Camping tips?

[PirateLover]

edit: My post was moved since this is where all you camping experts hang out, so I just wanted to clarify some more that this won't be "Disney" camping... we'll be in southern NJ somewhere.

My fiancé and some of our friends want to go camping in May. Apparently when they were younger they used to go camping all the time... However John hasn't been camping since we started dating (almost 6 years). I've been very good at finagling us out of these things, but I think I may finally have to give in. The thing is, I am a city girl through and through. I do like the occasional foray into nature and enjoy peace and quiet occasionally but I'm afraid that once night comes, I'll be extremely
uncomfortable and then after the first day the novelty will wear off and I'll be miserable. They are looking for a place with a lot of hiking trails for variety... but I've never even gone hiking before so I don't even know if I'll enjoy it or if I'm fit enough for it. Also I have a fear of insects. If a spider gets in the tent, I'll freak out.

All that being said I guess I'm finally willing to give it a try, but I'm hoping some of you can give me tips to help me survive. I plan on bringing my portable battery jumper thing from my car so I can charge and use some of my electronics (Like an iPod or DS at night if I get bored or can't sleep, and to keep my cell charged). Also I'm making my John buy a decent tent. But what else will I need to bring or should I expect?

[drummerboy]

A good air matress helps if you don't want to sleep on the hard ground. I can't remember if it gets that buggy in South Jersey in May, but bug spray might also be helpful. Do you know where you'll likely be staying?

[PirateLover]

I really am clueless right now as to where we'll be since we are still in the planning stages. I think they are also going to consider some PA sites as well. (planning is pretty much being left up to another couple. There will be 6 of us as of now, more might join the party later who knows.)
We live in the Philadelphia area but are willing to drive so if anyone has a suggestion for a good site it would be welcomed. We all have to sit down and discuss it some more.

I've come up with some more specific questions that maybe people will have an easier time answering:

Are there any brands of bug spray that work better than others? I've never had to use it before. I always see "OFF" but just because it's ubiquitous doesn't mean it works...By the way, as you pointed out Drummerboy it is our hope that in early May less bugs will be out but you never know. If we have a warm April, it could be buggier than expected.

Do you really have to buy an expensive tent? What brands are the best? We were just going to get a $50-$60 one (I was looking at Coleman) but our one friend was going on and on about seams having to be waterproofed and that a tent at that price won't be good enough. However, I am of the mindset that if it starts raining that hard, I'm either sleeping in the car or heading home. So do you think it would be ok to go with a cheaper tent? Are there any other reasons why we might want to invest in one a bit pricier?

Will I be OK with good sneakers or should I get boots if we plan to go hiking? If I do get boots is there an easy way to break them in?
I don't want this trip to start getting too expensive but at the same time as I said I don't want to be miserable and I feel like being as prepared as possible will help me stay happy.

[NJ Camper]

Since you don't know how much you will go after this i would NOT get to crazy on the tent if you buy a expensivre one and don't like it then you wasted your money
sneakers or boots they make some pretty good hiking sneakers which you could always wear after for daily shoes also unless you wear boots they may be uncomfortable
we started out tent camping me and girlfriend now wife in south jersey we went to bassriver its a state run camp that is nofrills basic camping there is plenty of nice sites in the capemay area which is also close to wildwood we stayed in one there called seashore it was pretty good
Pa has lots depending on where you want to go if you want to go toward lancaster or the pocono's
these 2 areas are where i did most of my camping other then disney which is always a great choice also there is so much to do you will be so tired you won't even think about where you are sleeping if you have more ? post them

[ibrowse17]

Having camped all sorts of ways at FW during different times of the year, I can suggest a fan or two. It will start to be getting stickey hot in May, and you will need something to keep the air flowing. A power strip and good extention cords are a must as well. We have a Kelty tent that we take when we tent camp, and it works well for us. I would not put a lot of money in to a tent if you do not plan to tent camp on a regular basis. My DW loves to have a tv table to use for doing make up and all at the site rather than the comfort station. We also like to use storage bins instead of suitcases when we tent camp, in case you have a rain problem. I hope you have a great time

[Dakota Rose]

The sporting goods stores carry just about every kind of amenity for camping. We have battery powered lights, little nightstands, etc. I'm not saying you need those things, but it might be worth a shopping trip to see if you can find some things that appeal to your comfort.

If you're worried about bugs, check out the Thermacell mosquito repellant. We use Avon's Picaridin bug spray and it works really well. Only occasionally have we had to "upgrade" to Deet. (yucky stuff)

How many nights are you camping? Will the campgrounds have showers? If not, you may want to get one of the camping shower bag thingies. They're vinyl bags with a hook and a shower nozzle that you fill with water and hang from a tree. About $20-30.

A comfy chair and some good books are a good idea too. And don't forget the extra blankets for nighttime.

I would say that the more planning the better so you don't have any surprises.

Have a great time!

[PirateLover]

Thanks for all the tips so far. My fiance's dad actually wants to go camping sometime in the future, so he said he'd go in half on a tent. Since we were looking to spent up to $60 this works out nicely because he wants to get one that is $120 and seems pretty nice.

Our friend does have lanterns, tarps, a stove and various other equipment because his family goes a lot. And we will definitely stay at a site that has showers and bathrooms. No way am I "roughing" it on my first trip ever! Lol. We will most likely stay for 2 nights, a friday to sunday.

[NJ Camper]

sounds good did you pick a spot yet last i remeber you said south jersey or maybe pa

[PirateLover]

No, we are still researching places. I think the big decision will be do we really need/want electricity. It seems the sites with electric are a lot more expensive.

[Ed]

You might want to consider Otter Lake Campground in the Poconos. It's an easy drive from the Philly area, and it is one of the finest campgrounds we ever stayed at. We used to live in Maryland, and we headed up to Otter Lake frequently. Beautifully maintained, well run, great scenery. We started camping there in a tent, later in a popup, and eventually in a travel trailer. Our teenaged daughter at the time was HORRIFIED at the idea of camping in a tent! One trip and she was a diehard convert.

[PirateLover]

You might want to consider Otter Lake Campground in the Poconos. It's an easy drive from the Philly area, and it is one of the finest campgrounds we ever stayed at. We used to live in Maryland, and we headed up to Otter Lake frequently. Beautifully maintained, well run, great scenery. We started camping there in a tent, later in a popup, and eventually in a travel trailer. Our teenaged daughter at the time was HORRIFIED at the idea of camping in a tent! One trip and she was a diehard convert.

Thank you! I was actually looking at this site before and I thought It looked wonderful, but my fiancé isn't so sure... He thinks that it isn't secluded enough, too much $$ and too many rules about people on your campsite, and that it isn't "real" camping if you're not completely isolated out in the woods somewhere Hopefully I can convince him otherwise since I think I would be much happier at a place like this.

[TinaAndGlenn]

Remember, you get what you pay for. The places that have extra$ for extra people do this for a reason. No one wants to spend a weekend camping next to a group of rowdie people who are only there to have a party. Also, regarding your tent: purchase a tarp from your local home improvement store. They sell them in all sizes. I have seen many people put these over their tent in inclimate weather. I was never a camper either. My husband & I bought a pop up 16 years ago. It was the best decision we ever made. Although we now take all the comforts of home, camping is a great way to relax, connect with family & friends, and see this beautiful country. Have a great time!

[Jasper]

It seems you are getting a lot of good advice on the equipment side of things but not many comments on the what to do when the novelty wears off. My first response to that would be a question. What do you and this group of friends like to do currently when you get together? For example, do you get together and play cards or board games? If you do then be sure to take a deck of cards and your favorite board games along. If you think through those kind of things you will probably find that there are a great deal of things to do.

Another great group activity we love to do is cook together. We do this at each others houses and we also do this when we are out camping. Even the dish washing chore can become fun when done as a group! We usually have a battery powered radio along that we sing along with while washing dishes. This also prevents one or two people from having to do it all by themselves. If these are friends that you spend any amount of time with I bet you can find many different things to do that can pass the time enjoyably.

And don't forget sight seeing. Because of kid issues we don't get around to the state of Indiana parks like we used to but when we did there were always things offered in-park to do as well as local sites in the area of both a historical and natural wonder type to do. Do some research on your own before leaving home and then if things start to drag you can come up with some suggestions about things to do. Most campground websites include either listings of things in the area to do or even links to those things.

The most important thing to do is to get involved with the trip and don't focus on the negatives. I have seen more camping trips ruined by the one stick-in-the-mud that wouldn't give it a chance! Yes, you will still probably scream bloody murder when you get a bug in the tent but as long as you can laugh about it after you are done screaming then you will end up enjoying yourself!

Finally, if you really do make a genuine effort to enjoy yourself and still just absolutely hate it then when you approach your fiancée about not wanting to go camping again he is much more likely to understand and not try to force you to go again. Remember, WHAT YOU GET OUT OF ANY EXPERIENCE IN LIFE DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT!!

[princessjojo]

Good luck! I have done my duties as far as tent camping. My idea of roughing it is no room service. I spent 6 years camping with our local cubscout. One of the best things we ever bought was a small battery operated "ceiling" fan. It adheres with strong magnets, one to the inside and one to the outside in the dome of the tent. It also has a small light as well. In the end, we always really had a great time, but I was always ready to go home as well. Another good thing to bring along is a rake & old broom. Use the rake to smooth the ground & prep for where you want to put your tent. You don't want any rocks to show up underneath you. The broom will help keep some of the dirt out ouf your tent. Have enough tarp outside the edge of the tent so you have something like a doormat to leave your shoes.

Have a great time. It really isn't that bad. I like it ok, but don't suggest it for things we should do on our vacations.

[PirateLover]

Remember, you get what you pay for. The places that have extra$ for extra people do this for a reason. No one wants to spend a weekend camping next to a group of rowdie people who are only there to have a party.

This is exactly why he wants to be secluded. This way we won't disturb anyone and they can't disturb us. I wouldn't necessarily consider us rowdy, but we do laugh a lot. So far there are 6 of us, 3 couples who would each have their own tent. Youngest is me at 22 and the oldest is 30. We will be up later in the night and will probably bring a long a few beers. I've noticed many campsites have "quiet hours" so we obviously can't go to those since most weekends we are just hanging out shooting the breeze at someone's house until 2am.

Thanks for the tip about the tarp, our friend has one that he says will cover up to 3 tents so we won't have to get our own this time around.

[NJ Camper]

A few beers shouldn't be a problem but at any campground if you get to rowdy you could get kicked out ALL of them i've ever heard of or went to have some kind of quite hours usally
10:00 or 11:00 as long as you keep the noise level down there is not a problem but you have to remember there is family's with kids at most of these and if you get rowdy they will complain plus the other side is they typically go to bed earlier which means they get up earlier so don't be surprised when at 8:00 am they start making noise

[PirateLover]

A few beers shouldn't be a problem but at any campground if you get to rowdy you could get kicked out ALL of them i've ever heard of or went to have some kind of quite hours usally
10:00 or 11:00 as long as you keep the noise level down there is not a problem but you have to remember there is family's with kids at most of these and if you get rowdy they will complain plus the other side is they typically go to bed earlier which means they get up earlier so don't be surprised when at 8:00 am they start making noise

Oh yea, totally. The last thing I'd want to do is disturb someone else's family. There are some websites that blatantly advertise they are family campgrounds....I found one where groups with people under the age of 25 cannont have more than 2 people on a campsite, and other strict rules for non-families. It does make sense though.

Some of the grounds do in fact have areas where the individual camp sites aren't right next to each other, usually they don't have the water and electric hookups though and are usually far away from the lake front or main areas. There is usually still a water pump and restrooms/showers though.

I think someone else in our group found a good site, I will let you know what we end up doing when I find out more.

[PirateLover]

Well at least I have one more person on my side! She is of the same mindset as me, she would like a nice place with a view, have some activities etc. It is $30 a night for 2 people, $11 for each additional person up to 4 adults on one site (again that stinks because we have 6, but what can ya do...)

It is called Camp Taylor and it's in Columbia, NJ. She writes:

"Liquor is allowed but we still have to keep it under control. Quiet time is 11pm-9am basically everything is down to a talk and no yelling. Camp fire- there is no time limit. It's on a mountain and the trail leads to wildlife reserves and everything is heavily surround by trees... I just want to hike and relax and maybe do so photographing,reading, and hiking."

Hopefully we can work our charms on the boys

[NJ Camper]

like i said most have some kind of quite hours and most don't mind you staying up having a few beers as long as you keep it to a low roar if you get yelling or overly rowdie then its a problem we stayed in pirateland in myrtle beach and would stay up to 2-3 am drinking and talking but as long as you didn't get loud you are ok but these sites are far from secluded you are lucky if there is a tree or maybe even 2 between you and others some have nothing especially those on the edge of the beach area but otherwise a great camp with a huge pool and even a lazy river but very expensive last i saw it was around 60 a night but you are within a walk ( very short to short )1-10 minutes to the ocean and lots to do but not a good 2 day trip better for a week but if i had a choice a week in disney would be better and believe it or not cheaper for the camping longer trip and more in gas but more fun and worth the extra but agian more then a 2 day trip good luck with your trip

[PirateLover]

Thanks NJ Camper for all your advice. If I enjoy camping maybe we will check out one of those other sites in the future- we love to travel!

Upon further review of the camp sites, I am really going to push for otter lake. I was checking out the maps and it seems like camp taylor only has flush toilets and showers in the main building. The rest are pit toilets, and no additional showers. Otter lake has 8 separate heated rest areas with showers and it's only $5 more a night. Also most places charge extra for more adults and many (Otter Lake included) charges you a full site fee if you aren't family and you pitch a second tent on one site. Therefore I proposed the idea that we just get 3 sites in a row and hang out at the middle site until bed time, this way we won't have neighbors on either side (And on the map there are a few areas that we would basically take up a block and be alone on our side of the road). So I've convinced the fiancee, hopefully I can convince the others. The only downside is we might have to purchase some extra stuff (like our own tarp). We are going to take a trip to Cabela's this weekend.