Tom, its a tough one here, you have now written that you dont want to try it, but the fact is that for folks that dont grow up doing outdoor activities involving camping, at least the friends I have who are like you, there really is a mindset of how awful it is, will be, and thats the end of it...
Thanks for your very thoughtful response. I totally understand the bit about not doing camping "right" and how that can permanently shape ones view on it. However, because I only planned to do it once, I did not plan to do it "right."
I was going to purchase the cheapest tent I could find and MAYBE supplement it with some type of small folding air mattress. I've been told that the cheapo tents are not such great protection against insects, and that's a very big deal to me because when I get bitten, I get BITTEN, and it can take me a week or two to recover.
I grew up in the "country," too, and bugs have always been a problem for me. I guess I forgot that for the one brief moment I posted this thread. Now even the guys I escaped on another forum are taking pot shots at me for trying to be real. Can I delete this thread and pretend it never happened?