Roughing it up with the wide-path camper

During my scouting days in Grade School, one of the activities we looked forward the entire scout contingent of the school. Of course, being greenhorns and with parents hovering like anxious mother hens, we often went to the known campsites that scouts would frequent. Rarely, if ever, did we really dare to rough it up in areas far from the madding crowd.

But the memories of these attempts at outdoor living remain, even in this late stage of this Boomer’s life. Thus, it is not surprising that I invested in several tents, most of them good for two to three people only, but also a large one that could fit as many as ten people in. Somehow, I dreamt of going camping in my middle age, with two teenage boys as my ready contingent. Unfortunately, the tents are gathering dust somewhere in the recesses of my house, and that does not include the tins of a type of solid fuel that I bought that could be used for cooking and warming liquids.

Then, there is the collection of flashlights and Swiss Army knives that I have built up over the years, ostensibly to be used in future camping trips. Come to think of it, I also bought a Coleman gas lamp and some Ice Chests... suitable paraphernalia for the typical weekend or monthly camper.

This is one reason why I look at the Wide Path Camper -- a light and foldable camper that can be towed by a bicycle -- with moist eyes. It reminds me of the outdoor man I probably will never get to be but which I had always hoped to become.

The Wide Path Camper (WPC) is quite small and light, weighing in at a mere 40 kg, which is why the builders boast that it can be towed easily by a fit person riding a bike. It has a storage area of over 300 liters, and can sleep two adults and one small child. This is achieved by converting the sitting area into a bedroom set. It is said to be quite sturdy and protective against the elements -- but forget about waiting out a typhoon in this one if you have a choice.

I have some thoughts to add to this exercise. First, not everyone is fit enough to lug a 40 kg camper by way of a bicycle. Second, by the time one is through packing enough food for a trip, with suitable clothing for daily or regular changes -- unless one is willing to smell during the whole trip -- the camper will be really good and heavy. Especially if one packs water for both cleaning up and drinking.

There is a built in battery to provide power for the barest of comforts. But the builders say they can add on a solar panel that should provide more power, especially for juicing up the essential cellphones and rechargeable batteries or accessories. This is one feature that should be ticked off when looking on how to make the WPC a much better camping tool.

Second, when old boomers like me decide to take a camping trip like this, with a bare-bones tool like the WPC, I would prefer to hook up a trusty motorbike of scooter to the WPC for effortless hauling. No need to prove one is macho, those days are way behind us now. And then, I will head off to the nearest possible campsite not too far away from the nearest 7-11, just in case.