Camping Buddies

[Scott_85]

How did you meet your camping buddies, the Wife and I are both 29 and it seems that every campground we go its filled with older people (no offense to anybody). We would like to meet people to hang out thats our age and have kids that close to our sons age (8). It just seems difficult, my in-laws camp but they will only travel within an hour of their home and don't go that often.

[tenbear]

I didn't read all the posts so maybe someone already said this.

You could try joining the local Good Sam Chapter. We joined our local chapter and found people of all ages. They have campouts each month during the camping season and meetings during the winter.

[mpierce]

I think it is rare to have buddies that go camping with you a lot. Extended Family, maybe. If you go to places that other kids are at, let your kids find them! As poster above said, the kids will introduce the families. You go meet them, they come to you.

If you are outgoing, you will find friends for the stay. Usually it is over when one of you leaves.

Repeat next time. You get to meet LOTS of great people, in all walks of life, from all over. Great.

But, YOU have to be open to this. If you just keep your kids in your site, and stay there yourself, NONE of this will happen.

[Markiemark32]

Tinder - Swipe Right ~~~

[Scott_85]

Muddydogs wrote:
Guess this is why I got married. Kind of sad that a family can't go camping on there own or need to have others around to have fun. I stay away from camp grounds since I don't enjoy leaving the city for another city.

Good for you! We don't need anybody else to enjoy ourselves either but it would be nice to extend our circle of friends that enjoyed the same stuff ie camping.

[FunnyCamper]

my daughter was the one who made our friends while camping mostly and our little dog she walked.

she would find friends, play and next thing it was she was invited to their site for s'mores. I would always check out the parents of her new friends, chat, etc. and be sure she was in a safe environment....then we would be invited to the campfire and chat away with nice new people.

then I would invite their kids back to our campsite for hot dogs on a stick over a fire for fun the next night and also invite the parents to drop by. most would come...have a brew, chat about where they were from.

these people are from everywhere, not something that can be taken farther really...like lets meet in Dec at XX place. That isn't probably ever going to happen.

but camping buddies--like to go with all the time?? can ya search out and join a group that meets up? rv club?

we are satisfied with meeting new people and enjoying that trip with whoever we meet. sometimes it is action packed with people, sometimes it is a very quiet camping trip and we stay mostly to ourselves. not the kid, she finds friends at every turn, sometimes it doesn't escalate into a parents meeting thing.

[ddndoug]

Scott - Thank you for your service.

Have you checked with MWR (Morale, Welfare, & Recreation...at least that's what it was called when I was in) to see if they have any group trips planned? Definitely a brotherhood within our military ranks.

Doug

[Muddydogs]

Guess this is why I got married. Kind of sad that a family can't go camping on there own or need to have others around to have fun. I stay away from camp grounds since I don't enjoy leaving the city for another city.

[nineoaks2004]

When I want company I go with friends or kin folk...Mostly it is with the wife and 3 Chihuahuas when we camp in the pup. Being an ex- long distance hiker and still a solo canoe camper, I enjoy the peace and serenity of going solo. I find that it is great to solo as I do not have to worry about anyone else.

[Scott_85]

We talk to everyone we run across most are friendly some seem stuck up. I'm active duty so it hard enough to keep friends close due to moving all the time. The older person comment was said because it's less likely that we would like to do the same and therefore would make less than ideal buddies. We are just find camping by ourselves and have currently camped 3 weekends so far this year.

[ddndoug]

Scott - Are you very close to the parents of your sons friends at school? or sports team parents? I would casually work into conversations about camping, and see where it goes.

My daughter's school is a very tight knit community. A yearly event started out with a few families from the same grade going to a state park that has lots to do for the kids. (Spring fed stream for swimming, hiking trails, bike trail, fields for sports like soccer, kick-ball, and any other team sport that they can organize.) Over time it has grown to include an invite for pretty much the whole school. The state park has cabins for families that don't have or don't want to have an RV, but it still allows them to participate. There are families with big class A's, down to canvas tents, and everything in between including the cabins.

Maybe try to organize something like that to find families that you have other things in common with. We have also invited our friends to our campsites for the day that ends with a BBQ in the evening with sitting around a campfire. To avoid having to play "Host", we tell people that we are here to relax just like they are and to feel free to help themselves to whatever they would like or need. If camping "speaks" to them, you'll know it.

We also allow our daughter to bring a friend a lot, sometimes we'll even invite them to stop by for a cocktail or dinner one of the evenings. Hope some it this helps.

Doug

[BubbaChris]

In our motorcycling days, it started like this - an online Forum. Then someone started organizing small group get-togethers. Then it grew into "Rallies" and similar events. Nowadays Facebook groups may be a way to find like-minded folks in your region.

For our Boating/Camping it was friends who invited us along and acted as true hosts. This was tent camping along a river and at first all we had to bring was a tent, sleeping bags, and chairs. It grew into bringing a little more gear to help everyone's weekend go nicer. And we always helped out on on or both ends of the trip so we'd be welcome back.

If you have "potential" camping friends with kids you can start easy with a KOA where the folks without an RV are in one of their Kabins. Or you can go somewhere where you can have both the RV and a Tent and put people in places that will assure a happy weekend (which may mean you give up your bed for a trip or two).

The other thing other's have mentioned is being at camping locations where your kids can help introduce you to other families. That means you probably should plan on staying around the CG rather than have big outings that take you away for the bulk of the day.

You can definitely do it, just try a few of the suggestions you've received.

[davosfam]

State parks are the way to go. So many young families and lots of children. When your 8 year old makes a friend at a campground, invite their family over to roast marshmallows.

[2gypsies1]

You might also try public parks instead of RV parks. Places like state parks, national forest campgrounds, Corp of Engineer parks usually draw folks that really enjoy nature and the outdoors. People are outside doing things not sitting inside in front of the TV or in the air conditioning. It is so neat to see your kids actually playing with sticks and rocks in some manner. They are more creative and not sitting with their attention on their electronics.

Some public parks have excellent ranger or volunteer-led activities just for kids - crafts, short hikes exploring the areas, looking for critters, exploring what's in the ponds or streams, etc.

[davosfam]

I am 43 and hubby is 45 and you have made me feel very fortunate to have the camping buddies that we have. Most of our camping is with my high school girlfriends and their spouses. We also camp with family.

If you have friends who don't camp, try camping close to home and inviting them to come spend the day with you and BBQ for dinner. We keep our 5th wheel on a lot in a campground year round and when our friends can't camp a whole weekend, they will come spend an afternoon and evening hanging out with us while we are camping.

We have never made friends with stangers while camping but our boys always did. They are adults now but still camp with us when they can and still make friends out of strangers. My boys could always draw people in with a game of baseball (plastic bat and wiffle ball). Use your 8 year old to help you meet people. 😉

[jbrad13]

Don't know where OP is camping but in my experience my wife and I seem to always be much younger than others at our campsites. I'm 58; she's 54.