Detroit News reports today: Tent sales pop up with gas prices – campers are keeping close to home

A snippet:

Though cold weather delayed the start of Michigan’s camping season this year, tent retailers and manufacturers say they are now seeing a spike in sales as families take to the woods for local, low-cost fishing and hiking trips.

“People are trying to stay a little closer to home and discover cool things in Michigan instead of driving out West,” said Jeff Goldsmith, owner of Joe’s Army Navy Surplus & Camping in Waterford.

Tent sales are up 14 percent this year and family-sized tents by 8 percent at retailer REI.

No, we haven’t been camping during the past two years. But I’m glad my family’s camping gear was built up several years ago! It gets a bit pricey to buy everything you need all at once. We’ve kept our tents waterproofed and air-dry them at home if they get wet. So they stay in good shape, year after year.

If you’re just getting started with camping, look first with what you may already have available for a day at the park, the beach, the boat, or the tailgate party. Outdoor recreation equipment is outdoor recreation equipment, no matter the intended purpose.

And schedule an overnighter or weekend camping trip  before you try to make this a full week’s worth of vacation. People tend to get a bit cranky after a couple of days in the tent if they’re not used to “roughing it.”