Author Topic: 2016 camping plans  (Read 6105 times)

gaja

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2016 camping plans
« on: January 20, 2016, 10:24:01 AM »
We have started planning this year's camping trip, and I wanted to start a thread where more and less experienced campers can share ideas, tips, and dreams. Are you planning any longer or shorter trips this year? Do you have dreams for when you are FIRE'd? Where did you have the best camping experience of your life, and what happened when things didn't go according to plan? What type of gear do you have, and what do you leave at home (or didn't buy at all)? Do you prefer to camp in tents, campervan, caravan, or a gigantic offroad bus?

Our setup is an Nissan eNV200 (electric) that we use as a campervan in the summer time and normal family car the rest of the year. We did Iceland and the Faroes last year, now we are dreaming about Sweden, Åland, Finland and Sapmi (the Sami territories in the north of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia). The car is small, and my husband is not fond of long camping trips, so it will be the girl's and me.

-Cooking: We are using a cheap propane stove. The principle of using fossil fuels, when the car is fossil free, irks me. Also, the stove we have is very inefficient. Until we pass the polar circle, there will be plenty of wood around us, and I would love to use something like a rocket stove or TLUD. The biolite (http://www.biolitestove.com/) is beautiful, but very pricey and gadgety. There are plenty of DIY recipes online to make these, and DH is sketching some plans based on a stove pipe elbow. I'm a bit unsure about the safety or the homemade solutions, but that could probably be fixed.

-Sleeping: The three of us are sharing a 120x200 cm matrass. It is snug, but not uncomfortable. We would however love to test a hammock for the oldest child, I think she would really like it. But good hammocks are expensive, and with the nordic weather she needs a mosquito net and rain cover. I'm looking at the Hennessy, or Dovrefjell Wilderness, but I really don't know enough about these things.

-Planning: 5200 km, when we have to stop every 100 km to charge the car, is a long trip. And there is soooo much to see! Lofoten, glaciers, Finland - the land of a thousand lakes, Nordkapp, saunas, Tromsø, the Sami parliament, the old town in Stockholm, Moominworld, etc.

mamagoose

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2016, 02:18:34 PM »
That's much more hardcore than our camping trips. We just take 1-2 night trips locally in our state (young kids in tow), usually paired with some kind of hike or swimming in the springs. We go about once a month though, instead of one long mega-trek. Once FIRE comes around there's a good chance we'll do a whole summer in Yellowstone, and a whole summer in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

madamwitty

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2016, 04:31:18 PM »
How old are your girls? We are planning a road trip this summer to visit family, and I am considering g camping along the way. But it seems daunting with my youngest being <2 years old. We've had such trouble getting her to sleep in the past, and I am not sure I want to make the road trip more complicated.

I'll be interested to hear more about your plans.

clairebonk

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2016, 03:42:27 PM »
I want to take my kids on a longer backpacking trip. They will be 3 and 10 months this summer. Any mosquito-free lakes in NoCal?

gaja

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2016, 04:47:37 AM »
That's much more hardcore than our camping trips. We just take 1-2 night trips locally in our state (young kids in tow), usually paired with some kind of hike or swimming in the springs. We go about once a month though, instead of one long mega-trek. Once FIRE comes around there's a good chance we'll do a whole summer in Yellowstone, and a whole summer in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

I hear a lot of Americans talking about Yellowstone, and that one is on our "to see" list. Never thought about camping in Hawaii, that sounds like a really good plan! Building up the endurance is the way to do it, that way you can adjust as you learn new stuff.

How old are your girls? We are planning a road trip this summer to visit family, and I am considering g camping along the way. But it seems daunting with my youngest being <2 years old. We've had such trouble getting her to sleep in the past, and I am not sure I want to make the road trip more complicated.

I'll be interested to hear more about your plans.

My girls are 8 and 9, they were 6 and 7 when we did the first long trek. Before that, we were happy at home during the summer, visiting family an hour away, and tenting in the back yard. I must admit I breathed a big sigh of relief when both kids were >3 years old. That age between 1 and 2 when they have speed but no fear; you always have to keep on your toes and watch their every move. Also; diapers. That said, there are a lot of people who manage. I would probably test the kids and equipment at a local fenced in camping ground, where there is water and electricity, before you travel 100 miles and find out it was a bad idea.

We are planning equipment for the van now. Have gotten some quotes for a 250 W solar panel system that could easily take care of cooking, heating and suchlike. It is ultra thin and fits closely to the roof, so is shouldn't add much to the air resistance. It is probably a better idea than the wood fuelled rocket stove we experimented with last weekend. The heat from that thing was laughable.

MayDay

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2016, 11:48:04 AM »
Plans: 

Several local weekend trips, not fully planned yet.  Probably Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and something in West Virginia. 

Big trip:  North Shore of MN for 5-7 days.  Kids and I will drive out beforehand and see my parents (on the way).  H will fly to MSP and meet us there.  We used to go up every year, then moved away.  I miss it so much! 

Set-up:
One very tight 4 man tent, we barely fit.  I got a hammock for xmas, so we may try it out this summer if it is dry.  I don't have the rain fly for it.  We do foam pads and bags on the floor, no mattresses.  In a year or so we will probably buy a 6 man tent.

Stove:  std. coleman camping stove.  We use about 1/2 a canister of propane per year, so unless we take up backpacking it isn't worth changing.

1 small cooler- we have to stock up a lot.  Maybe someday we will get a bigger cooler. Then one rubbermaid tub of dry goods food. 

We have 4 folding camp chairs, just the cheapy kind.  My brother has fancy tiny REI ones, but they are so flimsy that I think we would break them. 

Thats about it.  We can no longer fit all 4 of us camping in the Civic, so we take the van now.  Added bonus anyway because we can fit bikes!  I love that.  Kids are much happier when they can bike. 

YK-Phil

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2016, 12:05:50 PM »

-Planning: 5200 km, when we have to stop every 100 km to charge the car, is a long trip. And there is soooo much to see! Lofoten, glaciers, Finland - the land of a thousand lakes, Nordkapp, saunas, Tromsø, the Sami parliament, the old town in Stockholm, Moominworld, etc.

This sounds like a fantastic camping trip. This van is awesome for short driving distances, but with such a short range typical of e-vehicles, I am curious about how you plan to recharge the battery, knowing that a full recharge may take between 4 to 12 hours depending on the amp rating of the supply if you don't have easy access to a charging point.

Dee18

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2016, 08:03:07 PM »
My daughter and I will camp on part of our vacation to Colorado and PNW this summer.  We have a 3 person tent, sleeping bags, pads, and  a few utensils. We will be flying out west so our gear has to be light and fit into our duffles.  I love mixing camping in with staying with friends and a couple hotel nights. 

gaja

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2016, 03:15:02 PM »

-Planning: 5200 km, when we have to stop every 100 km to charge the car, is a long trip. And there is soooo much to see! Lofoten, glaciers, Finland - the land of a thousand lakes, Nordkapp, saunas, Tromsø, the Sami parliament, the old town in Stockholm, Moominworld, etc.

This sounds like a fantastic camping trip. This van is awesome for short driving distances, but with such a short range typical of e-vehicles, I am curious about how you plan to recharge the battery, knowing that a full recharge may take between 4 to 12 hours depending on the amp rating of the supply if you don't have easy access to a charging point.

Those 4-12 hours are when the holiday takes place. We plug the van into the closest plug we can find, and charge the van while we visit a museum, eat a late breakfast, look at the view, enjoy a playground, take a nap, etc. At night, we normally charge at camping sites while we sleep. Charging at a rapid takes me 10-30 minutes. Charging at a normal socket takes me ten second (=the time I spend plugging in the van).

YK-Phil

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2016, 03:37:02 PM »

-Planning: 5200 km, when we have to stop every 100 km to charge the car, is a long trip. And there is soooo much to see! Lofoten, glaciers, Finland - the land of a thousand lakes, Nordkapp, saunas, Tromsø, the Sami parliament, the old town in Stockholm, Moominworld, etc.

This sounds like a fantastic camping trip. This van is awesome for short driving distances, but with such a short range typical of e-vehicles, I am curious about how you plan to recharge the battery, knowing that a full recharge may take between 4 to 12 hours depending on the amp rating of the supply if you don't have easy access to a charging point.

Those 4-12 hours are when the holiday takes place. We plug the van into the closest plug we can find, and charge the van while we visit a museum, eat a late breakfast, look at the view, enjoy a playground, take a nap, etc. At night, we normally charge at camping sites while we sleep. Charging at a rapid takes me 10-30 minutes. Charging at a normal socket takes me ten second (=the time I spend plugging in the van).

Right, and I just started reading your lovely blog, and realized you are in a more civilized part of the world :D

asauer

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2016, 08:02:35 AM »
You all have such good ideas.  I'm loving this thread!  We're planning a few tent camping trips this year- all in North Carolina and South Carolina but we're hoping to make one of them a 3 day backpacking trip.  Our kids are both 9 and have done overnight backpacking but nothing longer.  We're going to take it slow and steady.

PS- if none of you have camped on the Outer Banks in NC or in Great Smokies Ntl park- it is awesome!

emilypsf

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2016, 03:15:58 PM »
Our kids are 4 and 2 and have been camping several times.  We mostly visit local state parks, usually with some friends.  This year we are doing several in the Santa Cruz Mountains and will probably do a trip to Marin County in March.  I'm also thinking a long labor day weekend trip to a beach site.

We try to find places with a nice creek or a bike path.  Our kids will play in a creek for hours.

MicroRN

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2016, 09:34:49 PM »
Slightly older thread, I know, but I'd like to see this one survive.  I really wanted to get the kids camping last year, and we just never got to it with everything we had going on.  We've been doing a lot of short hikes, about 2 hours long, at least once a week.  My kids are 3 and 4, and I'm working on teaching them to follow trails, and also training them what to do with their emergency packs (food, water, whistle, flashlight, space blanket, rain poncho), and to do things like stay still if separated.  I'd love to hear what everyone else is up to, because it'll motivate me to get us out there!

cbgg

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2016, 04:21:43 PM »
I love this thread.  My DH and I love to camp and pursue other outdoor activities - it's one of the main things we love to do together.

Historically we have mainly focused on backcountry camping rather than car camping.  However, I'm currently rehab-ing from back surgery, so we're planning to do a little more car camping this year as I continue to get back to 100%. 

Best trips ever
There have been so many
  • Canoeing Black Canyon, just below the Hoover Damn on the NV/AZ border.  You guys, it's FULL of natural hot springs.  So amazing.
  • Chartering a sea plane to hike a remote part of Vancouver Island for a week
  • So, so many nights spent overlooking a million dollar view from my tent site for something close to $0
  • Swimming naked in the moonlight in a little lake above Lake Tahoe
  • And just so many other times.  Beautiful views, isolated places, starry skies, and a great sense of accomplishment.

Our set up - backcountry

We use a light weight two man tent from Tarptent and a Jetboil stove.  We use the "cooking koozy" approach to cooking and get most of our recipes from the book "Ultralight Backpacking" by Mike Clelland, which I highly recommend.  We both use Thermarest Neoair mattresses, which are a great combo of light and comfortable. 

Our set up - car camping

When we car camp we set our Honda Element up like a little camper.  We use a Rocket Box up top and remove the backseats and sleep in the back.  It's really cozy and we like it a lot! I think it's too bad that Honda stopped making new Elements, they are great cars.

2016 Plans

My DH and I were just working on our 2016 plans.  We now live in Northern California and plan to do a bunch of small trips around here this summer.  Destinations include
 - Mount Tam (hiking)
 - Mount Diablo (hiking & biking)
 - Point Reyes (kayaking)
 - A few spots around Tahoe area (hiking and paddling)
 - Big Bear (hiking & mountain biking)
 - And the big finisher...next spring/summer we plan to do a guided paddling trip on the Grand Canyon! 
« Last Edit: April 11, 2016, 04:29:18 PM by cbgg »

SEAK

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2016, 10:20:51 AM »
We live in Juneau, Alaska with our 9 and 7 year old kids. Most summers we spend sea kayak camping, backpacking camping at local beaches, backpack camping to State and Forest Service cabins, and car camping at campgrounds in the Yukon Territories (awesome!).

This year will be more of the same with a possible backpack caribou hunt in Interior Alaska and a canoe trip down the Green River in Utah thrown into the mix.


Cognitive Miser

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #15 on: April 13, 2016, 12:42:48 PM »
My in-laws bought a toy hauler last year and brought motorcycles down to visit us in Colorado for a week-long camping trip.  We parked the bikes outside overnight and slept in the "garage" with our 1-year old in his pack and play.  We stayed mostly in Ouray with one night at the Sand Dunes and one night in (I forget... along I-70, I think near Glenwood Springs?).  I loved not having to accumulate real camping gear, and partaking of the generosity of family is wonderful.  We paid all the campsite fees and bought a bunch of food and a couple of tanks of gas in return.  The toy hauler has a small fridge and we supplemented with a couple of coolers, grilling out at our campsite for most dinners.

We'll do the same this year, focusing on a campsite in a different part of the state.  I'll be in my 3rd trimester so no bike rides for me, but at least I got to ride the Million Dollar Highway last year!

Slow&Steady

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #16 on: April 13, 2016, 03:01:52 PM »
We are planning our 1st camping trip with our 2 year old this summer.  The plan is to stick to car camping and start with a 2-3 night trip to a state park that isn't more than 3-4 hour drive.  We actually got the tent and sleeping bags out and set them up to "air" out last weekend.  Our little girl loved playing in the tent and with the sleeping bags.  We have a fire pit on in the back that we will probably start using to here soon to teach her some ground rules when she is around fire.

We try to get out and do some form of hiking weekly but the longest we have done with her is 5.5 miles and she was carried at least a couple of those miles so it will probably be a while before we do any backpack camping.

Homey The Clown

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Re: 2016 camping plans
« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2016, 10:43:33 PM »
We mix it up when we go camping. Our first trip this year was to a park in South Georgia that has a playground, small train, bmx track, hiking trails, and a zoo. It's true tent camping, but not primitive by any stretch. Then I rode bikes with my 5 and 3 year old (younger on the back) and some friends 8 miles south to a small pond in the woods and camped out. This was very primitive, no bathrooms or water besides the pond. In two weeks we'll camp for 3 nights at the beach and the weekend after that we'll do an overnight canoe camping trip.

The bike and canoe camping are the first non car camping trips we've taken the kids on, but they've done a bunch of car camping. Last summer we drove from Florida to Michigan and camped every night of the drive up and back except one. The kids love camping and are always stoked to go. I'm hoping to do the first (short) backpacking trip with them this fall, maybe 2 miles in and out. I'm thinking the older one can carry a day pack with some snacks and clothes and the younger I'll just be happy if I don't have to carry.