What's you idea of "roughing it"? Better yet, what is your spouse's idea of "roughing it"?

Question

I do everything I can to live off the grid ... that's roughing it ... give me a camp fire for heat, some kind of shelter from the rain, wind, and such, and I'm ready to go. Duh, but I've been going all summer, haven't I? What's your idea of roughing it?

Answer 1

"ditto" to Mr. Ed's answer.  Room service is the way to go.

Answer 2

When my hubby and I first starting living together, we were living in a big civil war era farm house that we were going to try to fix up. It did have indoor plumbing and electricity, but no heat. That first winter was the coldest winter in 50 years and we tried to live with fireplaces, a portable kerosene heater and 1 space heater. We would have to break the ice in the toilet in the morning before we peed. It was COLDDDDD! One night the pipes froze and exploded in the bathroom and froze all over the floor. Then the water in the well went bad and we had to haul water from town every day for us and our menagerie of pets. We lasted 18 months, gave up and moved. The tornado that spring that removed some of the roof and most of the windows sort of made our minds up for us.

Answer 3

I could live as I do at deer camp and not feel like I was roughing it. My wife would be roughing it if there was no little mints on the motel pillow.This is pretty much why we don't go camping.

I can start a fire with flint and steel, can hunt and butcher and can cook. I do like some kind of sturdy shelter and an eventual shower but can do well without for a few days.

Answer 4

My idea of roughing it is using an out house.  My hubby's idea of roughing it is using leaves.

Answer 5

If I am away from my home - then I would rough it at the Holiday Inn, along with a hot shower and a king size bed!!!!!!!!    (Never did like camping) !                     CJ

Answer 6

I have spent weeks at a time in the wilderness and felt like I was in heaven.  I have slept under the stars while on glaciers, in the rainforest of the Pacific Northwest, and in the deserts of the Southwest.  I was a happy camper.

My Ex-wife's idea of roughing it was TO TURN HER ELECTRIC BLANKET DOWN TO "1".    Sadly, we were not a perfect match.  

EDIT:  One of my happiest camping experiences was spent in the mountains on a lake in Arizona.  There was snow in places, plenty of trout in the lake, and a really great restaurant about 12 miles away (which I visited about twice a day).

Answer 7

Back in 1975, my wife and my 2 sons were stationed in Sardinia.  We took a few days to drive to the southern end of the island.  Along the way, we found a field and set up our tent overlooking an open plains.   The next morning a small truck came down the dirt road.  I stopped him and asked if he knew who owned the land and he replied that he did.  I asked how much he wanted for us camping there for the night.  He said to just take out what we brought in.  We did.

When we got to Calgari, we were directed to a beach area. There amongst a copes of trees were other campers.  No bathrooms, no showers.  We set up our 8 man tent, and I tied my small American flag to one of the tent poles.  We met so many people those 4 days because of my flag.  We had a blast.

The last time I roughed it was back in Sardinia.  My ship was in Naples and I took 10 days and caught the ferry from Italy to Sardinia.  I camped on the side of the hill not far from where we used to live.  I learned to bathe in 2 litres of water.  

We went to some bluegrass festivals at the Amelia County camp ground and lived in a tent for the weekends.  There were showers and bathrooms, but....a lot of folks had trailers and campers.  

My ship pulled in to Halifax, Nova Scotia one year and I took 4 days off while we were there (with my 10 speed) and rode out to a camp ground and lived in my 2 man tent.

What kills me are those nuts who have an RV and go 'camping' with TV/AC, and all the amneties.

Answer 8

Roughing it, nice hotel room, chocolate on pillow.....lol

spouse passed away, but he enjoyed the same, except required a close golf course  

Answer 9

I went up to the lake district last weekend for two days of camping. I covered twenty miles over harsh terrain with a tent and basic supplies. Wild camping is illegal in the UK but I did it anyway, it was so much fun.

Answer 10

I could not do without hot and cold running water, a flushing toilet and my own bed. Anything without these is roughing it. LOL

I'm definitely NOT a camper unless it involved a top of the line Winnebago. You know the one that extends out the side and has chandeliers,  shower, toilet and a fully equipped kitchen etc etc.

I don't mind roughing it if I have all my mod cons. My hubby shares the same opinions that I do.HEHEHEHEHE

Answer 11

Staying or living anywhere outside of my 'comfort zone!' I'm partial to my own bed, couch, and walking around in my undies if I want.

Answer 12

We prefer to rough it at home, but if we are away from home we rough it in a hotel.  Why rough it if you don't have to?  I like having hot water, a toilet that doesn't stink, and AC or heat when I want it, Plus, it's always nice to have freshly washed clothes to wear.

Answer 13

Your idea sounds good to me too.

My husband would have to have a trailer with a/c and a tv.

That's why we don't go camping any more since the kids grew up.

Answer 14

My idea?  A campfire, a blanket, and a fishing pole.

Wife's idea?  Five star hotel

Answer 15

Keeping the air conditioning turned up to 76*.  I'm afraid I'm not much of a person for roughing it.

Answer 16

My hubby is like you about camping, but I am not into roughing it. I do need shelter even if it is not raining. A tent is fine if I have a cot to sleep on and a warm blanket. Coffee in the morning first thing.Years ago we camped in a tent and a skunk sprayed it for whatever reason. We slept in the car for two nights. It rained for those two nights, I was wanting to go home, our kids (2) were little So you can imagine how it was.   Poppy  

Answer 17

a motel with hot and cold running maids -- swimming pool and good wine and cheese by it!!!

Answer 18

Everything you have described plus. I will even take my rod and reel and try to catch something to eat. I don't have a spouse or a boyfriend any more so there is no more camping for me until I do find someone that likes to go camping. I live a rough life anyway every day, so I enjoy going out camping.

I live in a travel trailer now as it is so there are many times that I pretend (if you will) that I am camping out since it doesn't appear that I am going to get to go camping anymore. When we flooded not long ago, water was all around my trailer. At that point, I felt like the lake was at my door.

This has nothing to do with camping, but you want to talk about roughing it. Right now as it is I am trying to clear my parents land and the weed eaters and push mower has quit working and so I am getting rid of the weeds with a hoe. Some of these weeds are over a foot high and we are talking about 2 acres that I am working on. Mom doesn't want to get another weed eater or lawn mower until this fall when they go on sale. The weeds are not going to wait until the sales are on, so I am using the hoe for now. Thank goodness for the riding lawn mower for the front yard. Just can't use it where I am clearing the land.

Answer 19

Your idea of roughing it is the same as mine.love it!

Answer 20

Roughing it is staying in a Motel Six with breakfast, lunch and dinner out. True luxury is in a B&B

Answer 21

I like to have coffee and food. A stove would be nice but I can get by without. I have had to rough it but it's different when you have to. My wifes idea of roughing it is when the power goes off for more than 2 minutes.

I used to go camping but won't go again til I have the proper conveniences for her,

Answer 22

It's funny that this question pops up tonight.  As supper tonight, we ate outside.  We talked about setting up the tent soon and spending the night out in the yard to test the tent and gear for a trip to a local state park in September or October.

Our son, now 11, said "Oh, and we can run an extension cord for the PS2 and the TV.  And a second one for the electric skillet."

:-D

My husband and I have "evolved" in our opinions on roughing it over the years.  In our Hippy era (actually 1980) we lived in a tent while we built a rustic cabin on ten acres off the highway 4 miles, and two miles from the closest power pole.  Roughing it then was doing without the hot rocks from the fire on a cold night, and just using extra socks, and hot showers only twice a week, with bathing in a bucket the other days.  Roughing then required pulling the water our of a well with a bucket.

We sold that place, and moved back to civilization.

As we got older, roughing it was doing without the extra foam pads over the air mattress, and taking a shower every other day when we went  on some of our travels away through the mountains of Colorado.

Now it too much to go without the thermal foam pads over the big air mattress, and to go longer than one twenty-four hour period without a shower.

I can camp, hike with a pack, carry water to the site, cook over a fire, and even wash up in the stream.  However, I can also pack a bit of plastic to the counter at the nearest Hilton, and enjoy doing without some of the "fun" of roughing it.  There is a part of me that still loves the ruggedness and durability of my SPIRIT, but is willing to admit the frailty of my FLESH.

Answer 23

Roughing it is any situation where I can't plug my hairdryer in.

Answer 24

2 years ago i took a grandson camping. We had a tent that leaked the 2nd night,no electric or water. A porta john for a toilet. We had to drive about a half mile for a shower. Cooked on an open fire. Only 1 other set of campers back there with us.  

Answer 25

A few years ago, we had two hurricanes hit our house, 1 week apart each. We lost electric power. Now include 100% humidity, 91 degree heat on the outside of our house. Next throw in "radiant heat" which passes through attic insulation, no matter how thick it is! which goes through our bodies down to the concrete floor. That generates temperatures of 100-105 inside of our house.

For 2 weeks we lived in the dark at night, living with flashlights and sleeping on mattresses on the floor. The heat was continuous, unbearable, and sleep was limited. Showers were cold water!

That was enough roughing it for us to last a lifetime.