Camping in the Desert - From Roughing it, to 700 Count Cotton Sheets and Juleps

Spring in the desert

It has been a long standing tradition to spend the first weekend in May camping in the desert. This year we based our camping trip out of a Colorado Teardrop trailer. When we were younger, and everyone had more time, sometimes the group would be as many as 12 of us. And over 25 years, we’ve managed to dial in a few important things. Like getting our favorite spot for the expected weather, preparing amazing group meals, and finding the perfect balance of camp work, exercise, and relaxation.

The weather in the desert during the first Saturday in May is either very hot, very cold or just right – sometimes all within the same 24 hour period. And sometimes the desert is in bloom, which makes for a beautiful time for camping in the desert.

For those of you who are tracking, yes, that first Saturday in May coincides with the Kentucky Derby. And with the derby comes a mint julep and an afternoon of horseshoes. Of course, the price of entry is a long mountain bike ride in the desert, but the reward includes a certain satisfaction over heckling old friends while waiting for the horseshoe pit to produce a loser so the next team can play.

Sleeping

So while these desert camping trips have always meant enduring some kind of hardship, from sand, to being cold and not sleeping well on the hard uneven ground. This time it was consistently a good night’s sleep. The teardrop camper’s queen sized mattress with cotton sheets and pillows from home, made setting up a super comfortable nest a breeze, with several nights of sound sleeping to follow – something that has only happened sleeping on the ground – well, never.

With the Summit Pinnacle’s cabin doors wide open, there wasn’t any shortage of stars to see, and no way for creepy crawlies or desert snakes looking for a warm place to cuddle up to (as happened the previous year). And with the doors closed, there wasn’t the sound of tents flapping in the wind, or a cold breeze cutting through a cold spot in my sleeping bag.

Also, when the wind kicked up late afternoon, rather than blowing over our camp kitchen tables, we had the teardrop camper’s kitchen galley to provide a sheltered area from the wind that quickly closed up, and just as quickly opened back up again when the gusts died down. 

Scrambling to put things away was reduced to merely closing doors.

Cooking

All 6 of us planned a different meal for the group, and each of us remarked on how amazing the kitchen galley was to prepare and cook those meals from.  What used to happen on a folding camp table took place on a much larger stainless steel countertop, and at a much more appropriate height.

The sliding cooler tray, meant being able to quickly and easily find what’s needed without bending over, and quickly slide it back out of the way. 

Preparing meals on a large counter space, with all the important knives and utensils within sight and quick and easy reach on the Modern Innovations magnetic knife bar makes camp cooking such a pleasure. No more digging around in camp boxes for things, just use it, and when done, wipe it down and put it back on the magnet for the next use.  Brilliant.

By the time our camp fire coals reached the perfect temperature for cooking, the tenderloin and asparagus done, and the small potatoes perfectly pan crisped on our Camp Chef stove fueled by the side-mounted propane tanks, it was quite dark outside, but rather than eat by headlamp and lantern, the 6 of us gathered inside the well lit Summit Pinnacle’s two couches, and cracked jokes and enjoyed our meal as if we were a small cabin.

Cleaning

With an on-demand hot water shower, a long dusty ride or hike ends with quickly cleaning up, and moving into relaxation mode. And when mealtime ended, it was much less of a chore with on-demand hot water and all the necessary counter space to clean, dry, and stow things in their proper place.

Less Work and More Relaxing

There is just so much less work, and more comfort and enjoyment when pulling into a camp with a Colorado Teardrop trailer, and unlike other campers and trucks I’ve slept in, there is headroom, and a lot of ease in getting up in the middle of the night to look at the stars without loud zippers from sleeping bags and tents or scrambling around on hands and knees.

After camping in the desert from a teardrop trailer, it will be hard to go back to sleeping on the ground and preparing meals on folding camp tables. And while I will always appreciate those years of roughing it, thank you Colorado Teardrops for showing me there is a way to come home fully refreshed from a long trip, and not totally spent.