Hello! So I did make a post earlier this month that seemed to gain a lot of traction asking for advice that people wish they knew before their first time camping. But people didn’t really read the content of my post and ended up giving me advice that I already knew from experience or advice that’s wasn’t super helpful so I’ve decided to make a new post to hopefully get the advice I was asking for.

context (who, where, why, when) I’m 20 years old planning everything myself and we are a group around 8-12 college students all ranging from the ages 19-21. We are not hiking any place we are simply car camping. We have 2 potential campsites that we will be staying at in Upstate New York for a Renaissance festival.

We intend on using the campsite as a home base but we will not be spending much time at the campsite besides sleeping and any downtime between the tourist activities we’ll be doing. There is a dollar general and gas station nearby so we will be able to easily access stuff. The campsites both have showers and bathrooms. We will be taking multiple cars around 4-5 cars and carpooling.

The group of people coming are very close knit and trusting of each other we spend basically everyday together. I’m not worried about people paying their share or anything like that. And I’m not scared of them being disrespectful or inconsiderate of other campers around us.

I’m very organized I’ve made google forms requesting emergency contact, food restrictions and allergies, who are they comfortable sharing a tent with, what is their budget, etc. I’ve also made a google doc with a cost breakdown. And I’ve made a google sheet for people to sign up to buy supplies for us to share so that people don’t bring the same things as each other.

I want everyone to have a fun time. some of us have been camping before but for others it would be their first time so what are some camping tips you have based on all the info I gave? Also any money saving tips because we’re broke college students 🙏🏼

A friend is visiting this weekend, and we want to go camp somewhere in the San Gabriels Saturday night. I was hoping to go to Applewhite campground in the Lytle Creek area, but all spots are booked this Saturday.

Does anyone know of a similar vehicle accessible campground around the Los Angeles area (San Gabriel Front Range specifically)? I've done some backpacking in the area but thats not on the table for this weekend unfortunately.

Hi all! I’m running the accommodation program at my local summer camp. I was wondering if there are professionals who happen to have extra resources that may be helpful. For context, the unit handles mostly behavior and crisis management, we also do some accommodation work but resources can be limited. It is a 300 child average per session with around 200 “supported campers” who may require one to one care. It is an outdoor camp so it is not very ADA accessible. I will also be building trainings from scratch. Any tips, learned experiences, or resources are welcome!

Seeking advice specifically on working with 12-15 year old age range as well!

Thanks yall :D

Setting up in the dark and thought I'd try to take a photo. Turned out pretty cool, I think. Near Post, TX

Hi. We live in the Bay Area, and I made the mistake of camping near angel's camp in late July a few years ago and even with the lake, it was way too hot. I know it's just about the warmest time of year, but I guess what I'm looking for are campgrounds less than 3 hours from the Bay Area that are located in the mountains/in cooler areas. All suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!

Hello! My friend and I are looking to go camping in the North Carolina Outer banks this upcoming summer (June or July). I was wondering if people had any recommendations for specific camp grounds? We would be tent camping and are wanting something close to the water if possible! Thank you!

Update: it would also be preferred if the camp ground has showers

30M here, never been camping before and never had any interest. My wife (27F) went growing up, so she is used to it and enjoys it.

She set up this one-night stay at a nearby state park without asking or telling me. It will be us, our 1.5yo child, our dog and my wife’s brother in a tent.

I can’t imagine liking any of it — so SELL me on what you think I’ll enjoy, & how to deal with someone who isn’t interested in camping.

Thinking about bringing a group of 9 of us into the park 9-11am and camping Saturday->Monday. I have an off the beaten path spot I love to camp, almost 4x4 exclusive and when we’ve been it’s empty. But worried just getting through that main gate Memorial Day weekend. Every post has been “obviously you’re going to have a bad time getting in that day, go another day” but anyone know how bad? Like 3 hours waiting to get in? Impossible to get in? Get there before “x” time and it’s a breeze? Looking for any stories and all personal experience/stories you can share!

Thanks gang and happy camping this summer!

???

What do you think about doing solo camping? I guess I would enjoy my time, but dont know about feel loneliness.

EDIT:
I love camping, but I ve always enjoyed camping with friends, making good meals, frinking wine or beer and enjoy nature. But of course, drinking alcohol is mainly a social experience. So I look a bit difficult to enjoy this alone.

OF course I want to give it a chance.

Just went camping for 2 nights with my 3 and 5 year old up in the mountains. We sleep on air mattresses and last time we went we were freezing at night… it was like the mattress air was freezing us. So this time we took a TON of blankets to insulate the mattresses and us. It worked… but the set up and take down was brutal. Are there better types of blankets or gear we can use to minimize the amount we have to bring?

I was thinking about those silver reflective blankets to help retain and keep heat. Would those work on top of an air mattress?

For reference I was in long thermals, sweat pants, jacket, sleeping bag liner, sleeping bag, and under a blanket. I was still chilly at times.

Looking for coastal camping locations in Northern California. Beachside preferably. Anyone know of a good location? All suggestions appreciated.

Hi there! We are thinking about getting a fan for our tent and also that could be used in some cabin “camping” we do from time to time. We are looking for something that would hang from a hook in the tent but also be able to be set up on its own. I would also like it if it had a battery option as well as a rechargeable option, or at least an electrical option. Amazon has a million, so looking for any recs from people who have used them :)

Hey friends, I recently got a 2000wh power station (a cheap one) and unfortunately it emits a high pitched squeal when on. I’m looking for a model that doesn’t emit a percieable high or ultra high pitched frequency when powered on. My understanding is this largely comes down to the components used in the inverters.

I’m considering anker, bluetti (ac200max but I heard it might be too loud) Pecron, EcoFlow & am open to recommendations. Thanks

Hi guys! I’m looking to go camping near sedona for a few nights that possibly has swimming near it, anybody know a place? We’d be down to pay and everything!

My awesome and overused MSR Dragonfly stove started putting out a quarter of the flame it normally does. It was like 1/4 of the pie (flame) was emitting. It also seemed to be emitting raw, unburned fuel/air mixture. I could smell it. Bit fire danger I'm sure. But there was no incident. I seemed to see flame coming from around where the fuel jet screws into the main body of the stove, which looed corroded. I'm the original owner and probably use it more than MSR intended but it's held up fantastically until now. Anyone heard of this problem. It's probably just worn out after three or four years of heavy use. But just checking.

I’m prepping for my first trip of the season next weekend and finally getting around to testing my CPAP against my AC70.

Plugged my cpap in as ac with 95% charge. The humidifier was present but set to 0.

Ran the CPAP for 8 1/2 hours. When I woke up the charge was 59%.

I did mess with the humidifier settings and the power draw went up significantly at the lowest setting.

I recharged the unit to 100% in a little under 2 hours with 2 PV120 solar panels.

Looks like I can safely get 2 nights of operation on a single charge. Which should be enough.

I just got a Coleman Carlsbad 8p tent. It looks to be 15x12x6 overall. In order to provide overhang rain protection for the windows and some frontal “awning” space, what size tarp should I look for??

Is “5mil” thick enough?

I really don’t want a “big blue” tarp, but definitely can’t afford a $300 ultra lite tarp….

TL:DR - Any good backwoods camping spots in Canada within driving distance of Illinois?

Since moving to Chicago from Denver my partner and I have not been camping. Not once. All our gear is just gathering dust. While we lived in Denver drove all over the west and camped in some of the most spectacular places on Earth, mostly in the mountains, BLM land, and back woods spots. The more remote the better. A lot folks we met along the way said the best camping is in Canada. My goal this summer is to make it up to our Sister to the North and soak up some sweet, sweet nature.

Does anyone have any experience camping in Canada? Can anyone recommend a spot or area with a good view and some water within a couple day’s drive of Illinois? Any resources out there that inspired you or other advice?

“May neither drought nor rain nor blizzard disturb the joy juice in your gizzard.”

Any ideas you have for camping that isn’t tucked in between huge RV’s? I’m going second weekend of June. TIA.

I'm looking to purchase a roof top tent for my Jeep this summer. Anyone have a RTT and which style do you have? I'm undecided if i want a automatic pop up or of folding overhang like the one in the picture. What are your pros and cons for your RTT?

My brother and I live far apart, and we'd like to meet somewhere in the middle for a carncamping trip with our families this summer, so I'm looking for recommendations in the Southern Utah area.

Ideally, there would be:

• a cabin option (we have an anxious family member who will likely insist on having a private bathroom)
• if we do get to tent camp, sites that aren't too close together and/or smaller campgrounds. And trees/large bushes for shade.
• water nearby to cool down in the Utah desert heat
• not too crowded (so Zion is out)
• a junior ranger program (b/c my kid is obsessed with collecting badges)
• no or minimal cell service (the whole point is to disconnect and be present together)

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

I've been staying at different campgrounds almost every day for a little over a month now. Saturdays bring out my least favorite crowds. I understand wanting to make a big fire, but when every single site has a huge fire, it can be unbearable when it comes to smoke.

Last night I slept in my SUV to try to escape the nasty feeling of being saturated in smoke. I could still smell the smoke seeping into my car all night, and woke up feeling like I had a smokey film all over me and inside my vehicle.

I've come to prefer skipping the fire entirely so I can wake up feeling fresh and clean. Anyone else prefer camping without a fire?

My boyfriend is always talking about Hodge’s Gardens. It was his favorite place to go camping. I’ve never been, but he’s always telling me how much he wishes he could have taken me there before it shut down in 2017, after the major National Park funding revocation. He is distraught that it closed- to the point that he’s talked about buying the property one day if the family that owns it ever decides to sell.

I would love to find somewhere similar for him. He loved the waterfalls, flowers, and being able to get in the water, as well as the isolation of the area. I know no where will be exactly the same, but I really hope to find somewhere similarly magical. Close to Louisiana is preferable, but not 100% necessary.

Thank you in advance.

I want to go solo camping and found a site nearby (the next town over) for a reasonable price. How many nights should I do and how far in advance should I plan? I've got a small one person tent and a portable lawn chair and coolers. The site has waste and porta-potties (also a tipi and kayak that comes with it). Just wondering outside of food and such, what should I prepare for? I've been camping when I was little but that was ages ago. Wish me luck!

Hi all!

Any tips for buying a small cargo trailer for camping? Like a 4x6 or 4x8 that is enclosed? We found a few sites to buy them through but they are $4,000 which seems so high?! Seems like they weren't always that expensive.

Thanks for the advice!