Da Camping Thread

[Benicio El Toro]

As someone with a camper shell on my truck, I highly suggest having something else. It's great don't get me wrong but it's a inconvenience having to climb out of the gate to take a piss in the middle of the night. Also sucks not being able to get to the cab from the bed. 

I've got my eyes set one of the Chevy vans that have a LS motor. Their just impenetrable engines. I've know people to do the wagon thing and I'm interested, just hard to find a reasonably priced usa (union) made wagon. 

Got a soft spot for the rsx. Pretty car pretty car
Edit-poor grammar

[skateboardnorth]

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i fucking hate bushcraft shit. grown men cosplaying survival situations, rarely using deadfall, cutting down trees to make a 'shelter' mostly for youtube/social media clicks.

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I hear ya man.  Most of them are pretty fake and make up dramatic scenarios.  To address cutting down trees, my buddy in this video actually makes a point saying how he only uses one single green tree for his ridgeline because of the strength that is needed for the shelter.  The rest of the trees were dead standing trees from a swamp.  He also advocates for dispersing the camp and not leaving any structures behind.  He's highly respectful of nature.  He never wanted to do Youtube because he felt that it kind of ruins his experiences in nature, but we kept bothering him to do it because he is a natural, and he has a lot of knowledge to share.  This guy goes in the bush for weeks at a time and goes on some of the coolest canoe adventures.  I'm hoping he takes me out on a trip this summer.  I'm not asking you to watch his vids, but I think you would be impressed by his skills and ethics.

I'll add that I have actually met another dude that has an outdoor YouTube channel that is "fake".  Like he's actually out there camping, but he acts like he's hiking wayyyy out into the bush.  Meanwhile, he's using my cousin's property so I know exactly where he is.  One video he was literally 200 feet away from my cousin's house.  He gets a ton of views because he has a really hot wife, and a dog which seems to boost views on youtube.

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i fucking hate bushcraft shit. grown men cosplaying survival situations, rarely using deadfall, cutting down trees to make a 'shelter' mostly for youtube/social media clicks.

[close]

I hear ya man.  Most of them are pretty fake and make up dramatic scenarios.  To address cutting down trees, my buddy in this video actually makes a point saying how he only uses one single green tree for his ridgeline because of the strength that is needed for the shelter.  The rest of the trees were dead standing trees from a swamp.  He also advocates for dispersing the camp and not leaving any structures behind.  He's highly respectful of nature.  He never wanted to do Youtube because he felt that it kind of ruins his experiences in nature, but we kept bothering him to do it because he is a natural, and he has a lot of knowledge to share.  This guy goes in the bush for weeks at a time and goes on some of the coolest canoe adventures.  I'm hoping he takes me out on a trip this summer.  I'm not asking you to watch his vids, but I think you would be impressed by his skills and ethics.

I'll add that I have actually met another dude that has an outdoor YouTube channel that is "fake".  Like he's actually out there camping, but he acts like he's hiking wayyyy out into the bush.  Meanwhile, he's using my cousin's property so I know exactly where he is.  One video he was literally 200 feet away from my cousin's house.  He gets a ton of views because he has a really hot wife, and a dog which seems to boost views on youtube.

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Not shitting on him specifically, its just the entire modern idea of bushcraft and what comes along with it is so corny. It plays into the 'manly-survivorman' bullshit and the YouTube/social media aspect of it all just screams clickbait. Every video is 'ALONE...IN THE WILDERNESS.' like yeah bro, thats typically how hiking/camping works lol.

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When the show ALONE first started airing (maybe a decade ago?) I remember seeing people crash out in like 1-2 days due to "how lonely it was" and thinking how totally insane it was that someone would go do a show like that having not gone solo camping for a week+.  I grew up camping (summers mostly) wherever my dad lived, from NorCal/Oregon border, to washington and eventually Alaska.  We were always in search of the most remote place we could get to on trips so once I was of age to do that myself I jumped at the change for solo trips.  I love going out with my wife or a friend or 2 but if no one is around, a really good long solo trip is so refreshing. 
Some of those "survivor" videos really overdramatize the experience in an odd way.  But I'm also totally aware that's part of the game to draw people into viewing.

  I think on Alone they chose some people knowing they will be out quick just to speed up the process.  I find they also choose a lot of people with young children so that they are missing their kids so that it pulls at the heart strings of the viewer, and makes them leave earlier.

There was one guy that they did really dirty.  I understand why he bailed on the first night.  They dropped him in a spot surrounded by grizzly bear dens.  There was bear shit everywhere, and the bears were coming to his camp at night.  Poor dude was terrified.

[skateboardnorth]

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I just hot myself a new car. Its a BYD shark 6 and I can run power off it for days. Camping is luxurious now. I can make espresso coffee , have lights , cook and run a fridge. If the battery runs out of charge the motor in the car acts as a generator.  Been a game changer for family Camping.
Dont think you can get Chinese cars in the States.

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Had to google it and god damn that sure is a 'MURICA sized truck! I like my camping to be a little less electronic, but I understand how all that could be really nice if you're camping with a family.

Right now I drive an Acura RSX and my girl has a newer Toyota Corolla. Neither are great for camping, surprisingly the RSX has more storage capacity but it's lowered so we can't take it off road for camping at all.
I've been looking around for something to use specifically for going out on hiking and camping excursions, and it'd be nice to not have to drive the RSX in the winter.
We aren't going full on overlander so I don't think I'd need a big truck or jeep or anything. Just something with good storage capacity, possibly big enough to put an air mattress in back, that can handle light to medium offroading.

Main considerations right now are either a Honda Element or a Subaru Impreza wagon.
Anyone got any recommendations?

  The Element is cool, but they seemed overpriced when I last looked at them.  I doubt you'd want one of these(no cool factor), but my buddy got a Caravan, and it's pretty much perfect.  He took one set of the rear seats out so that he could have more room, and use the "stow and go" area in the floor for storage.  At this point he's got a little sink, and a cooking burner set up.  Even if you keep it stock, the fact that the seats fold into the floor is amazing, and having two sliding doors for access is great.  It can go down some fairly rough roads, but obviously it's pretty limited when it comes to offroad. 

[dunc]

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I just hot myself a new car. Its a BYD shark 6 and I can run power off it for days. Camping is luxurious now. I can make espresso coffee , have lights , cook and run a fridge. If the battery runs out of charge the motor in the car acts as a generator.  Been a game changer for family Camping.
Dont think you can get Chinese cars in the States.

[close]

Had to google it and god damn that sure is a 'MURICA sized truck! I like my camping to be a little less electronic, but I understand how all that could be really nice if you're camping with a family.

Right now I drive an Acura RSX and my girl has a newer Toyota Corolla. Neither are great for camping, surprisingly the RSX has more storage capacity but it's lowered so we can't take it off road for camping at all.
I've been looking around for something to use specifically for going out on hiking and camping excursions, and it'd be nice to not have to drive the RSX in the winter.
We aren't going full on overlander so I don't think I'd need a big truck or jeep or anything. Just something with good storage capacity, possibly big enough to put an air mattress in back, that can handle light to medium offroading.

Main considerations right now are either a Honda Element or a Subaru Impreza wagon.
Anyone got any recommendations?

Yeah its a big truck but no where near the size of a RAM .plus it hardly uses any fuel. I'd go with a Subaru Impreza . I have owned many subaru and they are outstanding vehicles.

[alien porkchop]

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I just hot myself a new car. Its a BYD shark 6 and I can run power off it for days. Camping is luxurious now. I can make espresso coffee , have lights , cook and run a fridge. If the battery runs out of charge the motor in the car acts as a generator.  Been a game changer for family Camping.
Dont think you can get Chinese cars in the States.

[close]

Had to google it and god damn that sure is a 'MURICA sized truck! I like my camping to be a little less electronic, but I understand how all that could be really nice if you're camping with a family.

Right now I drive an Acura RSX and my girl has a newer Toyota Corolla. Neither are great for camping, surprisingly the RSX has more storage capacity but it's lowered so we can't take it off road for camping at all.
I've been looking around for something to use specifically for going out on hiking and camping excursions, and it'd be nice to not have to drive the RSX in the winter.
We aren't going full on overlander so I don't think I'd need a big truck or jeep or anything. Just something with good storage capacity, possibly big enough to put an air mattress in back, that can handle light to medium offroading.

Main considerations right now are either a Honda Element or a Subaru Impreza wagon.
Anyone got any recommendations?

i rented a large size vehicle when i was in sydney because we were going to do a car camping trip inland and just adventure. they tried to give me a byd shark or something very similar. i couldn’t do it. roads are too narrow and driving is on the opposite side of the road. i figured i would kill a pedestrian if i was driving that thing, so we traded down for a little hatch back. that truck is massive.

[Benicio El Toro]

Spent two weeks in a Chrysler Pacifica fooling around in utah. Set the tent up most the time but if we were leaving early and rain was expected or we showed up late, we just crashed in the back. You can make due but it's not level back there once the seats fold down which makes for a rough night with the dip. Imagine sleeping on a six inch quarter pipe in the middle of your back.

Came here to post this short little article that mentions skating.
https://frostriver.com/blogs/news/the-connection-between-action-sports-and-camping

[dunc]

Spent two weeks in a Chrysler Pacifica fooling around in utah. Set the tent up most the time but if we were leaving early and rain was expected or we showed up late, we just crashed in the back. You can make due but it's not level back there once the seats fold down which makes for a rough night with the dip. Imagine sleeping on a six inch quarter pipe in the middle of your back.

Came here to post this short little article that mentions skating.
https://frostriver.com/blogs/news/the-connection-between-action-sports-and-camping

I camp right beside a skatepark in Reefton New Zealand.  Skatepark is a bit crusty but fun on softies. River beside it is devine between skates.

[skateboardnorth]

I've only done one camping trip that involved skating.  It was for a friend's birthday, and it wasn't really "wilderness" camping. It was actually really fun spending half the day skating, and having beers at the park.  Then we went swimming after to cool off. 

[streetmeat]

i had/still have plans to do a hike/skate route following a largely off-trail route from Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT. skate the road walk sections but i would start the hike at the grand junction skate park and end at the moab park

https://pmags.com/the-grand-moab-route

[GnarAlarm]

i had/still have plans to do a hike/skate route following a largely off-trail route from Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT. skate the road walk sections but i would start the hike at the grand junction skate park and end at the moab park

https://pmags.com/the-grand-moab-route

That'd be so fucking cool.
If you do it you need to post pictures and updates here or start a YouTube or something.

[brycickle]

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i had/still have plans to do a hike/skate route following a largely off-trail route from Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT. skate the road walk sections but i would start the hike at the grand junction skate park and end at the moab park

https://pmags.com/the-grand-moab-route

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That'd be so fucking cool.
If you do it you need to post pictures and updates here or start a YouTube or something.

Agreed

[hayduke lives]

i had/still have plans to do a hike/skate route following a largely off-trail route from Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT. skate the road walk sections but i would start the hike at the grand junction skate park and end at the moab park

https://pmags.com/the-grand-moab-route

nice! now i feel lame for having lived in the area, camped in and driven a bunch of that route and never once considered hiking it.

[friendly dave]

Scored a permit to hike Coyote Buttes aka The Wave in northern Arizona on my birthday in june. Any recommendations on other stuff to do around there and where I should camp or stay? Ive spent very little time in the southwest.

[Benicio El Toro]

Interested in the responses you get, loosely planning on going that way next year or the end of this year. Might get more traction in Travel Guide

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

Slightly off topic -

I'm planning a trip to the NW Coast to take my kid to see the ocean. I'm usually a passenger for trips like this, and just go with the flow, but I'm the captain on this trip.

The question is basically, what're some cool outdoor spots that you'd recommend? Looking for mainly sandy beaches, cool coves, boardwalks, but any easy walking type spots really. I've never been around Astoria area, and I want to see the outlet of the Columbia - so thinking about starting there and moving north along the 101, but probably staying south of like Ocean Shores area. Skatepark recommends welcome as an aside.

Probably gonna hotel camp since my son is 3 and coastal temps in March might be a bit rough for his first real camping trip.

[friendly dave]

If you're willing to go a little south from Astoria, Seaside and Cannon Beach are both nice and it wouldn't be too hard to hit both in one day.

[rothdigga]

Scored a permit to hike Coyote Buttes aka The Wave in northern Arizona on my birthday in june. Any recommendations on other stuff to do around there and where I should camp or stay? Ive spent very little time in the southwest.

You won't be too far from either going up to Zion if you go west a bit or if you go east, driving up the 163 through Monument Valley is fully worth it.  It's clearly a very famous spot but it's famous for a reason, it's incredibly amazing landscape and that classic AZ/western big tall rock spires that has been used in countless western movies and imagery.  Both of those are super worth it.

[alien porkchop]

has anyone backpacked in gila wilderness in new mexico? i have a trip planned starting at the visitor center near the cliff dwellings and hiking the middle fork river at least to jordan hot springs. i’m trying to get some perspective on what the trail is like past jordan hot spring and if it is worth hiking further. i am thinking about hiking to the fork with indian creek.

[brycickle]

has anyone backpacked in gila wilderness in new mexico? i have a trip planned starting at the visitor center near the cliff dwellings and hiking the middle fork river at least to jordan hot springs. i’m trying to get some perspective on what the trail is like past jordan hot spring and if it is worth hiking further. i am thinking about hiking to the fork with indian creek.

I have not, but this might also be a good question for the wild land fire fighter sub reddit.

[sharkjumper]

Slightly off topic -

I'm planning a trip to the NW Coast to take my kid to see the ocean. I'm usually a passenger for trips like this, and just go with the flow, but I'm the captain on this trip.

The question is basically, what're some cool outdoor spots that you'd recommend? Looking for mainly sandy beaches, cool coves, boardwalks, but any easy walking type spots really. I've never been around Astoria area, and I want to see the outlet of the Columbia - so thinking about starting there and moving north along the 101, but probably staying south of like Ocean Shores area. Skatepark recommends welcome as an aside.

Probably gonna hotel camp since my son is 3 and coastal temps in March might be a bit rough for his first real camping trip.

Astoria is a neat little town. Very fun for movie nostalgia. Good breweries. The maritime museum is cool. You can go on a lighthouse boat. Astoria column too for the kid.
Wreck of the Peter iredale.
You can probably skip canon beach. It’s a mess every time I’m there. Unless you need to see the goonies rock.
Seaside has more of a boardwalk feel. Cool little aquarium there.
The Sou’wester would be a fun spot to stay. And Long Beach, WA has scenic beaches.
Farther south in Oregon- manzanita is a quaint coast town. And short sands is my favorite beach. Tillamook has the cheese factory.

[alien porkchop]

crazy i just learned about this today. i always bring one mostly empty and one mostly full canister and it is such a waste of space.

[GnarAlarm]

Damn I wish they made that for the 1lb propane bottles

[The Huffer]

Slightly off topic -

I'm planning a trip to the NW Coast to take my kid to see the ocean. I'm usually a passenger for trips like this, and just go with the flow, but I'm the captain on this trip.

The question is basically, what're some cool outdoor spots that you'd recommend? Looking for mainly sandy beaches, cool coves, boardwalks, but any easy walking type spots really. I've never been around Astoria area, and I want to see the outlet of the Columbia - so thinking about starting there and moving north along the 101, but probably staying south of like Ocean Shores area. Skatepark recommends welcome as an aside.

Probably gonna hotel camp since my son is 3 and coastal temps in March might be a bit rough for his first real camping trip.

Ft Stevens State Park, just south of Astoria is a good family campground. Lots to explore. Wide open sandy beach, elk, bald eagles, the Col river south jetty, all kinds of WWII history (such as the Pacific Rim Peace Memorial), ship wreck and very close to Astoria. Then on the WA side Cape Disappointment, loads of cool trails, beaches, and the viewing tower of the mouth of the river is pretty spectacular. Long Beach has some cheesy but fun touristy type things, kid might like.

Astoria has a great DIY right on Young's Bay but from what I heard it might be under jeopardy. Check in at Cypress Skate shop and ask. The main skatepark is fun but not for everyone. Giant and Crusty. Def fun with the right attitude. Seaside, Cannon beach parks.... again crusty and challenging but I like them. Ecola State Park is a great place to spend the day in the trees by the beach. Great views along the coastal paths... and some movie scene sights.

If you have any more specific questions, hit me up. I'm on the North Oregon coast weekly.

*edit I see this was old... nevermind... hope you went....

[streetmeat]

has anyone backpacked in gila wilderness in new mexico? i have a trip planned starting at the visitor center near the cliff dwellings and hiking the middle fork river at least to jordan hot springs. i’m trying to get some perspective on what the trail is like past jordan hot spring and if it is worth hiking further. i am thinking about hiking to the fork with indian creek.

are you planning on climbing out of the river canyon at any point? looks like climbing up onto the mesa at indian creek and getting to big bear canyon trail looks cool. i did the gila on the CDT and its dope.

[streetmeat]

Damn I wish they made that for the 1lb propane bottles

i wonder if the 1lb adapter that lets you use a small backpacking stove on 1lb cans and then attaching this could work, but these things also stress me out because early on when these became a thing they were very dangerous.

[alien porkchop]

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has anyone backpacked in gila wilderness in new mexico? i have a trip planned starting at the visitor center near the cliff dwellings and hiking the middle fork river at least to jordan hot springs. i’m trying to get some perspective on what the trail is like past jordan hot spring and if it is worth hiking further. i am thinking about hiking to the fork with indian creek.

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are you planning on climbing out of the river canyon at any point? looks like climbing up onto the mesa at indian creek and getting to big bear canyon trail looks cool. i did the gila on the CDT and its dope.

we might. i started digging into the maps and past indian creek there is a trail junction where it loops up over the mountain. less water, but it is definitely being considered.

[alien porkchop]

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Damn I wish they made that for the 1lb propane bottles

[close]

i wonder if the 1lb adapter that lets you use a small backpacking stove on 1lb cans and then attaching this could work, but these things also stress me out because early on when these became a thing they were very dangerous.

i leaked a bunch of fuel all over my hands the first time i tried it. the connections felt tight but i suggest 1) tightening the threads as best you can (but not too tight) and 2) always have the canister you are threading be in the upright position and not upside down

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

Appreciate the suggestions everyone. We got a spot in Westport and just stayed around the area going to beaches and the marinas.

Gonna use these recommends when we go back later this summer

[alien porkchop]

picked up a gossamer gear loris 25 as a travel bag and for day hikes. then i started imagining it as a two night summer trip bag. i loaded it with everything, including food and water and camping shoes and even a camp chair and it is 20 lbs. feels so comfy. never really thought ultra light was my jam, but for a short trip, i could get used to it.

[Blue Fescue]

picked up a gossamer gear loris 25 as a travel bag and for day hikes. then i started imagining it as a two night summer trip bag. i loaded it with everything, including food and water and camping shoes and even a camp chair and it is 20 lbs. feels so comfy. never really thought ultra light was my jam, but for a short trip, i could get used to it.

I just think about it like:  Are you there to hike or our you there to camp?

If you are there to hike then ultralight makes it so much better.  Plus you don't have to sacrifice much comfort when you get into it.