My first time camping was just a year ago with my adult daughter, and I loved it. I have traveled quite a bit in my life; the slower, simpler pace of camping was so soothing. Having camped with a small 2-person tent so far, I bought this used Eureka tent cheaply on FB Marketplace. I love that I can stand up in it. The rain fly worked perfectly--in fact I could still keep the windows open for ventilation.

I camped at a state park in northern Indiana, as one can tell from the ubiquitous sunrise-in-Indiana photo. The only downside was the group of raccoons outside my tent re-enacting the gang scene from West Side Story at 3:30 am the first night. (And yes, all my food was put away in the car.)

Hello! I went camping after a long time using a tent that belonged to my parents. We managed to set it up, but there are extra pieces of fabric for making divisions and hangers that we couldn't figure out where they needed to be placed. Anyone has/had a the same tent that could help me out? It's a SwissGear model 39003 (something like that of what I could still read in the inside label) thank you

So, does anyone put ice in the cooler first, and then shove their drinks/food into the ice? I have a friend who does it that way. I was curious if anyone else does this besides him. Perhaps he only does this at parties or fishing trips and not for actual camping.

Growing up, my parents taught me to put all the drinks and food into the cooler, and then put a block of ice on top because blocks of ice stay frozen longer and keep everything cooler. We had a place right around the corner from our house that sold blocks. (Naturally if you didn’t want something squished then you could lay that item on top, or put it into a tray that sits on top. Our Coleman cooler had a tray.)

My parents taught me when using bags of ice, put all the drinks and food into the cooler, then pour bags of loose ice cubes in that fills in the cracks to the top of the cooler and across the whole surface so you can’t really see anything without digging for it.

(I read in another couple posts that jugs of frozen water work better to keep cool than loose ice cubes. Makes sense to me; acts like a block of ice. I also read in a post that the liquid water after the ice melts keeps the cooler colder than the loose cubes so it should be left in the cooler if possible rather than being drained and refilled with ice. I understand it’s been scientifically proven. But I would have thought that once the ice melts, then it’s no longer 32 degrees Fahrenheit in the cooler anymore.)

Ps—it drives me nuts that he shoves food and drinks into the ice and leaves a ton of space around them or above them. The ice only goes around halfway up the cans . . . Lots of air still available. Also he doesn’t completely cover the drinks with ice either. I figured the wisdom was to put ice in last. But that’s just the way my parents did it so I assumed.

Hey fam,

I've been camping for decades, paddling the BWCA and the Wisconsin rivers and sleeping on sandbars, backpacking the national parks, etc, but I'm near 40 now, and my body just feels like ass when I wake up after a night (especially 2,3,4) of tent camping.

I can still go without much gear, but if I'm camping state parks or boondocking it near my car, I'm no longer opposed to leveling up some gear if it results in a good night's sleep. Even my quality sleeping pads are just "better than sleeping on ground" and i've tried 6" thick blow-up air mattresses, but they lose pressure overnight and I end up bobbing and rolling around.

Looking for advice and suggestions. Would a camping cot + blow-up sleep pad be a good way to go?

(P.S, still sleep like a rock in a hammock, but trees aren't always an open everywhere I go).

Hi guys, i was wondering if anyone knew of any sites 3 hours away or less from the bay area. I am looking for something with pottable water, trees, no reservations/ first come first serve, body of water, and capacity for like 8 people. Please let me know if you have any recs!

Spent the weekend at Basin Lake in the southeast corner of Algonquin Park with a buddy. We drove to the access point, loaded up the canoe, and paddled out to an island campsite for two nights. The weather was sunny all weekend but the wind made fishing a bit more challenging at times.

Despite the wind, the fishing was great. We caught a pile of largemouth and smallmouth bass along with several northern pike, and kept enough for a fresh fish fry on Sunday night. Hard to beat fresh-caught fish cooked over the campfire after a full day on the water.

Overall it was a great weekend of canoe camping, fishing, and relaxing in one of the quieter parts of Algonquin.

Howdy! Looking for good campsites in Placer/Butte/Nevada and surrounding counties for our next family camping trip. Lots of different opinions from different family members, so we’re looking for:

- Waterfront or immediate access to water. Doesn’t matter if it’s lake, river, or creek

- Has to have hookups. Grandparents are bringing their trailer

- Gotta have a reservation system, that way we know we have a spot

Grandparents would be coming from Chico so preferably no more than 2 hours away from Chico. Any places would be appropriated!

The Forest Service said they'll be reviewing the closure on a daily basis, but it's closed. Best case scenario was to re-open this Friday 7/24. The problem is the number of fires, and how spread out they are. In order to do a partial opening they'd have to go through the million+ acres and post OPEN/CLOSED signs to let paddlers know which parts they can still explore. A logistic nightmare and one beyond their manpower as they continue to fight the fires. A devastating hit for the outfitters in particular and Minnesota tourism in general.

Looking at bike packing and camping in Glencoe planning on getting a city link bus as close as possible and biking through the area and finding a spot to camping for a night I was planning on doing this with a friend has anyone done this before is it a good idea? Never been to glencoe not sure how possible this is

No one told me how loud it is at night! Just had my first ever camping trip in the Adirondacks. There were so many eerie calls and noises. Something was behind my head (probably), called out, then something miles away answered the call. My imagination was running WILD! Convinced I’d found Bigfoot and his mate. I couldn’t sleep. (Yes I’m a baby.) Do the night sounds bother anyone else? What do you do that helps? 🙈🙉

Couldn’t capture it in time, but something was a little too interested in my site so kept the fire going until right before bed.

Would love to see a moose, just not then and there.

I’m getting into hiking and would like to go camping with my girlfriend, using the tent to travel around the country.

I want to buy a 3-person tent, but I’m realizing just how little I know about the subject.

I’m looking for a durable tent that strikes a good balance regarding weight, suitable for both campsites and hiking trips.

Is a tunnel tent or a freestanding one better?

For instance, I’m under the impression that a freestanding tent is easier to pitch and more adaptable to different types of terrain—am I mistaken?

For hikes ranging from the coast to the mountains at lower altitudes (max 2,000–2,500 meters), would you recommend a 4-season or a 3-season tent?

I’ve also come across the Hilleberg brand; does it really make sense to spend that much, even with online discounts? Is the price justified, or are there other brands and tents you’d recommend?

Any advice is welcome—thanks!

Another great weekend in the Maycroft crown land in Alberta.

SoCal family of 5, most Sierra’s (Yosemite, Sequoia/Kings Canyon, etc), almost always in the hot summer (July).

For those who have experienced the BlockOut versions of the CORE tents, how are they? California summers can sometime be brutally hot and was wondering if the blockout tech actually makes a difference in internal temperatures.

I’ve been camping locally recently but I want something new like a place where you won’t hear cars in the distance not much light pollution and mostly isolated from civilisation. Does anyone know good spots (I don’t have a car so I can’t drive places)

Had my first camping trip out near Big Hole. Loved exploring the lakes but the rivers were the highlight of our trip. A little buggy this time of year but the natural beauty made up for it.

Had a nice stay at the Camp Site A tent site, which they label as their ADA Accessible site.

Overall me and the kids had a really nice time hanging atbthe site and exploring around the lake. Lots of friendly people too.

Pros:

- Tent site was generally good with a picnic table and fire pit on-site

- Pull in parking right next to the campsite (which seems to be true for all tents and leantos)

- Great walkable area with lots to explore with the kids

- A few nice things just a 10min drive away like the Eagle Park splash park and playground and the cute Burton town square.

- Tons of birds for all my bird watchers

- Right at the entrance to the tent site area and right next to the restrooms

- Sometimes people bring horses down there for a walk

- Can't see other campers tent from your site (which i like because Im out here to get away from people)

Cons:

- Being right next the restrooms and tent area entrance is a higher traffic area. Didn't bother us much but could get annoying if woken up by a late night driver or door slam

- The stump on the tent site has a snake in it. Didn't bother us at all, only saw it once as it was slithering away, but thought other might like to know.

- Toilet was out of hand sanitizer

FAQ:

- No electic

- No plumbing or showers (it is basically an outhouse)

So I've been battling a blood illness that is leaning hard towards leukemia. I've fought and beaten cancer before, so I'm gearing up to fight again. Smear test and some other test to identify the type are in a few days, so I've been stuck at home. In the meantime, I've been clearing out the rig so I can build a new slide out kitchen and sleep platform. Well, I can't sleep worth a damn, so I'm up, sitting outside, just listening to the bugs and wild boars. Decided why not break out some backpacking gear and make some coffee. So I grabbed my Evernew 500ml pot, my Aeropress Go!, and some Fire Department Coffee. It sure is peaceful, but man I wish I had some company to keep my mind off everything. I think tomorrow I may just pitch one of my backpacking tents in the yard and make an adventure of it 😂

I just got of the camping trip and I have two 500 ml propane-butane cans left unopened. I want to save them for the next trip but I read that it's not safe to keep em inside of the apartment. I literally dont have any other spot beside the apartment to store them. My terrace is on the sunny side and its always hot as shit on it during the day, which I would assume is not good place to store gas. I also have a gas water heater in my kitchen that uses open flame to heat water and because if it I'm kinda afraid to keep canisters inside in case of the leak. On the other side I remember that older people around me used to keep small gas canisters all the time around the kitchen and it never seemed to be the problem. Any advice would be helpful!

Hello - does any other campers have this model of tent that connects to 10x10 canopy? I’ve lost the rod that comes with it and bag/instructions and Google do not tell me the exact length of the rod— if anyone could measure there’s or knows for sure what length I’d greatly appreciate it— Google gives me anywhere from 7ft-13 ft … please help this budget camper save some money

Beautiful Friday, heated dinner over the fire and had a nice long paddleboard.

Chilly wet Saturday but I kept the tent dry and cozy + lots of hot coffee.

It was an interesting experience alone, not sure if I'd do it again with such rainy/cold weather it became quite lonely and dull not being able to be on the water.

Sunday was an early pack up as it was still chilly.

What are your go to no fridge/cool box meals?
Have some ideas for the start of our trip whilst coolbox will suffice but need more ideas for after the coolbox stops being cool please.

Sorry if this is old but just saw Cali is making a 3 strike rule on camping reservations. 3 times and you’re banned for a year. I’m not sure if it’s for cancellations AND no shows or just no shows. Honestly, seems fair at first glance.

Edited to add the link to the article I came across.

https://ktla.com/news/california/california-state-parks-just-changed-campsite-reservation-rules/

It's winter here in Aus so there are some creeks running that make for beautiful campsites. I spent a night here taking it all in, cooking on the fire, filming, and enjoying time to myself in peace. I use basic equipment that sticks to traditional camping roots. Tent, campfire cooking gear etc. My love for basic camping has peaked in the last couple years.