Our family has always enjoyed camping. It has always been a very economical way for our family of six (and a dog or two) to travel and get away from it all.

We started out in tents and as the family grew we purchased a used pop-up camper. As the kids grew bigger, the little pop-up seemed like it got smaller. So we replaced it with a bigger, brand-new pop-up camper.

And now that the kids are grown and on their own, we still enjoy camping but the pop-up was just too much for only two people.

So three years ago, my husband and I went from the new to the old and purchased a little vintage camper. We call her “Wilma.” She was cheap, cute, and easy to pull with our vehicle.

Wilma is only 16-feet long from bumper to tongue. She has a little dinette, a little gaucho (couch) that expands to a bed, a sink, stove, refrigerator and a toilet. Everything we need.

We have fixed her up a little bit and joined a group of fellow vintage camping enthusiasts called the Tin Can Tourists. TCT was started in 1919 and resurrected into a national association in 1998. (You can read all the history for yourself at http://www.tincantourists.com)

The TCT club is broken down into regions and campers get together for rallies where they share their love of vintage campers, history, food and fellowship. Not only do we share the vintage experience with each other, we open it up to the public as well. Most rallies, like the one we recently attended with 24 other families, hold an open house for the public. Most of the open houses are free, but if donations are given, it goes to local charities. People are invited to tour our trailers and to find out about the history of the campers that are part of our American “rolling history.” At our most recent rally, the three-hour open house drew almost 300 people to the campground to tour, take pictures and chat.

After the open house, all of us gather for a potluck and talk about the day and about some of the people we had the privilege to meet during the event. Because most of the trailers are small and lack most amenities of the new recreational vehicles, the most frequent question from those who tour our trailers, is “Where do you keep your stuff?”

We all laugh a little about that comment because most of us have lots of stuff. Besides our clothes, food and toiletries, most of us travel with pets and lots of vintage treasures. Many TCT members bring along vintage chairs, dishes, coolers, lanterns, and the list goes on. Some even pull their trailers with vintage vehicles. And while we camp, many of us take day trips to the local antique shops and flea markets hoping to find that elusive gadget or trinket that will match the era of our particular camper, which of course, adds even more stuff.

However, when you get right down to it, most of the campers have none of the familiar trappings of modern life. Even though everyone has a cell phone, many do not have televisions, microwaves, or air conditioning. Some have no water hook ups and many have no bathrooms in their campers. And some onlookers think that’s the important stuff.

But fellow campers really don’t care what “stuff” you have or don’t have or about the stuff you bring along. True, it might be some of the vintage stuff that brings us together, but once we set up camp and start to talk to each other, we find out real soon what the important stuff is. It’s about sharing a love of the outdoors and a love of friendship. It’s about meeting new people with new stories and wisdom to share. That’s the stuff we really care about. The important stuff is as close as a smile and a helping hand.

The big stuff isn’t unpacked until all the campers who began as strangers gather around a long table of food we brought to share, and one of our new friends draws everyone’s attention, removes his hat and offers a little prayer. That’s our best stuff. And that’s the stuff you don’t need extra space for whether you’re in a great big home or a tiny camper.

Where do we keep our stuff?  In the Author of us all.