My husband has taken to mumbling around the house.
I swear I’m living with Rain Man.
I’ll hear snippets every now and then… “a bathtub floor… yep, gotta have a bathtub floor”… “Rain fly”… and occasionally, “Patented Weathertec system… definitely Weathertec”.
He is on a mission. His jargon is virtually incomprehensible to me…all this talk about ‘footprint’, ‘electrical access ports’, and ‘fiberglass poles’…
Frankly he’s a little obsessed.
He is in search of ‘THE PERFECT TENT’ (insert heavenly chorus here). There, I said it. AND I ‘all-capped’ it. It’s just that damn important, evidently.
He has done his homework, looking for the best tent for family camping trips. He has done the research, read the reviews, talked to fellow campers, and scoured the internet looking for deals. I honestly don’t think he was even close to being this thorough in any of his final exams in college ;)
He does ask for my advice, but he has something very specific in mind, and I don’t think I’m giving the right answers (which, admittedly, consist of: ‘Honey, whichever. I don’t care.’)
It all started a few months ago when we were stuck in a torrential downpour during our camping trip. We had borrowed a tent from friends, and during the thunderstorm, it began to leak. But honestly, ANYTHING would have leaked with all the rain that we were getting, regardless of it being labeled ‘waterproof’, ‘weatherproof’, or ‘whining-proof’ (do they make ‘whining- proof’ tents? I’ll put in my vote for that one, fo sho…) We were basically wallowing in the mud like a bunch of pigs by the time we started packing up our campsite.
I think the fact that it started to leak in earnest at approximately 5:30 in the morning has attributed to the ‘PERFECT TENT’ neurosis that now has my wonderful husband in its grips. Yep… 5:30 a.m. You’ve heard that song ‘Raindrops keep falling on my head’? Cute song, but a hell of a way to wake up in the morning.
So until he finds the perfect tent, we’ve booked a cabin for our next camping trip. And I’ll just keep patting him on the shoulder, walking past him at the computer, where he feverishly compares Colemans to Keltys, consults his checklist, and mutters about tarps and seam sealer.
He’s determined to avoid the same scenario next time. Guess that technically makes him the ‘Anti-Rain Man’. Definitely…
7 comments:
A cabin is the perfect tent. Especially if it has air conditioning and cable. I love the great outdoors, but I've slept in tents with every last mosquito in the state and during torrential downpours with a river running thru the middle.
I figure I'm good on my camping in a tent quota til I'm about 95. By then, if anyone's crazy enough to take me, maybe I'll be senile enough to enjoy it.
I hope the tent he finally picks is "THE PERFECT TENT" or you are going to hear his signature phrase when you are camping and the then leaks!!
Jen
Mine is on the hunt for the perfect sofa for watching movies on. I don't think they make one.
don't over-analyze. good double seams, heavyweight bathtub bottom, plan that allows for airflow, detachable rain fly, and a bottle of seam sealer. (or 2)
1 tent for everyone? probably could get by with a 4-man tent.
http://www.rei.com/product/777759
or if you don't care about standing up in the test
http://www.rei.com/product/777757
I'd be happy to help. I know too much about tents and camping. Happy to offload some knowledge.
oh yeah, and whatever he buys, don't believe the sales guy. seal the seams. then set it up in the back yard and run the water like rain for a while. if it still leaks, re-seal, or take it back.
When he finds it, have him call me. We are taking Tiger camping this fall and I need to buy a new tent. I was going to do the research myself, but if Phil is doing it....And as big as Adam is, I figure I need the same size as you guys!
http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/ is another option for good quality cheap tents
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