I was browsing in the weekly flyer (a rare thing around here since, thus far, we have managed to avoid the weekly deluge of advertising material) when I discovered this:
This, for the uninitiated, is a Coleman Portable Tabletop Deep Fryer. It's features include:
* Coleman FryWell™ Portable Tabletop Deep Fryer also boils and steams
* Stainless steel perforated basket with fold-down cool-touch plastic handle
* Tip switch and over-temperature safety shut-off
* 6 qt stainless steel reservoir
It's fuel source is one of those 16oz disposable propane bottles.
I raised one eyebrow, my, hasn't camping changed since the time Dan and I would pack our gear in a canoe and paddle off to the farthest site on Kingsmere Lake in P.A. National Park. I looked further:
The Coleman Coffee maker.
Egad, does it make espresso too?
I perused further:
A complete portable camp kitchen
The only thing the above is missing is a dishwasher, which I assume will be an accessory at some time in the future.
And finally:
Coleman On Demand Hot Water Kit
This is not what I would call "getting back to nature".
The Advertising for all of this crap, shows a family out in the woods in a tent about the same size as comfortable villa, "roughing it" with all of these luxurious accoutrements. The ad is meant to be funny, but am I the only one asking "if you can't get along without all this stuff, why not save the gas and just stay home?"
Please, wasn't learning to get along without all this paraphenalia part of the fun of camping? The most I ever had in the way of "elaborate" camping equipment was a single burner camp stove and a lantern. That's it. We got along fine. We didn't need a team of pack horses to carry the stuff around.
I can't believe there is a market for this stuff, but apparently there is.