The Pros and Cons of Camping in a Tent vs. R.V.

I love camping in a tent under the stars, but now that we have two kids it is really hard to camp in a tent. Here is our families list of pros and cons.

Pros of a Tent

1. You are outside all of the time when you choose to sleep in a tent. Some may say that this is a con. But one of the major points of camping is being able to enjoy nature around you. Which includes being outside.
2. You can look at the stars easier while in a tent. Most tents have removable tops which open up to a whole new world of stars. You would definitely miss out on this in an RV!
3. In a tent, you can smell all of the outdoor smells. Everything tastes better and smells better when you are camping! The smells that you miss out on in an RV are mind-blowing. I remember staying with my in-laws in an RV and missing the morning wood smell and evening fires that had been put out but still simmering. Oh, the smells you would miss! 
4. The sound of the tent zipper is comforting weirdly. You know what I am talking about! The sound of the zipper on a tent makes you feel adventurous, safe, and a small sense of mystery as you don't always know what is outside your thin tent walls, but the zipper is there to protect you. 
5. The tent spots are cheaper. While looking for places to spend our vacation this year, we looked into the prices of different camping spots. It is so much cheaper to reserve a tent spot than an RV spot with hookups.
6. No need to find any RV hookups if you stay in a tent. Tents are low maintenance. There is no emptying sewage, water hookups, or electricity that you would need to worry about if you stay in an RV. 
7. A tent is a lot easier to have with a small car. Any car that you have will be able to fit a 1-6 man tent. This is always good to keep in mind and will save you lots of money in the end. 
8. You can do shadow puppets on the walls of the tent. As a little girl one of my favorite things to do at night while camping was shadow puppets. A few of my siblings would show me new animals to make with my hands. This alone made great childhood memories. 
9. It feels good to get into a sleeping bag (just a new not-in-the-norm adventure feeling). Imagine being tired, happy, and cold. Most evenings of camping feels this way. It makes your day complete as you rough it out in a soft, warm sleeping bag.
10. If you are one of the first ones to go to sleep, you can hear the fire popping. As a teenager, I would finally retire to bed. Usually, my older cousins would sit up talking for hours after. It was such a comfort to hear the fire popping. You never- would have been able to hear it if you had slept in an RV.
11. You wake up to birds in the morning. If you like to wake up to the sound of beautiful birds singing, then a tent is the place for you!
12. Most if not all RVs have taxes tacked on every year. With all of the costs that you put into an RV, you need to consider is the taxes that you will pay every year on your RV.

Cons of a Tent

1. You don't have a built-in shower. In a tent, you never feel super clean. You go to bed smoky and wake up smoky. There is never-ending dust, body odor, and sticky hands from not washing them all of the time. If you are a "Must be a clean person." Tent camping might not be for you.
2. You might freeze at night if you aren't prepared for the temperature changes. Especially in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and bordering states. It might be super hot all day then the sun sets, and it is freezing. While staying in a tent you can't just flip on the heat you need to be really prepared.
3. It is harder to get away from the bugs in a tent than an R.V. With your tent door being almost the size of one wall bugs, get in REALLY easily. Spiders, bees, and especially mosquitoes.
4. Tents don't have built-in lights. Have you ever tried getting dressed in the dark? In a tent, the only lights you have are flashlights, and they are very complicated to use while you need your hands free (unless you have a headlight). 
5. Tents don't come with fridges. The only way to keep your food cold is a cooler. The only problem with that is once your ice melts, your food goes bad.
6. Tents don't have built-in beds. You can buy an air mattress but make sure to be careful what you put  it on. By the morning your comfy bed might be none excitant.
7. No built-in Bathroom. Do you like using outhouses? Without the comfortable bathroom of an RV you might be racing to the restrooms in the dark at 2 o’clock in the morning. 

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." - Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Sarah 

Benefits of Camping:

https://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/benefits-of-camping.html

Sound of a tent zipper:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhIYhSDrNm0

Cost of tent spots:

https://mybackyardlife.com/average-cost-of-tent-camping/

What you need to know about RV hook ups:

https://rvshare.com/blog/rv-hookups/

The smells you might miss if you are in an RV:

https://www.gaylordmichigan.net/out-see-go-my-top-ten-favorite-outdoor-smells/

How to make the best memories camping:

https://blog.goodsam.com/make-unforgettable-camping-memories/

More planning to keep bugs out of your tent:

https://koa.com/blog/how-to-keep-bugs-away-while-camping-keep-insects-out-of-your-tent/

How long will ice last in your cooler:

https://glampingorcamping.com/home/ice-in-a-cooler-how-long-does-it-last-tips-to-last-longer/