Any help out there?
Sure, sometimes I’ll play along in a conversation pretending I know more about a certain topic than I really do. It’s just polite. For instance, if a conversation is humming and a name is dropped, “you know, like _____,” sometimes it’s just best to smile and nod and not break up the lilt of the discussion if you generally get the idea. Well, Megan and I are road-tripping it next week, and to commune with the great outdoors (and save money) we’ll be camping at a few spots along the way.
Now I really like the idea of camping. I love nature. Cooking simply is fun. Chatting round a campfire is heavenly. But I’m not a huge fan of bugs, or dirt, or getting soaked while sleeping. Add in the fact that neither Megan nor I have camped for, say, 15 years, and we may have some fun stories. [My previous camping experiences include getting soaked in a tropical storm, having more sand join me in the tent than out while camping on a windy beach, and getting mauled by a rabid teething bear in heat (ok, I made one of those up.)]
So I’d love to hear any advice from more seasoned campers out there. I haven’t done big internet research, so I’d even enjoy being alerted to some camping websites.
Quite sensibly, I thought, I just set up our tent in the living room for practice. Get this: I didn’t even need the instructions! (Well, I also couldn’t find them until it was already up so I didn’t have much choice.)
We got it from Target as a wedding gift–or from friends from Target–and this will be its first trip. It ended up being much bigger than I expected but that’s great, I guess. I fit in it length and width-wise, which is handy for a 6’3”er. It also has a “shoe pocket” to hold dirty shoes in limbo between the tent door and inside floor which I’m totally cool with. (The Scouts always say cleanliness is a virtue.)
Location, Location, Location
Our first night we’ll be camping after picking a friend up in VA, so we’re thinking somewhere in Eastern KY. Greenbo Lake State Park looks like a good option, but I’m up for suggestions. ($14 for site sounds pretty spiffy, but should we pay the extra cash for a non primative site so we have power??)
Looks like we’ll also need to stay in eastern or central SD for a night. Ideas?
We may camp some in North Dakota with or about Megan’s family, but then we’re off to Aspen, Colorado to see my brother. Does anybody know of any good sites in Aspen–I know there’s millions, but a personal recommendation is always best? Should we go public or private? Better to stay a ways out of Aspen or stay close in?
Gear
Then there’s the exciting possibilities of buying gadgetry. We’re thinking about this stove/grill from
REI. Bueno?
And we’ll need another camping chair…
And mats for sleeping…
And perhaps a lantern if we’re thinking big…
Ok, so I’m off to buy a new atlas and batteries for our flashlights and a plastic ice freeze dealio thingy for the cooler. Please don’t hesitate to offer advice–I can build a campfire, but not without the help of several handfulls of pine needles and a generous supply of matches. I’m sure the trip will bring many laughs, but I think I’d best not just smile and nod in preparation.
Connect Online
with your eco-enthusiasm and perhaps even more for your- shall we say, thorough personality- i think you should check out information about the Leave No Trace movement/philosophy before y’all head out into the woods.
Thanks, Michael. Will do. I have one of those spiffy cards in my backpack and will look online as well. Please keep it coming, folks.
Adam and Megan -
I’m a camper from way back – primitive canoe trip type to trailer camper when my folks had one, and pretty much everything in between. I have one foam egg crate pad if you want to borrow it (to save $$).
Stove – a two burner coleman is a good idea (or something similar) – check prices – the stove is a good standard – two burners=coffee and eggs/bacon (or pancakes) in the morning. Or boiling/heating water for washing dishes
Cookware – - don’t invest in a lot unless you think you will do this a lot – you can buy nested sets which include a non-stick fry pan/lid but have no idea what they cost these days. Plus plates/silver/cups. You can always check out Craigs List and Salvation army – melamine/melmac type dishes aren’t a bad way to do (the nested cookware comes with plates and cups, usually 4 ea) or a used fry pan and coffee pot or saucepan should do for your simple cooking.
Lantern – maybe – check fuel types – I always used propane cylinders but they have some good battery operated ones that I think use rechargeable batteries not only disposables.
Private or public – doesn’t really matter- clean showerhouses/bathrooms count a LOT. Power – what do you need power for if you don’t take electrical things like plug in lanterns and the like?
Good Sam Club, KOA (Kampgrounds of America) and NPS sites are usually very helpful. Scouting sites might be, too.
Waterproof bags for sleeping bags and gear. Ponchos. Trench tool/small shovel (yes, trench around the tent – it will rain and you will wish you had sone so).
My 10cents worth – I love to camp but haven’t since 2001 when I did my supervised ministry as a summer camp director.
get one of those ice cream ball thingies!! that way, no matter what happens you can have ice cream. you know the ones you toss around and it magically (or miraculously) makes ice cream? perhaps more importantly, colorado you say? which direction will you be coming through, perhaps via denver or somewhere related so we might exchange hugs and coffee/beer?
Adam & Megan,
If, by chance, you are coming to TLH before your trip, we have sleeping pads and lots of other stuff you can use. In fact, if you are going via Montreat, you can stop off at our cabin and pick up some stuff there (or I can send things from TLH up there on Sunday night).
Charlie & I were oldsters in our 30s when we got married, so we didn’t register for china or linens. Folks told us that if we didn’t register for something, we would get lots of wierd stuff (and yes, we did get some). Anyway, we registered for camping equipment. And we received some great things — much of which sits idle, except for the occasional tenting overnight at Dogwood Acres.
Miriam
Regarding Michael’s comment, if you at least look into the leave no trace movement then you can get a leave no trace sticker (if they have them) for your car. It seems to fit wit the little green leaf that’s on there.
I don’t know if it’s better to point out my typo or not, but let it be known that I normally spell “with” with the h.