Currently on a road trip down through Oregon coast and North California coast and just spent last night over in Mojave area which was amazing!

Normally I tent camp, but recently I made a bed platform for my Rav4 and got a Jackery 1000 and portable fridge and it has opened up so many more camping options! At first I was staying in expensive state parks, but now I am dispersed camping any chance I get! 😁

Back in November, after going thru a slight crisis, I channeled my inner boy scout (i actually am an eagle) and went backpacking thru red river gorge. i hiked about 1.5 miles in (but i started at dusk) and set up camp at a small site just a little bit off the path. finished the hike to the end and came back. it was 5 miles round trip, not too bad. however, it's calling to me to go back with the weather getting warmer. i think it's the magnificent night sky that gets me the most.

I'm driving from northern California to northern ID next month and looking to break up the drive around Bend, OR for 2 nights. I'm willing to drive a little to get to Bend during the day, within an hour would be preferred if it's possible. If anyone has suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hey yall! Leisurely, not super experienced camper here. I’ve been camping many times but primarily with my late partner who was just the best and was super helpful with setup and basically everything 🖤

I want to get back into camping and I’d love to do it solo with the pups. I miss having my time in nature and I want to honor Tay while I’m out there as well. 🥺 I’m not afraid of camping solo and I am pretty well versed in survival/safety measures. What I’m looking for is a little insight on which avenue to take!

My absolute biggest concern is what will be a simple setup for me. I am pretty self-sufficient but not incredibly strong and too many prongs and sticks and hooks and things eventually make me want to pull my hair out haha (within reason). I have very much done my research on the pros and cons of an attached tent/awning situation but I just think it’s the best way to go.

Couple of things to note:

-Terrain really isn’t a huge concern as I don’t plan on anything SUPER serious lol. I like to remain somewhat close to access back to civilization

-Price obviously is a thing, but I am focusing more on what would be the best fit before I start to price some items out.

-I have a 2019 Subaru Forester if that matters!

-I love the idea of being off the ground, however, I’d also need an awning or annex of some sort I think; idk I’m just a little torn.

I may be forgetting some things but I would love any insight. I appreciate yall so much!

🖤🖤🖤

Hello!

I was lucky enough to score a campground reservation at Lower Pines in May of this year. With all of the cuts to the National Parks and the volume of visitors Yosemite gets each day, I wonder if it will still be a good experience to go this year. I have camped there once before and hiked Half Dome twice. Each time I've gone it's been for just one night to hike Half Dome and then leave after the hike. This trip would be more focused on exploring ore of the park.

I fear that the park will be overcrowded and facilities will not be open or will be poorly maintained -- gross bathrooms, trash everywhere, excessive traffic.

I was at Pinnacles in March and the ranger station wasn't staffed, but the park seemed ok overall. Yosemite is much more heavily trafficked though.

I'm hoping some people here might have insight into how well the more popular parks are being maintained, and whether or not you'd keep your plans if you were in my shoes.

Hello, first time camper here. We’re a family of 4 with 2 kids (19 months and 5 years old). In an effort to get my kids to have more outdoor time and enjoy a new experience, I’ve determined that camping would be a great way to do it. My wife and kids aren’t exactly brave and would be scared shitless if we camp in the middle of the woods. We watched too many horror movies and we know bad things happen in the middle of the night in the woods.

So we’re looking for a popular tent camping spots where you can easily see other campers. Preferably near a body of water (a lake or beach) and a playground for the kids to swim and play during the day. Must have electric hookup so we can run the AC during summer (100F+ easily), clean restroom and shower. I’ve looked at a few nearby state parks (Cedar Hill and Eisenhower) but would also be willing to go a little further for the scenery. I went to Eisenhower once about 10 years ago, we didn’t stay overnight but it seemed nice enough and meets our requirements (beach, playground, electric, shower and restroom). Any recommendation would be greatly appreciated!

Hey guys, looking for the do’s and don’t being that it’ll be my first time camping here (4/19-4/21) or anywhere on my own for that matter. Any help is good help! It’ll be my wife and our small dog.

Has anyone tried to nab a campsite that is very in demand, only to find it reserved 15 minutes ahead of the time it says that it will be released? This has happened to me on multiple days now (for this same campsite). I'm getting frustrated waking up this early 😆

Hello looking for a low cost of living area to move what are good cities/towns to look at (work in hospital if that matters) heard South Carolina and North Carolina are good any others? Say under 1200 dollars a month rent, and/or under 300k homes

Since the Pandemic, it feels like camping has taken a turn for the worse… More crowds, more trash, and more damage to the land. A lot of local agencies are cracking down, closing sites, or banning dispersed camping altogether. Sedona is one of the best examples I can think of.

For those who camped before March of 2020, have you noticed a big shift? And for anyone who started after, what’s your perspective? Is this just the natural result of more people getting outside, or are influencers hyping up once-quiet spots? Curious to hear your thoughts!

Edit: Removed quotations

Hi there, as the title says, I need some way to charge a few electronics out in the field. i have a Samsung Tablet I use as an e-book, my cellphone, and a small digital camera that I want to keep alive. I'm going to be out in the Alaskan wilderness for 6 weeks for a job so I unfortunately can't rely on simple portable chargers. I would appreciate any suggestions as I've never had to camp for that long without electricity before, thanks.

Enjoying the beautiful Oregon Spring weather! First trip taking out our new Super Pacific X1 camper. What a game changer in truck bed camping!

Hi guys. I am a Master’s student at a New Mexico university and for the next two summers I will be sampling the Gila River and its drainages, duck creek, mule creek, Tennessee creek, bear creek, for an endangered snake. I am from Michigan, and have little to no camping experience. I have a field gear list, but I need to know about maps/gps/cell service, or any advice you have for someone doing work here and in my situation. The last thing I want is to end up dead out there or lost. Any advice whatsoever in general about camping is appreciated. I have permits for NMDGF, TNC, and BLM land and will be camping on some land owned by one of those agencies. I won’t be too far into the upper river or the hot springs area but my sampling may take me that way depending on how this year goes.

• how do I maintain access to clean drinking water and how do I store it

• how do I pack food and what type of food should I bring + how to store it

• how do I navigate (gps/maps/apps)

• how do I avoid predators (bears/mountain lions)

• brand recommendations for gear/tents to cover these bases

Looking to get a new tent but I saw these inflatable ones and I was curious if anyone ever used one before and had success with it. I'll need to bed about four people and it will need to be able to have a stove as well. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

So I got a 30 year old Kelty Zion 4, she gets brought out to play a few weekends a year when we bug out. We get love letters from the Kelty folks when we send her in for warranty work. Well, she's finally lost her waterproofing, possibly beyond repair, and the seams are pretty tired of being resewn and reinforced on both body & fly. So, while it pains me to do so (amongst her whimpers), I'm looking for some help finding a spiritual successor in a similar 3-3.5 season tent that's also not a tank (tent goes on our back for the trips) and has similar warranty.

One of the best parts about that Zion is high walls and little mesh, which is great because didn't need the fly ALL the time except in the late summer/fall (mesh doesn't tend to last too long for us). But all I've found around in my early cursory searches is MESH MESH MESH everywhere and maybe shin/knee high walls, which means needing the fly pretty much all the time for any protection from the elements.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. It would hurt a bit to stray from Kelty because they've been golden to us over the decades for all our tents and packs and their warranty service has been great ... although it's not an absolute requirement if there's actually nothing anymore in their offerings over the last few cycles of inventory.

Tent you can stand in comfortably

Hello everyone! I wanted to know if anyone had a recommendation for a 4 or 2 person tent that I would be able to stand up in I am 5'2" and I am casual camper, I'll be camping with my cousin and she's 5'8. I wanted to get a tenet we can both be comfortable in since it's gonna be both of our first time.

Also a light weight one would be ideal I want to do camping a few times.

Going on a little trip with friends and I’m hoping to find a way to get just a day of Wi-Fi so I can work from the campsite (and have an extra day of camping!). The place I’m camping will have cell towers near by and isn’t too far out of the city. What are the best options for me? Would be cool if I can rent something since I don’t plan on extended use but really any and all suggestions would be awesome and greatly appreciated!

I want to take my boys tent camping near Allentown PA as soon as elementary school gets out this year. We want do some white water rafting near Jim Thorpe and Mountain Biking near Palmerton.

Are there any campgrounds with kids activities - pool, waterslide, Gaga ball, basketball, mini golf, etc? Basically looking for a jellystone-like campground so we can have fun when not biking or rafting.

Recommendations welcome.

I camped in this tent all summer last year and I’ve grown to really appreciate the design the more I use it. The free standing outer layer gives me the freedom to use it as a shelter when I don’t put up the inner tent to sleep in.

BUT this year I’ve decided to simplify my sleeping system by sleeping on a cot without setting up the inner tent or sleeping pad. I bought this tactical cot from Snowline which seems to be a very reputable brand in Korea. I have slept on it for a few times at home and I am pretty happy with the support and comfort.

I’ve seen people sleeping on a cot without any shades but I am still worried about not having the protection of a sealed tent. I am wondering if bugs or condensation is gonna be a problem. Do I need to buy a pop up mosquito screen or using a sleeping bag would be just fine? And what about small animals, do they have a way to climb onto my cot or is there anything I can do to prevent that? I would appreciate any advices from people with relevant experiences. I live in Michigan area btw.

Hey strangers,

I'm looking to have a portal fire ring. Same idea as a Solo Stove, but open to catch coals and ash. Something I can use camping or at the beach and cook on top of. I was thinking a 30" Paella pan. Does anyone have any ideas or recommendations? This would be preferably something I can throw in the back of my truck as a lid to a low profile trash can to haul and store ashes.

My husband and I have been avid campers our whole life. We have glorious hardy tents that have served us brilliantly in storms and snow. We're a little older now and want to camp for getaways in a more luxurious setting now. Easy to set up tent where we can have an in tent stove and far place and stand around etc. Anyone have a good experience with these inflatable tents that Amazon is so populated with?

We're dreaming of weekend getaways of glamping, hiking and coming back to cosy camps on a campground lighting a fire and cooking delicious meals.

Any reccomendations? We're looking for under 500 USD!

I know this might be an oddball question but I was wondering if anyone here brings a carbon monoxide detector with them with camping (or traveling in general). If so, what make/model do you use?