When we tell people we’re camping across Canada, they’re surprised. When we tell them we are tent camping, they are shocked.
“Tent camping, really?”
“Yep, really.”
We’ve been camping in tents large and small for 30 years or more, and not planning to stop any time soon.
Our first camping trip was on Vancouver Island, facing the Pacific Ocean on MacKenzie Beach near Tofino. More recently, we were gazing at the Atlantic Ocean from Brimstone Head on Fogo Island in Newfoundland. In between there have been seemingly countless campsites, most of them memorable.
In the Rockies, we spent two weeks at Lake Louise Campground near the iconic lake in Banff National Park, and loved every minute of it—even when the overnight temperature dropped below freezing.
Our camping years started in a tiny Bill Moss tent. It was designed for one person but (Ahh, youth!) we made do. Over the years, we progressed through several bigger tents. When I turned 75, I realized I was getting too old and stiff to sleep on the ground and get dressed on my knees. Which lead to our current set-up for camping:
Mountain Equipment 6-person tent for the two of us which provides plenty of interior space for two cots, two camp chairs, all our gear and leaves a small area for a dance floor when the spirit moves us. No problem with headroom for those a tad over 6-feet tall.
A canopy is a must for any stay longer than a single overnight. Ours is an inexpensive Coleman shelter from Canadian Tire. It fits easily over a picnic table.
We also travel with a bug shelter from MEC. Large no-see-um mesh panels and a floor skirt keep bugs at bay while letting the views in. The floorless design and large coverage fits easily over a picnic table, with plenty of headroom for even the tallest people.
For many camping trips our go-to camp stove was a two-burner Primus but when it started acting up, we purchased a Coleman Cascade 222 Camp Stove that generates 22,000 BTU via two adjustable stainless steel burners. We love the stove, especially since the rotary ignition for matchless lighting works as advertised.
We do like national parks in Canada, especially because of the convenient wash-up stations with running hot and cold water, as we experienced at Lake Louise Campground, and, of course, showers and toilets. Thank you, Parks Canada! Keep the fees reasonable going forward, eh?
By the by, until a few years ago, we spent more time boating than camping. Click to read our boating blog. That’s us anchored behind Camelot Island in the Thousand Islands on St. Lawrence River aboard At Last! our TomCat 24 in the photo below.