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A bedsheet, a pillow, a blanket and some clothesline pins. That’s all I needed for my first experience of camping. And I loved it.
Andy Spry of Greenville and his wife, Cherie, along with their friend, in back, John St. John, enjoy a fun week of camping at Isle Royale in the Upper Peninsula every year. Andy, an avid camper, also enjoys a guys trip with friends to the same location once a year, too. “You can spend the whole day hiking and not see another person. It’s a great, quiet getaway,” Spry said. — Submitted photo
One of my favorite childhood memories was spending the night outside under a bedsheet that was thrown over a clothesline.
My neighborhood friend and I thought it was amazing, enjoying a star-filled sky and many great and silly conversations, all the while enjoying that mix of fear and excitement of what we may encounter in our simple tent during the night — a raccoon? Skunk? Bigfoot perhaps?
Throughout my many experiences of traveling, I’ve been blessed to enjoy camping in a variety of ways, including staying in a tent, a camper, cabins and AirBnBs, and even spending a night under the stars in just a sleeping bag.
One person that has much more camping experience than I is Andy Spry of Greenville, who can be best described as a camping connoisseur.
Spry, 47, is a lifelong camper, who has enjoyed the thrill of camping since he was a toddler.
“My father, Patrick Spry, who was an Eagle Scout when he was young, got me into camping,” Andy said. “That’s what we did for vacations, we camped, usually in the Upper Peninsula. He took us all the time.”
Andy still enjoys camping in the U.P., usually going on a backpacking trip with friends at Isle Royale every year.
He has camped every which way a person can, from sleeping under a tarp to enjoying his newest addition to the household, a 2022 No Boundaries camper that is packed with all the amenities of home.
“The camper comes out when I go camping with my family,” Andy said. “But my favorite type of camping is backpacking because everything you need is on your back. I love the feeling of being in the woods and being self-sufficient. I just love the ruggedness of it.”
If you are more like me, where the extent of owning anything regarding camping is a cooler and a blanket, there are great options to still enjoy the outdoors.
One such way is “glamping.”
‘GLAMPING’ — CAMPING AT ITS FINEST
Many people and families don’t have the luxury of owning an RV or camper, or even a tent, for that matter.
White’s RV Rentals, owned by Scott White, is a local business that offers camping trailers to rent. Perhaps the biggest perk to renting from White’s is that the company offers the choice of having the camper picked up and hitched to a renter’s vehicle or have the camper delivered by White to the renter’s camping destination. — Submitted photo
In that case, “glamping” — mixing the glamour of civil amenities with camping — is the way to go if you and your family are wanting to experience the outdoors for a weekend or longer.
One can argue camping with an RV or a camper is technically glamping, but I say, if you’re gonna “glamp,” glamp it up real good and book a cabin or house near the area you want to travel.
My latest glamping trip was with my family and two other families who shared an AirBnB cabin at Hocking Hills in Ohio. It was definitely the best way to go when you don’t have all the camping necessities.
Online apps such as AirBnB, Campspot and iOverlander (great for available off-the-grid sites) can offer easy access to available homes converted to rentals, cabins and campsites available within the area you want to travel.
Another useful app is called The Dyrt, which is good for finding available campgrounds and, two of the app’s best perks are the maps of the sites it offers and the comments/reviews from people who visited those sites, offering great feedback.
If you’re looking for something a little more rugged but don’t have access to an RV or camper, White’s RV Rental, which is near the Palo-Fenwick area, offers a fleet of campers you can rent.
One of the more nifty ways to enjoy sleeping in the outdoors is a rooftop tent. This item, starting at a cost of $1,000, is a great way to camp, as it can be stored and set up on top of a vehicle, allowing the campers to sleep off the ground, away from most bugs and critters. — Submitted photo
The company, celebrating its 10th anniversary, is owned by Scott White, a seasonal business he started out with just two campers and has now expanded it to 12 campers available for rent.
White’s RV Rental has campers ranging from 18 feet long to 29 feet long, where between three and eight people can sleep in, depending what size camper you choose.
Perhaps one of the best perks to renting from White’s business is the option of having the camper delivered to and set up at the site you’re camping, give you a totally trouble-free camping experience.
“It’s a great thing to be able to rent a camper and let us deliver it right to your campsite,” White said. “As long as you are willing to pay the extra fee — based on mileage — we will deliver the camper anywhere.”
Renters can also hitch a camper to their vehicles, with White providing hitches, if needed. He said if renters go that route, he suggests to be sure you have the proper vehicle to tow a camper, which ranges between 2,300 to 5,000 pounds, and that your trailer light fixtures are working properly.
The minimum number of nights one can rent a camper is three nights. White said he has had people rent campers out for two weeks or more, so there isn’t a limit on the number of days one can rent a camper.
Most of the campers are equipped with bunk beds in the back and a queen bed in the front.
“We are open usually from April to, well, whenever the weather allows us,” White said. “We’ve rented to deer hunters before in the late fall and have rented as early as May.”
Rentals this month are all booked up but, according to White, there are some campers available for August and September.
“You want to book a rental in advance,” White said. “We might be booked but you can always call and see, because we do make a waiting list for when we have a cancellation, and I do have a couple new campers that are not on the website yet.”
PREPLANNING AND TAKING THE BARE NECESSITIES
Whether you’re roughing it or glamping, there is always the need to plan, both the trip and the necessary items you should always pack.
Planning and organizing your trip and the many items you want to bring is essential to making sure you enjoy your camping trip. Andy Spry suggests laying out all of the necessary items you plan to bring on the floor, which then you can keep certain items packed together. — Submitted photo
Spry said his annual backpacking trip to Isle Royale with his friends is planned months in advance.
“We usually get together at a location, like a restaurant or brewery, and we do all our planning then, where to go, when to book, who will bring what,” Spry said. “We book our trip at least three months in advance because, well, for Isle Royale, once we get to Copper Harbor, we fly there instead of taking the three-hour ferry ride, so we have to book a flight, too.”
As far as packing, Spry said he is a “list guy” who tries to be as detailed as possible to be sure he doesn’t forget anything.
“I definitely have things listed and I check them off,” he said. “I also lay out everything I’m going to pack on the floor. That way I can put items I need to keep together, like food and cooking utensils.”
Spry said the most essential items to bring, especially when backpack camping, is:
• a water filter
• paracord,
• gas stove or twig stove
• a lighter or flint and steel
• cooking ware, which would include at least one sauce pot to boil food and water, another pot to eat out of
• an eating utensil, such as a titanium spork.
One of the simplest ways of camping outdoors is using a tarp to sleep under, according to Andy Spry. “What’s nice is you don’t have to pack a whole tent, giving you the ability to pack other things,” said Spry, who loves the more rugged camping styles. — Submitted photo
Another necessity, he says, is a first-aid kit, or at least Bandaids, gauze, Superglue and plastic bags, which can be handy for other uses, as well, including leftover food.
“You’ll also want to be smart with packing clothes,” he said. “Especially since we’re talking about Michigan weather, when you never know what kind of weather you’ll get day to day.”
Spry’s top three camping sites are all in the U.P.:
• Isle Royale, which is in the most northern part of the U.P..
“You can spend the whole day hiking and not see another person. It’s a great, quiet getaway,” Spry said.
• Tahquamenon Falls, near Paradise, which Spry says has great hiking and a brewery nearby.
“It’s really nice to be able to walk back and forth between the two falls, too,” he said.
• Andrus Lake Campground, also near Paradise.
“This is a not-so-well-known location I like camping at because it has a very secluded lake, it’s near Whitefish Point and it’s a great fishing spot for trout.”
ACCESSORIZE YOUR CAMPING EXPERIENCE
Here are some nifty camping accessories that could make for a more enjoyable experience when you’re out in nature:
One of Andy Spry’s favorite camping locations is Andrus Lake Campground, near Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula. This location is great for any style of camping, including campers, tents or, Spry’s favorite, backpacking, where “everything you need is on your back.” — Submitted photo
• Sleeping mat: This could come in handy in almost any camping style you choose, and they range in price on Amazon, from $20 to a “cooling gel infused” memory foam mat that is $99.
• Inflatable lounger: probably my favorite camping accessory I’m suggesting. I saw this when I was camping near a beach and wanted one since then ($25 to $40 on Amazon).
• Collapsable cutting board kit, which includes a knife and a basket that can be used for storage or a “sink.” ($14.38 on Amazon)
• Portable power station with solar panel: If you “need” to plug back in to your tech, this little gadget will keep you, and your electronics, powered up. Depending on how much juice you want, these stations can range from $100 to $800 on Amazon.
• Paracord: Wide variety of these durable cords, which can be used for many things, including tying down your tent or using them as clothe lines ($6 and up on Amazon).
• Solar Mosquito Zapper ($30) and Mosquito Repellent Bracelets ($10 on Amazon): I can’t stress enough how necessary bug repellant is when you’re camping or glamping. These items can very well turn your camping experience from good to great.
• Fire starter packets: Sometimes you find that you have nothing to get a bonfire going or the area may be too damp. For those situations, and for starting a fire quickly, these fire starter packets are great. ($13 and up on Amazon).
• Rooftop tent: This item allows you to “tent up” on top and on the side of your vehicle, giving you the luxury of not sleeping on the ground and away from most critters and bugs ($1,000 and up on Amazon).
