Got friends like this?

“The following is verbatim email exchanges between a couple of friends. The background is: we're getting in shape for hiking this summer, so planning a hike for this weekend....

Let's meet there at 8:20. From there we will drive further south (not too
far) to the trail-head.

-Craig

Better bring rain gear, sounds like it's going to be another rainy weekend.

-Paula


Wait a minute. This isn't the Marines. I have a four season tent, but I'm surely not going to use it in seasons 2, 3 or 4. Nobody said anything about getting wet.

-Doug

Is that sh!t funny or what?”

“RFLMAO

We have a parking problem on campus. The REAL problem is that 75% of the commuters live within 2 miles of campus!!”

“Are you serious Sunshine? When I was in college, it was about two miles from the back of the commuter parking lot to some parts of the campus. It was quicker for me to ride my bicycle the 15 miles than it was to drive, park, and walk.”

“sheesh, whatta waste! Can I have Doug's tent? pleeeeaze? >:D

Ken - I can relate to that! As a bonus to my education, I get to stay in shape for backpacking(no extra charge) by hiking with my jam-packed-with-books backpack for like 3 miles each way from the parking lot to class.

ok, that's a blatant lie...it is only about a .75 mile, but where's the sympathy there?!

;o)”

“Sunshine- is that in Houghton? if so, I know what you mean!!”

“Amy, I think it may be the same college. Something you said before leads me to believe that you're in my old neck of the woods. From the lot 4 overflow way in the back to Tawes is over a mile, but maybe not two. Ring any bells?”

“Thread degeneration in only one post! That's surely a record, LOL! How the hell did we end up in a parking lot?”

“i dunno, I've seen thread degredation happen within the original poster's post. However, generally not this bad.

Lack of using 4 season tent.

Parking at a campus.

I dunno...the more I think about it, the more similarities I see.”

“Well let's get back on track...

Went car camping at about 7,000 feet with my brother in-law and sister in-law and when we arrived at our campsite my sister in-law said...
"You just camp in the dirt ? "
mmmmmmm... yeah.”

“I was talking to someone at work about camping/hiking and that it's how I prefer to spend my vacations.
With a straight face he says, "I've been camping a few times. Never anywhere they didn't have a shower though." I didn't mean to be rude but I dang near busted a gut.”

“I had a girlfriend a long time ago who's family would go camping. I asked her about it. She told me that each summer they would go to some state park or resort with cabins and stay there for a week. Wow, that's roughing it. We would have never lasted as a couple... thank god.”

“much as i love em....all my local friends say stuff like that.....why else would i have to come to freakin thebackpacker.com to find folks that enjoy being "out there"? ......not that theres anything wrong with that.. :)”

“Then there's a woman on my staff that I tell I'm planning a few solo trips and she says to me in the most concerned/screwed up face possible, "alone? I feel so bad for you."”

“I work in the NY Metro area, and am just 1/2 hour away from the Ramapo Mountains and a couple of hours from the Catskills. Lots of my co-workers are city folk who think of their Britannica water filters in their refridgerators when you mention water purifiers, and the only forms of exotic wildlife they know are rats the size of small dogs that lurk in the subways.

I find it amusing when they look at me with perplexion when I speak of my solo trips. They think I'm on crack!

However, there are quite a few who are open-minded and curious, and it's fun taking them with me on a day-hike and watching their reactions when they see a small herd of deer, or a fox scurrying in the brush.

They often seem to be scared about coming across bears, but personally I'm more afraid of rats bigger than my friend's Terrier, and the REAL crackheads who would do anything for their next fix.”