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The Outdoor Family: Camping Gear by Coleman

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Almost all children love camping (and I think I know why). They can be as loud as they like, get as dirty as they please, and run for miles in open space…without being shooshed or scrubbed or told to sit still.

The wonder of nature is good for children – the fresh air, the golden sun glowing through the branches of trees, the birds dancing through the air, and the leaves crunching underfoot.

Actually, it’s good for adults too. I recently told Tim, “I think I usually hear God most clearly when I am in nature, in the shower, and talking to you (not necessarily in that order).”

Since it’s been “hotter-than-a-pepper-sprout” (as Tim’s grandpa always says) this summer, we’ve been staying indoors way more than we would like.

When Coleman sent us a great camping kit, the girls were over-the-roof excited. We set up camp in the backyard despite the heat (how could we not?).

Coleman is a brand we have come to trust for reliable products that make camping with your family a breeze. Products like these [click on each image for details]:

*Want to stay connected with Coleman? Follow Coleman on Twitter or Like Coleman on Facebook.

WIN IT! One winner will receive a $25 Coleman gift card. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Monday, October 11th at 11:59 p.m. All generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified. Winner must provide a US mailing address.

* Coleman sent me product samples for review purposes and is also providing 1 gift card for the giveaway.

*UPDATE* The winner is #47 Brittany @ TheMamaZine. Congratulations!

Comments

  4. Slowly been buying all the Coleman stuff we need and want for our camping adventure, Now that the youngest are getting excited about camping, You gave me a great idea trying it out in the back yard to get them feeling comfy about it.
    waitressdani (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  5. I love to go camping, but my husband is kind of a nature fraidy-cat (what can you expect – he was raised in the Bronx!) I am hoping to convince him to go on a trip next summer.

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  7. I would love to win this for my sister and her family. They love to camp and would do so more frequently if money weren’t so tight. Me, I prefer to hear about their camping adventures from the comfort of my own home :)

    yeloechikee at hotmail dot com

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  9. I agree with you. KIds love camping. We go several times every summer and they love it. It is a great way to build those family bonds

    ardy22 at earthlink dot net

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  10. Wit 5 sons I habe s[ent my share of time in the woods..Coleman and their products have always been a faithful favorite of ours.They are trust worthy and I have never had a problem with their goods being ” a one time use” type of thing!
    Corinne
    ckurzmann@yahoo.com

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  11. Coleman has such great products and we own quite a few as our family loves to go camping in the summer.
    My lid broke on my cooler not a coleman brand so next on my list is the 33 Qt Party Stacker™ Cooler – Brown :)

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  13. I’ve never really liked camping much because I’m afraid of spiders and I don’t like bugs, etc, etc, but lately my husband has been trying to convince me that it’s fun. I found out that it only costs $26 to camp out at a state park near the beach. That’s way cheaper than renting a motel or beach house for the night, which makes it a little more tempting.

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  15. My kids love camping so much they have asked me many times why we can’t live in the woods, maybe someday is my reply since we would love to move out of the city to the country. One of my favorite things to take camping is are coleman cooler

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  16. This would be a great start to our “new tent” fund. They have some great tents (we live in the city, but they boys and my hubby have been “camping out” in the backyard this summer) and we could use a new (bigger) one.
    beckytag618 at gmail dot com

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  17. The first time we took our daughters camping (twins…they were about 18 months old); it poured. We were using my parents’ tent – a Coleman – but to be fair I’m pretty sure it pre-dated the 70’s. It was miserable. We were actually swimming in that tent. We didn’t bring the tent home & for Christmas my parents gave us a brand new 3 room Coleman tent, big enough and then some for the 5 of us. The next trip – phenomenally different. Except that it was scorching hot and we went for a week (In July) and one of my daughters had staples in her head from the other one pushing her into a chair the day before we were supposed to leave. We love that tent, have used it several times; most recently in our backyard to knock out a quick camping trip before the kids went back to school in August: blogged about it here http://writtenjen.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-i-did-on-my-summer-vacation.html. I can’t wait until next season, I’m already hoping for another week long trip, but some time in May, not July lol.

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  18. We need a new cooler! One of their products that especially caught my eye was the Coleman 75 Quart Wheeled Xtreme 5 Cooler in Dark Blue that costs $59.99.

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  25. I live in west virginia so camping is big here during summer time. We like to go camping atleast once a month. It brings the family together. We go swimming, fishing campfire. My daughter loves packing her sleeping bag and making smores. Are only problem when we go camping is a tent. I think we buy a new tent every year. I would like to get a big tent for the whole family instead of having a bunch of different ones.

    talishasturms@yahoo.com

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  27. The Coleman products are not just great for camping, but urban emergencies as well as storms. Thank you for the great opportunity and ideas. Best blessings. Following, liking, and subscribing.

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  28. We are avid campers and go camping every year with about 17 other families! We have so much fun and the kids really look forward to it every year. My hubby will only use Coleman products when we camp! He says they are the best!

    msjem2001 at yahoo dot com

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  30. Coleman is the “go-to” brand for camping isn’t it? We have lots of Coleman products, too, and our next plan to camp is in Dec. at Highlands Hammock State Park. Unfortunately, summer isn’t a good time to camp in my neck of the woods, but Dec-Feb is heavenly.

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  32. We love camping also and during the winter months we get a survival pack ready for in the house also just in case of bad weather we have our lantern and warm sleeping bags handy

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  34. Thank you for the giveaway. Coleman is a really good brand and everything is made with quality and very durable! I’m trying to get a zero degree sleeping bag for my son who goes on trips with the scouts and Coleman is going to be my choice.

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  35. Just a few days ago I was telling hubby that we should go camping, which we haven’t done in ages. I can’t even remember where the tent is – or if we still have it. lol! Thank you!

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  36. Camping is a great family activity. We took our kids & now are taking our grandkids & it seems to keep us young.

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  37. We have slowly been building up our camping and fishing supplies, as a way to spend more ELECTRONICS free time together as a family. I would say a good chunk of our camping gear is Coleman! :)

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  40. We always buy some my husband something for our camping trips. His birthday is coming up so this would be perfect. Perhaps a new fan would be great.

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  42. One of our favorite wedding presents was a 6 man tent. We are so excited to do some fall camping. Nothing better than waking up on a foggy fall morning to a campfire and a cup of coffee.

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  43. Coleman to me has always been top of the line in Camping gear. And when I see the name Coleman on a item I am more prone to purchase it.

    jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com

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  44. StormBeam™ Dynamo Flashlight
    Model No. 4346-700 This would really come in handy when we go camping thanks for the giveaway

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  47. I have gone camping with my family over 50 years and Coleman has been there with us. Looking forward to taking my grandson this next year, he is 2 years old and know he would love going fishing with his grandpa. Thanks for chance to get some new gear for our next trip.

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  49. I love love love camping! we are actually looking into buying a camper for next year and i am so excited! we use alot of coleman products, they are deinetly the best for being outdoors! :)

    misscasey(at)woh(dot)rr(dot)com

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  51. My family used to camp for all our vacations.. have not been camping in years. Would love to start going again.

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  52. I would use the gift card towards the purchase of 2 LED MicroPacker Lanterns! They stand less than 8″ tall, weigh less than half a pound and operate up to 125 hours on just 3 AA batteries!

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  53. I am loving all the outdoors giveaways…makes me want to get outside right now. I would love to use this towards a nice cooler. Thanks for the chance!

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  55. We love camping! It’s not what I call a vacation (no relaxing, lol), but it’s sure a fun way to make memories with the kids. :)

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  56. Coleman is a definate staple in camping gear. We always make it a point to update certain items in our camping gear every year. It helps to ensure that our get-aways are always enjoyable!

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  59. I haven’t been camping in awhile, but I would love this gc to purchase items to get back in the swing of things.

    txhottie_86 at yahoo dot com

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  61. I’ve only started to go camping this year, but I love it! I don’t have a ton of stuff yet, and could really use a cooler – I heard Coleman makes very good ones that last a long time. I’d love one of those.

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  62. I live near Wichita – where Coleman started. Love the Coleman store here. Right now, I’m looking for life jackets for my dogs because they are scared of the water. Coleman has some great ones like the Reversible Neoprene Pet Life Vest.
    susitravl(at)gmail(dot)com

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  63. And if you would like to know more about the Christian Louboutin Satin Blue Shoes slingbacks just follow our blog, it will be your best recourse and you can also take a look at these amazing shoes on our website.

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  64. Wow, thanks for the chance! :) I had no idea that Coleman sold so many portable grills! The Road Trip Portable Table Top Grill would be just perfect for us.

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  65. We are big Coleman fans as well. In fact – we just got a tent that we will actually keep. It is the best one we’ve ever had. It is the Coleman 13×9 Cabin tent. We love it because the sides are almost straight up – so the height inside is FANTASTIC – It is actually set up in my living room right now for our (at home) camp out. For the record, we roasted marshmallows on the outside BBQ tonight! We have been loving our camping experience the last few days! We also love the fact that we don’t have melted ice mess in the coolers and I don’t have massive campfire laundry to do when we are done!

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  66. I would love to use this for the Coleman 8D LED Classic Family Size Lantern! Great for huricanes and power outages!

    nblexp at gmail dot com

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  68. While we are RVers, I’ve never been a “camper”. I like my comforts too much. But many of the camping items sure make RVing a lot more fun!

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  69. Our family truly loves camping. We go at least a couple of time each year. My kids do love to be able to spend all day outside, getting very dirty and roasting marshmellows. They love sleeping in the tent (even when it rains) and eating every meal outside. My husband and I think it is fun too. If I won this I would really like to get real camp cookware. I have been hauling our regular pots along but don’t care for how black they get over the fire and also they aren’t as compact and light for our biking/camping trips.

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  71. I could use everything in this travel kit – I love to camp out, but I don’t love to rough it, so anything that makes it more fun is great!

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  74. My wife won’t camp at all, but I made the first baby step with my daughter. We bought a couple of coleman sleeping bags and camped out at the zoo overnight. It was a great program and we saw all the nocturnal animals out and active. Can’t wait for a real outing.

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  75. I would love to win the Coleman gift card. As a worker at a building materials store along the gulf coast, I do not have the luxury of evacuating/leaving the area when a storm is coming. We rough it in order to get people what they need in times of disaster like chain saws, tarps, plywood, generators, gas cans, etc. We have successfully been open every time the day after a storm without a/c, power, lights, etc. That gift card could come in handy for a new sleeping bag, a led lantern, or even towards the propane water heater so I don’t have to take cold showers after working all day.

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  76. I LOVE CAMPING BUT LENT SOMEONE MY TENT AND THEY BROKE ONE OF THE POLES WANT TO CAMP THIS SUMMER WITH MY FOSTER KIDS AND MY SISTERS FAMILY

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  77. My husband loves camping and in fact just returned home yesterday from a trip to the mountains in Missouri to ride horses.

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  78. We also camp. My grandma bought us a nice camping tent but it got ruined in a storm. It would be nice to get another one.

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  79. I am a true city girl through and through, but my husband and son would camp out everyday and live off hot dogs and jalapeño chips.

    Shaunda.Eppes at gmail dot com

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  80. Aww there was no signature question at the end of this post! :) I like your guiding questions – they always prompt me to comment.
    We too love Coleman, in fact, our tent is the same color scheme, although a bit differently shaped. Nearly all our camping gear is from Colemen as well, as they have just developed a quality brand over the years.

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    • Thanks for mentioning the fact that you appreciate my end-of-post questions. Sometimes it takes me forever to think of an engaging question, but it’s almost always worth it. I love stimulating (and participating in) meaningful conversations with other parents.

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  83. As a kid, I loved camping, still do in fact. I recall that it wasn’t nearly as much fun to stay in an RV, and we’d beg to be allowed to sleep in a tent instead. I know I must have grown up somewhere along the way because now I’d probably go for the RV with its heat and a/c.

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  84. As a kid I was fascinated by the coleman lantern that my dad brought with us. The way he would light it up and then the sound when he pulled in the flame and made it light up. I’ll always remember that

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  85. My parents brought us up camping all the way across the east coast to the west. I was the only girl amoung my 4 brothers. Ever had a pillow fight in a tent? We never could have survived that without our Coleman camp stove and lanterns.

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  88. I haven’t been tent camping since I was a kid but do remember it was fun. I guess I should try it again with my kids.

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  89. To this day (many, many years later) I still remember the first camp out I got to go on with a friend… our parents let us ‘camp’ at the elementary school (when it was safe)! Boy did we think we were independent! Only to find out (years later) that the parents checked on us multiple times overnight! Still fun, and still fond memories of a camp out!

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  91. I haven’t been camping since I was in my teens but many of my favorite memories from childhood take place while camping. I’d love to share more of the outdoors with my daughter!

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  92. We need a new tent. Ours was left behind during our last move because it was home to a bird and her soon to hatch eggs.

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  93. I have Coleman products that are older than my college-age kids but now that they are both camping/hiking fanatics I would love to add a nice piece of Coleman gear to their collection.

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  96. I love to just set up a tent in one of our children’s bedrooms so they have a little something to play and pretend with and hide in. I used to wish I had something like that when I was a child.

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  97. oh we love camping, tho now at my old age my back can’t handle tent camping, so we enjoy camping in our motorhome and my onlu 6y old grandson loves to go too. This summer he went with us to camp for a week and we
    enjoyed grilling out each evening, sitting by the campfire making smores, cathing fireflys, pond fishing.I try to find a campground with lots activites he would love. Next year it will be 2 weeks of fun again, this time I think we will go to cherokke NC just across our Tenn state line & enjoy some creek fishing so he can catch some bass fish. We couldn’t do with out Coleman’s great items, they are what true camping is all about, thanks
    sewitupjulie at gmail dot com

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  99. Coleman is the best! I went on my first camping trip when I was a few months old and it always reminds me of ox family. We had to many fun times camping growing up. I would like to do it with my kids someday!

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  101. My husband has been wanting to try camping with the whole family. This would give us a great start! The kids are very excited to give it a try.

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  102. This is great! We are looking for a new tent to replace the two man backpacking tent we own. Our days of two are LONG gone… and I think we want a large (possibly two room) tent. That also makes me think that our days of just roughing it in the wild are over. Campsites, with bathrooms nearby, here we come!

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  103. Coleman makes the best camping products. Right now we’re looking for a large lattern.
    Thanks so much
    rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com

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  108. It has been pretty cold and rainy up here and I love this weather, I really don’t like summer because it is too hot. MY kids love to play outside but with the heat in the summer I just want to stay in the A/C!

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  109. I’ve never camped in our backyard! What a great idea! If we ever get a tent again, I may just have to do that with our girls. I did that quite a bit as a kid, and always loved it!

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  110. we are still in that “accumulation phase” when it comes to camping gear. It can get so pricey!! We registered for lots of goodies for our wedding – and are now pretty much set to have a little camping adventure. Except, now it’s FREEZING in upstate New York and there is no way I would willingly want to sleep outside these days. Guess we wait for next summer!!

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  111. I’m a city girl, but there is something so soothing about being close to nature!

    “Hotter than a pepper sprout”…cute! I may have to borrow that phrase ;-)

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  112. Camping trips are usually so fun. And you are so right, kids are more free and excited out in the middle of nowhere. I love the Coleman products we own. They definitely make camping more comfortable!

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  113. Is it wrong that what I really want is some Coleman gear that is camping utensils and food storage to use for packing my lunch to take to work?!

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  115. our tent is often set up in our family room with the door facing the tv. that way the girls can camp and we can cuddle and watch a movie.

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  116. I think most of my camping gear is from Coleman. I’ve tried some of the other brands, but they always seem to be trashed after a single outing. The air beds are the best! I’ve never ended up on the hard ground in the middle of the night.

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  119. I read your blog post about taking your girls on their first camping trip! You are so brave. We have two little one’s (one just a week old) so we aren’t camping any time soon. I would love to get them out camping while they are young though. It makes for so many great family memories!

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  120. We still have yet to take the kids camping!!! I really wanted to this year. But, we just didn’t. We need to. I totally loved camping as a kid. I still like it. It’s just harder to sleep on the hard ground…

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  121. Yay! You set up camp in your backyard! I remember doing that as a kid, and we have already done it here. It is so fun to be able to set up camp…even if it is just steps away! There are some great places to camp up here…maybe we will get you up here in that RV…there is a perfect State Park, just minutes from my house with RV hookups about 15 feet from the beach!

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  122. We just moved from Arizona to Colorado and have made grand plans for the outdoor adventures we can have in this new state!

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  125. Backyard camping is always good. Any camping that can involve s’mores is excellent.

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  126. We love camping and actually went a few times this year-we’re probably done until next year now-it’s getting a little cold! This would be great to win! Thank you for the chance! :-)

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  127. One of my greatest memories was when we bought our nice big tent last summer and set it up in our yard. Our girls laughed and played in their like it was the best thing they have EVER seen.

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  128. I haven’t gone camping for years but in two weeks my husband and I are meeting up with my sister and her husband for camping/hiking weekend. I’m really looking forward to it!

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  130. Like I’ve said on previous comments, we’re out to change our “haven’t been camping but have all the stuff” status and this would be awesome to purchase some of those last minute things!

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  131. Oh my word! We have the exact same tent!!

    We just bought another Coleman tent too. And we have coleman coolers and sleeping bags and lanterns. They have such great stuff! And great customer service – we had a sleeping bag break and they replaced it for us!

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  132. My kids and hubby love camping…I don’t mind the dirt and cooking outside, etc, but I have the hardest time sleeping when I camp. So, the longer we camp, the grumpier I get from lack of sleep.

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  133. I noticed that lantern in one of your earlier pictures. it looks great! My hubby is always ready for camping, I’m still working on it after the bear scare, LOL. I might use the KOA idea to ease back into the activity.

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  134. Hmm, that sleeping bag said its ideal for camping in 40 to 60 degree temperatures . . . I’m going to guess it was just a tad warmer during your backyard campout?

    My husband is off for a week on fall break next week, and we’re escaping the heat to go camping somewhere near Payson, but we’re going to do a trial run in the backyard before we go! If it would ever be below 95 when its time to go to bed . . .

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  135. Camping in the backyard is so fun! The girls loved it when we did that last year. I want to head down to Madera Canyon with them and trying camping there.

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  136. We love camping and are thinking about heading down to the dessert (Grand Junction area) in a few weeks for one last camping trip of the summer. I cannot belive how fast this summer went – and I am not ready for winter yet!

    Reply

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