Camping anyone?

[TIMBERWOLF]

I thought you might be in Houston with your name like me but its been so nice here and actually cool today. We love to go camping around this time, unfortunate my lady is getting ready for surgery next week so we won't be camping till this next spring.
We go camping at Rainbow ranch. Where are you at?
TIMBER

Originally Posted by HoustonHuny

Right now it doesn't feel much like camping. The sun is so hot in Texas and there is no shade, so you have to close the blinds and turn on the air-conditioner and play on the puter.

[HoustonHuny]

Originally Posted by TIMBERWOLF

I thought you might be in Houston with your name like me but its been so nice here and actually cool today. We love to go camping around this time, unfortunate my lady is getting ready for surgery next week so we won't be camping till this next spring.
We go camping at Rainbow ranch. Where are you at?
TIMBER

Yes, it was cool today...last night I had the furnace running and today I had the air-conditioner running. That's just crazy! I am staying in Galveston right now on the beach but I go to Houston for work soon.

Good luck to your "lady" on her surgery!
What is "Rainbow Ranch"

[TIMBERWOLF]

Love to go fishing at Galveston.That pier at 61st street is a lot of fun. Rainbow ranch is a Gay and Lesbian campground that sits on Limestone lake http://www.rainbowranch.net/new/ is the link to it. How long are you going to be here. What type of work do you do?
TIMBER

[HoustonHuny]

Originally Posted by princessbelle

YES!!!!!!! Walking around with a flashlight at night, scuffling through the leaves. Cool weather where a light jacket is needed, barely seeing your breath in the moonlight. Camp fire, or fireplace fire, marshmallows, hot chocolate and hot dogs. Just about any food when you are camping is freaking delicious.

Hair in a pony tail, no makeup, over sized lumberjack shirts. Not caring bout how you look at all.

Meeting other peeps in the campground, from all over the world. Creeks, ice cold water to wash out your dishes. Breakfast with eggs and bacon and hot coffee.

Ah....heaven

You are a Femme after my own heart...who knows how to let her hair down. (and don't we look cute in our ponytails and lumberjack shirts) The Smoky mountains are so beautiful! I grew up taking trips down the Blue Ridge Parkway and then I moved to the PNW....the mountains there are so different, bigger, colder and not so cozy. Once you get the great Smoky Mountains in your blood, no other mountains will do! I would love to join you in Gatlinburg

[HoustonHuny]

Originally Posted by TIMBERWOLF

Love to go fishing at Galveston.That pier at 61st street is a lot of fun. Rainbow ranch is a Gay and Lesbian campground that sits on Limestone lake http://www.rainbowranch.net/new/ is the link to it. How long are you going to be here. What type of work do you do?
TIMBER

Lordy, last weekend they had the "Lone Star Rally" in Galveston. There was something like 400,000 bikers. They were everywhere. It was sorta like the Monarch Butterfly migration...NOT! I am not against bikers but talk about noisy! Thanks for the info on Rainbow ranch, I will certainly look into it.

I am semi-retired, but I do some consulting work partime. Mostly, I just assess the situation and then give my opinion on how to fix it,and people pay me for my opinion. Imagine that? I would never have thought in all my working years that my opinion would be so valuable someday

[Thinker]

Bumping this up too...

We're camping fans. We've got a cute-ass vintage travel trailer we stay in and are in the market for something a little bigger, so we can start boondocking.

We also bought 10 acres a little to the north of where we live. We are in the beginning stages of clearing that land, so we can build our forever home on it someday.

For now, we're keeping our trailers out there (I like to refurbish vintage ones); and I recently built a little deck outside of our Aloha....the one we camp in. I'm working on a firepit now, so we'll actually be able to "camp" on our land on weekends when we're clearing sagebrush.

Would love to revive this and steal tips from other campers!! I'm gonna go back now and read the thread from the beginning.

Happy camping!

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by Medusa

Incubus - That meadow is GORGEOUS!

It had been a long time since I tent-camped but I knew we had to have an air mattress because my big ass isn't sleeping on the ground.

Planned for our next camping trip (hopefully the first of September since it's a bazillion degrees here and the low temperature at night is 90!):

12-person tent
air-mattress
our camping chairs
lanterns
our "living room" screen that goes around the picnic table
my outdoor rug
various tarps, ropes, etc.
ice chest with yummy camping food
water container, dishes, etc.
fishing equipment

I want to try some new recipes when we go but Jackhammer has demanded that I make the teriyaki shish-k-bobs again and I'm sure we'll have the "Cowboy Breakfast" again! Tummy is already growling!

Oooooo... I love lists. I make many. If anyone else has theirs handy, I'd love to see 'em!!

Medusa, I honestly never thought to put a screened room *around* the picnic table. Thanks!!

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

I LOVE CAMPING. However in the recent breakup I took no camping gear because I moved into a much smaller place.

But I do teach a shamanic wilderness retreat for going on 11 years now. It is rough camping - read as only an outhouse!! This year it is Aug 18 - 22.

So, these days I camp light - 1 stove; two pots; two of the rest; a tent; sleeping bag and a cot- I am not sleeping on any ground ever again... my aging hips are like...ahhh are you kidding us?? Oh and a small cooler. Everything I need fits into the back of my hatchback Focus. Eating mostly raw food gives me an advantage I don't have to worry about meat spoiling!! yeah me!! I need the stove for my coffee extravaganza... I mean people wanna live right??

You're my dream camper!!! I'm going to have to start practicing making coffee withOUT electricity......you know....just in case. Coffee is a must.

Originally Posted by HoustonHuny

I have camped all my life in all sorts of ways, tents, vans, travel trailers. This year I bought a class A motor home (not new) and moved from a two-bedroom house to an RV. All of my material things were either sold, given away or tossed, except for a small box of pictures and a few items of clothing and some kitchen items and bedding. It was very freeing.

I am now a full-timer and am working my way across the US. My plan is to live at Sam's Town in Las Vegas for the rest of my life. *kidding*

Wanna swap camping stories?

Living the dream!!! Good for you!

[Medusa]

Well thank goodness! I was wondering if there was a thread for camping!

Jackhammer and I have a little camping trip planned in a couple of weeks. We are going to float the Buffalo river and stay overnight at a rough campground for a couple of nights.

This will be "roughing it" type camping. No electricity or water at the site and we are going with a tent instead of a camper.

Needless to say, huge transition for us since getting rid of our camper 3 years ago to be going in a tent but I kinda love tent camping.

We always take a tent that is much larger than we need, a queen sized air mattress, a battery operated fan, and more supplies than you can shake a stick at.

Super excited!

[Teddybear]

my baby and I are going to be doing just a one nite camping in gettysburg, pa this week. It will be our first of many camping trips. We have one planned for the beach in july. I cant wait for that one either. I look for to all time I get to spend with her

[starryeyes]

No thanks! Unless there is a camper and a shower :-)

[cara]

I went camping a lot with my family as a child, but not so much as an adult. One of my goals this year is purchase basic camp supplies for a weekend camping trip. So far, I've been able to borrow a lot of what I need from my parents, co-workers, and friends. I've been purchasing things slowly since I don't camp all that often--once or twice a year, so far. Next on my list are a small tent, sleeping pad, and a rain jacket to match the pants I already own.

I just got back from my first camping trip of the year yesterday. It was fun! Very rustic campground--no running water, plumbing or electricity, pack-in/pack-out type place. Looking forward to the next planned camping trip (early September). I love the smell of a campfire and love taking a time out in nature away from the stresses of life and electronics.

[deedarino]

I adore camping and have a trip planned in two weeks! At the beach!

There is nothing better than sitting around a campfire and sleeping under the stars...

[The Oopster]

Living in a camper up in the El Dorado Forest til the end of Semptember!

By far not roughing it, but still an adjustment!

It's been fun but also has had it's challenges!

Thank god I got hooked up to the camps propane tank Friday! Cold front went through and been raining all day! One weekend of roughing it without heat was enough!

It has been interesting coming up with a new routine based around what foods are easiest to store, up to know having a dorm size fridge, taking trash out whenever I go to sleep or leave camp. Washing dishes before bed or whenever I leave camp. If they are small I stash them in the fridge to wash later. Washing out of a sink most nights then when i'm in the area of the showers I"ll take one there!

I've really enjoyed my neighbors and the various people that work on this forest. Probably hung out in the info lodge for an hour today just hanging with some of the rangers!

[genghisfawn]

My friends' daughter is 13 and a serious Scout and EcoQuester. She has the best gear and will rent it to me for $20/weekend (sweet deal for both of us.)

I don't have gear since I moved away a few years ago, but hers will do.

I like rough camping, and I plan on doing it a few times this summer, but I think I'll wait until tick season is over because I have nobody to help check me!

[The Oopster]

What is really interesting is a majority of the rangers/forest workers I have seen in the district I am living in are female.

I have no clue how many are of the LGBTQI....... community. I'm not even going to try to figure it out. I have no idea if any of them have figured me out either. Unfortunately I had to pay for the site myself before getting reimbursed so I had to use my legal name. So it is out there. Also when talking about my ex I get tired to the pronoun game so who knows what they think!

I have no clue what the other areas of the forest are like yet but the one i am in is pretty cool!

[Medusa]

One of my oldest friends and her husband retired and sold everything they owned and bought a brand new dually diesel truck and trailer. They are still traveling the United States and spending up to a month at a time at their favorite spots.

With the advent of easy internet access and their DirecTV satellite being mobile, they are basically enjoying all the comforts of home (wherever they choose to park it!)

I must admit that I am super intrigued by this.

Elise tells me wonderful stories of finding amazing little micro-communities where "boondockers" have organized craft nights and pot lucks around their traveling home communities.


Needless to say, LOVE that.

[The Oopster]

Originally Posted by Medusa

One of my oldest friends and her husband retired and sold everything they owned and bought a brand new dually diesel truck and trailer. They are still traveling the United States and spending up to a month at a time at their favorite spots.

With the advent of easy internet access and their DirecTV satellite being mobile, they are basically enjoying all the comforts of home (wherever they choose to park it!)

I must admit that I am super intrigued by this.

Elise tells me wonderful stories of finding amazing little micro-communities where "boondockers" have organized craft nights and pot lucks around their traveling home communities.


Needless to say, LOVE that.

A lot of the people up here working for American Leisure do that! I'm the only one in our work camp without sometype of satellite! However I do have internet access using my cell phone as a hotspot! I had to partially for work!

They don't make a lot of money yet at the same time they get their spot free and do make some!

No craft nights here though! Everyone is in their camper watching tv!

[blush]

I don't camp. I spent six weeks in Costa Rician rainforest in college in primitive camping conditions. Roaches the size of my hand.
I might be persuaded by this:

[Medusa]

Note to self: Next Reunion in the Arkansas mountains with Blush's tent filled with special treats!

[cara]

Originally Posted by Medusa

Note to self: Next Reunion in the Arkansas mountains with Blush's tent filled with special treats!

I second that statement!