As An Adult

[Razors Edge ★]

...have you ever spent the night camping outside and sleeping in a tent.  For the Wisconsin folks, passed out in the front yard is not camping.  Cabins, while rustic, don't count.  A hammock or under a tarp or similar does. Sleeping in your car doesn't count either.

[Bikeguy]

Yes...  but that's was many years ago.  

[ChrisL]

Yeah for several years we went camping in Mammoth Lakes CA.  My wife would stay in a hotel in town but I camped with my son.  We usually went with my sister but sometimes other family would join us.

I also slept in a freaking hole with no tent/bag.  At least it wasn’t winter but yeah that sucked...

[jsharr ★]

Yes, many times per year for the past 12 years.  Probably have 100 nights in an tent in the last ten years at least.

[Kzoo]

Define adult.

 

[Zealot]

Oh my Lord, yes.    All my adult life.

[Razors Edge ★]

4 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Define adult.

 

For you?  I'm going with 21.  Or was the drinking age 18 for you?  If so, then 18.

[Guest]

All the time.

[donkpow]

Yes. Instant coffee is da bomb.

[2Far ★]

12 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

...have you ever spent the night camping outside and sleeping in a tent.  For the Wisconsin folks, passed out in the front yard is not camping.  Cabins, while rustic, don't count.  A hammock or under a tarp or similar does. Sleeping in your car doesn't count either.

Slept under stars at a game reserve in South Africa. Wo2 declined the event and sat around the campfire back at the rondovals with the rest of the guests, guides & trackers. 

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, donkpow said:

Yes. Instant coffee is da bomb.

You, sir, are no Millennial!!!  Where's your french press or pour over????  Sometimes, it is like you just want to push people's buttons with comments like that one!

[donkpow]

2 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

You, sir, are no Millennial!!!  Where's your french press or pour over????  Sometimes, it is like you just want to push people's buttons with comments like that one!

And you have no forest creds, sir.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, 2Far said:

Slept under stars at a game reserve in South Africa. Wo2 declined the event and sat around the campfire back at the rondovals with the rest of the guests, guides & trackers. 

That sounds awesome!

[sheep_herder ★]

Yes, several times and in several places. Last time was several years ago in Carbondale, CO, when attending the National Sheepdog Finals.

[Zealot]

[Zealot]

[Zephyr]

Yea, many many nights.  WofZ and I are backcountry paddlers and do 4 or 5 night canoe trips every summer

As far as camping goes, if I cannot carry it in my canoe and portage it to the next body of water,  I do  not need it 

[jsharr ★]

33 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Define adult.

 

mark as solution.

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, jsharr said:

mark as solution.

Done, but I don't think it really is the solution.

[maddmaxx ★]

Yes, when the kids were scouts.  No during the war......I didn't have a tent.  I did sleep on top of an equipment crate though cause there was no telling what was on the ground.

[donkpow]

19 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

As far as camping goes, if I cannot carry it in my canoe and portage it to the next body of water,  I do  not need it 

Like instant coffee, amiright?

[Zephyr]

1 minute ago, donkpow said:

Like instant coffee, amiright?

It is better than nothing..., but truthfully I pack a coffee French press if I have room

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, Zephyr said:

It is better than nothing..., but truthfully I pack a coffee French press if I have room

Don is no Millennial.  He's not gonna support you on that one.

[donkpow]

5 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

It is better than nothing..., but truthfully I pack a coffee French press if I have room

I knew it! Those millennials have ruined everything. Probably takes a solar powered chain saw into the wilderness.

[Further]

I used to pack a 4 cup percolator. There roughing it, and then there is stupid.  

[BR46]

1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

have you ever spent the night camping outside and sleeping in a tent

Yes 

1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

For the Wisconsin folks, passed out in the front yard is not camping

Does it count if it's the neighbors yard? Because that might  have happened  

One day I woke up to the neighbor sleeping in my front yard. He woke up around 2pm and went home. 

[Razors Edge ★]

6 minutes ago, Further said:

I used to pack a 4 cup percolator. There roughing it, and then there is stupid.  

I use that - minus the percolator - on all my camping trips. The burner and other stuff go inside there, so when the sun comes up, I pull that out and can have water boiling ASAP.  No idea what happened to the percolator bits, though.  Still it works well - just have to remember to pull the handles out away from the body while heating the water or they get very hot.

[Square Wheels]

In my late teens, that was the last time.  Didn't care much for it.  I'm more of a Four Seasons kinda gal.

[Zealot]

Mrs Z and I have lives out of these.  

 

s

[Longjohn ★]

Usually at least seven days of bike packing. This year nada.

[JerrySTL ★]

Many times. On RAGBRAI twice and on The Katy Trail Ride 8 times. That's about 54 nights right there. There were other times camping out with the kids.

[bikeman564™]

2 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

...have you ever spent the night camping outside and sleeping in a tent. 

yes, this was one of my favorite views from the U.P., best site ever

[Zealot]

Different trips through the years:

[2Far ★]

2 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

 No during the war......I didn't have a tent.  I did sleep on top of an equipment crate though cause there was no telling what was on the ground.

So, was that red coat itchy? Or was that a part of the experience?

[BuffJim]

I camped about 20 times on my bike trip in 2009. Haven’t camped since then. The women in my life aren’t the camping type. 

[Forum Administrator]

No trips this year, but I did spend a couple of nights in the hammock in the backyard over the summer. 

As far as coffee goes, I got one of these reusable pour over filters. It worked great.

 

[groupw]

A few time. Most recent was last summer on an overnight group ride. 
My view out the tent in the morning. 

[Longjohn ★]

3 hours ago, BuffJim said:

I camped about 20 times on my bike trip in 2009. Haven’t camped since then. The women in my life aren’t the camping type. 

My wife used to go camping with me in a tent. Then she only wanted to go in a camper. Eventually only in a cabin with its own bathroom and kitchen (not camping). She had no interest in week long bike trips (or even all day bike trips) so I go by myself. 

[Ralphie ★]

My last camping was probably in Shenandoah wit’ the wife so long ago we were young!  The ground is hard! I am not a camper!

Actually I think we went once more after that and the rain rooned her nice tent and that was that.  

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

August 2020. Some bike shop employees went up to Paul’s cabin near Front Royal. Beer, good food, etc. Paul slept in the cabin. Alex and John slept in their cars, I pitched a tent. Slept very well. Wo7 is not a camper. 

[Zealot]

28 minutes ago, Old No. 7 said:

August 2020. Some bike shop employees went up to Paul’s cabin near Front Royal. Beer, good food, etc. Paul slept in the cabin. Alex and John slept in their cars, I pitched a tent. Slept very well. Wo7 is not a camper. 

Grew up in FR.  😊 

[Ralphie ★]

13 minutes ago, Zealot said:

Grew up in FR.  😊 

Nice!  That is a beeyootiful place!  My grandparents lived in southren WV and I loved the drives down there.  US 211 - awesome!  Once in a while I would take Skyline Drive and get off at Steele's Tavern.  What an awesome little mountain crossroads that time forgot.

 

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

21 minutes ago, Zealot said:

Grew up in FR.  😊 

I knew that. 🤗

[Zealot]

14 minutes ago, Philander Seabury said:

Nice!  That is a beeyootiful place!  My grandparents lived in southren WV and I loved the drives down there.  US 211 - awesome!  Once in a while I would take Skyline Drive and get off at Steele's Tavern.  What an awesome little mountain crossroads that time forgot.

 

I took this photo from Dickey Ridge:

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

Speaking of camping and Skyline Drive. Back in the 80’s friends of mine would camp at Big Meadows campground on Skyline Drive; on New Years Eve. They went every year for about six to eight years in a row. Big campfire, hot cider, a little drinking but not too much. Another friend and I would drive up to visit but we never stayed the night. Too freaking cold for my tastes.

[Razors Edge ★]

13 minutes ago, Old No. 7 said:

Speaking of camping and Skyline Drive. Back in the 80’s friends of mine would camp at Big Meadows campground on Skyline Drive; on New Years Eve. They went every year for about six to eight years in a row. Big campfire, hot cider, a little drinking but not too much. Another friend and I would drive up to visit but we never stayed the night. Too freaking cold for my tastes.

I felt like Big Meadows was the one campground that stayed open year round, but when we looked at closing times this year, it was on the list along with all the others   Not sure if this is just a COVID measure or if something has changed.  A bit of a bummer, but I get it.

[Zealot]

7 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I felt like Big Meadows was the one campground that stayed open year round, but when we looked at closing times this year, it was on the list along with all the others   Not sure if this is just a COVID measure or if something has changed.  A bit of a bummer, but I get it.

I think it had more do with general funding. The Parks are struggling. 

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

Just now, Zealot said:

I think it had more do with general funding. The Parks are struggling. 

This. Park use was low in winter 🥶 so i believe that the bean counters used that to close the campgrounds. My next birthday I’m eligible to buy the NPS Senior Pass. Oh yeah.

 

[Zealot]

I have backpacked and camped in Roaring Plains Wilderness (just south of the Dolly Sods) in the dead of winter.  You have to pack in because when the snows hit, the roads are impassable and not plowed. 

It’s all wild. Elevation, frigid nights, huge skies and no other people around.  It’s truly amazing. 

[Razors Edge ★]

13 minutes ago, Zealot said:

I think it had more do with general funding. The Parks are struggling. 

"Loved to death" is the challenge    We rolled up to Shenandoah several months ago and our annual pass was expired.  I paid the entrance fee and didn't buy the annual pass since we weren't sure where the COVID thing was headed and if the parks would lock down or not later on.  Anyway, a few weeks later, we were back and I bought the pass.  $30 lost not buying it the firs time, but if it adds to the NPS coffers, so be it.  I'm sure I could have bullied a ranger into prorating the pass or some such, but not really worth it. 

But, yeah, keeping a campground open, even with limited service, is probably way more cost than they can recoup easily.  Hopefully, some of the $$$ from the COVID stimulus actions will help take some of the maintenance issues off the able.