I knew a young college couple that wanted to see what there was
outside of Ohio where they grew up. They had very little money and
could not afford a stay in motels. Did they let that stop them? No.
They bought a two-man tent that would fit in their tiny compact car.
The local surplus store had all they needed to go with their tent. A
single burner stove that used “white gas”, sleeping bags, and coffee
pot cost less than $30. A skillet, two plastic cups, two plates, two
forks, and a pancake turner from home all fit in a cardboard box along
with boxed noodles, canned tuna, matches and a pound of coffee.
Clothes for two weeks and some essential toiletries filled up the back
seat of the car.
The next ten days they traveled from one end of the continent to the
other and back to Ohio where they started. The memories from tent
camping across country in a day when you could still feel safe in the
company of strangers is all that remains from that trip today. The
rest of the camping gear was worn out by years of camping.
