Tag Archives: camping

Teardrop Trailers vs. Pop-up Campers: Which Are Better?

Many people like to travel on the open road. However, with rising costs, they may find they cannot do so as often as they want. Investing in a camper is one way to avoid the high costs associated with frequent travel.

When buying a camper, one must choose from many styles. Two popular choices today are pop-up and teardrop campers. Each style has benefits and drawbacks. What should a person know when making this choice?

Teardrop Campers

Teardrop campers, such as the bushwacker camper, are easily recognizable by their shape. They look exactly as the name describes. Two people easily fit in these campers, and they come with an outdoor kitchen, storage solutions, and more. These campers are both cozy and practical.

People love these charming campers, which have been around since the 1930s. What they may not realize is that the shape is intentional. The aerodynamic design allows for better fuel economy.

The campers feature hard-walled sides so the occupants are secure and protected from the elements. Setting them up takes little time and effort, so there is more time to enjoy the great outdoors. Teardrop campers don’t weigh much, so they can easily be towed by a small SUV or sedan. However, they come with some drawbacks.

Teardrop campers cost more than their pop-up peers. Nevertheless, they last longer and are better built. However, they lack space, so some people will feel crowded. Don’t expect to spend much time in the camper, as it is mainly intended for sleeping.

Pop-Up Campers

Pop-up campers, known as tent trailers, collapse for storage and expand when set up at a campsite. They have features similar to conventional campers while allowing users to feel like they are sleeping in a tent. Certain styles expand upwards and outwards to maximize interior space.

Pop-up campers are cost-effective and easy to tow. When this camper style is selected, the driver can see what is behind them on the road. People who want the comforts of home will find a pop-up camper better meets their needs than a teardrop model. They have plenty of interior space and an interior kitchen. Many models also come with interior seating areas and other amenities. When not in use, the camper folds to take up minimal space.

Nevertheless, setting up and taking down this type of camper is time-consuming, and the owner must practice doing so routinely. Going too fast can damage the camper. The camper sides are made of fabric, so the occupants may be exposed to the weather. Pop-up campers aren’t well insulated, either, much like tents.

Users have limited access to the camper interior while traveling, so any items needed during the trip must be stored in the vehicle towing the camper. Furthermore, pop-up campers require more maintenance than their teardrop counterparts. Without this maintenance, mold and leaks are concerns.

Consider both options when choosing a camper. Factors that should be part of the decision-making process include comfort, convenience, price, and plans for using the trailer. Teardrop campers are ideal for those who want a sturdy camper that requires little setup. Pop-up campers are an excellent choice for those on a budget who need more space. People must decide what is most important to them and choose their camper accordingly. Doing so will ensure the proper selection is made.

Four Words Per Picture 3: October in Review

I know the most exciting day in October is tomorrow and I’m missing out on reviewing our full month, but I’m sure our Halloween adventures will be enough for their own post. Besides , this is the last Friday of the month, so I’m sure all anyone wants to do is look at pictures, not read paragraphs from the mind of some stay-at-home dad. Although, I hear he’s a pretty cool guy…

These are mostly in chronological order, but I’m not making any promises, if you even cared. 🙂

Mom was not home.

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No time for cooking.

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Testing her balance skills.

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Our backyard project helper.

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Where did she go?

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Moving up in strength.

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Seesaw with the family.

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A visit to G-Ma’s.

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Bored in the kitchen.

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She feeds herself breakfast!

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And returns the plate!

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Camping with my love.

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My wrist never hurt.

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Back ride on Mommy.

Avery on Mommy's Back

Special delivery from NuttZo!

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Almost independent at dinner.

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Two year molar terror!

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Helping Daddy make pancakes.

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I love G-Ma’s hair!

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Working abs with Mommy.

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Breakfast at MY table!

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Our crazy pumpkin family.

Crazy Pumpkin Family

Still squatting every day.

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Our pumpkin has grown!

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That concludes our pictures for October, minus the last day, Halloween, which will obviously have its own post.

One update I figured you don’t want a picture for is that I had another lapse of staph. Thankfully, I recognized the pain in my ass and my very intelligent wife made me go to the doc. I’m currently on freakin’ antibiotics (not a fan but know they are needed for this) and hopefully they’ll wipe (pun intended) the staph clear.

Hope you have a great weekend and be safe trick-or-treating. We’re taking Avery out, but not collecting candy.

Are you going trick-or-treating?

Any other plans for the weekend?

Weekend Camping Trip Part 3: A Dramatic Return

We didn’t hang around too long the day of our return from camping. Our time together without a kid was wonderful, but we were ready to see our little girl….and take real showers. Yeah yeah, only one day, I know.

Besides, if you read Part 2 of our Weekend Camping Trip, you’d know it’s not like we were free from kids anyway. Obviously, our kid is way better than any other, so if we’re going to be surrounded with little tots, it may as well be our own.

We did take advantage of not having Avery with us to *gasp* go to Costco and grab a few essentials, but then it was straight home from there. The trip home was uneventful and fairly quick compared to driving through Friday rush hour to get to our site.

Upon our return home, G-Ma and Avery greeted us at the front door. Avery yelled “daddy”, which warmed my heart, but she wore a frown on her face, which cooled my heart down a little. At least my wonderful mom had a big smile as she held our sweet girl.

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As it turns out, Avery was playing on the couch and happened to get her arm stuck between the cushions somehow and twisted it. G-Ma came to the rescue and got her unstuck, but Avery went into a dramatic crying frenzy. This happened just before we arrived home. Weird, she never jumps on the couch….oh, wait….

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Once we were there, Avery had put a hold on the scream fest and just had her unhappy face on. But, when Kelley tried to hold her, Avery wouldn’t let up, only G-Ma could hold her. No one could touch her hurt arm without sending our tot in another screaming frenzy (which happened a lot), and even when giving her snacks, she made sure to use her good hand.

I’ll be the first to say that I’m quick to waive things off as a non-event, including this one, but my darling wife is always quick to the rescue, no matter the severity. I think it’s sweet, usually, and feel it helps balance my naivety. Without her, Avery’s staph infection could’ve been a lot worse. Mine too for that matter!

Eventually, G-Ma had to get home and the switch was made from G-Ma to Mommy. Yes, crying was involved, a lot of it, but things eventually calmed down. Then they got bad again, then calm, then…well, you get the picture, she was an extremely moody toddler (is that how they all are?) and she continued to nurse that once stuck arm.

Going Mom was worried as any loving mother would be, and I was starting to feel as if something was wrong too, but still not that worried. I wanted to wait and see how it looked the next day since there was no swelling or any other physical sign of injury yet, but Kelley was ready to but a wrist brace on her immediately. I unsuccessfully debated by wife (guys, you always lose, just accept it unlike I seem to do) about the need for a wrist wrap, and found myself in the devil’s lair of grocery stores, Walmart.

After explaining to the little employee boy how to use that plastic thing with numbers to pay for my items since the self-checkout wasn’t working, I finally made it out and back home. I spent 10 minutes trying to decide between two kinds of wraps and ended up getting them both….just to be safe.

I despise Walmart and just driving by one puts me in a bad mood. It didn’t help when I returned home to find Avery sitting with mommy in a slightly chipper mood and using both arms as if nothing was ever wrong. Gahhhhh!! She even fell sound asleep right in mommy’s lap.

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I mean, yay, glad all is well, but geez, what kind of timing is that? In her defense, Kelley tried to call but I left in such a hurry that I left my phone at home. So that’s that, our little toddler pulled a quick one on us and made everything think her arm was about to fall off. Even G-Ma was worried sick and feeling guilty once home and remained that way until the next day.

The rest of the day was spent unpacking and eventually getting ourselves clean. We were both relieved nothing serious was wrong with Avery’s arm, if only she would’ve let us know before I went to hell Walmart. At least we knew she would be in good health for Kelley’s 31st birthday the next day, 10/19.

Her actual birthday was fairly relaxed, but I’ll fill you in next time, along with another update.

Has your toddler ever made you feel like they broke something when nothing was wrong at all?

Is your kid a drama king/queen, or mainly calm?