Ever since childhood when he was thirteen and camping with the Scouts, Tommy Michel began using a tent as his shelter outdoors, beginning in the early 1960s. In fact, his very first camping experience was at Double Lakes Campground.

From the earliest camping experience, the primary style of tent available to the Scouts were canvas wall tents that were used on our weekend camping trips. However, by no means were the wall tents ever used while backpacking. Instead, once a month on a weekend, the Scout Troop would drive to the campsite, open up the Scout trailer, unload large wooden patrol gear boxes, unpack the camping gear, set up the wall tents and then proceed with other activities that were on the agenda for each of the patrols which contained six to eight Boy Scouts.

Then, once a year, the Scout Troop would drive to the summer camp location where the Troop was going to stay for a whole week. Once we arrive at the Scout Campgound, we would check in with the headquarters to find what campsite we had been assigned to camp in, drive to that campsite and find the Scout Campsite already has wall tents set up. However, these tents were often set up on wood decks.

As told by Tommy Micheal, "Recalling that moment upon arriving and seeing that the tents were already set up with wood floors, methought, This is the Life. Yes, those summer camp experiences in the Scouts during my teenage years are some of the greatest memories of my life. However, I also recall how those seven days were just never long enough and the troop was soon packing out to return home."

During later Scout weekend outings, his shelter of choice for his overnight outdoor shelter, came to be a jungle hammock, one which belonged to the troop. This type of hammock is an above ground sleeping birth complete with insect netting and waterproof fly cover.

The hammock was hung between two trees like most hammocks but this one had a upper compartment that had a water proof roof and mosquito netting around the sides. It did a great job of keeping out both the rain and the insects.

Camping with the Boy Scouts began in the early sixties and lasted to the late seventies. However, since that time, tents use outdoors have greatly improved in style, size, weight and functionality.

During the walk on the Appalachian Trail, he stayed mostly in the shelters along the trail but he carried and used a tarp for nights that these shelters were full and or not available. Later, he acquired a lightweight solo type tent which included a rain fly.

The backpacking tent should be light enough to carry and large enough to provide dry shelter for both the backpacker and all of his gear. Most tents today are designed with a fly that is used to waterproof the tent and provide additional space for storage of the pack, boots and other gear outside of the sleeping area.

Choosing the right tent will often add to the success of the journey and help keep the outdoor traveler dry and out of the elements.

Later, when returning to backpacking in the western parts of the continent, he purchased a solo super light tent.

This tent comes with a built in ground cloth (red on bottom), a upper containment of insect netting and for those nights that are wet, a fly that would stretch over the entire tent and provide a vestibule to store his back pack and shoes.

In the photo just below, the pack rain cover and the tent fly are lying on the ground to the left of the tent and the tan rectangle on top of the tent is his insulated ground pad so that it can air out for a while. The sleeping bag is already unpacked an placed inside the tent so that it too can air out.

However, as a simple truth, all backpacking adventures eventually come to their end. Therefore, when a wayƒarer is not currently experiencing the path afoot, in what shelter will he spend his nights? Must he need to return to Mowing the Grass?

Upon arriving in Washington in the early 1990s, a search is made for a small home suitable for him to live in. One is found but requires quite a bit of work to make it livable.

Soon, the home is livable, comfortable and even has a small deck to sit out in the evening to watch the stars.

Later, a small barbecue grill is purchased and then friends are invited over to share a meal.

After some time, I upgrade to a full size single wide trailer, move it into a space which includes a one car garage and then begin to plant flower and vegetable gardens.

When the first mini vans were manufactured in 1984, Thom purchased this one thinking it would be an economical vehicle, one which he could both travel to work and at the same time live in.

This is what he did with his first of several mini vans he has owned. Here, in 1989, he stops at Craters of the Moon in Idaho and while there spends a little time to clean up his gear.

This worked so well that later, upon his retirement, he just continued living in a mini van while traveling to the destinations he has always desired to visit.

This section will look at some of the Windjammers as well at the places where the jammers have taken him.