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Camping (1 Viewer)

I

Inhiding

Footballguy
our family loves to camp even though we get out 1-2 times a year.  Yosemite, inside the park or outside, is our go to favorite.  Where is your favorite spot?  Got any cool camping gear that makes it easier?  Campfire recipes??  Let see them..

 
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we are giving camping a go this year.  we are headed to sequoia natl park.  pretty stoked.   have no clue what we are doing, but am reading up.  any and all tips are welcome.  

 
There are some amazing camping areas along coastal California but you have to reserve them a year+ in advance.  You can get sites right on the beach in Big Sur and Cardiff.  Wrights Lake on the way to Tahoe is less well known and has some amazing hiking and fishing.  Zephyr Cove in Tahoe is nice too.

Compartmentalized tents help if you have kids.  They don’t have to be big.  Just give them a space to make their own, even if it’s small.  I find it helps them settle in and keep the tent clean.

 
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Inhiding said:
our family loves to camp even though we get out 1-2 times a year.  Yosemite, inside the park or outside, is our go to favorite.  Where is your favorite spot?  Got any cool camping gear that makes it easier?  Campfire recipes??  Let see them..
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Camp by car or hike in...makes a big difference.

 
For backpacking the things I don’t skimp and/or pay extra attention with are:

Good light tent. I prefer to add at least one person to the size the tent makers recommend (ex: if I’m solo go 2 person tent). I like the extra space and will sacrifice a pound or 2 for it. 

A chair. Used to think this was stupid but sitting in a little chair is nicer than a rock or log at camp in the evening. They have some really nice compact backpacking chairs now. They are spendy for light ones but it’s nice to have.

Sleeping pad. I like something compact but puffy. They have a ton of nice blow up options now. 

Sleeping bag. I want this to be small, light. Got to pay extra for this. Don’t need to go crazy but just know what temperatures you are going to be dealing with. Good ones are expensive but worth it.

Stove. I like one that is easy to use. The super fancy ones I have found to be PITA. I’ll carry one that is a bit bigger if I know how it works. I just use them to heat water so don’t need anything ultra high tech, just don’t want to be screwing with it when I’m tired and hungry.

I’m pretty lame on food and just do the freeze dried stuff. If you hike any distance anything warm tastes ####### amazing. Anything meat, potato, stew have always treated me well. Coffee and oatmeal for breakfast. Beef jerky, favorite flavor of powerbars or energy gel stuff for lunch.

Anything sweat wicking for clothes. I always pack a bit extra here and always end up having extra stuff at end of trip but l like having the fallback. I do like having a thin longjohn that I only use to sleep in. Feels nice.

I’m sure there’s a bunch of other little things but this was the main items that came to mind when planning for a backpacking trip.

 
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Additions:

Bug spray

Toilet paper

Mini-shovel

Ground sheet (for under tent)

Waterproof matches/newspaper (for fires)

Hatchet

Headlamp

Spare socks

First aid kit

 
Mostly camped in PNW. All the National Parks are amazing, as long as you get good weather there is no wrong answer. Olympic National Park, Rainier, North Cascades all great choices. 

Area that is a bit far for me but of my few trips has been great is central Oregon NE of Bend in the Mount Jefferson area. A bunch of rock lined lakes to camp around that are great to swim in. 

 
Never done any serious hiking where you take all your camping gear.  I've done some semi-primitive camping, meaning not at a campground, but I'm content with car camping.  Nice to just get away from it all.

We like Red River Gorge/Daniel Boone National Forest.

 
The General said:
For backpacking the things I don’t skimp and/or pay extra attention with are:

Good light tent. I prefer to add at least one person to the size the tent makers recommend (ex: if I’m solo go 2 person tent). I like the extra space and will sacrifice a pound or 2 for it. 

A chair. Used to think this was stupid but sitting in a little chair is nicer than a rock or log at camp in the evening. They have some really nice compact backpacking chairs now. They are spendy for light ones but it’s nice to have.

Sleeping pad. I like something compact but puffy. They have a ton of nice blow up options now. 

Sleeping bag. I want this to be small, light. Got to pay extra for this. Don’t need to go crazy but just know what temperatures you are going to be dealing with. Good ones are expensive but worth it.

Stove. I like one that is easy to use. The super fancy ones I have found to be PITA. I’ll carry one that is a bit bigger if I know how it works. I just use them to heat water so don’t need anything ultra high tech, just don’t want to be screwing with it when I’m tired and hungry.

I’m pretty lame on food and just do the freeze dried stuff. If you hike any distance anything warm tastes ####### amazing. Anything meat, potato, stew have always treated me well. Coffee and oatmeal for breakfast. Beef jerky, favorite flavor of powerbars or energy gel stuff for lunch.

Anything sweat wicking for clothes. I always pack a bit extra here and always end up having extra stuff at end of trip but l like having the fallback. I do like having a thin longjohn that I only use to sleep in. Feels nice.

I’m sure there’s a bunch of other little things but this was the main items that came to mind when planning for a backpacking trip.
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This sounds awful

 
What are your favorite camping meals?  Doing a couple weekends over next few months.

I'll have a Coleman stove, a cast iron dutch oven, and of course foil meals on the fire are always an option.

 
shuke said:
What are your favorite camping meals?  Doing a couple weekends over next few months.

I'll have a Coleman stove, a cast iron dutch oven, and of course foil meals on the fire are always an option.
Click to expand...
The kids love cooking hot dog on a sharpened stick over the fire.  So I do that every time

If it's going to be cool at all at night I like a good soup for dinner and oatmeal for breakfast.  Warm you up

 
With a DutchOven, you can do nearly anything. I've made lasagna, chicken-and-rice, meatloaf, bread, stew, scalloped ham and potatoes. There are some sites out there that have tons of recipes. When using the DO, I prefer to use a DO table. It keeps the coals off the ground and you don't have to bend over all the time. 

 
Campfire Dutch Oven Chili is the best. Serve over Fritos and top with shredded cheese, green onion and sour cream if you’d like. 

 
[icon] said:
Campfire Dutch Oven Chili is the best. Serve over Fritos and top with shredded cheese, green onion and sour cream if you’d like. 
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This except instead of fritos we cook cornbread on top of the chili (in the same dutch oven).

 
Last year I spent a week cycling and camping during BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia). That was a lot of fun and I'm now hoping to do Ragbrai someday. This also gave me the appreciation for hammock sleeping. I got a hammock tent last Christmas and have spent our last couple of car camping trips just sleeping in that.

Me, my wife, our 5 year old daughter, and our dog went on our first backpacking trip this weekend. It was only 1 mile into camp but it went really well and we look forward to getting back to doing bigger trips.

18 days trekking the Annapurna Circuit through the Himalaya Mountains was the best vacation I've ever had.

10 days backpacking in the Canadian Rockies (Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Banff) for our honeymoon.

Backpacked through the High Sierras and the day on the PCT through The Ansel Adams Wilderness was amazing.

3 days on the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu

The Black Mountain Crest Trail near Mt. Mitchell, NC is one of our favorites.

Backcountry trails in Grandfather Mountain, NC

Have camped and backpacked all around the Great Smoky Mountains. The blooming of the Flaming Azaleas on Gregory Bald in June is cool. The Synchronous Fireflies at Elkmont Campground right after Memorial Day is really cool.

Climbed Mt. Rainer and that was a fun experience.

North Georgia and the Georgia State Parks are nice.

Backpacking in January in -20 degrees through Linville Gorge, NC really sucked, lol

 
If backpacking, ditto on the chair. I took a Crazy Creek type stadium seat on a 12 day  Philmont trip. Just rolled it up and strapped it the bottom of my pack. You could lay it flat for a quick nap/snooze when taking a break, or clip it together and have something with a back you could lean into. 

 
DA RAIDERS said:
we are giving camping a go this year.  we are headed to sequoia natl park.  pretty stoked.   have no clue what we are doing, but am reading up.  any and all tips are welcome.  
Click to expand...
I love Yosemite, but the more I go to Sequoia/Kings Canyon, the more I want to keep going back there.  I see more wildlife there than at YNP, and the crowds are way less.  As a day hike, going to Heather Lake via the Watchtower is a great one.  

 
shuke said:
What are your favorite camping meals?  Doing a couple weekends over next few months.

I'll have a Coleman stove, a cast iron dutch oven, and of course foil meals on the fire are always an option.
Click to expand...
I like to make a big pot of chili a few days before and bring it for the first night. After driving and setting up, it’s nice to have a meal ready to go. We usually have big breakfasts with eggs, sausage, toast/tortillas, fruit/yoghurt, etc. then graze during the day on granola and fruit, then make another big meal at night. I make burritos ahead, wrap in foil and re-heat on the fire.  Pudgy pies are fun for the kids. 

 
Looking to take the wife and kids camping in the next two weeks. Nothing too remote. 

Thinking about this tent.

How about other essentials? Anything that you guys wouldn’t go camping w/o?

-Maybe a few of those thin inflatable mattresses.

-propane grill and an iron skillet. 

-????

 
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STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
Looking to take the wife and kids camping in the next two weeks. Nothing too remote. 

Thinking about this tent.

How about other essentials? Anything that you guys wouldn’t go camping w/o?

-Maybe a few of those thin inflatable mattresses.

-propane grill and an iron skillet. 

-????
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We camp quite a bit with the kids and with a big family, packing light is crucial.  Your link didn't open to the tent, btw.  My first piece of advice would be to check the tent stakes before you camp.  Generally, the ones that come with the tents are flimsy and bend easily.  You can get a set of good ones for a little extra money from a sportings good store (or Amazon) and they'll be well worth the extra few bucks spent.  Trust me on this one!  

For mattress pads, something like this will serve you well.  Takes up little space in your car, but they are essential if you're tent camping in a sleeping bag.

We've got a propane fueled camping stove that's sleek and does well.  We bought a new one this summer and love it.  The sides help shield wind.  But honestly, I can go with or without the camping stove because I really like using our cast iron skillets over an open fire.  I've got a reversible flat cast iron grill/griddle that might be one of my most treasured possessions.  Get one of these and you can master the dojo around a campfire.  Bacon, pancakes, burgers, salmon, eggs, steaks.....you name it, this thing will cook to perfection over an open campfire (most campsites will have a fire pit with a heavy grill grate there - if not, you can always straddle this over rocks).  The reversible thing is key because my wife is a vegetarian, so I can cook up hamburgers on one side, flip and cook her veggie burgers on the other (for instance).   If you're not familiar with cast iron, read just a little on seasoning them, cleaning them and caring for them.  As old @cosjobs will tell you, you can clean your cast iron by cooking up some bacon and then just wiping it down with a paper towel and he's really not kidding. :)

If you like coffee in the morning, I suggest a French press for campers.  We're coffee lovers, so making a nice pot of fresh coffee in the morning is key.  One little camping hack that we do for this is to bring our tea kettle.  Set that over your stove or campfire and you get boiling water in a hurry absent any sort of ash or debris landing in an open pot of water.  Can also use this if you make kids hot chocolate.  

I've got a camping box of supplies with things like heavy duty oven mitts for the cast iron (they get hot!), metal tongs, spatula, lighters, paper towels, can/bottle/wine openers, first aid kid, eco friendly dish soap, sponge, hammer (for the tent stakes) extra batteries for flashlights/lanterns, camping utensils and cups....I've camped for well over 10 years and just sort of created a little box that's ready to go at the drop of a hat.  Not unlike an emergency preparedness kit.  You'll discover what you need and probably more importantly what you don't need the more you go.

Make sure you have a good pocket knife - I've got a nice Swiss Army one that has a bunch of uses and I take it everywhere.  The most important part - of course - is making good s'more sticks.  Don't be a wimpy dad and buy the metal s'more rods.  No, go out with your kids, find a good stick and then whittle it with them for the nightly s'mores and you WILL make these, right, you're not a psycho?  ;)

When my wife and I got married 10 years ago, we had one of our registries at REI and that was perfect for us.  Somebody bought us a pair of their camping chairs and they are not only comfortable, but incredibly durable.  You don't have to spend a ton of money on good camping chairs, but you get what you pay for with these and to me, there is NOTHING better than sitting out under the stars by a fire with an adult beverage resting comfortably in my camping chair drink holder.  

Last suggestion:  Get a camping hammock.  We have one like this and it's the best.  Find a couple of trees, rig this thing up and enjoy your time outdoors in comfort.  Takes up NO room in the car, either.  Great $25 purchase. 

 
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Going camping with about 20 friends in 13 days - near Monticello NY on the NY/PA border

Pretty much a 3 day drink fest with magic mushrooms usually making an appearance. This is our 13th year.

One of the guys rents a UHaul and brings up a full kitchen - smoker, griddle, charcoal BBQ, deep fryer, pizza oven, etc - I eat better camping than I do at home.

fishing tourney, horseshoes, explosives - good times. Can’t wait.

 
=Smackdown= said:
Going camping with about 20 friends in 13 days - near Monticello NY on the NY/PA border

Pretty much a 3 day drink fest with magic mushrooms usually making an appearance. This is our 13th year.

One of the guys rents a UHaul and brings up a full kitchen - smoker, griddle, charcoal BBQ, deep fryer, pizza oven, etc - I eat better camping than I do at home.

fishing tourney, horseshoes, explosives - good times. Can’t wait.
Click to expand...
now that's camping.

 
I grew up in Ohio and had terrible allergy and nighttime asthma problems ...so the few times I camped ...had a really bad asthma attack.

So it was never my thing.  But I understand why those who do hike/camp like it.  So not here to #### on the whole camping scene.  

My dad grew up really poor always hated hunting/fishing/camping so we never went - he said he grew up practically camping and having to hunt/find his dinner.  

He used to always say, "Why spend a whole lot of time and money to recreate a very poor facsimile of what I have right here on my couch?"   :lmao:

Love you dad.  

 
STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
How about other essentials? Anything that you guys wouldn’t go camping w/o?
Click to expand...
You can probably figure out most but here are some things to remember:

Tweezers (for ticks)
Extra socks and shoes.  And more extra socks.
Trash bags, ziplock bags, cable ties, and duct tape. You will need these for various reasons.
Bluetooth speaker.  If you're going somewhere without cell service make sure you have music downloaded.  And make sure it's Grateful Dead.
Ponchos.
If you're doing any off-trail hiking, take an emergency whistle and compass.
LEDs are all the rage and way easier, but I still love the glow of my propane lantern.
A couple plastic tubs for washing dishes.

I know GM suggested a French press, but we love our percolator.

GM's suggestion for cast iron griddle is good.  I'd also look into a dutch oven.  However I've only figured out how to use charcoal with this and not used it solely with fire coals.

 
A good headlamp beats a flashlight, welding gloves are handy for cooking and tending the fire, bug spray can save a trip from totally sucking, if it gets a little cool at night a stocking cap makes a big difference.

 
My wife loves camping. I am indifferent at best. I grew up on a horse farm and part of my “job” was taking groups on weekend two day trail rides. Basically ride up into the mountains, set up camp, do the whole western style camping with the baked beans and hotdogs style ####. Watch a few get stupid drunk, wake em all up butt-crack of Dawn type early, pack up all the #### and ride back. That was all of my weekends for 6 months a year from ages 12 to 14 when the insurance got to high and we cut out most of the business but boarding and lessons. 
And since my dad was a contractor, I worked all week for him building barns, fences, and the occasional remodel or addition. 
 

So, yeah... camping. Great.

 
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