camping traditions?

[Cdburgerjr]

Our tradition is a flag “ceremony” to start and end every stay. After I bought a Camco portable flagpole, I wanted to do more than just put it out and take it down. I googled for the proper music, so now, using a party speaker, the flag rises to “To the Colors” and lowers to “Retreat”, both performed by US Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band.

A “G-Spec” flag does the job right as well.

[JohnnyBadger]

Thank you all for the stories. Mary & I just started this adventure about a year ago, so don‘t really have any traditions yet. But I can share one from the days my family tent camped when I was a kid:

I am one of seven boys (no sisters). To entertain us, my parents would take us camping using a 8’ x 8’ tent. Many times we would camp together with my Uncle Carl (my Dad’s brother) and his family.

My Dad and Uncle Carl always had a contest to see who would be the first to get their tent up and be sitting in a lounge chair with an open can of beer. The winner got to drink from the others stash for the rest of the first night. Of course, as the children grew, we became the indentured servants, each with our own specific tasks for setting up the tent. Dad and Uncle Carl would do nothing more than stand next to their folding chairs, holding an unopened beer, waiting for the last stake to be pounded in.

The most memorable of this tradition was the time that Uncle Carl wasn’t paying attention, and allowed his tent to be set up with the door opening to a smaller tree trunk. He “won” that trip’s competition, but only if he kept the tent positioned the way it was. Well, there was no way Uncle Carl was going to lose the competition. So, for the rest of the weekend, everyone in his family had to do a bit of tiptoeing around the tree to enter/leave their tent.

But the capstone of this memory was being awakened during the night by Uncle Carl opening the zipper of his tent to head to the bathrooms to relieve himself, walking squarely into the tree, and hearing the giggles of the other 11 children (and my Dad) as Uncle Carl uttered a Loud “Ouch!”.

That is my favorite memory of my family’s camping traditions.

[Dick Noble]

"There are no lies on the internet." Direct quote from Abraham Lincoln.