Camping 101

[Dernhelm]

Took a 35-ish friend and her 13 yr old daughter camping a couple of weeks ago as they asked "to learn about camping." I took my hybrid trailer; I loaned them a 4 person tent. Also loaned them a 40 deg. double sleeping bag and a lantern.

After the first night my friend reported she was "too cold." It turned out she hadn't zipped up the bag, but had just used it as a blanket for the two of them.

Dinner #2 was hamburgers on the grill, with charcoal as the campground didn't let us burn wood and we couldn't find any firewood to buy anyway. When asked to make a mound of the charcoal, the teen carefully took them out of the bag, one at a time, and built a very professional-looking pyramid. However, she then did a splendid job getting the charcoal lit. Her mom couldn't understand why we waited until the flames went out before starting to cook.

Dinner #3 was pork steaks, again on the charcoal. This time Miss Teen just dumped it into the grill and scooped it into a pile. Very satisfactory.

I'm not sure I sold them on the joys of camping, even though we ate s'mores a bunch. I did explain that as far as I'm concerned, camping is what you do so you can enjoy the country: travel, inexpensive lodging, scenery, new places, nature, etc. They both enjoyed watching the stars, the Milky Way and a truly huge number of meteors, but I'm not sure they'll be back around the campfire.

It was fun though, and I thought it might make you smile. Have any of you ever "taught" camping to a friend? Not kids or grandkids, that doesn't count. 🙂

[lbrjet]

That was nice of you.

[Mountain_Mama]

tenbear wrote:
I have done all kinds of camping. Tent camping with the kids, Pop Up camping with the kids, canoe camping with a tent in the not so far north and now RV camping. I enjoyed them all. Each has its own attractions. Sitting around a fire, looking up at the stars with no other lights around was especially appealing. Now I love RVing, but, is it really camping?

This sounds a lot like us. When I first started talking about getting a RV, my DH said it wasn't camping, but he eventually gave in and we bought a 5th wheel. And now we have our second one. He still says it's not camping, it's better!!

[2oldman]

Dernhelm wrote:
. Her mom couldn't understand why we waited until the flames went out before starting to cook.

She must have lived a pretty sheltered life to not know how charcoal briquets work.

[Dernhelm]

I think the comfort of our rig is inversely related to how rough our earliest campsites were. From rice paddies to tents through the uncovered bed of a pickup truck - suddenly owning a travel trailer or even a Class A makes perfect sense. And if it gets you outside, it's "camping."

[tenbear]

I have done all kinds of camping. Tent camping with the kids, Pop Up camping with the kids, canoe camping with a tent in the not so far north and now RV camping. I enjoyed them all. Each has its own attractions. Sitting around a fire, looking up at the stars with no other lights around was especially appealing. Now I love RVing, but, is it really camping?

[Allworth]

Vette,

Nothing like "camping" on a rice paddy dike all night. Makes you appreciate little things like flak jackets and dry boots.

Don't believe I'm going to give up the fiver and go back to that!

[BigSkyTrailer_G]

STORY ALERT: Our Cub Scout Troop was having a first "Camp Over" in someone's back yard. I enthusiastically volunteered to demonstrate how to create a campfire, starting with tinder, then kindling (showing how to safely tap out thin pieces of wood with a hatchet, etc), then onto the larger split 2x4, etc. Lighter fluid is a big help too. Captivating stuff to a kid -- and apparently to adult pack leaders, too.

A week later, I missed (ditched?) the next Troop committee meeting.

I got a quick phone call that I was the newly elected Committee Chairman (the King over all). "Why me?!" I axed.

"Because you weren't there to defend yourself. Congratulations."

PS - Turned out to be a darn fun next three years, raising money thru pancake breakfasts to buy all new tents, camping gadgets, etc. Even though my son was out of scouting.

[Mr_Beebo]

I have friends that I wouldn't take money to have them camp with us. Good people, just not the bugs and breeze types. With a few of them, it isn't a matter of the stars, the nature, the comraderie of other campers; they just don't see the point. "Why drive to yellowstone when I can fly?" "Why camp when I can hotel?" The irony is I'm sure they would try to be gracious while inside struggling to tolerate such crude conditions, while I would be doing my best to accommodate their delicate natures and avoiding looking at my watch in their presence.
On the other hand, a good friend of ours was married to a drunk for 20 years. He was in the bars every weekend all weekend. One day, when their kids were still young, she decided to quit waiting on him to be a father and loaded her car with a tent and a cooler. She would go to campgrounds with one or two of her kids, pitch a tent by herself, build a fire, cook dinner and read stories with a flashlight, in hot buggy August nights and cool Aprils, didn't matter. Saturday afternoon, they would pack everything into the trunk of her little car and head back home, hubby none the wiser. I really respected that woman, and her kids turned out alright. Once the kids left home she gave her husband the boot too, lol.

[Geocritter]

I went camping with a friend and his son. He needed a sleeping bag so I loaned him my sons (my son was away at college). I have the exact same sleeping bag and have used it winter tent camping in 0 degree weather and it was fine. My friend awoke the next morning complaining how cold he was at 32 degrees. Cold indeed! I guess my friend's what you'd call a "fragile flower". But I won't tell him that.

Steve

[naturist]

I first went camping as a kid, as many of us did. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and family vacations, because my parents had more important things to spend the family budget on than hotels and restaurants. Things like food and clothes for us kids, you know, things like that.

Anyway, it was of course tents in those days, and I remember mom's insistence that the family tent have a floor. And of course it was a borrowed family tent when I finally convinced my new bride to try it.

After 55 years of tenting it, we finally decided we were getting too old to continue sleeping on the ground, and we were certainly tired of packing and unpacking EVERYTHING every time you wanted to move, so we bought a small TT.

And yes, you certainly can't claim that dragging the TT across the land is cheaper than staying in motels. But having your very own bed every night, and minimal packing/unpacking is worth every penny. Having a campground moose around all week -- PRICELESS.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

AmericalVette wrote:
Having been on an all expense paid 1 year camping trip in SE Asia many years ago, courtesy of my Uncle, is why I love the way I camp now.

Ditto my father-in-law which is why my wife didn't grow up camping. I spend my fair share of days sleeping on the ground in Afghanistan not to mention many days in the field in NC and VA - I'm content to have weather protection these days and not feel soft.

I grew up where camping was pitching a tent in the middle of the woods for hunting squirrels and hope the mosquitos don't pack you off. And I loved it as did all of my friends. Nearly everyone camped.

I've taught my wife to camp and to a lesser extent fish but I think fishing offers the best example. Don't start someone bass fishing where they may not get a hit for an hour. Put them on a bream bed where the challenge is not getting hung up. Move up from there.

I'd start a friend in good weather where it's not too hot or cold at night. Assume they don't know anything and not get frustrated. Keep it simple on food so it's camp fare but not too hard. Yes, s'mores help a lot!

[retiredtravele1]

I've never 'taught' camping to anyone, but have given out some pieces of advice, when asked.
DW and I got into camping, with a tent, to have inexpensive vacations. The gear was more than paid for the first couple weeks of camping rather than staying in a room someplace.
We had to learn camping, making mistakes. Mostly, assumptions on weather and not thinking weather could change 30 degrees in a day.
We're not finding many people with an interest in camping. They're around, just not in my circle.

[Jim_Shoe]

I camp because I can go where I want, when I want, and stay as long as I want. I spent my working life traveling for the company, flying in planes where the seats got smaller and the crowds got larger, sleeping in so called high end hotels where I had to keep my shoes on because my socks would stick to the carpet, sleeping on a bed where yesterday's top sheet became today's bottom sheet and eating in hotel dining rooms, staring at a wall while I waited for my meal that, on occasion, was served hot.
No, thank you.

[ken56]

Campgrounds are getting too crowded now anyway so don't be teaching others how to enjoy the beauty of this country and the joys of dragging your own home on wheels all over the place using roads that are full of road ragers and hate people that go the speed limit. Any one who asks me how I like camping I tell them I hate it and just don't even think about getting into it because its too expensive and all that setting up and breaking down every time you move is too much trouble so why bother?? RIGHT ??? Lets all just keep this our little secret.... OK ? huummmm??