Camping

A lot of useful responses to Alex S's question elsewhere (if you know what I mean)

A tent?

why anyone over the age of 20 (or even 15 for that matter)should be going camping for the first time is a sad sign of the times IMO.

Enough money to pay for a hotel after you've spent one night under canvas.

Or wellies, kagouls, plenty of fresh socks etc especially if you're camping in the Highlands.

Earplugs if you are going to a big european site and want to sleep.

Matches dipped in candle wax for the damp moment.

Everything in TWO plastic bin bags if you like to put dry clothing on in the morning.

A big smile for when it all goes right or wrong.

Enjoy it.

Jono (not been in a tent for 10 years)

Here are some useful manoevres for the inexperienced camper....

Handy camping video

quote:

Originally posted by Mike1380:
Here are some useful manoevres for the inexperienced camper....

Handy camping video

Hilarious. Having been a member of the Queen's Regiment I have been teased with this sketch on more than one occasion.

quote:

Originally posted by erik scothron:
why anyone over the age of 20 (or even 15 for that matter)should be going camping for the first time is a sad sign of the times IMO.

Well that would be a sad sign of the times 30 years ago in my case. At least I'm trying now. Waterproof toilet roll was good, hadn't thought of that.

Well good luck you, I am sure you will love it. Is there a Mrs. Rockingdoc who will be going to?

Yes, she's coming too. Not brave enough to try real wild camping yet, will be using campsites.

quote:

Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
Yes, she's coming too. Not brave enough to try real wild camping yet, will be using campsites.

I took a girlfriend camping once - just a tent in the wilds. After we set the tent up she opened her rucksack and unpacked everything including....wait for it....her hairdryer.

lol.

quote:

Going camping for the first time.

.
Mid August? Just as the 'shrooms fruit?

quote:

What do I need to take that I've not thought of?

Dog tags ;>

C

Well. Three days of non-stop rain, no toilet but a tap in a field for water (for the cows I think).
It was o.k. but not huge fun. A bit boring really.

Nothing spoils the camping experience like rain. What a pity. Better luck next time?

quote:

Well. Three days of non-stop rain, no toilet but a tap in a field for water (for the cows I think).
It was o.k. but not huge fun. A bit boring really.

What was the purpose ?

We used to go camping in Cornwall and on the Southwest coast of France. The reason was because we wanted a beach holiday with surfing. We couldn't afford an hotel. So even if it rained, we weren't bored. We just went surfing. When the sun came out we buit sandcastles. Some days we went hiking to enjoy the scenery, rain or shine.

This year we spent one of our weeks on holiday.....camping. The reason was because we wanted to see sights in the Canadian Rockies that you just can't get to in a day. So we carried our food and kit and set up camp each night. The scenery was terrific. No taps. Water out of streams pumped through a filter then spiced with chlorine dioxide and a taste nutraliser. The loo was always a hole in the ground. Sometimes it was enclosed. The bears were an extra........

But camping for the sake of camping? Bit like staying in an hotel just for sake of staying in an hotel. Boring.

Cheers

Don

quote:

We couldn't afford an hotel.

Splendid bit of traditional grammar. Let's try and raise standards again.

I've just spent four nights under canvas in Burgundy and it only rained for one of them. Did have use of house facilities though so doesn't really count. Great fun.

I love camping. Real camping that is and not the campsite thing which is a joke. A good hike followed by a camp fire or at least a meal cooked on a burner. The silence and the noises. The smells. The fresh air. The morning dew. The deep dark and night sky. The rustlings of animals. Watching the sun rise. All the tiny gems of nature to be seen. It is authentic life and not that poor sad soft centrally heated facsimile most people are addicted to.

What Erik says above is so true. Which is an added bonus at a remote camp and all part of the "sight-seeing".

Three weeks ago today I was fortunate enough to be in the White Goat Wilderness Area between Banff and Jasper. First night at Pinto Lake then via Cateract Pass (First Nation Rock Paintings) and eventually Job Pass and the Cline River back to the Icefields Parkway. In the National Parks and most of the Provincial Parks you are required to use the designated camp sites. These can vary from just-short-of-Butlins (where's your sense of humour?) to a designated area for turds.

The scenery was spectacular; the historic paintings "vulture-culture-with-a-vengance"; the geology mind-blowing even with the remains of the glaciers and their re-shaping of the landscape plain to see. The "recent" discovery and "development" by fur-traders and the hardships they endured tangibly imaginable. Especially when wading across Cateract Creek and the Cline.....but imagine doing this is sub-zero temperatures!

Three of us were in the party. During the six days we met only an American couple and shared an evening's campfire with them.

However, I wouldn't dismiss the Key-Camp type sites in Europe and specifically France. Admittedly you end up in and English enclave, but as a means to an end it enables you enjoy a good holiday at a reasonable price in a beautiful part of Europe. You can even enjoy a "burner-cooked" meal as an alternative to the delicious meals temptingly available in all the surrounding villages at very reasonable prices plus as much fresh bread, cheese and local wine as you wish.

Happy days.

Cheers

Don

I love camping, but the real thing, out in the bush with nature, not a bunch of drunk yahoo's on the next site. But I'm lucky, I live in Ontario Canada and we still have huge areas of undeveloped bush. I spend a couple of weeks a year there. My personal demon is canoe-tripping. And yes I have tripped over the damn thing on more than one occasion.

My trips last anywhere from 3 nights to 7 or 8 and cover between 20 and 100 km's. On average my daily travel is about 12 - 18km. I do have to portage ( carry your stuff overland on your back to the next lake, river, or around an obstacle ie water falls )I single carry, meaning that I walk the portage trail once, so weight is an issue. For example

Canoe - Swift Kipawa - Carbon / Kevlar consturction 16'6" - 50lbs
Tent - Mountain Hardware Hammerhead II, 37 sq feet + 16 sq feet storage - 8lbs
Pack - Arcyeryx Bora - 48 litres volume, 5 lbs
Sleeping Bag - Marmot Arroyo - 750 fill goose down, < 2 lbs etc etc.

It is work, but worth it at the end of the day. ...Some good company, and the sound of the Loon's cry as you finish dinner sitting on a rock whilst enjoying a beautiful sunset. And as a bonus, most of the yahoos with the canoe full of beer don't tend to do the portages ( most of which in the area I trip are between 200 metres and 3 km's with a trip average of about 1km each ) Like I said a bit of work when you have 100+lbs on your back it is 32+ C out, with high humidity, and you are staring at the start of a 2km portage that looks more like stairs than a trail....damn.... I must be mad....

Just finished a 100km+ 8 night jaunt with a buddy ( longest portage was 2.5 km ) That was fun as there was a series of huge thunderstorms while I was out and as luck would have it we were in the middle of it. A couple of people killed, ( falling trees, and drowning ) so not without risk. I am planning on a short 35km 3 night trip with my wife starting September 14 ( longest portage 1.4 km )

While it is North American canoe tripping focused, you can find a huge amount of infomation on camping techinique, gear or just ask a couple of questions....

www.myccr.com


get out and enjoy the outdoors, it does wonders for your soul

regards,

michael

Once went camping out in the middle of Canada. Took about 15 minutes in a 4x4 to get to the open space by a lake.

If you wanted a wash, it was into the lake, for the other facilities, well, it was a shovelful of ashese and a hole in the forest.

There was about 25 people there in all and it was a good laugh.

We sort of borrowed a tree trunk for the fire which we found with a pile of other trunks by a track.

Ah! The memories, and the deer flies and the wild bears in the forest.

Steve.

quote:

Originally posted by mykel:
Just finished a 100km+ 8 night jaunt with a buddy ( longest portage was 2.5 km ) That was fun as there was a series of huge thunderstorms while I was out and as luck would have it we were in the middle of it. A couple of people killed, ( falling trees, and drowning ) so not without risk. michael

Makes my sitting in a field surrounded by tame cows seem a bit lame.

The point was to see if we could do the tent thing, and find out any snags BEFORE we took the plunge on a real trip. To that extent, three days of lashing wind and rain were quite useful. Saving money isn't the objective for us these days, it is finding new ways for us suburban dwellers to get into the real outdoors for a bit.

It is not always that bad. I have done about 30 canoe trips over the last 15 - 20 years. Most of the time, the weather is great, maybe a day or two of rain, but that is to be expected in any given week. Had a few real good storms over the years, but they are quite rare. However, something I noted this last trip, is that on this certain big lake, my average is 50%. Half of the time the weather is wonderfull, the other half, the weather is batton down the hatches. 4 times on the lake, 2 good, and 2 trips with bad storms resulting in injuries and fatalaties.

Rain is one of those things that you just learn to accept. If you have some decent rain gear it makes it all the more enjoyable. ( I use Marmot Pecip - a microporus PU coating - modest price ) While canoeing, you normally see more wildlife on rainy days, and there is something somehow calming about paddling a twisty river in the drizzle.

I'm glad you got out and seemed to survive fine, rain or not. Hope you enjoy the "real" trip. If you have any questions that I may be able to help you with, just ask.

michael

quote:

BEFORE we took the plunge on a real trip

Rockingdoc

are you planning a family-tent type trip with separate sleeping inners and a lounge/cooking area with room for reclining chairs and tables etc

or are you planning the two-man storm tent type of trip (even if you are taking three storm tents to accomodate say six people.

I use Sierra tents, Thermorest mats, MSR spirit stoves and water filters, Helly-Hanson waterproofs (but Marmot are good as used by Mykel and there is a wide choice of new lightweight gear this year). I have a Berghuse rucsac but there are plenty of others around. Can't recal the make of my sleeping bag off hand but its down, stuffs into a small sac and works well in Canada at temperatures down to about minus 25 deg C. Below that I keep adding clothes.

Cheers

Don