Anyone go camping anymore?

[prolesunited]

We went this past week and really enjoyed it. I slept better than I have for months. (We did cave and buy an air mattress.) It was great to unplug, go hiking, sit around the fire and just relax.

We're ready to go again soon but can't think of anyone who would go with us as they have "outgrown" camping and are more into B & Bs or luxury hotels.

So, do you still camp? If not, why did you stop?

[Blue-Jay]

1. I FROZE MY ASS OFF!

I have no ass! My ass dropped off in the forest. It was fucking COLD!

[XemaSab]

41. But that's the FUN of camping!

I had one night... holy cow... it was SO cold. I think it was around 13. At the time it was shitty and miserable, but it retrospect it was GOOD TIMES.

[prolesunited]

44. He's being a big whiner

It was only around 50 and he was cold because he only brought shorts and T-shirts, unlike me who had long-sleeved sweats.

The one nice thing was that he cuddled close to me two nights straight. I like to think it's because he loves me, but he says it was only to survive.

[KitchenWitch]

2. my disability makes it difficult for me to get up from off the ground

I used to love to camp. Not being able to get up off the ground is why I stopped.

Now I camp at the Comfort Inn.

[MassLiberal]

3. we do!

Every June we go camping with a bunch of other families--we've been doing it for years, and now everyone's kids are growing up and they still come along on the trip. It's a lot of fun, and we look forward to it all year.

[Roon]

4. I don't camp in a tent anymore

We have a cabin and some property in Pike National Forest and when I was a kid I used to pitch a tent and sleep on the ground all the time. But not anymore, I sleep in the cabin. I am too old to sleep in a tent. I do all the other camping stuff though, campfire, smores, etc.

[texanwitch]

5. Only in the fall and winter.

I did camp out in the backyard a few weeks ago.

We had a campout for the little kids, they had a good time.

[BlackVelvet04]

6. I stopped because of back surgery....

the metal rods and screws in my back and camping just don't get along.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Mr GoG had neck surgery a few years ago...

I'm still hoping we can get back to it sometime...

[ironflange]

8. Sure

It's in a nice comfy trailer now, but we still call it camping. We did start off long ago in a little orange pup tent, though.

[Blue-Jay]

9. trailer /= camping.

NEXT!

[ironflange]

10. But. . . but. . . I don't have a satellite dish

And I don't intend to get one. That's roughing it, isn't it?

[prolesunited]

35. You certainly are hard core

:P

[Drum]

11. Heck yeah!

Several times every year. I attach camping to other trips, too, as nice accomodations en route on journeys to see family, cheaper and way better than crashing in a motel overnight. Living in a city, I really need to get our regularly, so concrete can't take over as my reality. The quiet and the sounds are so placid, and I appreciate the challenge of taking on the elemental tasks you do when you're "out there."

And I love the nightly campfire!

:D

[XemaSab]

12. Fo sho.

The problem is the lack of good spots in county.

There are good spots a few hours north, but nothing so handy for a good weekend jaunt.

[Burma Jones]

13. I go twice a year, usually in West Virginia somewhere

with my Poker Buds, we've been going for about 22 years now......As we've aged, there's been a gradual move away from Backpacking Death marches to Car Camping, but the main goal is solitude and a Boys' weekend out.....There's been a lot of alcohol involved......If one of us gets a cabin in the woods somewhere, the camping may turn into fishing trips.......

[slj0101]

14. I hope to go in September.

The SO and I are thinking about trekking out to the Allegheny National Forest in northern PA for a weekend. The area looks absolutely beautiful. I might even try my hand at fishing for the first time in 20 years.

[kath]

49. If you're going to be car camping, not backpacking, check out Cook Forest State Park in PA, which

IIRC is adjacent to Alleghany Nat'l Forest. BEAUTIFUL, beautiful place. Much of the park is virgin forest. We're now on the 4th generation of people in my extended family who LOVE Cook Forest. My parents went there on picnics with their parents when they were kids, and as teeenagers when they were dating. My parents took us camping there quite often when I was growing up, and one set of our cousins camped there, too. Now my mom, my sibs and all our kids get there nearly every year (the PA-NY-OH crowd, anyway - I live in OK so we only make it there about every other year). One year my aunt, uncle, their 5 kids and all their grandkids were there too - such great times!

LOTS of deer, raccoons, etc. Back when we were kids, bears often came through the campground, but they've scared off all the bears now.

[slj0101]

50. Cook Forest is beautiful! I went to college nearby, In Clarion.

My friends and I would run up to Cook Forest every now and then.

That was one of our choices. I'd like to be closer to the Allegheny Reservoir, so I'm thinking about renting a yurt at Chapman State park.

[stuntcat]

15. we never have before but we're going to soon!

We're getting together the stuff we'll need for hiking then camping. I don't know exactly where we'll go yet but somewhere in Virginia.

[Fox Mulder]

16. I love camping.

I really want to go camping back up at the North Shore of Lake Superior again. I love it up there.

[Squatch]

17. We camp at least once or twice a month.

Our son has been camping since he was one month old, we have yearly passes to most national/state parks in our region, and we still camp in an actual tent. It's one of the best ways to see this country.

[AllegroRondo]

18. I havent gone in a while.

For a long time, me and a buddy from my Army days would take 2 weeks every summer and go see another country by bicycle. Pack up a tent, sleeping bags, clothes, camp stove, etc. Its an amazing way to see Europe. Biking and camping seem to be much more acceptable there.

[triguy46]

19. Oh yes, I camp it up all the time....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX27JLXkv68

[BarenakedLady]

20. No, but

Sometimes the kids put up a tent in the back and sleep out there.

Hmmmm, now there's an idea...

[DS1]

21. All my last invitations have basically revolved around going into the woods

armed with a tent, matches, and a lot of liquor with the sole intent of the night being getting fucked up and meeting other people who are also camping.

I'd hate to be part of the clowns that show up and spend the whole goddamn night laughing and telling bad stories. So I've so far passed on the offers

[cobalt1999]

22. All the time, except during the summer.

Summer camping in Florida means lots of heat and mosquitoes. However, when it cools a little, we load up the boat with the tent, supplies, dogs, and kids and cruise to some nearby little islands to camp.

The islands are big enough to support some trees and sand dunes, but small enough we can let the kids and dogs go off without worry (they'll get back to the campsite eventually).

The challenge is going to be when my daughters hit their teens. Peeing in the woods may not be as much fun as they think it is now. :)

[Squatch]

23. We escape the mosquitos by camping in the Shenandoah NP

it seems to be relatively free of biting insects (except ticks).

I remember camping in the OBX a few years back. The mosquitos treated the bug netting with absolute contempt and in the AM, my wife and I found ourselves rathery bumpy.

[cobalt1999]

28. Shenandoah looks like a great place.

Never been there. Hummm, maybe I can talk the girls into a road trip.

As for the bug netting, I agree. In Florida, it is really just a crowd control device for the insects. No-see-um's couldn't care less and the mosquitoes bully their way through by shear numbers. Of course, in the spring time, the male gators get to roaming for mates...they'll make you forget the bugs real fast. :)

[malta blue]

24. Yes...although I have not in the last couple of years

because I am still reeling from having taken a bad fall the last time and really messed up my foot. We hiked and camped, and I had to hike down on a really bad ankle...I think I will do "Subaru" camping towards the end of the summer - early fall time.

Mr MB has not camped with me yet. He thinks I am a total wuss princess, little does he know that I have set up camp and regularly carry a machete on my hikes. Little MB likes to camp too - she has her own air mattress, as do I. The dog really loves it too!

[Tikki]

25. Every chance we get....

The Tikkis :) :)

[grace0418]

26. Yes, we love it. Of course we like hotels too, it seems like apples and oranges to me.

We actually just started camping again last year. It was so fun to be outside, cook over a fire, look at the stars away from the city. Of course, in Illinois the camping is a bit limited. I'd love to camp somewhere there are mountains or ocean nearby. But even so it was a lot of fun to hike around.

We have some friends who like camping and some that really don't. So we just go with the friends who enjoy it.

I do have a non-camping related travel tip for people who prefer more laid back accommodations than hotels and B&Bs. Rent an apartment or a house. Every city I've traveled to, and many non-urban areas, have apartments and houses for rent. It's more relaxing than a hotel because it feels like home. You can cook your own meals if you want (saves lots of money, and I get tired of eating three meals a day at restaurants), and you can actually hang out in the place when you don't feel like sightseeing. At hotels, we always felt weird just sitting in our room if we needed a break during the day.

We rented a place in N. California that was like the best of camping and the best of staying in a nice place. It was a really nice house with a huge deck. No neighbors nearby, just trees and the ocean. We sat in the hot tub on the deck looking at the stars, we cooked dinner on the grill, every morning we'd bring our coffee and breakfast out there and plan our day. It was fantastic and so relaxing. No maids barging in to clean the room, no loud people in the room next door. Fantastic.

[susanna]

46. Totally agree.

My husband and I rented an oceanfront home on Cape Code for our honeymoon. We went during Thanksgiving time; it was like we were the only people there. Exactly what you said, about cooking your own food, hanging out vs. sitting in the hotel staring at nothing. Plus there are a number of them that are pet-friendly now.

We've since taken to renting cabins vs. hotels/motels as well, since we tend to go to cabin-y areas for most vacations. We love it.

To the OP: we used to hike/camp all the time, but I have the beginnings of arthritis in my hips and the last time in a tent was excruciating. :-(

[grace0418]

58. That trip sounds lovely!

Sorry to hear about your arthritis.

Our next trip is to Italy, we're looking into renting an apartment in Florence. We rented a flat in London and had a BLAST!

[susanna]

59. I just like being in a HOME these days.

I miss the digging in of the old camp days, but find other ways to enjoy my surroundings; mostly photography, local history and generally just absorbing a place where I'm just a visitor.

Actually, I'm not that old, which bugs me even more. The arthritis is from my competitive gymnastics days, only 20-some years ago. It was fun when I was a kid, but whoooooo does it hurt later. Of course I came from the generation before they had all the spring-loaded mats. We basically flipped ourselves senseless on a foam pad about an inch thick. :-)

"...and when I was a kid, we walked uphill to school, both ways, in a driving snowstorm that shifted the snow into our faces whichever way we went...and we LIKED IT!"

Sorry, that last bit was inevitable. :-)

[YankeyMCC]

27. At least a couple times a year

We used to go for one week-long trip where we did use air mattresses but my son and I do at least two weekend/long-weekend trips a year sans air mattress.

I always sleep better and always feel recharged after a trip even if the weather is less than ideal.

[Writer]

29. Every year. Up in the mountains.

Typically after some serious backpacking. The most rugged camping I've done was in Sand Dunes National Monument, in the sand.

[Arkansas Granny]

30. I haven't been yet this year, but we plan to go in the next couple

of weeks. I used to take the kids camping every two to three weeks during the spring, summer and early fall when they were all still living at home. It was our favorite recreation. Most of the time we did primitive camping at an area in the National Forest that was especially pretty.

[Rambis]

31. School bus camping now

It really isn't camping it is more like the bus is packed lets go once we load the clothes up. My wife's father (god rest him) converted it back in 1969. When he passed we took the stuff out of the old 57 and put it into the new 83 bus.
We did the tent thing last year and I was ruined for 3-4 days after one night on the ground.

[prolesunited]

34. That's why we go one of those inflatable mattresses

It was actually quite comfortable. It's definitely car camping gear, though.

I've done some bicycle treks where I've used a small mat, and you can definitely feel it. But, then again, you're so tired, you just pass out and you're sore anyway from riding.

[skygazer]

32. We go wilderness camping twice a year

Or at least we try to. We go at least once. We have a great setup that's been perfected over several years and we're always very cozy.

We usually go in November and February when it's cold and raining and no one in their right mind would think of going camping. :P Which is why we go - we go to a place where there's never very many people anyway but that keeps it down to.... well, us.

We have a system of tarps that we spread on a line over the campsite to keep it dry, a nice propane stove on legs (big) to cook on, instead of sleeping bags, we line our tent with 8 or 10 comforters which makes a nice deep bed and we throw a few more on top of us.

We have a little fold-up picnic table and some camp chairs, lots of ice chests filled with food and booze, we bring the Yahtzee game, a deck of cards and some books - what could be better?

It is my favorite way to vacation and even just a few days relaxes me like nothing else. :hi:

[Kerrytravelers]

33. Absolutely. We camp locally, in Southern California and also in Arizona.

We love it. We also backpack and camp out. We're really into roughing it.

[XemaSab]

42. Where do you go in SoCal?

:shrug:

[Kerrytravelers]

43. We'll head over to the San Bernandino area.

As we have friends in San Diego, we'll go to Laguna and meet them there. There are a ton of little places all over.

We go backpacking near Idlewild (sp?).

[LSK]

36. I was camping in Northern Wisconsin 2 weeks ago

I actually prefer my tent to hotel rooms.

[Bassic]

37. I go camping as much as I can

I'm going this weekend as a matter of fact. I love it. It's really nice to get out of the rut.

[EstimatedProphet]

38. I like to, but I can never sleep when camping

[seemunkee]

39. I take a yearly backpack trip with an old friend.

My wife was never a camper but I have a friend that I met in Boy Scouts 35 years ago that I still camp with.
I actually can't stand luxury hotels or resorts. I never feel comfortable at them and can't relax.

[mentalsolstice]

40. Been 3 times since spring! n/t

[likesmountains 52]

45. yes, I just spent 5 nights camping..I didn't want to come home...

[bikebloke]

47. When bike trekking

I mostly camp. Also an advantage of carrying the gear, is that should I break down in the middle of nowhere, I'd have food and shelter. Not that it ever happened. Though it was a nice option if there wasn't hostel room when I opted for that. Once coming back through Belgium, the hostel was closed in Antwerp. I remembered forests on the other side of town and spent a comfy night there.

I also see my camping gear as home of a last resort in case really hard times hit me.

[RiffRandell]

48. Nope. Hate it.

Give kudos to those that like it, though. I need a shower and a toilet.

I don't mean to be offensive; it's just not for me.

I'm glad you had a good time.

[NuttyFluffers]

53. same here. had to experience it a few times growing up, too.

i need a beautiful bathroom, otherwise life isn't worth living. oh, and a nice kitchen if i'm forced to make my own food. and a comfy bed, can't forget about the comfy bed. i sleep with a sleep mask and ear plugs anyway, so silence and excess light are not a problem for me. and i really don't enjoy most living things, especially insects and those that are willing to fight over my food. that and tents have no real climate control. and i also get horribly bored outdoors; there's nothing that i find interesting to do, and most of the stuff looks better in pictures than in real life. i'll gladly trade the "fresh" air, starry nights, and "beautiful views" of nature for cushy and lively towers in "the wastelands of concrete and steel." the city is infinitely more relaxing and revitalizing to me than the country -- i prefer nature under glass.

[LibDemAlways]

57. The last time I went camping, 20 years ago,

I was stung by a yellowjacket and traumatized by a tarantula.

I ended up sleeping in the back seat of the car and couldn't get home fast enough. Now I do my camping at Best Western.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

51. Yup. Went weekend before last......

and am looking to go again next weekend.

Waking up in the woods is the best. All you hear is the birds, the rustle of the wind through the trees and the occasional pop of the campfire as you buddies get breakfast ready. Heaven.

[laylah]

52. Every chance

I get! However, that has not been many since returning to Illinois in '02. While in Colorado, I camped almost every week-end for close to the last 5 years. I miss that and the clean water to fish in. :cry:

[InvisibleTouch]

54. I think my last camping trip...

...was several years ago in the Everglades. A wonderful time. I stopped because I can afford neither the time nor the money to take a vacation these days. Even though that last one was kind-of a "working vacation" because it was combined with a dog show trip. Dog and I then went on a boat tour of the mangroves. The guide later said he never would have guessed that was her first time in a boat, she was so perfect.

Damn, I need to move to Florida.

[Le Taz Hot]

55. Are you kidding?

As often as possible! I would LIVE camping if I could. Then again, the Sierras are 30 minutes away and we know all the spots the touristas don't know about.

As I get older I do admit to some creature comforts -- love that double-decker air mattress and I would LOVE to have that camping shower (a REAL shower - with shower curtains and everything) our camping neighbors had the last time I went.

[Arugula Latte]

56. We take the kids once or twice a summer.

We're going next week in Central Oregon, near Bend.

We're lucky here because we have amazing camping within short drives. You gotcher big tree, mountain lake, high desert, and coastal options right there for the picking.