Chicks Who "Love to Go Camping"

[Steadfast]

Thanks for sharing AL

When I came home from overseas back in 1970 I felt I had to become one in the 'peaceful woods" once again. Over the following 17 years, I camped 15 times up to 3 weeks. I loved two spots (upper New Yawk State & Virginia) There were only two differences between NY & VA. License plates and the Virginia drawl.

Other states I usually did back then were Penn, W Virgina, Maryand that I can remember off hand.

Last year driving cross country from NY to Washington State was a unique experience. This was the 1st time I had camped in years (since the middle to late 80's). I camped in Penn, Indiana, Nebraska, Slept as Vee's guest in Wyo. On the last leg to Wash, I slept a few hours in my vehicle. But on the return trip I slept atop Mt Spokane. I had to pay a Mountain Ranger $10 or $15. I couldn't have a live fire either because of dry conditions up there. Shit C-rads and LRRP's can taste worst than the few items I had. I arrived up there late afternoon and was the only camper. A few cars drove by and some people came down to use the nearby facilities (250 meters) from me. About 12:30AM it sounded like a train comin thru there. My tent almost blew over. I think my body weight anchored it firmly. Next morning I drove 20 miles to a nearby town and was talking to the waitress while I was eatin mawnin vittles & she remember the time the wind came barreling thru. She added it came thru regularly. My next spot was a famous spot. I spied it on my trusty atlas map, The Lewis & Clark campsite. I arrived and there were many folk and a State Ranger bldg. I forked over another bit of $ and picked a spot. Now it was the middle of the summer, around Aug4 04. but that night I near froze my fat ass off. Plus everything inside my tent was wet. I In the mawin I figgered it were maybe 50 degrees. If the temperature had dropped another 20 degrees this city boy would have chickened out and climbed into my vehicle. ha ha ha thats the old man in me whining. sorry. The rest of the trip was regular and my tenting gear is still in the garage. Hmmm, maybe I can head out to the Applachian trail for a few days camping or go to my old favorite spot Along the Shendoah River jes a spell west of Harpers Ferry.


Oh Yeah, I had gone camping with both my wives (different times dummy), Wife # 2 took to it like she grew up in natures backyard. Wife # 1 could drive an experienced camper to rage. Hence my divorce not long afterwards. Don't you guys jes love it when the old lady shine her flashlight in your eyes at night each time she talks to you? Close your eyes and say, "Yes dear."


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[SmileyTFJ]

I love hiking. I will hike anywhere as long as it's to a hotel or back to the truck to go home! I do like outdoor activities and especially love to go rafting! As far as camping, that's a no-go for me. Had a particularly bad experience camping on the beach once and my other experiences were not much better.

Ironically, I like being out in the field. I have thought about it many times and figure that it is a different mind set for me than camping. I like the stress and challenge. Not surprisingly, I like ruck marching. The best was in Germany when we would ruck to the local brewery!

[elle]

Some of the best times I've had were spent in high country in Kananaskis Prov. Park. Backpack on, hiking through skree fields up to some glacier fed lake, then setting up the tent near the water. Waking up to see fresh snow had covered the mountain tops.

The pack, tent, stove and sleeping bag are all ready to go, now we need to make the time to get out there again.

[Mom in Texas]

Thanks to all for the stories, I've enjoyed reading them. :D

As a kid growing up, every (and I do mean every) weekend there was a boat race or a fishing trip and my family was there. Everyone went….aunts, uncles, cousins… We were a camping family.

One weekend on Lake Tawakoni, we were all camped out….night time, about to fall asleep….our tent was dad, mom and a bunch of kids. Mom says. “Bill, is there a train track around here?â€

[Julieanne]

Ok... Wade is a hero. He loves the outdoors, camping, hiking, searching for rocks, chasing the occasional butterfly, identifying all sorts of critters, and taking pictures of clouds. For him, making meals outside is cause for joy. He loves to get up early, and have coffee outside, and all that nice stuff. I wish I liked all of it as much as he does- I truly do. But, I don't. He's a good man though, so he keeps me around anyway.

I do love the hiking, and outdoorsy fun stuff. I hate the days of extended work. I can hang with setting up- but I hate to cook outside- and the cleanup sucks ass. I hate it. I hate early mornings, and being chilly... And having to prepare things in the dark, and cold- is not fun, but that is a digression to the old army days. I'm not fond of dirt under my fingernails for long periods of time- I know that sounds petty, but it's true.

I have been blessed with many great friends who at least fake that they still like me enough to tolerate me on the camping trips. Luckily, they are all skilled at the outdoor cooking thing, and expect nothing of me. My night is hotdogs, and marshmallow night- all I have to do is bring them, and everyone else takes over. On their nights, they get out their dutch ovens, and make stew, and cobblers... And I rave about their fantastic meals... (I think that is why they tolerate me). In the morning, I toss the kids an apple and a donut, and I pull out my cold bottle of starbucks coffee, and call it a decent start.

Now, y'all can go ahead and give me crap if you want to, but I have made an effort, and someday I hope to be one of those dutch oven masters... Though I'm sure the Pastor will tell Wade not to hold his breath. Regardless, I want the kids to have these memories, and I do enjoy the outdoor time, and I love the campfires. The more I do it... the more I like it.

As far as memorable camping trips go- my first trip ever, I was about 4 yrs old, and my Mom refused to use the public bathroom at the state park where we were at, so my Dad had to go get one of those portable toilets for her... yeah... my mom.

Then... the coast of Oregon (Florence), we met with some old Army friends of ours, and had rivers, (due to rain), flowing past us for 2 days before the other wife suggested we go ahead and get hotel rooms :D Thank God she suggested it, and thank God the guys were all for it...

And, this past July 4th wk-end, I grabbed the tents, and bought a new blow up mattress for me, yeah, yeah... and it was comfy too! ( :D ), and set it all up. Only to find that my tent was not our tent. It was an old one we inherited from some friends who had moved away. The zipper was busted on the dang thing. So, the first night I just left it open... Well, that morning Zach was up at the break of dawn asking for help identifying all the bugs that had found a new home on our ceiling... :D It was fun. The next night we duct taped it closed.

Then there was the 10 day trip down near Sisters, Oregon where we saw a HUGE cougar... that was neat. That was a gorgeous animal.

Anyhow, fun thread... thanks for dredging this up AL!! :D

[Jim]

My vote goes to #5. If I'm taking a woman along, camping is limited to the Marriott or a cabin in a state park. OK, so the lessons were painful -- but I did learn my lesson.

[Jacked87]

This is a story about my first (and only) camping trip with my ex girl-friend. It was summer 04, I had spent all summer on an island up in Canada blazing trails. I fly back to california and have just over a week before school starts up again. Unknown to me my apartment-mate and his girlfriend and my girlfriend had planned a camping trip up in northern cali. I find out about it like the day before, and say sure, it will be fun. Im thinking 'northern california' Mt Shata or some cool big mountain like that. I pack my ruck with my gear, suit up in boots and BDU pants and meet the 3 of them at my GFs place. They are all in shorts and sandals!! Turns out we are going camping on near the beach. So we drive for three hours and get to the camp site. Its a 20'x20' patch of sand next to a road with 100 other camp sites right next to it.

-So I set up the tent in about 10min, while the other couple takes two full hours to set up their new 'eddie bauer' tent. We go for a 'hike' which turns out to be a one mile walk around on a paved road around all the other campsites. We get back and start up dinner. That goes ok, then it gets dark and we head to our respective tents. Next thing i hear is the light house sounding off, every thirty seconds for the whole night. It annoying but whatever, i just try to ignore it. With in the three other people are all whinning about the noise. Yeah it sucks, but what are you going to do about it now, its midnight. My girlfiend actually proposed to me that we should just pack up now and drive home, "We could get home by 4am and have all night to sleep in a real bed" I just roll over and try not to laugh.

-The sun comes up and we the three of them start to whine about how cold it is, and how they are all sandy and wet. We skip breakfast and drive home. All the way home talking about how 'we really roughed it last night'

-The trip in a nut shell: we drove three hours to sleep in a patch of sand, only to wake up and drive back. Not my idea of camping.

-Anyway needless to say next time my apartment mate and his gf planed a camping trip i passed. Its one thing to go 'camping' where your car is 5 feet away and there are 5 other campsites with in 50 feet of you. That is fine as long as you call it what it is, and let people know what they are getting into. I will be sticking to camping with guys who own a pair of boots and are not afraid to hike a few miles to find a nice spot to sleep.

[Southern_Brit]

Don't take a woman camping - it's in tents!! Ba-dum........tiss!

[chadrob30]

LOL! Ranger Rangercamaro that was the best story I've read in a long time.....thanks....

[Rock Island Ranger]

Ranger Wade,

Did you find any cool artifacts besides rocks and sand? There is a lot of petrified wood where we are.

Yea, think he found some wood.... he mentioned his wife was pregnant didnt he?