Cost of camping

Sunday greetings!  One of Sunday's greatest highlights is the Sunday paper.  It's always huge and filled with cool stuff.  Today, for example, I found a coupon for 2 for 1 admission to Flagstaff's Lowell Observatory.  The coupon is good until the end of the year.  I will alert everyone I know who gets the paper to save the coupon.

After reading our local Arizona Sunday paper, I often turn to online Sunday editions, too. It extends my newspaper reading fun. My first choice is The Salt Lake Tribune. They always have neat stuff in that newspaper. Today was no exception. They have this cool article on family camping. It's a typical "feel good" Happy Days article. They are talking about all the cool stuff a family needs to be competent campers these days. Finally, I get to the end of the article and see the price tag for all this cool stuff. My jaw drops. WOW--the Cost of Camping has leaped into the stratosphere! Check it out:

Springbar Traveler 5 » $569.95
Springbar Tent Doormat » $15
Springbar Oversize Covered Foam Pad » $59.95
Cook Partner 6-Burner Propane Stove » $474.99
Cook Partner 6-Burner Propane Stand » $99
Cook Partner Heavy Duty Griddle 16"x26" » $94.99
Yeti Tundra 105 quart Cooler » $399.95
Rolla Roaster » $14.95
Clear View 20lb Propane Fuel Tank » $127.99
Black Diamond Apollo Lantern » $49.95
Eton Emergency Crank Radio FR300 » $32.99
Camp Chef Fire Ring Portable Campfire » $84.95
Alps Dining Table-XL » $99.95
Alps Titan Cot-Lg » $99.99
Alps Lake Side Chair » $49.99
Reliance 7gallon Aqua-Lux H2O container » $23.95
Kelty Soft Top Table-Sm » $24.95
Kelty Mistral 200 » $69.95
GSI Pioneer Camp Set » $99.95
Century Matchless Double Lantern » $39.99

A four hundred dollar cooler? A nearly $500 camp stove? A six hundred dollar tent?
WHOA! Wot hoppened to the cost of camping? Maybe there should be a news article--beware of camping scams! Those camping store sales people must be licking their chops when a Utah family walks through the door, a wad of $2600 in hand.

Click here for the full article.