The Happy Camper Radio Road Show

The next time you go camping and you see this road case parked at a campsite near to you, you’ll know you’re just hours away from the next remote broadcast of the Happy Camper Radio Show. During the past few years of building what I call the ultimate studio for both radio and voiceover production, I also took time to put together a portable unit that I could take on the road. And like the in-house facility I often rave about occasionally on the program, I was not about to cut corners when it came to building the remote operation that I use in an outdoor setting.

When I first started to produce shows away from the studio, I was working with a consumer grade microphone plugged into a digital hand-held recorder. That was it. There were no microphone flags, banners, or any type promotional materials whatsoever. People around me had no earthy idea who I was or what I was up to. That was about to change. As time progressed, I came to realize that the Happy Camper Radio Show had to be more than just a guy behind a microphone. To be around people who share a passion for camping, I needed to draw them into the conversation and allow them to be a part of what this show is all about. And although some folks are shy when it comes to being around an open mic, many tend to be intrigued and fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes. That’s why this show fits in so well at campgrounds, trade shows (haven’t done any of those yet), or any type of environment that promotes a camping lifestyle.

To this day it’s hard to believe that I have built the remote operation to the point that I now require a case this size to haul everything in. But it’s really no big deal. In fact, I love setting up the gear, testing the equipment, checking the sound levels, and most important of all, chatting with folks who simply drop by to watch it all come together. I even pack away a small power inverter, just in case I happen to working in an area where there are no electrical outlets. As long as the cigarette lighter in my truck is close by, we can do the show way back in the far depths of the forest. In fact, some of my better episodes were recorded in the north Georgia mountains, about one or two miles off the main road. Of course, I’m not doing as many remote shows as I’d like, but that will likely change down the road in a couple years when retirement becomes a reality.