Room With A View

I have a theory that pitching tents has been the demise of many a happy marriage. With this in mind, I have been happy to let my partner show off his tent pitching prowess on previous camping trips, while I put my feet up with a cup of tea. That changed the day we were given a French tent that you simply threw up in the air. The tent assembles itself in mid-flight and lands ready for you to knock in the pegs. Quelle merveille! Alas, this French wonder is too bulky to transport on a bike (it also proved to be highly flammable), so regretfully I purchased a new tent. For the gear junkies, it’s a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 2. Gotta wonder who dreams up these names. I tried throwing it up in the air, but it landed with a resounding thud, still firmly ensconced in its stuff sack.

For the first week of my ride across America, my good friend Christine will be joining me. Christine is an avid hiker – veteran of some of the most challenging trails in North America. I expect she can put up a tent blindfolded, with one arm tied behind her back, and whip up a 3-course dinner – all within the space of 5 minutes. Fearing my lack of tent prowess would be woefully exposed on the battleground – oops, campground – I decided to practice in our living room.

An hour later and here it is. This tent even has recessed LED lighting in the seam along the ridge pole. And check out the turndown service. A far cry from my recent trip to the Beverley Hills Hotel (BHH to insiders) – a popular port of call for Hollywood stars and “it” girls like myself. Nevertheless, I expect it to be the talk of the TransAm. Standards must be maintained.

Author: CL Mackay

Aspiring gentleman of leisure in San Francisco, who fancies himself to be a trust fund kid swapped out at birth. Not dented by the male menopause and a pesky diagnosis of leukemia, this former strawberry blond cycled across America, coast to coast, in 2016 and is presently cycling from Vancouver, Canada, to the Mexico border. View all posts by CL Mackay