and think “these aren’t secrets, she’s told us all this before.”  Well obviously you can think it, just don’t say it aloud. Unless you want to leave a comment, and then of course you can say just about anything you want because comments make bloggers giddy.

Like this? This was located with a GPS, wasn't even close to an Interstate, and was within my county of residence (at one time).

Jen Laceda of Folie a`Deux tagged me to share three travel secrets and in turn tap five other travel related bloggers and request they do the same on their blogs. “My 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets,” organized by Katie of Tripbase.com states “the aim of this game is to unite travel bloggers in a joint endeavor to create an amazing list of top travel recommendations across the globe to share with the entire travel community.”

I believe this list was initially conceived to reveal favorite destinations, but like the secret whispered in the ear of a friend who passes it on to another friend, who passes it on to another friend, it’s evolved into pretty much whatever the tagged blogger wants to discuss.

• SRT travel not-so-secret secret #1: Spend the money for a GPS or any device that will allow you to leave a breadcrumb trail (so you can confidently return to where you began). For one day of your trip, take your wallet/purse, the GPS and a camera, leave your maps and guidebooks in the hotel room, and hit the streets.  For an even more intense rush, leave your camera behind as well. Leaving the camera behind takes the most guts. No guts, no travel glories.

• SRT travel not-so-secret secret #2: Speaking of guts, exit the Interstate if you’re interested in seeing anything other than the sterile, stamped out cities they connect.

• SRT travel not-so-secret secret #3: Take a weekend road trip and stay within your county of residence.

Five travel bloggers that must now make a post regarding their 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets or more of the American highway system will implode:

Notes From the Road

John Batdorff Photograhy Blog

Travel Dreams & Moonbeams

One.Year.Trip

Postcards & Coasters

The subtitle for Wanderlust and Lipstick states: “The essential guide for women traveling solo.” My readership on this site approximates 50% male so when Beth asked I review the book, I was reluctant to discuss and recommend something geared specifically towards women. Then I actually read the book.

From cover to cover it’s glutted with resources I’ve not seen all compacted in one tidy place and many with which I was completely unaware. From forums (which have become some of the best sources for hands-on information) to dining guides, to websites covering all modes of transportation timetables, to information on how to handle illness or emergencies, the resources alone make this book worth the purchase price.

Beyond the sheer quantity and usefulness of the resources for traveling the world, the book inspires. Beth has ridden a BMW F650, SOLO, from Seattle to Panama, had a grenade pulled on her in Cambodia, and encountered the monster of giardia in Southeast Asia. Without having to say anything, Whitman’s erudition alone is inspiring. But she doesn’t stop there. Her ability to impart nuggets of wisdom and encouragement tells the reader she’s a woman on a mission – her goal is to see others enjoy the empowerment, liberation and rejuvenation of solo travel. She’s done it, she loves it, and she’s going to make you love it too!

Based on the comments to various posts and other interaction with the male readership on this site, you face the same strongholds towards solo travel that women do (and why wouldn’t you?). There’s logistical, psychological, and sociological issues with solo travel and these issues do not discriminate between the sexes.

So guys, if you’re not comfortable ordering the book for yourself, order it for a woman (or two) in your life and read it before tying on a bow.

Beth’s website, www.wanderlustandlipstick.com is another great resource (and entertaining), with gear reviews http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/wandergear/wander-gear/ and ideas for world travel http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/wander-tales/. Check it out!

The book is $15.95 and can be purchased on the Wanderlust and Lipstick website: http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/books/solo/

SRT readers, let me know if you enjoy this post and/or find it informational. It’s a departure from my normal road trip fare, but worthy of the detour.