I have questions about camping for any who camp

Sliverfox said:
When hubby & I were still newly weds,, we went camping with his folks .
They had a tent .

Don't think there were any air mattress 60years ago.
Don't remember what they put down to sleep on, but I had a large rock that kept me awake.

Once hubby & I got home we said, " never again to tent camping."
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So many stories about tent camping. Could it be that age & comfort play a huge role in that?

The suggestion to try tent camping in the back yard makes a lot of sense. Don't know if getting up in the middle of the night to pee in the yard is a good idea though. Might have to check local fire ordinance to see if building a fire is possible.
 

I used to love camping but haven't been able to work up the courage to do it alone.

The advice I would offer is to have a comfortable place to sleep. Nearly everything else can work itself out if you have had a good nights sleep.

And have fun!
 

@Knight , we were in our 20's., when we went tent camping with his parents.

I think the best stories I have are when 4 of us were camping in son's enclosed trailer.
We got woke up to an odd sound,, all of us were asking "What is that?"

Son was close to the door & he went out to see what it was....

There was a free range calf licking the road salt off the trailer!

Earlier we had been stuck in snow bank,,, Spend the night there.... another store to tell some time.

There were several free range cattle herds in that area that year.
I think there were 2 or 3 bull with them.

One had the oddest moo to him,, no real way to describe . 🥰
 
VintageBetter said:
I hope your dad did eventually take her to Hawaii or Paris. My ex sure never did. Oh, we could have afforded it, but everything had to be his way. He is a very selfish person.
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Oh, he did....to Hawaii and Europe (including Paris), Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Morocco. Not once did they ever go camping once we were all out of the house.

My late husband, our little daughter and I went tent camping frequently in our younger days. One of my least-favorite trips was over into Canada where it rained almost constantly. During the brief period that it wasn't raining, we got the bikes down off the roof of the car and went for a ride. I fell off and wracked up my knee badly. That night, we decided about 8 p.m. that we had HAD it and threw everything in the station wagon and headed for home.

The border guards couldn't believe that we had so much stuff with us and had only been out of the US about 36 hours. One of the guards stuck his head in the back window and scared my daughter who was asleep tucked away in the mess of camping gear. She started screaming, the guard jumped back and banged his head on the top of the door. I guess that made him mad and he made us unpack a lot of the stuff to make sure we weren't smuggling something in. Of course, it was raining. We got home about 2 a.m. with a station wagon full of wet stuff.

Rain was quite often a factor in camping trips. I can remember on one Northern Michigan trip, I was sitting under a tarp with a pair of socks hanging on the end of a stick that I was heating up over the fire. When the wet socks got hot, I took them off the stick and exchanged them for a pair of cold wet socks that I would carefully braise over the flames. I don't think I had a dry article of clothing but at least I had hot (though wet) socks.

Another time, we were camping in Michigan and a busload of Hare Krishnas pulled in to camp. I thought, oh no, but it turned out to be a great experience. We were invited to chant with them, which was amazingly calming and had a great meal in their camp.

Then we moved to Florida, where camping was something else indeed. We camped occasionally until he died.

15 years ago, I met the Spousal Equivalent and we bought a fifth-wheel trailer and set out for 10 years spending 4-5 months at a time on the road seeing America or staying somewhere for the entire time. The was "glamping", which is my speed.
 
Ronni said:
Have any of you set up any kind of portable A/C unit? We were talking about that and wondering what kind of a tent would support that setup. The venting wouldn’t be a problem it’s making sure all the openings have flaps to cover the netting.
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Last summer we used a 5000btu window unit air conditioner in a 5 person dome tent (low roof backpacker style) During the night when our temperatures plummet to 80 sometimes even 78 degrees it would freeze you. This year we upgraded to a $600 canvas cabin tent (8x10 with 7 foot headroom) we will see how it works June 1. The tent we have now has a front and rear door. The window unit sets on a wood block in the back door with the door zipped up around it. We only camp in places with power. I doubt most of the naysayers camp in a tent in Florida in the summer like we do.
 
Our first camping trip took us up through the Adirondacks to Montreal and then to Quebec city. We had bought a tent, 4 air mattresses, 4 sleeping bags and a little air pump that I plugged into the car. Our kids got to meet some kids that didn't speak English, but they got along well.
We observed that the folks with popup trailers were up off the ground and had real matresses. The next summer we had a small second hand popup trailer. We took it to Cape Hatteras. The following year we took it to Key West.
 
Interesting reading posts from this group with few current outdoors enthusiasts. A senior issue often due to body issues. There are several forms of camping and the one the OP is interested in is where one sets up somewhere pleasant and spends their days mainly at or near their vehicle and equipment, enjoying and relaxing so. Such campers often take and then set up as much gear as their vehicle can hold. Others take that to another level sans tenting, with vehicle camping, bringing a large RV or trailer or at paid glamping.

More experienced campers tend to have other pursuits with camping a means to being near whatever activity without spending many day hours actually at their campsite. For example fishermen, hikers, climbers, photographers, may spend all but early morning and late afternoon away from their camp.

And then there are hard core outdoors enthusiasts like this person whose public campground nights tend to be for the sake of setting up a tent to sleep at night legally where there is otherwise no legal dispersed camping anywhere, and expensive lodging is to be avoided. One is likely to pack up and drive off to whatever activity at sunrise. When dispersed camping is available as is often the case over vast areas of our West outside urban, farm regions, I always do so. May often do so conveniently sleeping in the back bed of my Forester as I get plenty of nights in within tents each year, including two just a week ago along our coast.

The OP has more experience at least from the past, than most providing advice. For a list of reasons, many that try camping fail to enjoy such with many ending any future attempts. And that is usually due to a lack of experience of how to do so and often has to do with unpleasant body issues. For instance unsuccessfully dealing with mosquitoes, black flies, house flies, and or yellow jackets. Noise from other nearby campground groups around campfires drinking alcohol that don't understand "quiet hours". Also campfire smoke from neighbors, the breeze blows directly at your site. (Note I rarely make campfires.) And especially, an uncomfortable sleeping set up.

Reasons I will always choose a remote dispersed site versus paid or public campgrounds, near others. For those new to gear, set up your sleeping bag with pads, air mattress, whatever INSIDE your house, on the floor. If that is uncomfortable, fix it, it isn't rocket science. Don't expect to enjoy sleeping atop one of those half inch thick foam pads. A large blow up air mattress may be soft but may still be uncomfortable. So try using it inside your house one night. And have a way to elevate one's head up to reading level with a large pillow.

For car camping, this lightweight senior brings a 3 foot long by 2 foot wide, 4 inch thick, soft foam pad. The heavier one is, the more likely one may have issues of sore body parts from laying on camping gear. Another issue is many will find the confinement inside a sleeping bag annoying. For car camping, I use two sleeping bags, one zipped up to lay atop, and the other unzipped like a blanket, allowing free movement. Only if it becomes cold, will I during wee hours zip up the bag and get inside. For outdoors, always bring something warm for one's neck and head, like a balaclava or a wrap.

OK, here is mr dave's #1 tip... Bring some cylindrical foam ear plugs and a headlamp with charged batteries (as in not just a handheld flashlight). At your sleeping spot within hand's reach, have some facial tissues, a water bottle, that headlamp, and a watch/clock. Consider bringing a P bottle so one won't need to walk in the dark 100 yards through a campground to whatever restroom.

In this era given extensive online weather information, one can avoid foul weather tenting/camping with a Plan B. Also, camping during hot humid nighttime conditions may require wearing lightweight pajama like clothing at night.
 
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FLMike said:
Last summer we used a 5000btu window unit air conditioner in a 5 person dome tent (low roof backpacker style) During the night when our temperatures plummet to 80 sometimes even 78 degrees it would freeze you. This year we upgraded to a $600 canvas cabin tent (8x10 with 7 foot headroom) we will see how it works June 1. The tent we have now has a front and rear door. The window unit sets on a wood block in the back door with the door zipped up around it. We only camp in places with power. I doubt most of the naysayers camp in a tent in Florida in the summer like we do.
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@Thanks for this @FLMike!

Tennessee temps aren’t as brutal as Florida’s, but nonetheless the heat and humidity here as summer progresses makes it uncomfortable, especially when you’re trying to sleep.

Do you just zip closed all the window openings to cover the mesh so that the air conditioned air won’t escape? Is ther mesh in the roof of your tent? If so does the rain fly act as a barrier to keep the cooler air inside?
 
Ronni said:
@Thanks for this @FLMike!

Tennessee temps aren’t as brutal as Florida’s, but nonetheless the heat and humidity here as summer progresses makes it uncomfortable, especially when you’re trying to sleep.

Do you just zip closed all the window openings to cover the mesh so that the air conditioned air won’t escape? Is ther mesh in the roof of your tent? If so does the rain fly act as a barrier to keep the cooler air inside?
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Yes we keep all windows zipped shut with the a/c on. On our backpacker style tent the top was mesh with a rain fly over it. It stayed very cold at night. The canvas cabin tent is solid canvas with screen venting via the front and rear door screens. We will probably leave the windows open all day and turn on the a/c an hour or two before bedtime.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
lol. True. I didn’t mean anything I said to insult you. Putting air conditioning in a tent is probably doable but it would take a lot of gas for the generator. I’m not saying it can’t be done, I’m just saying it won’t be easy.
We have a generator for when our power goes out. They are great things to have but they are also very loud. They would definitely take away from not only yourself but others wishing to enjoy a quiet relaxing camping experience.

Have you considered maybe renting a luxury dome alongside a lake or ocean? It’s more like glamping. It’s like luxury camping.
It’s also about $300 a night.

Note: not meant as an insult.

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We stayed in something very much like this as one of our Airbnb experiences. Also a yurt. Very fun if you want something different!
 
Ronni said:
We stayed in something very much like this as one of our Airbnb experiences. Also a yurt. Very fun if you want something different!
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That’s cool. Are Airbnb’s for the weekend? That sounds like lots of fun. We have those around where we live. They look like a lot of fun. We’ve never been in one before.
 
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Back in the late 1960s, my dad got the idea he like to try camping. Of course he bought all the best equipment. We had two tents (a larger one for my parents and a small one for me). We had air mattresses and sleeping bags and I remember the Coleman lantern. We toured upstate Maine and hit all the campgrounds - Cobscook, Acadia, Moosehead Lake and Baxter (there were probably others). It was a lot of work for my dad to break camp, drive to another and set up again, and it always seemed to be raining which meant the tents were constantly wet. He lost 30 pounds (I think) that summer and my folks were so disgruntled with "roughing it", they sold all the equipment and went never went camping again.

In addition, I never felt "clean" camping even though most campgrounds had bathing facilities for the patrons.
 
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I tried tent camping many moons ago in the mild english climate hahahha - me the wif and two spratlings and a workmate his wif and two spratlings - it was a fun packed trip a times despite inclement british weather - one morning we heard a mild scream from their tent - we knocked/tapped gingerly to be invited in - the insides of the tent had been spot painted - then the sleeping bags and finally my mates toenails with bright red flourescent nail paint by their young daughter who had watched her mother diligently do so often and possible taught her young daughter how to toe!! not sure if they were ever able to remove it all or indeed wanted to?
 
I attended a church -affiliated summer camp for 8 years. For the first few years, we slept on straw-filled mattresses.

Straw-filled mattresses never stop making noises. Even if you're lying there like the dead, there are all those little "skittering" noises, like there's a thousand little bugs with nothing but ticking between them and your tender flesh. Makes for some real good sleeping, believe me....not.

And if you're on the bottom bunk and there's only a metal wire frame foundation above you, straw dust will filter down on you all night. You'll look like a chicken carcass that's been rolled in panko crumbs.
 
chic said:
I can go camping if someone owns a hunting lodge and it's very nice, but do not ask me to sleep in a damp, crowded tent on the hard ground with people snoring in my face and eating food burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. :oops:
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I hear ya!
My concept of camping is being forced to stay at a Travelodge when the Ritz-Carlton is booked solid 😲
 
April 2019 at Carrizo Plain National Monument a few feet from our base camp along a remote dirt road where two of us parked our Subaru's a couple days.

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My Forester back bed sleeping set up.

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Gear set up. That is a backpacking stove at left.

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Have been enjoying myself immensely for decades disperse camping like this. Sometimes may set up a tent while other time sleep inside my vehicle. Since I backpack each summer into wilderness areas, I get plenty of time in my tent.
 
Ronni said:
Please share your wisdom, experiences, cant-do-without gear, supplies or conveniences, and anything else you find noteworthy, as we gather the things we’re going to need for our first (short because we’re still working) camping trip.
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My advice is not to tent camp in a place in which bears are present. I have lots of bear stories, including tent-related ones, from camping in a state forest which was full of bears, many habituated to humans. I found out about the bears, and rented a cabin instead.
 
David777 said:
April 2019 at Carrizo Plain National Monument a few feet from our base camp along a remote dirt road where two of us parked our Subaru's a couple days.

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My Forester back bed sleeping set up.

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Gear set up. That is a backpacking stove at left.

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Have been enjoying myself immensely for decades disperse camping like this. Sometimes may set up a tent while other time sleep inside my vehicle. Since I backpack each summer into wilderness areas, I get plenty of time in my tent.
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Is that a highway right next to your car?
 
David777 has the right idea. For years I used my ford escape the exact same way. My criteria for buying a vehicle is still the same…can you sleep comfortably in it? You do not need tons of stuff. But knock yourself out…trip two will assuredly be different from trip one.
 
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