I always think of the original Parent Trap camping trip. There's no point going at all unless you can bring a servant or two to set up the tents, make the fires, cook and clean.
Camped this past weekend in the Pine Barrens (Wharton State Park), and it was fantastic. Part of it was the wonderful weather - sunny, clear but for an hour of rain at dawn on Sunday. I'd always wanted to visit the Pine Barrens but for some reason have never gotten over there. Really interesting (and I realize we only saw a tiny fraction of them - the Pine Barrens are HUGE!). Because of a combination of the natural environment and forest management, the area has very low ground cover, and that led to some really unique and amazing visuals (that I will probably not be able to convey very well!)... you could look out through the forest and see nothing but the trunks of trees running off into the distance almost to the horizon; it really gave you a sense of how "surrounded by woods" you were. We were camped right by a river so we had some wonderful river views, including a gorgeous sunset we could enjoy from our camp site, and there were plenty of trails running back through the woods in all directions. Saw quite a few deer, and late at night I THINK we heard a coyote (while not common, coyotes supposedly have been spotted in the Pine Barrens...and it sure SOUNDED like one or more). Our camp site was in the Goshen Pond campground area. "Primitive camping" as there are no showers, running water, or electricity, but that is part of the fun. Nice site, arranged so that while you do have neighbors you aren't constantly reminded of that fact. Fantastic river view, as mentioned. You check in at a visitor's center about fifteen/twenty minutes away (by car) and it's a really nice center with some great information on the area, firewood if you need to buy it, and an extremely helpful and enthusiastic staff. There are quite a few hiking trails in the area of the visitor center as well, and the historic somewhat restored village of Batsto is on the site. If you were into kayaking these sites (at Goshen) would be great as you could, I imagine, just launch right from your site. As always, a great opportunity to hang out and talk, the food always tastes great, and a great night's sleep with just a few crickets and frogs as background noise. Well, and those coyotes. Maybe. PS - Did not see either the Jersey Devil or Bigfoot. No idea if they saw us, however. PPS - If you are not from the area and don't have EZ PASS, heads up - bring change. Maddeningly, the AC Expressway demands that if you don't use EZ Pass, you pay with coins, and pay exact amount, no dollar bills or cards accepted. Seems intentionally inconvenient to me - fares are often odd amounts like, for example, $1.30. You can't back up, you can't turn around, and there are no change machines or people to help. Come on. PPPS - If you are among the two or three who check out this Thread, you probably already enjoy camping, but if not, and you have ANY inkling to try it -- go for it! See if you can borrow some equipment (so you don't have to invest before you know if you like it) and talk to some friends with experience for the basics, but you never know, it could be a wonderful experience for you. My parents absolutely never had camping on their radar (so no childhood experience) and for most of our lives neither did we - I wish we had discovered it earlier. Like anything else, not for everyone, no question. But you might surprise yourself. I enjoy being "out in nature" in general, and find it tremendously recharging and relaxing, but the camping experience and the social interaction with family or friends is just wonderful. You don't have to be Survivor Man to be comfortable, to eat and sleep great WHILE being "disconnected". If you don't enjoy it, you've learned something, and if you DO enjoy it, you might have discovered a new and fun way to enjoy the outdoors and recharge your mental/physical batteries.
@SHAD0W-JEDI encouraged me via PM to bump this, so I'm bumping it! After my post on the last page, I've gotten more into it. Last October, I went backpacking for one night at Red River Gorge in Kentucky. That was fun but murder on my legs because I was so out of shape, and my hamstrings and quads were so sore from all the elevation changes that I could barely walk for the next two days. Just this past weekend, I tried to go backpacking again at Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia. The plan was to arrive at 1 AM Saturday morning, car camp at a campground, sleep until 9 AM, make breakfast, tear down, and reach the trailhead before the High Wind Warning started at 11 AM. Instead we were woken up at 7 AM by winds so strong they uprooted my tent stakes, ripped off part of my rain fly (drenching the inside of my tent), and tried to blow my whole tent away with me in it (only my body weight held the tent down). Bad idea. We managed to get everything torn down and in the van without losing anything to being blown away. We day hiked instead, 5 miles out and back mostly on the Appalachian Trail to near the top of Pine Mountain, then stayed in a hotel Saturday night due to the dangerous winds. Since my last post, I've acquired a lot of my own equipment: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad (though I'm not happy with the one I got and plan to return it to Amazon), backpacking stove and kitchen/mess kit, and good clothing layers for being in the outdoors. I expect to be camping a lot this summer (car camping) as it goes hand in hand with my new whitewater kayaking addiction. There are some things I've noticed in my early adventures that make a world of difference in the experience, and are probably the reason many people hate camping (some, I've found, are the reasons my brief stint in Boy Scouts was, well, brief). Mistake: Putting your sleeping bag right on the floor of your tent. Correct way: Use a sleeping pad, either foam (cheaper but bulkier) or inflatable (more expensive but more compact), under your sleeping bag. A sleeping pad prevents you from feeling every rock in the ground, provides cushioning, and even adds insulation, keeping you warmer at night. Mistake: Using a sleeping bag not suited for the temperatures. Correct way: Understand the temperature ratings. The temperature rating on a sleeping bag is either survival or comfort, and maddeningly not all manufacturers make it clear which. The comfort rating is the temperature, or temperature range, at which the bag is designed to be comfortable to sleep in; it is often expressed as a range and is what you should try to match to the expected nighttime low temperatures. The survival rating is the lowest temperature at which the bag alone is designed to keep you alive (prevent hypothermia); the bag is NOT designed to be comfortable at that temperature and really shouldn't be used that low if you can avoid it. The buffer between survival and comfort ratings exists to protect you if the night is significantly colder than forecast, or for a multi-night backpacking trip where you can only carry one sleeping bag and nighttime temperatures are expected to vary significantly over the course of the trip. Mistake: Using a sleeping bag not designed for your sleeping position. Correct way: Most sleeping bags that aren't exclusively for summer use are mummy bags, meaning they're designed to encapsulate your body tightly to prevent heat loss to dead space inside the bag. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, most mummy bags are extremely tight and designed solely for back sleeping with arms down to sides. If you struggle to sleep on your back and prefer side or stomach sleeping, it pays to search for a bag suitable for that sleeping position. I am exclusively a stomach sleeper and could not use a back sleeper mummy bag without unzipping it halfway to have room for my elbow -- okay in warm summer weather, but a no-no in colder weather. I found a good mummy bag on Amazon with extra space around the torso, allowing room for stomach sleeping, and it made a world of difference. Side sleeper bags also exist if you look around enough. Mistake: Boring food. Correct way. Get a good camp cookbook and explore the amazing possibilities. I recommend The Easy Camp Cookbook: 100 Recipes For Your Car Camping and Backcountry Adventures (and note that the backcountry recipes can work when car camping as well). I'm sure there are other good cookbooks as well. Mistake: Wearing the wrong clothes. Correct way: Clothing should be layered and have no cotton at all. Cotton, even in small percentages, holds several times its weight in moisture when it gets wet and takes ages to dry. Wool and synthetic fibers will not hold much water and will dry fast. Layers are important as several thin and light layers will keep you warm better than one or two thick layers will, and as temperatures change through the day, layers are easy to remove and add. Suggested layers are a base layer top and bottom (these can be expensive name brands designed for outdoors, or just long underwear), a thin and breathable shirt and pants, a mid-weight top like a fleece pullover, and a warm outer layer like a puffy coat. Also essential to have are gloves, a beanie hat (this is good to wear at night to reduce heat loss through the head), a good raincoat (and optionally rain pants), and wool socks (I've become a big fan of Darn Tough Vermont's merino wool socks). And remember: NO COTTON! That applies to everything from your inner underwear all the way to your outermost items.
Great advice! As I've said, we started camping relatively recently (a couple of years), and while I am not saying its for everyone I suspect a LOT of people would enjoy it but might be a bit intimidated by all the "logistics" and by some of the advice out there that makes it sound like you have to buy super expensive gear. > I get amazing sleep while camping, for some reason (ha!), but your comment about "sleep position" is spot on for sure. If you are a habitual side or stomach sleeper, trying to sleep on your back can be weird. I'd also say that if you are car camping (versus backpacking) an air mattress can make a huge difference. So can a decent pillow of any type! > Your advice on Sleeping Bags ...wow, yeah. definitely do some reading before buying; the temp ranges on the bags can be deceptive. Manufacturers are allowed a lot of latitude about what temp ranges they claim on the bags. > If camping in colder weather -- don't forget that the ground is an issue; a good insulating pad under you, even under an air mattress, can make a big difference. And don't believe you have to go top-shelf on every piece of gear, and spend $$$$$$$$$$$$$. Not saying the cheapest is the way to go either, but from a lot of reviewers, you'd think you HAVE to buy all the priciest stuff to have a comfortable fun time and IMHO that just isn't true! PS - Sorry, sounds like I am giving jcgoble3 advice here where really just saying "Yeah!" to their post!!!!!!
I used to camp 20 times a year. Now it has been nearly 5 years since my last camping trip. I miss it so.
Right. For example, most of my clothing layers that I use for the outdoors came from thrift stores and Walmart. I did spend $$$$$$$ on my tent and sleeping bag because I was being picky about weight, etc., but I didn't have to.
At the time I was there big game hunting was illegal in Botswana..I imagine there's a new admin who's changed that.
I checked via Google. The hunting ban was lifted in 2019, citing an increase in predators harming livestock and other human-animal conflicts. Hunting is now regulated with licenses and other rules to keep populations in check.
You ever camped up here in the Boundary Waters jc? I’ve been told it’s fantastic. I haven’t, but that’s because whenever I’m In Northern Minnesota it’s so I can spend the entire time fishing.
Never been to Minnesota. The university I've been doing trips with usually has a Boundary Waters canoe trip in June of most years that I might do sometime.
I've been to the boundary waters twice. It's better then any story you ever heard. Just bring the bug repellent by the case...per camper.
This past weekend, camped in Michaux State Forest, in PA. My son and daughter arranged this as a Christmas present; they knew I wanted to camp out in a forest where there had been a couple of Bigfoot sightings (yes, in addition to being into Star Wars, I love cryptids - my list of cool hobbies is quite extensive. ). Michaux State Forest is pretty sizable - nearly 90,000 acres over three counties - so, of course, I saw just a tiny bit of it but the place was great. One thing that made it interesting was within a fairly short range there were a surprising variety of environments (in some part because there had clearly been a fire in some areas, and the forest was in the process of "taking back those areas"). We hiked along a portion of the Appalachian Trail that was lovely - great overhead canopy, lots of ferns and greenery beneath (FYI, the midpoint of the AT is in Michaux; we came across the marker on our hike). Along another trail, there was little overhead canopy (these being areas where a fire had done a lot of damage) so while you were "in the woods" there was actually very little overhead cover. Would love to return there sometime - as noted above there is so much to see and explore within its boundaries. On a potentially more practical note - we camped at the "Big Flat" area. This is apparently a jumping off point for those who want to ATV or horse-ride. The ATV trail was closed when we went, and I wasn't sad to see that (not a shot at those into ATV-ing; just that one thing I love about camping/being out in the woods is the quiet!) and we did, on Sunday, see a lot of people pulling up with horse trailers, leading to a group of about fifteen horses and riders heading off into the woods. There are about six "rustic" sites there - no nearby potable water, no electric hookups, etc. There are bear-proof trash containers and flushless "latrines" that were surprisingly clean and well maintained within a permanent small building (versus a "portapotty" or "outhouse" set up). The sites do have fire-rings/fire pits. Depending on which of the sites you chose and how many other campers were there, you might therefore have neighbors fairly close by. We got lucky, by my standards anyway, in that the sites directly next to us on either side were both vacant and we had one of two sites that had little clearings back into the woods, where you could set up and be "back" a bit, affording still more privacy (Sites E and F I believe). A great experience - the woods were gorgeous and quiet, and had a great time hanging out, talking, sleeping great, etc. No Bigfoot sightings, unfortunately, although maybe he/she saw us. PS - We came to camping much later in life, and one thing I've thought about in posting here is to offer up things that might (1) entice others to try it, as you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it and (2) be of use to relative newbies, since I suspect some veteran campers may not even remember what it was like to be pretty new to the game. Along those lines - I am of the opinion that if you are going to make compromises regarding how much gear you bring, where you invest your money, etc, that you should prioritize a good night's sleep. For example, we take air mattresses (we car camp) and "real pillows" and yes they are bulky and take up a lot of room in the car, but I always sleep GREAT. And getting a good night's sleep, with the breezes and nature sounds, makes the entire next day so much nicer. In contrast, my son prefers a sleeping pad, as he loves a VERY firm sleep surface and that works for him. I was reading that you should think about whether you are a habitual side sleeper, or back sleeper, or stomach sleeper, as well - for example, the typical "mummy" sleeping bag with integrated hood and "collar" are built around back-sleeping. Just saying, for what it is worth, my opinion is that prioritizing whatever is going to help you get a great night's sleep while out in the woods is well worth it.
I'm reading this at a campground in West Virginia! I found out this month that I can put the backseats of my car down and lay my sleeping pad and bag diagonally across the seats and rear cargo space and sleep well without having to fuss with tent setup, which makes car camping much easier.
But is that camping, or just primitive RVing? To each, their own. For me, if there isn't a gentle ripple through the tent from a breeze, or a patter of rain on the fly...it just wouldn't be the same.
I count it as camping because I still have no more amenities than sleeping in a tent. RVing implies some additional level of creature comforts that doesn't exist in a tent or the back of my car.
So recently I came to the conclusion that I hate camping. But I like backpacking. Wait, what? I thought about this long and hard. I enjoy the hiking aspect of backpacking and the remoteness. I enjoy hanging around camp with other people, chatting and telling stories. I enjoy camp food and all the other little things about backpacking. But what I finally came to realize is that I hate tents. They are a fuss to set up with all the stakes and poles, a fuss to get in and out of with all the zippers (on both the tent and the rain fly), and a fuss to take down and put away. It's too much work for me. So I asked for ideas on my alma mater's outdoor recreation Discord server. One of the staff members is loaning me an older one of these to try: Spoiler Now, that may look like just a small tent to you. And in a way, it is. But the advantage is that it stores in about the size of a dinner plate, and setup is as easy as taking that dinner plate sized disc and literally tossing it like a Frisbee. It pops open entirely on its own, and doesn't need stakes (you use the weight of your pack or your bodyweight to prevent it from blowing away). And taking it down is as easy as just folding it back up. It doesn't have its own rain fly, but that is easily solved by suspending a tarp between two trees. I'm car camping for two nights this weekend in conjunction with a kayaking trip, and will try it out. The person that loaned it to me offered to sell it to me for $50 if I liked it. I'm also looking at various types of bivvy sacks on Amazon as other options. The less I have to fuss with camp setup and teardown, the better.
Three great national parks here, the Aspromonte, the Sila and the Pollino (most tourists have no clue how great southern Italy’s national parks are, which helps, so stay away)! Haven’t yet camped in any of them, but we’ve done very rustic cabin stays (in single cabins in places with zero light pollution, so we get the feeling of camping…without quite camping). Used to camp a lot more in my 20s and 30s, and I loved it a lot, but now my back hurts more and I like bathrooms more.
So given the tiny amount of traffic this Thread gets - after all, these ARE STAR WARS message boards, and not camping message boards! - I know posting here is a bit of a vanity project for me, but let me say again ... if you have ANY idea you might enjoy camping, ANY curiosity, I strongly encourage you to find a way to try it. Maybe find a friend who camps and ask to go out with them, or if they could loan you the basics for a weekend. You may find you just flat out love it and it could open whole new worlds of fun and relaxation for you. We came to camping relatively late in life, and I wish we had tried it much sooner! And don't believe you have to break the bank to do it...a LOT of our gear was bought at Wal-Mart and we are doing just fine. Just saying. A couple weeks back, we camped at Blackbird State Forest in DE. We've camped there a number of times. It's a great place if you just want to ..well...get out in the woods and camp. No, you're not way out in the wilderness by any means. But the woods there are beautiful, the trails are really nice (pretty flat, which can be good depending on who you have with you!), you can bring your dog, the camp sites are rustic (to me, that feels more significant and fun), and the camp sites themselves afford you serious privacy from neighbors so even during busy times you have peace and quiet and relative solitude. This was a spur of the moment, "the weather is gorgeous", no major plans outing. Just to get away, recharge, relax. HOWEVER, we did have an unusual experience (HA!) Our first night, we were having little luck with our campfire (I am going to blame damp firewood over operator error...AHEM...). We were deciding whether to give it one more try or to turn in, and decided on one more try. To get our act together, we turned on a small flashlight and a very small lantern. Almost immediately, we were swarmed by angry hornets. I use the word "angry", or maybe "aggressive", although I admit, none of us were stung. But the speed with which they descended, their numbers, their size and loudness (the buzzing was unreal), and the way you could feel them bouncing off you...it was pretty freaky. The darkness only added to it. I scooped up the dog and we ran for the tent. We somehow got in with none of them getting in, although I heard several ping off the sides. We muffled the one light, a lot, but they kept buzzing around and against the tent until we extinguished all light, and even for a while after. Around 3AM my wife had to answer the call of nature and I felt it was smart to walk the dog a little so he might sleep in, since we were up...but the hornets had other ideas and once again, it was a mad dash back to the tent with much angry buzzing for a couple minutes even after lights were back out. In the morning? Nothing unusual. No signs we had somehow disturbed a nest, no unusual numbers of hornets or anything else. All...normal. Quite nice, really. We decided to enjoy most of the day but to not spend another night. A lightless night is semi-feasible but no fun and we had no desire to be hiding in our tent after sunset. I have since read that there are some VERY light-aggressive wasps/hornets. My supposition is that there must be a nest right next to the campsite we were in - given their numbers, the speed of their arrival, and especially their 3AM reappearance. They are obsessively drawn to light. No intention to sting necessarily BUT accidents happen, so still a tricky spot, especially in the dark and especially given their numbers and how often they were running into us. Very weird. Not fun. We have usually camped at Blackbird in cooler weather - I am hoping that whatever this was, it was localized (a nest near that one site) but regardless we may wait for colder weather before returning...and defnitely to another site And as to a STAR WARS tie in, it occurred to me that this was EXACTLY like what happened to Mando and company in CHAPTER 7: THE RECKONING, where they are attacked at their campfire by dangerous flying monsters. Exactly like that. Except I hadn't brought my flame-thrower. This time.
@SHAD0W-JEDI , did you tell the campground managers about the attackers? I expect they'd want to do something about the nest.
Hey Sarge - yes, I wrote to the managers/rangers. They went out and looked (in the daylight) and didn't see anything amiss but one did say he was going to go back at night with a lantern and see what's up. Hopefully, VERY carefully!
Great timing on the bump! So regarding my previous post: I tried it out, and found that the amount of work in setting up and staking down a rain fly was still more than I care for. So I returned that pop-up tent to the person who loaned it to me. I then bought a bivvy sack off of Amazon, specifically this one. I haven't tried the bivvy sack outdoors yet, but it will get the ultimate test this weekend: I'm taking it backpacking in Shenandoah National Park. My alarm will go off at 3:30 AM (that in, uh, under seven hours) as I have to meet the group at the university student union at 5:00 AM. We're aiming to get everything together and begin the seven-hour drive in the campus recreation van by 7:00 AM to the Jenkins Gap trailhead. We're hiking this 14-mile loop, except in the opposite direction (we're hiking clockwise, while AllTrails maps it counter-clockwise -- that way we save the best views for the last day). The plan is a short 1-2 mile hike tomorrow, the long day (5-8 miles) on Sunday hopefully ending at a shelter on the Appalachian Trail, and then 4-6 miles across Mount Marshall on Monday back to the van before making the seven-hour drive home and arriving very late Monday night/early Tuesday morning.
