Spoiler alert… I went camping but got my ass handed to me on a silver platter!
The story of my latest motorcycle / camping trip will go live soon. I had fun but mosquitos took more of my blood than I’m willing to accept! What can I say? I’m tough… possibly even stupidly tough, but sometimes shit gets out of hand.
On an earlier campout I had things under control. (I also saw a Norse God.) Ticks were bad but I easily handled them with permethrin and grit. (Also swearing, I swore a lot. It’s totally reasonable to swear while pulling ticks off your leg or whatnot.) On that trip, mosquitoes were a hassle but it was manageable. I kept them in line with a few Thermacells.
This time I didn’t see a single tick but the mosquitoes went for the jugular. Mosquitoes 1, Curmudgeon 0.
When you do stuff, sometimes it sucks. That’s why many people sit on couches and few do stuff.
I’m an Adaptive Curmudgeon! I got my ass kicked but it’s really just an invitation to learn and improve. (Or level up your gear!) I pried open my wallet and ordered a screen tent. Isn’t it beautiful? It’s a Gazelle G5. (This is a file shot… mine hasn’t arrived yet.)
I’ll admit I feel like a wimp buying a screen tent. All I can say is you had to be there.
I’ve never used a screen tent in this way. My old solution was to avoid camping where the bugs hold sway. Wait for the first frost, stay out of stupid places, and/or stoically endure when that’s not enough. Lately I’ve felt the need to camp more often and right now. It’s probably because our weird world has me jumpy.
Impatience and a change of venue is why I met mosquitoes that went beyond “stoic test” and straight into “hellish nightmare”. Shit happens!
I’ll report on the new equipment after I get a chance to test it. Here are initial details: I bought a Gazelle because an earlier Gazelle purchase was superb build quality. My tent is a Gazelle T4. It’s been a brick shithouse of a tent! Among Gazelle offerings I picked G5 as a compromise between roomy but a PITA to setup and easy to carry but too small. I suspect I’ll be able to erect the G5 in a minute or two (I setup everything myself too). The G6 is a lot larger and hexagonal and I’m sure I could set it up solo without hassle, but it’s likely more than I need.. If I was camping with a couple people that’s what I’d buy. Also, it basically doubles the price and I’m trying to keep costs down. (If you’re starting from scratch, Gazelle even makes a tent that’s a duplicate of my beloved T4 with a screen tent sewed directly to it! It’s very cool! I’ve already got the tent that would be duplication. Also, I won’t need a screen tent every trip, just sometimes.)
In theory the smaller tent is enough. (An advantage of camping solo!) One lawn chair, one cooler, and (maybe) a cot is all I’ll plan to put in it. Clam makes a nice little (and more packable) squarish screen tent but I figured I’m carrying gear in a Dodge. There’s not much advantage to small & lightweight gear.
If the Gazelle screen shelter is half as good as my Gazelle tent, I’ll be well served. (Links go to Amazon.)
If you want to throw a buck or two toward my screen tent, I’d be a happy camper. If you don’t, that’s OK too. I’ll still do stupid shit and write silly stories. (But I ain’t going camping again until the screen tent is delivered!)
Donation links are below. No pressure though. If you’re broke, I get it.
I hope you enjoy my stories.
A.C.
