Also expand on the air mattress idea. Make sure you get one that you can blow up manually. www.bigagnes.com/Products/Pads H uses this brand for his sleeping bags too. He's a big guy and they are one of the only he can comfortably sleep in.
All of my gear recommendations are really for backpacking though. If you're only ever car camping, there are a lot more options out there that I'm not up to date on.
Post by GoBigOrGoGnome on Jun 28, 2015 21:09:01 GMT -5
I prefer a sleeping pad (foam or inflatable) vs an air mattress because I tend to get cold on air mattresses. It's not as much a problem this time of year, but your body heat can warm up the small amount of air in a sleeping pad and it still keeps you off the ground whereas you tend to just keep losing body heat to the giant void of air in an air mattress. I don't like being cold.
Fire starters, a way to lock up your food (raccoons stole my homemade M&M cookie bars last 4th of July), bug spray, extra socks (I always seem to use them), a headlamp over a flashlight for hands free, booze, and s'mores. Battery operated musical devices are also fun if you want to drunk dance and don't have electricity.
Appropriate clothing is so necessary. Layers, dress for all weather, etc. We were camping memorial day weekend and this couple pulled in next to us and she was totally not prepared for the weather (it was unseasonably cold and rainy). I think she spent the whole time sitting in the car.
I'm really impressed by how much you guys know a lot about camping! DH always talks about wanting to camp more often (we have a tent and limited supplies), but I am not very outdoorsy.
The last time we went camping, it was at a campground with nice bathrooms and showers. We drove into town for coffee and bagels the next morning. #lazycampers
Post by ihatepizza on Jun 28, 2015 21:30:17 GMT -5
My favourites include
- booze (unless you aren't into that kind of stuff) - a water purification system (or just water if you aren't that hard core) - baby wipes (it's the only thing I'm a princess about, makes me feel clean) - rain gear (even a light rain jacket, also pack your clothes in ziploc bags to keep them waterproofed - warm clothes (it gets cold) - bear spray (that might be the Canadian in me but I never leave home without it)
Me: 29 DH: 35 NTNP since May 2013 charting since June 2014 dx: Graves disease (radioactive iodine), Crohns disease (abdominal surgeries) MMC October 2015 (9 weeks) Severe MFI diagnosis July 2015
I'm really impressed by how much you guys know a lot about camping! DH always talks about wanting to camp more often (we have a tent and limited supplies), but I am not very outdoorsy.
The last time we went camping, it was at a campground with nice bathrooms and showers. We drove into town for coffee and bagels the next morning. #lazycampers
I like to be close enough to drive home to shower.
You know those children's foamy puzzle things that you put on floors at daycare and playrooms? Get those. Put them on the floor of your tent. It helps further with any little rocks or sticks on the ground.
Air mattresses are a must.
Flashlights are cool and all, but lanterns FTW in the tent. Then you don't have to fumble a flashlight while trying to find something in the dark.
Pudgy pie makers. Bring them. Find recipes. Yum.
Check with the campground if they have grill tripods for you, or if you have to bring your own.
Bring tarps and rope to make a cover in case it rains.
Bug spray,air matress, camp stove and fuel, booze, smore making ingredients, chairs, aluminum foil for roasting over fire. Its lots of fun. We went a couple weeks go with friends.
Engaged May 2003 Married June 2005 TTC #1 since October 2014 H-1% morph, low motility, low count Me-.1 AMH levels, low AFC, DOR/POI, perimenopause Foster Care journey begins March 2016-licensed 11/7/16 Foster parents to A & J 1/31/17 www.fertilityfriend.com/home/5525ef
Post by thelittleredm on Jun 28, 2015 22:06:55 GMT -5
I don't know if you have a tent, but consider buying one that is a little larger than you want. Your stuff will probably take up the space of one person and you'll want a place for a mat inside or outside in order to leave your shoes on so you don't track mud inside your tent to your sleeping areas. I'd suggest an air mattress or sleeping pad. If you go the pad route, get one of the thermal pads that reflects heat. Do NOT forget to clear the ground where you want your tent and avoid any sort of slanted ground if you can. Also, if you purchase a tent, make sure you set it up at home first. We usually douse our new tents with water to find leaks so that we can fix them before we head out.
Camping is almost always colder than you expect at night and hotter than you expect during the day. At least, it is here since we're high desert. Bring extra blankets or an extra sleeping bag that can go under the ones you're sleeping in to add an extra layer for comfort and warmth.
For bugs, I highly suggest the bracelets that repel bugs. They work really well. Mosquito nets are great things to hang over your chairs if you take any.
Toilet paper and paper towels all the way. You never know when a campground bathroom will be closed! Also, take a good knife; serated edge is best. A multi-tool is helpful, too. We usually take a hatchet to break up firewood. Flashlights or lanterns are great but engender extra batteries.
Also, freeze gallons of water to keep things cold; they last longer than regular ice. If you take precooked food, freeze it if possible to keep things colder longer. I suggest taking food that can be used for multiple things (individual veggies, lettuce, etc.).
MH has an entire section of our garage devoted to camping gear. We only go about 2x/year for a few days each time, but I love it. We do camp at campgrounds, with running water and hot showers, so it's not totally roughing it. REI is an amazing store for all gadgets related to camping.
So he said you have to base your gear choices on how long you are camping, where you are going to be, and weather.
Dear heaven's above dude!!!!!! 4 days, at most.
He's a little intense. lol. You should see him pack for a day hike. He used to hike along the Appalaichan(no spell check) trail. He's been trying to get back into camping and hiking, but it's not something i'm able to do with him. Personally, i've only have slept in a tent twice ever, and one of those times was in a platform tent at Girl Scout camp.
Post by roastytoasty on Jun 28, 2015 22:50:56 GMT -5
When you buy a "double" air mattress make sure it's double wide, not double high. Sharing an extra tall twin size air mattress with somebody is not fucking cool.
Post by GoBigOrGoGnome on Jun 29, 2015 5:59:32 GMT -5
I feel the need to have a quick storytime session... Last year on the 4th when we went camping, our site was overrun with daddy long legs for some odd reason. They'd be walking across the ground and the tent in much greater numbers than I feel is natural. Anywho, I was trying to go to sleep and felt something tickle my arm like a piece of hair or whatever. I rearrange and try to go back to sleep. Then I'm like "FUCK THIS there is something there!!!" So I mash all around my armpit area and I strip much faster than I'd like to admit I'm capable of, only to find a mangled daddy long legs that some how got under two shirts. Not cool.
There was also a raccoon I named Frederick who would steal our shit while we were sitting 10 ft away. I wanted a picture but he was way too fast so we set all these enticing food-bags all over the place, only filled with a little food and a shit ton of rocks so it would slow him down and we could snap a pic. It failed miserably. When we heard the garbage can being ransacked later and looked out of our tents, we realized Frederick was actually 3 completely different and morbidly obese raccoons.
MH and I loooove camping! A good mess kit and a decent little cookstove are great if you don't want to make a fire or at least don't want to make one at breakfast.
Personally, I prefer the sleeping pads you use for backpacking, as they are multi-use and take up little space. You just unroll them and sleep on them - no inflating, etc.
For cooking, wrap veggies in foil, add a little oil and spices, and stick down in the coals of the fire for a delicious roasted taste 15-20 minutes later. For meat, do the same, but on top of the camping grill.
Have fun! I always find I have more fun the less gear I bring and the more simple it is.
Some campgrounds have coin-operated showers, so bring quarters in a Tupperware container.
We bring two coolers. One is just for stuff we need to keep cold (eggs, burgers, steaks) and we only open it when we need it. We keep juice jugs with screw tops, fill those and freeze them to use to keep the cooler cold OR my mom uses the bags that are in boxes of wine and puts water in them and freezes those, whatever you have handy.
The second cooler has booze, water and soda. We fill that up with ice you buy by the bag and if we run low most camp stores have more ice.
Some campgrounds have coin-operated showers, so bring quarters in a Tupperware container.
We bring two coolers. One is just for stuff we need to keep cold (eggs, burgers, steaks) and we only open it when we need it. We keep juice jugs with screw tops, fill those and freeze them to use to keep the cooler cold OR my mom uses the bags that are in boxes of wine and puts water in them and freezes those, whatever you have handy.
The second cooler has booze, water and soda. We fill that up with ice you buy by the bag and if we run low most camp stores have more ice.
I like the idea of having two separate coolers. That way, your food stays cooler since you aren't opening that one until you need it. Lord knows the beverage cooler gets opened A LOT! I guess you could freeze water bottles ahead of time, that way it stays colder, and keeps things cooler as well.
Some campgrounds have coin-operated showers, so bring quarters in a Tupperware container.
We bring two coolers. One is just for stuff we need to keep cold (eggs, burgers, steaks) and we only open it when we need it. We keep juice jugs with screw tops, fill those and freeze them to use to keep the cooler cold OR my mom uses the bags that are in boxes of wine and puts water in them and freezes those, whatever you have handy.
The second cooler has booze, water and soda. We fill that up with ice you buy by the bag and if we run low most camp stores have more ice.
I like the idea of having two separate coolers. That way, your food stays cooler since you aren't opening that one until you need it. Lord knows the beverage cooler gets opened A LOT! I guess you could freeze water bottles ahead of time, that way it stays colder, and keeps things cooler as well.
Yeah we keep our "ice packets" in our chest freezer until we use them for camping. Also make sure to fill up the containers with potable water in case you run out, it's a last ditch effort to get water if there's no potable drinking water at your campground.
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