Camping

[.Mike]

I'm sure that I'm not the only one here who likes camping. Where are your favorite places to camp? What type of camping do you like? Car camping (like us), primitive camping, backpacking, etc.

We camp 2-4 times a year. It's finally cool enough around here to sleep in a tent, so we took our first trip.

We went to George L. Smith State Park, which is about 20 miles NW of Statesboro, Georgia. The main attraction is a 432-acre black water lake, created when they built a dam and mill house in 1880. There is no detectable current, and the water is like root beer. In most places, it is as smooth as glass. The dark water is extremely reflective, making for a picturesque paddle. The entire lake is dotted with cypress trees, and the paddling trails send you through a disorienting maze of cypress trees.

There are supposedly fish in the lake. We saw people fishing, but didn't see anyone catching. The water was so still that you would expect to see some fish activity, but there was virtually none. No splashes, no minnows, nothing. The whole place was strangely devoid of wildlife. We saw one alligator, which is a far cry from the hundreds we come across on an average paddle in the Okefenokee.

We paddled all three marked trails on Monday, since it is such easy paddling. We wandered off the trail a few times, paddling through gaps in the trees exactly as wide as our kayaks, with no option to turn around. It was a ton of fun!

Here is our GPS track. If you zoom in, you can see that some of the trails are very narrow: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yP2xWHPW2yx6tQVB6UM5SbsPct_8mpnf&usp=sharing

And here are a few photos.

Heading out of camp for a quick paddle in the morning fog:

Sun and cypress trees reflecting in the water:

A pier reflecting on the water:

Tight trails require lots of trail markers:

More cypress trees reflecting on the water:

A turtle on a log:

Good place for a nest:

The mill house:

 

[LDUBS]

We do an annual family group camping trip and have a blast. Maybe 15 to 20 total. Definitely car camping and at developed campgrounds (very developed). Last year was at Collins Lake in the foothills north of Sacramento. I hope we go back again this year. We all look forward to this every year. Problem is getting someone to "volunteer" to do the coordinating. You would think this would naturally fall to us older and wiser retired members of the family. But because we are older and wiser we manage to avoid that thankless task. :LOL2:

 

[Stumpalump]

Sat thru a time share and the guy called us elite travelers because we never stop. He didn't even try to sell us. I use a tiny tent for the boat and a 4x4 van for camping. Nothing like being on the water or having a sink. Tiny butane backpack stoves are the best and a 12v refrigerator like ARB sells are worth their weight in gold. I'm headed to Glamis Dunes California this afternoon for a three day weekend. Why work constantly or sit at home? $100 bucks in gas and $100 in food is dirt cheap once you own basic gear. I love your pics of that piece of paradise!

 

[-CN-]

Camping is my favorite way to live.
I usually find myself camping by a lake or a river. Other than the excessive amounts of mosquitos, I like being as close to the water as possible. Sand bars in rivers while floating downstream make great camp sites too. I even went out of state to attend a wedding this past summer and while I didn't even bring a boat, I opted to forego the deal they had on hotel rooms and got a campsite at a campground by an area lake.
My "old" hobby of racing motorcycles and teaching performance riding at road racing race tracks had me camping infield at a race track about once a month. I'm gonna turn that time into State Park or County Park camping next summer while riding my new ATV as I am selling all of my motorcycle stuff for a change of pace.

 

[KMixson]

It has been years since I have been camping. I used to camp a lot in my younger days. Even when I was a child of around 5 years old my family would go camping on the weekends. We had a semi covered wagon that had all of our supplies in it (kind of like a covered wagon in the western movies) that we would take into the woods behind our house to go camping. We had a hundred acres with a neighbor that had over two thousand acres. As I got older I would go by myself and spend a couple of days in the woods. I loved it. As I got into my teen years I would take a minimum of supplies (no food, no tent, no water) and "live off the land". I would go weeks at the time. Fish and hunt for food, build shelters and do whatever it took to stay comfortable. I miss it.

Here is one little funny story of one of my adventures, I took a friend of mine camping one time and we set up the tent one afternoon. In the middle of the night a rainstorm came through and we found that we had set the tent up in a low area and we had to abandon the campsite. We went back home and spent the rest of the night in the attic of the barn. The next morning my father found us in the barn and we told him what happened. He said "At least you were smart enough to move to high ground".

 

[edwonbass]

Mike, that place is amazing!
I used to be a big tent camping guy. When my son as younger we would go every other weekend from March through November. My wife doesn't like to rough it. My son is grown up and moved out so now my wife and I have a class C RV. It's the only way I can get her to camp.

 

[Jim]

Does a Destination trailer in a campground count?

AC, Cable, Internet......you know, roughing it. :LOL2:

 

[lovedr79]

i like primitive, however i like a bath house, running water and electricity. i enjoy camping on the chespeake bay, virginia beach and OBX. anywhere i can fish really. i havent been in a long time but still have all my stuff packed and ready to go. started camping when i was 6.

 

[Shaugh]

My brother and I go a couple times a year. We like boat-in camping during the spring and fall when the fish are biting and the jet skis are few...

We just got back from a trip to Flaming Gorge in Utah... long drive from TN and Seattle, but it was incredible... A great way to combine tin with tents..

Pictures don't do the views justice.... September temps in the 70's ...










Find a little island and pitch the tent.... totally deserted, back-country camping on a wild shoreline.... can't beat that...

 

[Crazyboat]

Camping question for all of you.

I haven't camped since I was a kid back in the early 70's and then it was me and a buddy in the woods that had a road never more then 1/2 mile from the deepest parts. We'd pitch a tent have a pocket knife and all our bikes could carry.

No harm ever came our way but looking back our parents were crazy, any crown adult could have taken either one of us at the drop of a hat. What precautions do you take when camping away from the general public? You never know who you may run into out there.

 

[Shaugh]

The chances of running into a dangerous human are a lot higher when there are lots of other humans around... it's a simple case of percentages. you're in a lot more danger at Disneyland than you are out in the middle of nowhere... But in a case like Utah, where it's brown bear country, we always bring the short pump shotgun... mostly as a noise maker / worst case scenario...

 

[KMixson]

Crazyboat, boy how times have changed. Back then you were a lot safer from people than you are now. The animals were the ones you mostly watched out for. Nowadays you have to be on your guard for anything and anyone. I agree with Shaugh, You are a lot safer in the middle of nowhere than some populated area. I think the ones you are worried about crossing paths with would prefer a target rich environment compared to some swamp. I believe the odds of someone in a swamp being armed is much higher than someone at a shopping mall. I think most of them would like an easy target compared to someone who is out in nature and is a little more prepared to deal with a situation in a concise manner.

 

[LDUBS]

Does a Destination trailer in a campground count?

AC, Cable, Internet......you know, roughing it. :LOL2:

Plus ice cream has to be available at the campground store. LOL.

 

[Zum]

My wife and I still use a tent to camp...5/6 times a year.
We did it with the kids growing up as well but my youngest is 21 now , he still drops by with his tent(and girl friend) to crash us sometimes. Hopefully the tenting tradition will carry on, i think it will. I love cooking over an open fire, cast iron frying pan and hotdogs or marshmallows on a stick.
I don't even like typing this but thinking on getting a small trailer...18-22' for provincial parks...a hard rain isn't as fun as it was years ago....although it still is something to laugh about later on.
Beautiful pictures, we don't have anything like that up here.
Had to laugh at the getting cool enough to tent...probably in the 50's here now daytime, close to freezing at night. Our tenting normally ends in September.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[-CN-]

You need to be armed out in the bush.
I'm always concerned about bears in areas where I camp. Some hick playing the banjo will see the same fate as a bear if they present a danger to me.

I have done lots of research and testing of tents. Tent camping is the way I prefer, and the simplest. I can pack minimally and live out of my car, my boat, my motorcycle, or my ATV. If I had to drive around with a big truck towing a huge box I'd rather stay home since I already have a huge box to live in there, or check into a hotel.

When it's just me, I like my Kelty Trail Ridge 2-person tent. It goes up so easily and is lightweight, compact, and has great features such as aluminum poles and lightweight but quality stakes.

When I have a partner or two to help me I love my Cabela's Guardian 6

Now THAT is a room big enough for a few people and our dog and all of our stuff. It comes in an 8-person model as well. You always want to double the "rated" size of your tent for your intended application. A 3-person tent would be minimum size for 2 adults.

In case anyone is wanting a good tent I just thought I'd share. Don't just get the cheap Ozark Trail or other Wal Mart tents if you plan to give it a lot of use and expect it to not leak or blow away.
I will certainly buy something offered by Marmot such as the Tungsten 3 in the near future, just to cover my bases for tent sizes.
I'm usually a happy camper.

 

[.Mike]

It's so great that so many campers are here! Virtually none of the people I know offline go camping. We invite people to go, and nobody ever takes us up on it. I really don't get it. Camping is like a reset for your brain and body. It's good for you!

We had another trip planned for later this month, but we cancelled it. We were going to camp at Cumberland Island National Seashore, where wild horses run on the pristine beaches. You have to take a ferry over to the island, but hurricane Irma was nice enough to wipe out their dock.

We are currently planning our Christmas trip to the Okefenokee Swamp. We are thinking about camping for four nights, and getting permits to spend two of the nights remote camping in the swamp. Water levels are decent, so we're thinking about paddling 9 miles into the swamp on Christmas Eve, and spending the night at Floyd's Island: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Okefenokee+Swamp/@30.7951357,-82.3762662,60864m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x88ef789d20fa6f05:0x94975aa1c354ecd2!8m2!3d30.6668928!4d-82.3331791 It will be our first trip to the swamp since the West Mims fire earlier this year, which burnt 152,000 acres.

Our next day trip paddle is going to be Ebenezer Creek, a blackwater tributary of the Savannah River. It is a tragic place. In December of 1864, 600 freed slaves followed union troops as they pushed their way from Atlanta to Savannah. Confederate troops were on their tail. Union soldiers built a bridge over the creek, and crossed it. The freed slaves, without supplies and seen as a nuisance, were told they would be able to cross after any confederate troops on the other side were neutralized. The bridge was ordered to be cut before the freed slaves could cross, trapping 600 freed slaves between cold water and advancing confederate troops. The freed slaves had to choose water or death. It turned out that they didn't have a choice. Most died in the water. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer_Creek


By the way, we regularly camp among 10,000+ alligators. We have been surrounded on all sides, and below, by dozens of them at once. We have (accidentally) pushed off of them with our paddles. Never once have we felt threatened by them. We do have bears around here, but I've never seen one.

 

[user 21075]

Does a Destination trailer in a campground count?

AC, Cable, Internet......you know, roughing it. :LOL2:

Plus ice cream has to be available at the campground store. LOL.

......and a pizza place nearby that delivers :lol:

Actually just sold our pop up camper and been looking hard at the Kodiak Canvas Tent. Close to pulling the trigger but wish I could see one in person to see actual usable room versus the 10 x 14 dimensions. Wonder how slanted the walls are, etc. Back to tents for us so I can pull the tin without putting it on the roof as some videos in the trailer section have shown. 8)

 

[SeaFaring]

My preference is backpacking, although I’ve only been once since my daughter was born, and I’m a bit out of shape for mountains + meaningful pack weight.

My favorite spot is Dolly Sods wilderness in WV. In the summer, it’s still cool due to the high altitude. And the ground cover is primarily made of blue berries.

Lots of streams for water (although I don’t think much in the way of trout).

I’ve seen many a bear out there as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Johnny]

I lived in WV for 3 years. 2004-2007 and really got into backpacking.
so much to see up in the mountains vs in flat land Florida !!
I enjoyed Dolly Sods, Cranberry Glades, Cumberland Gap, TN and so many more.


small cooking expedition up in the hills of Cumberland Gap, Tenn. (2006)




I broke my left ankle pretty bad in 2007 so car or boat camping
is the only thing I can do now - but is still fun !!


.

 

[SeaFaring]

I lived in WV for 3 years. 2004-2007 and really got into backpacking.
so much to see up in the mountains vs in flat land Florida !!
I enjoyed Dolly Sods, Cranberry Glades, Cumberland Gap, TN and so many more.

View attachment 1
small cooking expedition up in the hills of Cumberland Gap, Tenn. (2006)




I broke my left ankle pretty bad in 2007 so car or boat camping
is the only thing I can do now - but is still fun !!


.

I have an aunt and uncle who live near Cumberland Gap TN. It’s an extraordinary place.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk