A new phase... a return to tent camping, but OLD LADY style! I am 53 (next week) and am excited to be making a return to tent camping this year! Jill found me a "deal" on a good quality Coleman tent that is perfect for ONE person, even though it is a 4 man tent. Actually, that is very much a standard tent measurement. Two people would be very comfortable in this tent. Two adults and a child even. But I like to have my bed area AND a seating area. If it rains and I am stuck inside, I want comfort! :-)   Thus, if you are like me, and don't want to put a lot of money into the venture (at least not yet. I would like to try it out first!) then find a friend with a Costco membership! They still carry the Coleman Evanston Screened 4 person tent for less than $70! Mine seems to be extremely well made. The main tent is 9x7 with a 3' screen room across the front. The tent peaks at just under 5' high. I am 5'1" so I can practically stand up! I use my beach chair to sit on inside the tent, so it feels spacious.

 My beach chair also fits in the floored screened room, but just barely. I still see benefits FOR ME to have this space. It is screened but because of the angle of the tent/fly it is not waterproof. I think of this space as a mud room. And at night you could leave the door unzipped and have lots of air movement, even with the rain fly on. Also, if you are in an especially buggy camp, this space could be a real life saver! Even though it is floored, the design allows water runoff by including a screened portion in front of the cabin door. Very thoughtful. I do wonder if it would be worthwhile to design a tarp for the front to provide more shade and rain protection, but unless you set up for more than a couple of days, does it matter?

So, with the tent resolved, and I DO love the tent!, what else does a 53 year old need to enjoy her camp outs? I will tell you - next post!