What exactly is ‘Snappy Camping’ anyway?

When I tell people my passion point is camping, I usually get one of two responses:

“You don’t look like a camper.  You look more like the opposite of a camper.”  Or “Good for you.  I hate camping myself.”

Both are right, by the way.  Snappy Camping, though, is not camping per se.  It’s a melting pot of elements that just happens to take place outdoors.  With tents. 

Ten things that make camping ‘snappy’:

  1. Location, location, location.  If you can’t see, smell, feel and/or walk to the ocean, you’re not snappy camping.  Period.   No exceptions.
  2. Equipment.  If you can’t salsa dance in your tent, it’s not big enough, ergo not snappy.
  3. Accessories.  You know you’ve brought the right stuff with you when a lot of strangers do a lot of pointing at your campsite.  Setting up a tiki bar and mandating 100% compliance with the grass skirt dress code is a good example of good accessorizing.
  4. The more the merrier.  Snappy camping is a team sport.  He who convinces the most people to ‘come with’ wins.   Bonus points are awarded for picking up strangers along the way.
  5. Bread and wine.  Think dining al fresco vs. weenie roast.  It is so NOT snappy to eat hot dogs and hamburgers for 3 days while drinking mad dog 20/20.  Food & Wine magazine is my camping food bible.  If you have accessorized properly with a gourmet snappy camping kitchen, food preparation should not be overly challenging.
  6. Musica.   You’ve gotta have song.  The ideal is a live snappy camper band, but Pandora Radio, courtesy of free campground wifi, is an acceptable alternative.  And you can bust a move while you’re at it.
  7. Signature drinks.  I visit drinksmixer.com before each and every trip to create the right theme for the weekend. 
  8. Go on record.  Someone should always be filming, photographing, or some way recording the event.  I’m ALWAYS ready for MY close up, Mr. DeMille. 
  9. Dress for success.  Think rollerblades and a veiled hat.
  10. The devil’s in the details.   The je ne sais quoi essence of snappy camping is planning ahead for those little (and not so little) things.  It could be anything from a birthday that falls during the trip to the possibility of rain.  Allows having a ‘Plan B’ can be the difference between changing course and packing up and going home.

Now that’s snappy camping!

    circa 1974, before I was a Snappy Camper

Posted by Jennifer at 4/17/2009 2:56 PM
Categories: Not P-town but still snappy
Tags: diy snappy camping camping basics camping 101 intro to camping
 

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