21
The way my uncle reviews his old tent at holidays
Every family dinner, my uncle starts talking about his thirty year old tent. He will describe the seams in detail while we pass the gravy. It does not matter if you ask or not, he has thoughts on the zippers. Last time, he compared it to my cousin's new backpacking shelter for twenty minutes. I mostly nod and think about pie. It is a weird tradition now, like his annual gear report.
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
the_caleb1mo ago
I mean, is it REALLY that bad though? So he likes his old tent, BIG deal. At least he's into something. Family stuff gets weird sometimes, but this seems pretty harmless. Comparing it to new gear is just his way of sharing what he knows. I'd take a tent talk over arguing about POLITICS any day.
6
parkerw211mo ago
Wait, but that's the thing though. Constant comparing can get old even if the topic seems fine. It just makes simple chats feel like a competition sometimes.
7
ruby_fisher11mo ago
My buddy's old Coleman tent from 2012 had these bent poles. Every trip, he'd bring it up next to someone's new gear, like "see how this patched spot holds up better." It stops being about camping and turns into a defense of his old stuff. You just want to talk about a good hike, but suddenly you're judging tent pole technology. It makes sharing feel like scoring points.
7