2008 Camping Trip....

Glad to hear your had fun but also glad to hear you back. Did you stay in a campground or a state park? How far from Boise is it and what is there to see or do if you stayed a week?

We stayed in a campground that was pretty full, it was only an our outside of Boise and I am sure that there is lots to do in the area.

We went to Idaho City and had lunch yesterday and looked around town for a while. It is like being in one of those old wild west movies, they even have a staged gun shoot out in the middle of town during festivals and such.

Here is the wiki page on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_City,_Idaho

There is still gold panning here, it is a nice little town. We usually take our tourists here to visit when they are in town.

Miss POI

Thanks we are looking for one more place to go for about a week this year and that's not far from us abut 400 miles only. Good luck with the kids tomorrow.

With the price of gas now days those really long road trips are a thing of the past ... I don't miss the sore b**t though!

I soooooooooooooooo very much want to go camping! My wife and I love it. We used to camp with the kids and we still go even though the kids are all long gone from home.

I have a tent that fits the back of my truck - it's made by Sportz. We LOVE it.

My wife and I are great campers and love it a lot but haven't been able to get away much at all this year. We would dearly love to get at least a weekend camping trip in before the end of summer. I'm soooo jealous of you!

I was in Indian Princesses with my daughter for six years, until she finished sixth grade (she's a freshman in high school this year.) I was also in Indian Guides with my older son for seven years, with him graduating last year from the program, and am now in my fifth year with my fourth grade son.

We go on three campouts a year, which truly do create memories that last two lifetimes. We have our fall campout next weekend, and I look forward to the quality one-on-one time with him.

I believe that my daughter and older son will treasure the campouts for a long time.

I know that camping isn't for everyone, but for me, it has created some great bonding with my family.

Not a compensated endorser of the Indian Princess / Guide programs - just a happy camper.

My younger son is now 11, so that means we've been camping ever since he was a baby! We go tenting at least once a year and this year we did two trips to two different campsites.

Over these years, I've accumulated a knowledge of knots, and now have whittled it down to three "must know" campsite knots, and maybe an optional 4th knot.

This last trip I forgot to bring our propane stove, so we really had to "rough it out", lol. Cooked all our food over 3 days right on the campfire!!

This past Labor Day weekend I took the motorcycle and headed to a rally at a campground in Watkins Glen, NY. My wife stayed home to do some other stuff. I used to go to this rally every year starting back in 1989, but in 2002 I stopped going because of other obligations. In 2006, my wife and I went to the rally, but we drove and stayed at a motel. Good thing we did because that area of New York got the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto, and it rained for 33 hours straight. That was also the weekend that Steve Irwin - the Crocodile Hunter - got killed.

Anyway, it was my plan to get out my camping gear and stay right on the rally grounds like I used to years back. My sleeping bags and inflatable pillow, etc. are in a closet in my office, so I knew they were ready to go. But my tents were scrunched into a waterproof storage bac, along with the poles, ground tarps, etc. The last time they saw daylight was 2000. Well, I thought it might be a good idea to take the tents out of the storage bag and set them up. I would take whichever one was in the best shape. Soooo, on a very hot morning I lugged the bag out to the lawn and pulled the poles, pegs, tarps, flies and finally the tents out of this bag. I set both tents up, and they were both in really good shape considering. BUT...

Do you know what ripstop nylon smells like after being scrunched into a very tight space for eight years?? Well, to keep it polite, let's just say it ain't pretty! In fact, we have a member whose user name comes close. It isn't DogPoop (now BobDee), but the stuff that comes out the front end. Thanks DogVomit for being there when I need a description!

I aired the tents out for a couple of days, and most but not all of the odor went away. But there was still enough present to convince me that this year a motel room would be much more pleasant. And that's where I stayed.

The tents are now loosely packed in their own storage bags, and this winter they will be put through the washing machine at least a couple of times. After some seam sealing and waterproofing, both tents will be ready to go for next season.

Moral of the story is...keep your gear in good shape and check it more often then once a decade! And a motel room beats a stinky tent any day!

No, Miss POI, my tents don't qualify as a site for the stinky location POI file. And as an aside, I survived my weekend on wheels without a GPSr. But I wasn't real happy about being unit-less. GPS separation anxiety is a real condition!

You're Welcome!
That's what I'm here for!

Although it's a chore, we force ourselves to clean our tents and tarps before packing them away for the year. We use damp and dry rags, brooms, etc. We see other folks just roll them up without as much as a wipe.

We also learned our lesson in our early years of camping that a tarp over our tents even in dry weather helps keep a lot of stuff away (tree sap, bird bombs, etc.) and keeps the tent less dirty, and therefore a lot easier to clean.

Good advice for anyone who camps with any regularity!

And we greatly appreciate that, DV!

One of mine and my wife's favorite things to do on weekends is to go camping for just one or two nights, BUT the best thing we've discovered recently is the great convenience of a truck camper shell.

About 6 months ago I got a Toyota 4x4 with camper shell and considered taking it off, but after the first camping trip, we decided it was the best thing ever. Why? It was our tent. The advantage here is you can not have to set up a tent, sleep in a very warm area protected from the elements, fit into smaller campsites, and if you have the right campsite, you can back your tent right up to the campfire! It's great!

Not recommended for those over 6 feet tall or with more than 2 people.

Just got back a few days ago from a week long Motorcycle camping trip through the Arkansas Ozarks.

The last night of camping before heading home to Louisiana, A front started moving through as the wind picked up big time.

Myself and two of my buddies had a great time riding some of Arkansas's fabulous motorcycle roads and sitting around the campfire at night planning the next days destination. We had a blast.

I do the Princess thing with my daughter (on our third year). We do two camp outs, winter and summer, plus most of the other activities and outings.

We, also, went camping on our own and there I learned the value of tarping the tent (took all afternoon to clean everything after we got home). I also learned that it's more pleasant to camp with a group than in public.

Hi
I understand that this was written 16 weeks ago but it addresses this information.
We are getting ready for August 2009 camping season.

I certainly understand the passion for camping. I for many years spent time camping on weekends. I had the opportunity also to tent in the Arctic Circle but I won’t recommend it to anyone.

I have an 8 year old daughter and I would really enjoy taking her camping and looking at the stars and enjoying a camp fire and roasting marshmallows. My problem is I got spoiled and I don’t wish to stay in a tent so last summer we decided to rent a cottage.

Last August for the first time we rented a cabin in NY State near Niagara Falls called Yogi Bear and our GPS (hurray for the GPS) got us to our destination. The cost is much more than a tent but I must admit that it will be memorable for us for years to come.

We are looking for similar places to go to in the summer for a 3 night stay and if anyone has recommendations for a family place with activities for kids please let me know.

...are always great. I don't know where you hail from in Canada. But, if you're on the eastern side, since you went to NY, Acadia in Maine, near Bar Harbor, is very pretty. And the Presidential range in New Hampshire, which are state parks, are also nice. The ski resorts have to do something in the summer time, and so there's stuff like the cog railway up Mt. Washington. I haven't been to either for years, so I don't know what's available in terms of cabins. Nor what your kids would enjoy. But, that's my 2 cents, and you can do your own searching for details.

GC

Just kidding - I agree that State Parks are good for camping to see the stars, as well as nature.

Many of them have places close by, but some may not. We've camped on a couple. Plus, to get double duty from the GPS, there's always GeoCaching.

Last year for Spring Break, we drove down from Chicagoland through Louisville, and into the Cave City area. We stayed in a cabin at the top of a hill, overlooking the landscape. We were a mile from Kentucky Action Theme Park (one of their activities is a ski lift to the top of a hill to ride a sled down a quarter mile long half pipe. Plus, my kids loved the caving, and other attractions around. Yes, we stopped and toured the Louisville Slugger Bat company on the way back home. Drove by Fort Knox too.

If you want on-site fun for kids, the Jellystone parks are sure to please. (We camped at the one in Rapid City about six years ago and lost our tent in a wind storm that came over the mountains. First the rain, followed by a dead calm, follwed by the wind. The wind shredded the tent to bits, while I held the corner while my wife frantically threw the contents into the van where the kids were patiently freaking out... Many other campers left immediately after the storm - or at least the tenters. The campground management gave us a recently departed cabin (campers checked out that morning) for the rest of the week for the same price as the tent site we had. Very good management!

Ahh - to be rain soaked, holding the tent from blowing away with the kids and our stuff - these are memories you can't get in a resort!

I go out camping with the Boy Scout Troop that I belong to. We are lacking in outings this year due to other Scout committments, but we do a Fall and a Spring Camporee as well as the traditional Klondike. As a leader, we are striving for a campout a month. Can you imagine 15 boys ranging from 11 to 17 years old? It is the greatest adventure ever.
I continue as a leader (my son left Scouts about 1 1/2 years ago)because I enjoy the the outdoors. My son and I did the trip from Rochester NY to Rapid City last year. We also lost a tent in the 55 mph gust (they called it a breeze). We have camped in downpours and 90 degree heat. It is all in the preparation. Our camping neighbors are amazed when we have meatloaf, cookies, and brownies all made on the fire.

I spent part of the weekend as a volunteer. Volunteers were allowed to tent in a quiet corner of the park. We had about a dozen tents sharing one Sanikan and no running water. Not all that bad: free beer.

duplicate.

My hubby and I plan to go camping this summer. We live in AZ and still haven't been to the Grand Canyon! Can you believe it? Are there any maps that can be downloaded onto my Nuvi for trails or anything like that that would be useful?

I'm going on a 13 state 3,000+ mile trip on my motorcycle and camping the whole way. The first part of my trip is all planned out with National Park Reservations already made. The second half I planned the route and will stop when I have had enough driving for the day. I'll be in the mountains on the way back Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway so there are campgrounds all over the place. Leaving on the 28th with no planned return date....
Guns

May I suggest you pay attention to the change in elevation on the trails? Some seem to go up in both directions.