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I personally would not want to live in a tent. That's just me. I would love to spend a couple of weeks with someone who does though. I think it would be crazy fun!
Agree, not rare at all. I'm in my 60's and not particularly overweight, but have some joint problems. I got down on my hands and knees last week to clean out my fridge, and I had real trouble getting up afterwards. Old knees, hops, even shoulders can do it. When you add obesity into the mix, then there are even worse risks. You do not need to be in your 80's or 90's!
I've never heard of such a thing in someone less than 80 years old. I have a genetically substandard body in almost every respect and at age 72 it would be no more trouble for me to get up off the ground than to get out of bed.
You say you have known such people, and so I accept that - there would be no reason for you to lie about it. I am having trouble processing it, though, because it doesn't compute. Do you know why that is the case for people you've known? What would hurt, exactly, if they were to get up off the ground? The whole concept is scary as hell.
Military, construction, and auto repair are the top three professions for the people I've known.
What would hurt... My husband was career military, airborne. His ankles and knees were a mess by the time he was in his forties. There are many more like him. A guy I've known for decades, since high school, who has worked in the building trades--all of them. His back is going. His friend, exterior painting, is experiencing the same sorts of problems. I went to high school with him, too. I've also known a few auto mechanics who have serious problems with elbows, shoulders and backs.
Military, construction, and auto repair are the top three professions for the people I've known.
What would hurt... My husband was career military, airborne. His ankles and knees were a mess by the time he was in his forties. There are many more like him. A guy I've known for decades, since high school, who has worked in the building trades--all of them. His back is going. His friend, exterior painting, is experiencing the same sorts of problems. I went to high school with him, too. I've also known a few auto mechanics who have serious problems with elbows, shoulders and backs.
Thanks. You are helping to educate me. Indeed, it stands to reason that the landings from parachute jumps would be hard on the ankles and knees! Maybe they should eliminate the practices - why practice something you've GOT to get right the first time?
Very interesting thread, I'd like to see pics of the poster living full time in the campground. But camping does not always mean sleeping on the ground. We camp a lot and have cots from Walmart and a giant tent. Before that we had a series of popups. The cots are much more comfortable than the popup, which has a bed consisting of a small cushon over plywood.
We watch the tiny house show too. No way all the climbing into the loft would be practical for a senior.
When I was a kid, my mom and aunt would drive off with the station wagon stuffed, four teens and one of those toweable cots/storeage for all the cooking stuff and so on. We always took a small suitcase, but we barely got past the first layer. We'd go up the coast to the beach in mid California. My cousins friends would come too, and we'd have quite a crew.
I LOVED it. We went to the beach, everyone took a walk along the shore at dusk, and ate. Mom and my aunt cooked and we ate. My cousin a year younger and I liked to dig around the campsite, and make lakes and rivers too. I wondered later if mom and my aunt enjoyed it as much since they did a LOT of cooking, but since we did it two, three times a year they must have. The popup had four cots, and the adults got two of them and my cousin and I, not yet teens, the others. I do remember how hard they were. We'd take extra blankets and fold them up under the mattress. The teenagers could blow up their own airmatresses or not and had a tent.
Then about 20 years ago, a friend called and asked if I wanted to go camping. My husband said no. But two friends, the dogs and me went to the mountains. The one tent turned out not to have been dried and the driver had to find something to spray it with. He had his kids with him. We ended up letting him cook since he did such a good job of making meals over a fire. And we went on a quick hike up into Big Bear's trails, and *somehow* ended up on the expert trail. No rails, no grabbing on places.... scary as heck but oh was that memorable and it was a victory to get up the top of the mountain. We could see everything below.
Camping is fun. I wish I knew someone who liked it but I don't know if I'd do expert trails. However, it sure was nice to get home and back on the waterbed. The tent was actually kind of fun. It really felt like you were *camping*. A later trip we had a van and the three of us fit inside it. That was another wonderful memory.
I watch the tiny house shows too, and sometimes DO wonder if I'd like one since I actually do most everything in the living room. But I must agree about the loft. It's not that the climb, but there just doesn't seem like there's enough space above to not feel trapped. The room could be just big enough for the bed, but I need space above me. I like a lot of the other ideas a lot though.
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