by Gina Diez

Created on: September 18, 2008

Oh, the classic debate, RV or Tent. The real question should be, how old were you, when you switched from a tent to an RV. Does anybody really make a choice to tent camp, if they could, wouldn't they rather be in an RV ?
Back in the day when my husband and I were just two, well three including the dog, we claimed to our friends was 'like our child' of course, this was before we actually knew what kids were really like, we always slept in tents, everywhere we went, to the lake, the beach, out fishing in the middle nowhere, it was always tents, not because of choice, but out of affordability. Not many young people, or young couples with small children can afford an RV these days especially with fuel prices, and tenting it is an experience, the truth is, it doesn't matter how you do it, it's about family time, enjoying the outdoors.

Camping, irregardless of how you do it, can afford a family irreplaceable memories and lessons, of course, tenting it, also provides it's own set of memories and lessons, mostly the lesson that if Mom ever gets money to buy an RV the family will buy one, or that Mom will need a vacation to a day spa upon returning from the so called vacation, of tent camping, however, having said that, there is something to be said for crawling out of a tent in the morning and having to pee in a bush, brush your teeth with a bottle of water, and drinking coffee boiled over an open fire, which by the way, this method of strong coffee will be required in order to keep up your energy level required for the rest of the day.
Personally, having done both, I vote for the RV, but funny thing, even when we roll up in the RV, my two boys, bust out the tents, pitch them nearby and enjoy the experience of having their own tent, and their own camping experience. Oh yes, youth at it's finest, enjoying the air mattress balanced on rocks, and the steamy morning air in your tent as you wake up and realize the oxygen level has decreased to near suffocation and the sun somehow has pierced it's way into the zipped up windows. But either way, tent or RV, it's really about the experience of being in the outdoors, and it's more important then ever to teach our children about respecting nature, the animals and the landscape. To get our children out from video games and television, and out onto beaches and lake shores. Personally, for myself, tent it ? Nope, not ever again.

Learn more about this author, Gina Diez.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.