I hate camping

[steved]

I spent 2 days camping in the rain. It always rains when I go camping. I don't sleep well, I smell bad, I don't enjoy shitting in the woods, bugs love sucking my blood and I end up doing laundry for 2 days when I get home. I swear I'm not ever doing it again, but then somehow I end up getting talked into it again.

I've never once experienced any of the transcendent moments I see in the Patagonia catalog, and I'm beginning to think those are just myths perpetuated by the industry to sell stuff.

What am I doing wrong?

You're not preparing for the downside, weather-wise.

[shroom]

solid bump, kid.

[Meadow Skipper]

Ask your SO this:
Say, do you know the difference between camping and butt sex?

No? Want to go camping?

I just remembered that one.

[bushman]

Most of my sleeping on the ground are behind me. I live in the woods two miles from the highway to Ely MN, the gateway to the BWCA. I am a weatherwatcher and this year has been great. The weather in the BWCA has been under weather alert every week for 6 weeks. If you have never been in a swamp and have it rain and thunderstorm with 60 mph winds for two days you have'nt lived. Most of the super core folks are from out of state with a cedar plank canoes and drive volvo's. Bugs, ya we gots lottsa bugs, some bite, some sting, but its the sheer numbers that will get cha. Shit I have a 35' mallard camper I dont sleep in

[glademaster]

Thermarest MondoKing XXL sleeping pad changed my life while camping. Too big for backpacking, but fuck that shit, I base camp and canoe camp. Thick enough to sleep comfortably on your side, and at 31 inches wide, you have room to thrash a bit while staying on your pad. It's damn near as comfortable as my mattress at home.

An oversized, 4 season tent also goes a long way. Although if I lived somewhere it rained a lot more, I wouldn't camp as much.

[eldereldo]

Still go for a couple day back packing trip once or twice a year. With todays equipment it is way more comfortable, and way lighter than it used to be. Freeze dried food is actually edible, an inflatable down filled mattress that stuffs into the space of a loaf of bread makes things a lot more comfortable, and in a day of hiking, I can get to places that I won't see anyone but my buddies for the entire time. And that is why I still do it, to be able to lie at night with not a light to be seen and no sounds of civilization and enjoy that experience. I gave up on car camping long ago, I have no desire to be stuffed into a gravel pad with the next site 10ft away, and blaring music, smoky fires, screaming kids and barking dogs. Did it when it was the cheapest way to get out of the parents house, but not something I have any interest in anymore.

[Name Redacted]

I gave up on car camping long ago, I have no desire to be stuffed into a gravel pad with the next site 10ft away, and blaring music, smoky fires, screaming kids and barking dogs. Did it when it was the cheapest way to get out of the parents house, but not something I have any interest in anymore.

Yes, car camping in actual campgrounds sucks usually. Car camping in the middle of nowhere with some friends and climbing, riding bikes, fishing, hiking, etc is the shit. I never got backpacking for the sake of backpacking. Once you get to your destination, I get bored. I'd rather car camp and have another activity to take part in.

[fatnslow]

I use to love camping when I was younger without kids, both back packing and car camping. It was a sure fire way to get laid BUT once I got married and had kids it became way too much work to pack shit for kids and wife. Living in Oregon you always have about a 60% chance it will rain resulting in condensation of EVERYTHING you brought resulting in about 3 days worth of cleaning when you get home. Now when my wife even mentions camping my response is, " if you want live like a homeless person just go down to the nearest park and sleep in the car". Last time we camped at a state campground I told my wife this is what it feels like if you live in a trailer park. I have the money to rent a house/cabin/condo so for now I AIN'T SLEEPING ON THE GROUND.

[WestCoastPDR]

This needs to be in this tread.

http://https://youtu.be/LjxOHkNWb7A?...SjqspHcUrFpIqj

[brutah]

I love camping. Something is so great about sleeping outside, feeling the breeze, looking up at the stars, sleeping on the ground. its all good by me. plus i love to travel and being willing and able to camp makes traveling much more affordable. plus campsites are usually more scenic than hotel rooms.

we went to a wedding this weekend in stanley and there was no cheap rooms left in town so we just camped it. here's our campsite, it was a few miles from the wedding and town: Kick ass weekend of biking, hot springing and celebrating our friends union and because we camped it cost less than $200 with travel and food for a four day weekend minus the wedding gift which more or less equaled our weekend budget.

[fatnslow]

I spent 2 days camping in the rain. It always rains when I go camping. I don't sleep well, I smell bad, I don't enjoy shitting in the woods, bugs love sucking my blood and I end up doing laundry for 2 days when I get home. I swear I'm not ever doing it again, but then somehow I end up getting talked into it again.

I've never once experienced any of the transcendent moments I see in the Patagonia catalog, and I'm beginning to think those are just myths perpetuated by the industry to sell stuff.

What am I doing wrong?

You didn't spend enough money buying all the latest, lightest shit at REI before heading out to camp 50 yards from your car. The level of enlightenment/enjoyment is directly proportional to the amount spent on gear you will use once every five years. Make sure you're wearing virgin, organic, fair trade fabric boxers to prevent bug bites next time.

[TomCrac]

good livin'

[Timberridge]

You didn't spend enough money buying all the latest, lightest shit at REI before heading out to camp 50 yards from your car. The level of enlightenment/enjoyment is directly proportional to the amount spent on gear you will use once every five years. Make sure you're wearing virgin, organic, fair trade fabric boxers to prevent bug bites next time.

Good advice. I do have $18 in membership awards at REI that I could put towards some new stuff.

good livin'

Now we're talking. Looks like the only thing you're missing is some 400 thread count cotton sheets and a mosquito net. Who's the tent for, the wife?

Is that a dead squirrel on the mattress?

[::: :::]

good livin'

This reminds me of a family car camping trip in OR when my son was not yet walking. We get to a camp ground early on Friday and snag that furthest site away from the entry. At the end of the loop road, it has only one neighbor. Near a nice babbling creek. Beautiful treed site. No road noise.

At about 3p, a pickup rolls up to the site, sees we got it, and backs down to the next nearest site...our neighbor for the evening: a single, clean cut, college-age guy. In the back of the pickup, he's got an uncovered mattress. Huh, interesting. He says "Hi...wish I got here earlier...I really like that spot you guys got. Oh, well, enjoy!" & goes about setting up for dinner & bedtime. No tent, just sleeps in the back of the truck. So far, good neighbor. Quiet, friendly.

Next morning, he gets up early (but after daybreak) and goes for a run. He comes back about an hour later and goes for a dip in the creek to cool down and wash off. We're starting our day slowly making breakfast and not really on any sort of schedule with a crawling baby just enjoying the forest sounds awakening.

Wife pokes me and whispers, "look at this!"

Our friendly neighbor is nude and photographing himself in various poses and locations around the campsite. This goes on for about 45mins. No particular attempt to conceal or screen the activity. And, then, mission accomplished...he packs up his stuff and rolls out.

It seems like we snagged his regular outdoors pron photo studio location.

[AK47bp]

This reminds me of a family car camping trip in OR when my son was not yet walking. We get to a camp ground early on Friday and snag that furthest site away from the entry. At the end of the loop road, it has only one neighbor. Near a nice babbling creek. Beautiful treed site. No road noise.

At about 3p, a pickup rolls up to the site, sees we got it, and backs down to the next nearest site...our neighbor for the evening: a single, clean cut, college-age guy. In the back of the pickup, he's got an uncovered mattress. Huh, interesting. He says "Hi...wish I got here earlier...I really like that spot you guys got. Oh, well, enjoy!" & goes about setting up for dinner & bedtime. No tent, just sleeps in the back of the truck. So far, good neighbor. Quiet, friendly.

Next morning, he gets up early (but after daybreak) and goes for a run. He comes back about an hour later and goes for a dip in the creek to cool down and wash off. We're starting our day slowly making breakfast and not really on any sort of schedule with a crawling baby just enjoying the forest sounds awakening.

Wife pokes me and whispers, "look at this!"

Our friendly neighbor is nude and photographing himself in various poses and locations around the campsite. This goes on for about 45mins. No particular attempt to conceal or screen the activity. And, then, mission accomplished...he packs up his stuff and rolls out.

It seems like we snagged his regular outdoors pron photo studio location.

Yea...sorry about that

[TomCrac]

^Thats truly some freakshow. Fortunately there is a real nice campground nearby. Good space between sites. Streams and lakes keeps the kids occupied for hours. August is very popular and full. Mid October, 35 degree nights keeps the place mostly to campers that get it.





Lake runs out to this...

Upper falls, aprox. 180 feet


Lower falls, aprox. 100 feet



When we run out of squirrel