Last spring the bugs feasted on Milo the poor AwesomeDog and me, and it was miserable. I tried all the things: a smoky fire (I suffered respiratory distress before the bugs did), citronella candles (no effect), essential oil repellants for both Milo and me (not strong enough), dousing myself in enough Deet to melt every piece of plastic I touched (gross). The only moderately effective and not disgusting tactic was fire up a powerful fan.
I promised myself that this year would be different. I did some research and bought myself a Clam Quick-Set Screen Tent for my birthday.
OMG! It is fabulous. Thank you, Self, for getting me such a great present!
It is 11 feet across and more than 7 feet tall in the centre. I set it up, by myself, in less than a minute. Seriously, less than a minute. And, it doesn’t take any longer to take it down and stow it away.
Some of the reviews complain that it’s tricky to take down. It isn’t—read the instructions. If reading instructions is not your thing, there’s a bunch of instructional YouTube video’s waiting to be watched.
This tent’s big enough for a picnic table, but I outfitted it with a comfy chair, a dog bed, an inflatable air mattress, and a cooler. I sit in there in the evenings sipping a beer while Milo chews a bone, and occasionally in the afternoons, I bring out a magazine and nap on the air mattress. Heaven.
Don’t be stingy, buy the optional wind panels too. Because this tent pops open, the sides protrude beyond the roof. If it rains, some rain will come in through the mesh. The side panels attach with Velcro—super easy—and will deter the rain.
I don’t usually do product endorsements, but this screen tent is worth every penny.
Happy camping!
Those views tempted Milo the AwesomeDog to give a few mighty yanks on his leash. I tried explaining to him that we were in fact on our way to a spot where he could swim, but delaying gratification has never been his strong suit.
Up until that point, a person could manage in flip flops. But, believe the pamphlet and wear good shoes. Some of the hills were very steep and ran alongside the eroding riverbank—not a great place for kids or strollers. It was useful to have Milo on a harness for part of that hike. He knows that “hup, hup” means lean into the harness, and I appreciated the help on some of those uphill scrambles. Also, this poops him out, which is good for both of us when we get home for our afternoon nap.
Milo and my trip to Inverhuron benefited from some good luck: the wood was dry, the other campers were quiet and friendly, and the sunsets were stunning. We’ll be back.
This sunset would be prettier if I were wet.
As a philosophy professor (my day job) I spend a lot of time thinking about the 
I devoured curry and toured the Tower of London, nibbled Pain au Chocolat after climbing the Eiffel Tower, picnicked with a grey-eyed man on the Piazza San Marco and then we strolled arm in arm along Venice’s canals. I gorged on goulash and spaetzle before retiring to Budapest’s Roman Baths, snacked on Sachertorte after seeing The Magic Flute at the Vienna Volksoper, and drank beer under Munich’s Glockenspiel. And, I wallowed in homesickness as powerful as it was unexpected. I would never have predicted that the best part of that trip would be returning home.
On the road with Milo 