Roughing it
Take ‘car camping’ to a whole new level
As a young pilot, one of my most prized possessions was a single-person tent I carried all summer as I flew a Piper J–3 Cub around the Southeast. I used it exactly zero times. But that’s not really the point.
Flying and camping go together like coffee and cream. The idea of throwing a tent, sleeping bag, and a pillow into the back of the airplane and heading out—anywhere—to camp next to the airplane is freedom squared.
The logistics of airplane camping can be a little trickier than car camping. Space and weight are the obvious limitations, but so too are good camping spots. We can’t just roll up to a state park. Thankfully there are resources online that can help you find the perfect spot. Now it’s up to you to make it happen. Keep it simple at first, focusing only on the tent, sleeping bag, a pillow, and a toothbrush. Pick a place where eating doesn’t involve cooking and look at the experience as a test to bigger adventures. Later you can add food prep, camp chairs, coolers, and more. Just remember that it all has to fit somewhere, which requires taking the time to weigh all the gear to ensure you aren’t exceeding the often low baggage area weight limits or flying with the center of gravity too far aft.
I’m not disappointed for not camping with the Cub. I look fondly on what the tent represented to my summer—three months of absolute freedom and exploration.
