If your idea of camping doesn't include air conditioning, a satellite dish or a portable generator, you probably ought to check out John Schirle's book.

Schirle, a Decatur resident, recently published "The Best in Tent Camping: Illinois." The book was published by Menasha Ridge Press. An avid tent camper, Schirle profiled 50 of the top campgrounds throughout the state, including 20 in Southern Illinois.

The book's subtitle, "A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos," hints at what the reader can expect to find inside.

"Tent camping may not be the ideal way to enjoy the outdoors for some folks," Schirle said. "However, I'm a fairly comfortable camper. I like to have my stuff with me. I have an inflatable air mattress and my chair. I have a great big tent that is much larger than I need because I like to stand up in my tent."

All of the campgrounds listed in the book are accessible by vehicle, although some of the campgrounds include walk-in sites.

"I'm pretty much a car camper," Schirle said. "The primary audience for this book is car campers. I don't mind carrying my stuff a quarter-mile, but I have too much stuff to truly backpack. That's another book and probably another author. "

The book provides all the basics, including directions to the campground as well as GPS coordinates. Schirle tells the reader how many sites are in each campground, which sites are shaded, which are facing the water as well as what amenities are located within the campground.

The book also rates each campground on the basis of beauty, privacy, spaciousness, quiet, security and cleanliness.

"In terms of a place to camp, I look especially for lesser crowds," Schirle said. "If that means I go in the middle of the week, that's fine. I also really like places that have separate tent camping. Those areas don't get as much use and they tend to get quieter crowds.

"I like walk-ins because then you don't have people pulling up a vehicle next to your tent at midnight."

Some of Schirle's favorite camping spots in Southern Illinois include Ferne Clyffe State Park, Trail of Tears State Forest, Red Bud Campground at Bell Smith Springs, Dixon Springs State Park and Pharaoh Campground at Garden of the Gods.

"I also look for a place that has some neat hiking or neat places to explore," he said. "That's kind of one of the reasons I like Ferne Clyffe so much. It's right smack in the middle of Southern Illinois and you have the Shawnee National Forest on both sides of you."

Capsule comments on his other favorites include:

l Pharaoh Campground: "There isn't much there, but, boy, the views are spectacular."

l Trail of Tears State Forest: "That's just really nice. Those campsites are so isolated from one another."

l Red Bud Campground: "It's just such beautiful hiking at Bell Smith Springs. The campground is quite simple, but nice."

l Dixon Springs: "It's very pretty and it has a pool, and I kind of like that."

Schirle got the idea for the book after reading "The Best in Tent Camping: Missouri and the Ozarks."

He was so taken by the book he contacted the publisher and asked when the Illinois edition was going to be printed. Schirle said the publisher then asked if he'd be interested in writing the Illinois book. Dozens of camping trips later, Schirle's book is now on bookshelves.

"I try to answer all the questions I want answered before I drive to a campground," Schirle states in promotional material for the book. "I've had too many unpleasant surprises over the years going to a campground based solely on a Web site or listing in a directory and finding out it wasn't what I expected."

Schirle's book retails for $15.95 and is available at www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com.

les.winkeler@thesouthern.com

618-351-5088