So my friend and I are taking our dogs camping over the Labor Day Holiday.

 

We're leaving next Friday morning and camping in Lake Tahoe for a few days, then heading over to the Redwood National Forest for a few days, before finally staying in a prefabricated home I rented on the Oregon coast for 3 days.

 

We're going to be splitting the trek up over about 9 days, because there is a ton of driving involved, but I am really looking forward to it. The house I rented on the Oregon Coast is really awesome. Part of the reason I wanted to rent this particular house is to gauge the quality of a prefabricated home, since I am interested in buying one in the future.

 

Anyways, I have never camped with my dog before, so hopefully he will behave himself. As you can see in my avatar, he is quite curious (and large) by nature.

 

Ordered our tent yesterday night...got a great deal on a really nice North Face tent online at Gander Mountain.

 

Anyone go on some good camping trips this summer?

 

Can't wait for this trip...

Bacon.

I camped on the Oregon and Washington coasts last summer. It was pretty awesome. I recommend that you seal your tent seams before you go.

In just a few weeks my wife and I are actually going out to sign a contract for a permenant site at a campground about 30 minutes from our house. We camp there tons of times throughout the year so we figured it would be easier to just leave our trailer there rather than pack/unpacking it and towing it back and forth every time we go.

 

Some people claim that we aren't really "camping" because we have a trailer with electricity, heat, air, etc. but we like it.

I have some great camping stories, including one in which me and 5 friends were chased through the woods when we accidentally hiked ourselves upon what we believe must have been a backwoods meth operation. The fact that they chased us through the woods for 2 hours, and then used spotlights mounted to the backs of their pickup trucks in a weak attempt to find us at night in the woods showed their stupidity and their desperation.

 

It was a heart pounding adventure to say the least...but we all survived unscathed.

 

Oh, and for those that don't understand why what they did was stupid...shining a light into the woods at night doesn't help you see anything...all it does is help whatever is hiding from you and/or stalking you...see you that much better.

In just a few weeks my wife and I are actually going out to sign a contract for a permenant site at a campground about 30 minutes from our house. We camp there tons of times throughout the year so we figured it would be easier to just leave our trailer there rather than pack/unpacking it and towing it back and forth every time we go.

 

Some people claim that we aren't really "camping" because we have a trailer with electricity, heat, air, etc. but we like it.

 

It's still camping, just in a different sense of the word. Applying rules and regulations as to what is camping is silly. I do some of the most hardcore camping you could imagine, I.E. canoeing through the boundary waters, or backpacking up mountains in Colorado...although I always sleep in tents, on a lot of our trips, it's more of a glorified tail gating party/fishing trip...regardless of what you do or do not do...the point is this...

 

You are outdoors.

It's still camping, just in a different sense of the word. Applying rules and regulations as to what is camping is silly. I do some of the most hardcore camping you could imagine, I.E. canoeing through the boundary waters, or backpacking up mountains in Colorado...although I always sleep in tents, on a lot of our trips, it's more of a glorified tail gating party/fishing trip...regardless of what you do or do not do...the point is this...

 

You are outdoors.

 

That's what I figure. It gets us out of the house and away from bills, housework, yardwork, TV and internet connections...

 

There's a playground 50 feet away for the kids, there's lots of people around to play bags or volleyball or just toss a ball around. When it's bad weather we can sit in the trailer and play board games.

 

All stuff that we never seem to do when we are at home.

Just got back a couple weeks ago from a few days' backpacking in the Apache Kid Wilderness in New Mexico. I do at least one real backcountry trek every year - even run a small co-op with some friends for people who enjoy the outdoors. We backpack, canoe, mountain bike, whatever. I've spent a lot of time in the wilderness, and I am a firm believer that getting fully disconnected from the grid every so often is a very good thing for the mind and soul.

 

Two weeks in Acadia National Forest, a week in Big Bend backpacking, and assorted weekends. I also run a summer camp program for the Boy Scouts, but I sleep in a nice park model home, so I really don't count that.

 

When I was still living in Illinois, we kept a camper on a lake in south Wisconsin. They would pull it onto a site when we were coming. I still had to level, hook up the water and electric, etc. I thought I wouldn't like being stuck at one campground, but we used it a lot more.

 

My gf and I are looking at pop ups. we will probably by one this year and do less tent camping in campgrounds.

I love camping and try to go as much as possible

The best trip this year - was pretty close to home only an hour or so. Out east on Long Island - in Wading River. Fri and Sat was perfect weather but early Sunady morning it rained like hell, that was 2 weeks ago when the east coast got pounded with 5-10 inches of ran. By 7am our tent was in 3+ inches of water (and we we're not prepared) the tent had holes and we were soaked. But it was memorable at least.

Every year, my wife's parents do a "family weekend" where all of the kids and grandkids go somewhere for the weekend. This year, to save money, we camped out in her parent's backyard (they live in the county and have 10 acres). The nice part, during the day we went inside and watched moveis. lol

 

yea, we kinda cheated the whole camping out thing.

I love camping and try to go as much as possible

The best trip this year - was pretty close to home only an hour or so. Out east on Long Island - in Wading River. Fri and Sat was perfect weather but early Sunady morning it rained like hell, that was 2 weeks ago when the east coast got pounded with 5-10 inches of ran. By 7am our tent was in 3+ inches of water (and we we're not prepared) the tent had holes and we were soaked. But it was memorable at least.

I had a trip like that myself...we went for the weekend and it rained from about an hour after we got there for about 12 hours straight. I think we had 10 inches of rain over night. Everything was an absolute mudpit.

 

I just made sure I was completely drunk the whole weekend so as not to let the conditions ruin my fun

 

Just got our tent today. NorthFace Meadowlands 4. Also bought the footprint for it. Pretty sure it will protect us from the rains a bit better this time...

Leaving for my trip tomorrow morning. Started packing up my friend's 4-Runner since I am working tonight and we're leaving tomorrow morning when I get off.

 

My friend is apparently one of those people who wants to bring everything but the kitchen sink with us. I hate that. We are going camping...not transporting our house to the middle of the woods.

Has anyone ever camped or heard about Pittsfield State Forest, MA? Thinking about going in a couple weeks...wanted to try something new in New England during fall foilage.

Edited September 5, 201114 yr by Be Good

I'd make sure the area is OK after the flooding problems.

Has anyone ever camped or heard about Pittsfield State Forest, MA? Thinking about going in a couple weeks...wanted to try something new in New England during fall foilage.

 

Check the foliage maps. That might be a bit early for the good leaves but they are changing a bit earlier up here than I remember, so it might be perfect.

 

 

Got back from my camping trip Saturday morning. Had a blast hiking in Lake Tahoe, and seeing Redwood forests in Crescent City, as well as taking the dog to the beach. Then drove up through Oregon to Oceanside. WOW! What a beautiful state Oregon is! Absolutely gorgeous...all green and trees and lakes and an incredibly picturesque coastline.

 

Tent performed very well...weather was very agreeable...dogs did well in the car and at the campsites, although we didn't anticipate how cold they would get in the 40 degree evenings...had to bundle them up pretty good overnight. Thank goodness we had a Yakima SpaceCase though...we would have never been able to pack all our gear and the dogs without that extra capacity.

 

Had some great local beers in Oregon as well.

 

Can't wait to plan another trip!

We have officially become "permanent" campers rather than just week-enders at our campground. We signed our 1-year contract on Saturday and parked the trailer later that day. The contract technically doesn't start until October 15 but we can stay there from now until then and not have to pay for it.

 

Even better since it's the end of the camping season, there are plenty of people leaving or changing sites and trying to get rid of stuff they no longer want or need. We have one couple that has offered us a deck and another that offered us a metal shed.

 

I also might be able to make a trade for an electric lawn mower that I can just leave at the campground. In my new shed of course.

 

So my parents decided to become permanent campers like us. Since they are going permanent, they decided to upgrade from their 23-foot expandable to a 29-foot travel trailer.

 

We went with them to look and found one that we fell in love with. So now we are upgrading from a 12-foot pop-up to a 32-foot travel trailer.

 

It’s got an entire room with 4 bunks in the back and a TV hookup, so our kids can have their own little space.

 

I just got the call that we’ve been pre-approved for the loan. Got to go up and finish the paperwork this weekend. Hopefully we’ll be all be camping in our new trailers within the next 2 weeks.

 

Anyone interested in a 12-foot pop-up or a 23-foot expandable? Both are going up for sale real soon.

 

So my parents decided to become permanent campers like us. Since they are going permanent, they decided to upgrade from their 23-foot expandable to a 29-foot travel trailer.

 

We went with them to look and found one that we fell in love with. So now we are upgrading from a 12-foot pop-up to a 32-foot travel trailer.

 

It's got an entire room with 4 bunks in the back and a TV hookup, so our kids can have their own little space.

 

I just got the call that we've been pre-approved for the loan. Got to go up and finish the paperwork this weekend. Hopefully we'll be all be camping in our new trailers within the next 2 weeks.

 

Anyone interested in a 12-foot pop-up or a 23-foot expandable? Both are going up for sale real soon.

 

Actually I am looking for a pop up but the shipping to Texas may be too much.

Spent a couple days last weekend solo hiking in NW New Mexico and SE Arizona, specifically the Peloncillo and Chiricahua Mountains. Mostly off-trail. Saw some really nice archaelogical sites, and assorted other cool stuff. I highly recommend that area if you truly want to get away from humanity for a while.

 

Spent a couple days last weekend solo hiking in NW New Mexico and SE Arizona, specifically the Peloncillo and Chiricahua Mountains. Mostly off-trail. Saw some really nice archaelogical sites, and assorted other cool stuff. I highly recommend that area if you truly want to get away from humanity for a while.

Sorry I didn't get back to you on that.

Sorry I didn't get back to you on that.

No worries, I learned a bit from some locals. Would still love to hear an expert's description at some point though.

 

Any recommendations for Yosemite day hikes?

Any recommendations for Yosemite day hikes?

You in good enough shape to do Half Dome?