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I'm 42 and have never been camping. We have tons of great parks and campsites in the area, so I'm debating trying it out this weekend. It will be too cold to sleep out and I'm too scared to try it right away (thanks Criminal Minds) so here's my plan: get out to the campground around 4 or 5. Bring marinated steaks and veggies to grill, firewood and s'more stuff. Cook, have a fire, play cards, and just watch the stars when the sun goes down around 6:30. Sit around for a bit and go home around 8 or 9. Is that almost like camping, or is it just eating outside at night? Any suggestions of other activities? We'd take our dog, so we will definitely hike a little bit too.
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Zone 7a in Virginia -
Hmmmm.... If you have never slept outside overnight, your plan is a decent intro to the outdoors. For me, the quintessential part of camping is sitting around the fire as it slowly burns down to embers and watching for shooting stars. Then, after a nights sleep, getting up in the chill morning to rebuild the fire, make camp coffee, and cooking breakfast.
I haven't camped in years, but when Ilived in Michigan a group of us typically camped for a week every February by an isolated lake in the northern lower peninsula. We brought emergency rations just in case we were really unlucky, but ice-fished and hunted for our food. In the five years we did that, we never broke into the rations...always had plenty of fish and game. Considering the lake effect snows, we never took tents...snow shelters and igloos.
Bryant...Franklin County, VA...Zone 7a. Wish List: a 32 hour day....more sleep -
You could always "camp" in your backyard. That's the way my Dad introduced my brothers and I to camping.
It's familiar and comfortable and you can always go back inside whenever you want.
I think my Dad regretted it a little as we had a rule that we always had to have at least two of us sleeping in the tent and when my brothers were away at camp, it was just my Dad and I.
I think he and I slept outside every night for almost two weeks straight.Last edited by fitzski; 03-02-2016, 08:01 PM.Kevin (Eastern MA - Zone 5b/6a)Comment
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Whatever you do, do not sleep in your car unless it is an RV. You will hate it since it is too small for a human to feel comfortable. Any tent is better , and if you get an inflatable mattress , you are in heaven
USDA z 10a, SoCal. WL: Boysenberry BlushComment
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My most memorable camping experience was on one of those winter camping trips in Michigan. We had welded a bracket on a sledge to hold a firebowl. That let us take wood and build a good-sized fire out on the ice without weakening the ice--it kept the fire a good 8-10" above the ice.
So we had a fire going out in the very center of the lake and we had spudded out 10-15 holes in the ice and had tip-ups out for the fish. I pushed some snow together and made a chaise lounge that was quite comfortable once you laid a couple blankets across it. Pipes and cigars came out as did a bottle of Jim Bean to pass around. Nice and peaceful and we're watching for shooting stars while listening for the little jingle bells that meant a fish was on. On a little after midnight, this glow starts up on the northern horizon. We normally would have turned about that time, but the aurora borealis was the most magnificent any of us had ever seen--it built up from the horizon, past the zenith. And about a third of the way into the southern sky that night.
Ended up we slept in the next morning and Russell and I did not go hunting as planned. That was alright, though. The night had been beautiful and we caught enough fish to eat for a week. Walleye is great cooked on a fire right after its caught.Bryant...Franklin County, VA...Zone 7a. Wish List: a 32 hour day....more sleepComment
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Camping is always beautiful. A sky full of stars is amazing. We always take a horse shoe game. I used to tent camp many years but I always made sure we we took an air mattress to sleep on and a hammock where one could relax & read a good book. I've had way too many close encounters with bears so I no longer tent camp. But, I really do love nature.The embers of a dying fire and a glimpse of a falling star....what more can one ask for in life?Comment
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Actually sarina, you did stay at a camp site for the day which is using camp in the noun form, which is a awesome thing but in the verb form no u did not camp. It is a rely neat thing to do in any form.
DB, do you remember where in mi. Camped my whole life in mi and still do it with my sons.Comment
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A life without camping would be like a life without figs. Not as sweet.
Gary USDA 9A
Sebastopol, CAComment
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Sarina,
What you are describing is called a cookout or evening picnic at the campground; which can still be a good time. I think the backyard camp out sounds like a great idea for you to start with.Calvin, Wish list is to finish working on the new house, someday.
Bored? Grab a rake, paint roller, or a cordless drill and come over!Comment
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Thank you for all of the input, everyone! I'll take photos--we're going tomorrow evening. Hopefully I'll get hubby to fall in love with the peace and quiet and we'll try the full camping experience when it gets a bit warmer out!Zone 7a in VirginiaComment
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Had to share this cool pic of my son and daughter camping in the snow in California.You may only view thumbnails in this gallery. This gallery has 1 photos.WL:1-Bass'FavFig 2-KaryasPrasina3ParatjalRimada
4-CDDPintada 5-Adriano's yellow w/red stripes
6-Luv aka Wolf,I'm really dreaming.Comment
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Oh my gosh y'all--we had the best time!!! For starters, the park itself is very big and well-planned out. It's got a 12-mile loop from the entrance and the campgrounds are smack dab at the 6-miles in point, opposite all of the civilization. It backs onto Quantico so when the sun went down, it was completely dark except for the restroom huts. As far as facilities, each site had a level tent area, a fire pit with grill top, and a parking spot. We got there around 4pm and stayed until about 7pm, so I definitely see what everyone means about how this is really just cooking out. I can't wait to try it again and stay longer!
You may only view thumbnails in this gallery. This gallery has 3 photos.Zone 7a in VirginiaComment
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Glad you'll had fun. It is a good thing the weather was in your favor the first time out and the experience was a good one. A bad experience for a noobe can turn him/her off for ever and that would be a shame cause the outdoors is such a great place.Jerry, Canyon Lake TX 8bComment
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