Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for June 24, 2022

Goat just wants to do what bears do in the woods.

This strip makes little sense. Goats don’t poop in the woods. Maybe Rat is right as usual.

My idea of roughing it – A black and white TV without cable access in an airconditioned hotel room.

Being in the great outdoors is great and what makes it even better is sleeping in a nice bed afterward instead of a sleeping bag,

Pig won’t survive without his bed.

We invented civilization to get away from camping.

I loved camping when I was young enough to enjoy sleeping on rocks with water trickling down my neck… squatting to cook — and other things — and fighting off rapacious insects. For some reason the older I get, the less I love it.

I’m with rat on this one.

Once you’ve been through military basic, you’re one and done.

Goat is looking forward to eating food that humans don’t eat.

Rat ain’t wrong.

Goat, you’re not correct. My opinon is better than yours, nyah!

I did not like camping while growing up. I’d rather stayed at home ♪all by myself.♪

Calvin’s dead says you go camping to be miserable for a week or two so you appreciate your stuff the rest of the year.

I have to go with Rat on this one as well. My definition of “camping” is that whatever you are sleeping in has a minimum of two axles under it. If you’ve got less than two axles I don’t know what you’re doing but you haven’t risen to the level of “camping” yet as far as I’m concerned.

Rat prefers glamping.

We had a camper with AC and had a campfire every night, campground had a lake and a swimming pool, not bad really!

Rat has it spot on in both his comments. If I want it to rain, all i have to do is set up a tent. Never have I had a more miserable time, than all the times i was taken camping as a kid.

Then I love it! Even with all the discomforts.

I’ve always loved camping………No one has mentioned jogging, but that’s mental illness.

I’m with Rat, no camping for me!

MY definition of “Camping”: Staying at a Motel 6 instead of a Hilton.

Wish I were young and spry enough to once more hike the Appalacian trail and the Sangre de Christis.

Ugh! We went to Lake Chataqua, in New York every weekend…we had an RV parked there with a boat. The fishing was great but the inconvenience was atrocious. Everyone we knew came out of the woodwork ….the lake was so beautiful…until they decided to build a bridge over to the other side….that’s when we stopped going! Why does man have to spoil nature?

Loved camping when I was young , spent a lot of time “pseudo” camping with my good friends ( trailer camping in nice , clean campgrounds – with groups of their friends ) , BUT – in 2013 I was forced into homelessness – started out with a good attitude looked on it as an extended camping trip – made it through the first winter enjoyed cooking on the tailgate of my Ranger ( weather permitting of course ) . After 10 months the cab of the truck shrunk – the weather seemed to get worse . When my SSD came through the day before winter hit again , I haven’t had a single urge to camp again !

The first camping trip I was on was as a Boy Scout. We camped in tents with temperatures of 20F. Oddly, I enjoyed it, but I also decided that it was an experience I didn’t care to repeat. ;)

I would like to go camping. It makes me regret leaving the Boy Scouts of America.

Sorry, Goat, but I’m with Rat on this one. My idea of roughing it is staying at a Motel 6!

Some people go camping to get away from it all, but end up by taking most of it all with them. Some of the RV’s (recreational vehicles) are absolutely luxurious and cost as much as a house. Maintenance on them is astronomical.

I went camping once when I was a kid, it was living hell

Has anyone been in today’s campers? Queen Beds, Hot Water, Showers, Toilets, Electric Fire Places, Big Screen TV with Satellite dishes, Air Conditioning, Microwaves. Of course you need to camp in a parking lot with “full hookups”.

I loved camping, haven’t camped since my husband died…not the same now.

At first, I took this to mean “the nice things you have for no particular reason”, and thought it was a commentary on how little we need most things we have. Then I realized my mistake, but I still think it’s a valid point.

I have relatives who love to go “camping” – in their 40-foot motor home with AC that they park at membership campgrounds offering heated pools, rec centers, playgrounds and (usually) horse rentals.

Camping is ok so long as you have A/C, an inside toilet and shower.

It was a cold spring morning in the northern Ontario bush, the rain had just begun, but it didn’t deter the thick swarms of mosquitoes and black flies. Our geological survey brought us through a campground; and as I watched the campers huddling over the smoke of their dying campfires, swatting and scratching, I thanked God I was sleeping in a hotel, eating in a restaurant and well paid to be here.

Rat’s right, but he left out the bugs.

I camp at the Hyatt…

I personally am not an outdoorsy type. I like my air conditioning, thank you very much.

I hate to agree with Rat, but… yeah.

When I was in the Army I got all the camping out that I wanted for the rest of my life!

Rat has joined the anti-outdoors brigade.

Considering all the luxury trailers and such being sold these days,roughing it has become extinct as we used to know it.

Heck,we go camping so we can watch the goats leap around the cliff peaks!!

And the bears.Don’t forget the bears.

I went once. Rained the whole time. Don’t get it. I have a house. Why would I go sit in the woods and pretend I don’t?

Having read many of the comments, I am surprised by what a bunch of wusses there are who read this strip. I love camping in my tent with my little dog and head out often. Also, being in a campground for a few days in your $100,000+ RV is not camping. Don’t let age stop you. I’m 71.

My dad wanted to camp every weekend and every vacation, but after 4 kids and a better income, Mom put her foot down. We rented beach houses for our summer vacation, and Dad could camp all he wanted as a Scout Master. I was very happy with the results. I abhor camping, and I’m a walking all-you-can-eat buffet for insects.

Wussies!

If I am hauling the canoe and the bicycle to one of the many fine lakes around, I will the drag the 16 ft “Flying Bedroom”

If I am traveling, I have built a plywood kitchen box that is small enough to fit on the motorcycle.

The daughter recently gave me a set of backpacking pans that fit in the kitchen box, and I’m ready to try them out

Don’t forget the mosquitoes…..

Aah, yes, the week long rain while tent camping in Quetico, and passing pages of paperbacks between eventually soaked tents. Then the high wave and lightning storm paddle out. Then the one day delay to be flown out.

Being outside. Seeing beautiful sights. Identifying new organisms. Love it.

Nailed it Mr Pastis!

Well there’s a new thing goin’ ’round

People sleeping out on the ground

Throwin’ the tools away

And usin’ rocks and sticks

Hmmm… People constantly complain about society and the government, but then act like camping is a mental illness.

If only there were a pill people could take to cure them of wanting to go camping . . .

No, Rat, camping is not a mental illness. Glamping is.

Goat is a practicing Conformist. As far as I’m concerned, Rat is absolutely right about (ugh) camping….

So Camping instead is about bragging about how many bugs bit you or bragging about how many fish and seaweed got ahold of you while you swim.

According to George Carlin, you would merely take a smaller version of your stuff.

I go camping to get away from the kind of people who think camping is barbaric and unpleasant, so I believe things are working out exactly right!

In 1967, when I returned from Vietnam, my enlistment in the Marines was up. I made myself two promises. 1.) I wasn’t going back over there and 2.) I was never going “camping” or purposely sleeping anywhere other than my bed if I could help it. Kept both promises. In 10 days, I turn 76yo!