Camping

[darklinensuit]

I have camped in the past, including once for a geology class in freezing weather.
These days 90% of my friends camp & try to get me to go a few times per year.
No way.
I like to hike, but people can forget about getting me to sleep outside.
My everyday life is not luxurious enough to prompt any desire in me to choose to rough it for a weekend.

- Jake

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by GarboSpeaks!

My parents took me camping every year as a kid. Camper, tent, and no tent. lol. I hated it, because I hate spiders and I'd always have the most random "Effing REALLY" encounter w/ a spider on my trip (s). Did mom or dad? Nope, they gravitated toward me. UGH! But then a few years ago, I just had to get the hell out of dodge, so I packed Banshee up in the car, and we made our way from Redwood City, CA north. I had no plan what so ever. When I got tired I found a state park, popped a tent and took in the scenery.

.

What I loved about your story was you saying how much you hate spiders when camping and so what did you do when you went on a trip by yourself? You went camping!

[GarboSpeaks!]

^ My friends don't call me dorkahauntus for nothing. lol

Was just that Iwasn't going to let something as lame-o as spiders cramp my 15 day get away, and lo and behold, not ONE spider issue! My dad used to scare the bejesus out of me with them and about them (always the prankster) so I swear half those moments were Dad induced. Can't prove it, but I betcha!

[GarboSpeaks!]

HEY, I also noticed the banner. You likey? Was my first ever attempt <3

[David]

I've been camping all my life, from Boy Scouts through adulthood. I love it. The only aspect of mountain camping I've ever disliked is the occasional snake sighting.

[skcin]

^Here we worry more about bears, skunks or racoons. But my brother told me about camping in AZ & how the ranger came to their site to tell them to stay away from a certain area - rattlesnake.

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Y'alls are crazy. Yes, there is nothing like going out into the great outdoors, breathing in the fresh air, and discovering nature. But there is also nothing like a hot shower, electricity, a clean, warm bed and a pillow. Why can't you just hike during the day and then drive somewhere civilized to spend the night? Camping just makes you sleep deprived, hungry and smelly.

I usually have all those things when I camp. Well, sometimes not the electricity. Never miss it.

Originally Posted by Richard B

Love camping...errr...rather backpacking. Been all over California and Oregon camping/backpacking. Sequoia National Forest is my fav. I can get lost for weeks in there.

I feel silly "roughing" it at a resort, so I prefer a tent, I even love laying out without a tent (weather permitting) just in a sleeping bag. In the mountains, the weather can be so unpredictable.

I avoid campgrounds where people can drive up, unload and pretend to camp.

Sounds awesome. We went from a tent to a popup camper a few years back, which I know some real campers don't consider camping. But we don't really spend much time in there - it's mostly for sleeping & in bad weather. But I'm not one of those people who pulls in, lets their dog out, then runs back in to watch TV all night. Seriously, I've seen countless people do that.

Originally Posted by sara1998

We need to plan a trip together one year, Paula. You know how I love it. A lot of my friends have campers that are in semi-permanent spots at a private campground. Of course we have water and electric, but there are bath houses as well so we don't fill up the campers tanks. There's even a rec hall to do karaoke in! Haha! And we drive around drunk off our asses on golf carts to get from site to site. I'll have a camper out there a soon as finances permit. It's such a blast!

We say that every year. But what you're talking about isn't camping, sister. I pretty much refuse to go to a campground with a rec building.

Originally Posted by GarboSpeaks!

My parents took me camping every year as a kid. Camper, tent, and no tent. lol. I hated it, because I hate spiders and I'd always have the most random "Effing REALLY" encounter w/ a spider on my trip (s). Did mom or dad? Nope, they gravitated toward me. UGH! But then a few years ago, I just had to get the hell out of dodge, so I packed Banshee up in the car, and we made our way from Redwood City, CA north. I had no plan what so ever. When I got tired I found a state park, popped a tent and took in the scenery. We made it to Vancouver Canada, and the trip was spanned over 15 days. The most wonderful experience of my life. Also, every mile north, I wondered why don't I live here?! And so upon my return I told hub, folks, and friends...SEE YA,and moved to Oregon! I've yet to camp in Oregon, but have a whole list of places to go, and Washington too. For California, there is no better, beautiful place (imho) than Fort Bragg and surrounding Mendocino County.

Great story!

To answer my own questions, which I rudely posted & then took off for the weekend:

Never went camping as a kid. Never. Husband & I started going when we first started dating. LOVED it! Now we go 4 or 5 times a year.

Tented it for years, got a used popup about 4 years ago. We love it, esp. if the weather's crappy. We may move up to a small travel trailer, but I will never be an RV person who lives in the camper & never goes outside.

I hate resorts, and private places are really hit & miss. I tend to stick with state parks. The more remote the site, the better.

We bike. Kayak. Swim. Lots of hiking to see cool & interesting things & scenery. Cook over the campfire. Drink. Eat. Play cards or dominoes in bad weather. Play Baggo (cornhole, I think some of you guys call it?) Blongoball/ladderball/ladder golf. Washer toss. Sightseeing if there's anything worth seeing in the area.

I love it. Every year, I so look forward to it - we start in May & end in October.

[sara1998]

Originally Posted by skcin

We say that every year. But what you're talking about isn't camping, sister. I pretty much refuse to go to a campground with a rec hall.

Trust me, last year was the first time I went camping like that. It's more of a sleepover for all of us... It's really a blast! I still enjoy camping in a tent and hiking, and all the fun stuff you like to do, but the idea that all of us are together and everyone knows everyone is fun as well.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by sara1998

Trust me, last year was the first time I went camping like that. It's more of a sleepover for all of us... It's really a blast! I still enjoy camping in a tent and hiking, and all the fun stuff you like to do, but the idea that all of us are together and everyone knows everyone is fun as well.

We do that once a year with a group of friends - ditch the kids, rent cabins & just eat/drink/play games all weekend.

[KarmaContestant]

I love camping. A lot. I used to go five or six times a summer, up near Estes Park, right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park in Roosevelt National Forest. My other favorite place is White River National Forest, in an area designated as Eagles Nest Wilderness Area.

Both places are remote, with no facilities - you don't need four-wheel-drive to get there, but you can't get a camper or any of that crap close enough to use it. There are no outhouses, plumbing, electricity or any other 'hookups'. There is no campground. What you get is a relatively flat area in the forest with a fire ring made of stones. The camp sites are far enough apart that you have total privacy. I like to describe it as "far enough apart that you can party all night without disturbing your neighbors, but close enough for them to hear you scream when the axe murderer comes"

My favorite site holds about 6 tents, generously spaced. It's near a stream - and the mountain streams are very cold, so we put all of our beer right in the stream!

Aside from daytime hiking, most of our time is spent collecting wood, prepping and cooking food or just sitting around the fire all day drinking beer after delicious beer. We set up a makeshift kitchen with Coleman gas stoves and a gas grill, and we eat very well.

My camping group has grown a bit large - so many people want to go (and bring a new friend or two) that it's almost become a chore these days - it's hard to coordinate 13-18 people and their dogs, and we always bring too much of everything - the past few years I've been lucky to be able to go camping once per summer. Of course as more people join us, the word spreads faster about our camping area and it gets increasingly difficult to ensure the space is vacant. We used to be able to go up Friday...now we go Thursday afternoon....but this year we'll probably have to go Wednesday to make sure we get the site we like the most.

Camping in Colorado wilderness, of course bears are potentially an issue. In all honesty, I have never once encountered a bear while camping, but we still take precautions - all food is taken to the cars and put in the trunk every night before bed. ALL OF IT. No food in your tents, no dirty dishes left out, nothing that can be licked or crunched or chewed or tasted is left out of a car trunk once we get ready for bed. It's a little extra work, but worth it to ensure bears aren't tempted to visit. They love sweet and salty snacks, and especially marshmallows - bears will smash your car windows to get marshmallows. No joke.

I'm honestly more worried about mountain lions, but they are pretty rare along Colorado's eastern slope.

[skcin]

^ Now that's camping. There are a few places like that in NY - Adirondack Mountain region mostly. Also a couple of places you can only get to by boat.

And I've never personally had bear issues either, but last year they had a very strong warning not to leave anything out at any time in the ADK region. We'll see about this year.

Our activities depend on where we're at. My next trip is here, so hiking the gorge is a given:
http://dansville.lib.ny.us/stonybrk.html

Later this summer, we'll be shoving our kayak into the pond right off our campsite:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24494.html

And later still, boating with friends on their motorboat & jetski:
http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/21/details.aspx

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by skcin

Our activities depend on where we're at. My next trip is here, so hiking the gorge is a given:
http://dansville.lib.ny.us/stonybrk.html

Wow - that place looks stunning!

[sara1998]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

I love camping. A lot. I used to go five or six times a summer, up near Estes Park, right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park in Roosevelt National Forest. My other favorite place is White River National Forest, in an area designated as Eagles Nest Wilderness Area.

Both places are remote, with no facilities - you don't need four-wheel-drive to get there, but you can't get a camper or any of that crap close enough to use it. There are no outhouses, plumbing, electricity or any other 'hookups'. There is no campground. What you get is a relatively flat area in the forest with a fire ring made of stones. The camp sites are far enough apart that you have total privacy. I like to describe it as "far enough apart that you can party all night without disturbing your neighbors, but close enough for them to hear you scream when the axe murderer comes"

My favorite site holds about 6 tents, generously spaced. It's near a stream - and the mountain streams are very cold, so we put all of our beer right in the stream!

Aside from daytime hiking, most of our time is spent collecting wood, prepping and cooking food or just sitting around the fire all day drinking beer after delicious beer. We set up a makeshift kitchen with Coleman gas stoves and a gas grill, and we eat very well.

My camping group has grown a bit large - so many people want to go (and bring a new friend or two) that it's almost become a chore these days - it's hard to coordinate 13-18 people and their dogs, and we always bring too much of everything - the past few years I've been lucky to be able to go camping once per summer. Of course as more people join us, the word spreads faster about our camping area and it gets increasingly difficult to ensure the space is vacant. We used to be able to go up Friday...now we go Thursday afternoon....but this year we'll probably have to go Wednesday to make sure we get the site we like the most.

Camping in Colorado wilderness, of course bears are potentially an issue. In all honesty, I have never once encountered a bear while camping, but we still take precautions - all food is taken to the cars and put in the trunk every night before bed. ALL OF IT. No food in your tents, no dirty dishes left out, nothing that can be licked or crunched or chewed or tasted is left out of a car trunk once we get ready for bed. It's a little extra work, but worth it to ensure bears aren't tempted to visit. They love sweet and salty snacks, and especially marshmallows - bears will smash your car windows to get marshmallows. No joke.

I'm honestly more worried about mountain lions, but they are pretty rare along Colorado's eastern slope.

And I'm stuck in Indiana - where the worst of the wild animals are raccoons and mosquitos. I would love to camp like this!

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by sara1998

And I'm stuck in Indiana - where the worst of the wild animals are raccoons and mosquitos. I would love to camp like this!

I grew up in Michigan, so I can relate for sure! We went camping a few times in the Upper Penninsula, near Marquette. It was always campground-style with picnic tables. Crowded, and lots of bugs. I had fun as a kid, but the first time I was asked to go camping in Colorado it was 1996 and I was a bit hesitant to say the least. I was not prepared for the awesomeness of the whole experience! Mosquitos are a problem, but not nearly as bad as the Great Lakes region. The camp fire keeps them away for the m0st part.

On a side note, I adore raccoons. Dirty little fatties, they sure are cute.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Wow - that place looks stunning!

There are at least 4 or 5 state parks in NY that are really similar. Letchworth is probably the most famous. Buttermilk Falls, Treman, Watkins Glen. Awesome places. I love hiking the old stone paths in the gorges - most were built by prisoners in the '20's & '30's.

There's a city in NY who's motto is "Ithaca: It's Gorges." Get it?

[camchristo]

^you're a lesbian. Get it??