The annual Crutchfield Squirrel Hunt in the Ozark National Forest was my first outing with my new Little Guy Five-Wide Roughrider teardrop camper.
A no-frills unit, the Little Guy Roughrider is designed especially for backcountry "dry" camping. It is basically an insulated fiberglass shell with two twin beds that fit together to make a queen-size bed. It is much more comfortable than an air mattress, bed roll or cot.
I say "no-frills," but the Little Guy actually has a lot of amenities, like interior and exterior LED lighting. It has adequate storage and ductwork for a 5,000-BTU heating and air unit that's made especially for Little Guy teardrops. The climate unit can run off standard electrical hookup or a nifty little 2000-watt Westinghouse generator/inverter that is as quiet as a comparable Honda generator for half the price.
It has electrical outlets and an interior charging station for smart phones, tablets and other USB devices.
To reach the remote campsites that I frequent, it has 15-inch tires and a thick steel skid plate the shields the entire underside. I also have a 40-watt solar panel to charge the battery when hookups are not available.
I worried that the teardrop would be stuffy, but I was mistaken. By raising the two darkly-tinted windows on the doors and lifting the roof hatch, it draws ample circulation that kept the interior cool all night without help from the vent fan.
Truth be told, I've always enjoyed setting up a tent camp. I like the anticipatory excitement of erecting a tent, hammering stakes in the ground, arranging the bedding and making a temporary home take shape.
Breaking camp is what I don't like. I don't enjoy shaking out leaves, dirt, and daddy longlegs, or waiting hours for dew to dry. I don't like the complicated folding schemes required to squeeze a tent, fly and poles into a tiny little bag.
I dislike it even more in the rain, which is almost guaranteed when camping in the spring and fall.
The Little Guy eliminates all of that. Just hook it up and go.
It is so light that it takes little fuel to pull with a Ford F-150, but I most appreciate the quality it adds to the experience.
I can't remember the last time I slept so well away from home, and that's what matters most.
-- Bryan Hendricks
Sports on 10/09/2016