Camping Experience

[JLM]

What means of camping do you prefer? Tent, Camper Van, Fifth Wheel, Pull Trailer, Camper on Pickup? Where do you prefer to camp? River, Lake, Ocean, City Campground, In the Mountains? What do you like to do while camping? What memorable experiences have you had- good or bad?

 

[DaSleeper]

While I would prefer a motor home...(not enough money to buy one) I have been camping with a fifth wheel for the last 13 or 14 years.

Camping by any waterways is nice, but any place you camp is an adventure, and if you're not a recluse, meeting new people everywhere you camp is the best experience of all.
And unlike a house, if you don't happen to like the neighbours??...It's easy to move....

I have been lucky in my travels...I always got along with my neighbours:smile:

 

[Cliffy]

This year I went camping twice, both in a tent. I find it hard to see traveling in trailers and motor homes as camping. Both trips were to aboriginal gatherings, one in Lillooet and the other west of Edmonton, both on reserves. Had a great time, got rained on and sun burnt both times (part of the adventure) but met tons of wonderful people.

 

[JLM]

While I would prefer a motor home...(not enough money to buy one) I have been camping with a fifth wheel for the last 13 or 14 years.

Camping by any waterways is nice, but any place you camp is an adventure, and if you're not a recluse, meeting new people everywhere you camp is the best experience of all.
And unlike a house, if you don't happen to like the neighbours??...It's easy to move....

I have been lucky in my travels...I always got along with my neighbours:smile:

I too have been camping in 5th wheels for about 13 years, personally I think it's the best option. Of course I agree with Cliff's style of camping (for environmental reasons & that it puts some primitive skills to use) but as you get older you get away from that, not to mention that the spouse doesn't enjoy it as much. :smile: Of course the use of fifth wheels motor homes etc. isn't confined to camping - just an alternative to the expense of motels and restaurants & a great mode of travel.

 

[Walter]

Sheraton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, and Fairmont are my way to camp.

 

[karrie]

I like to go camping for the scenery, so, ultimately I like camping in a tent. You simply can't get a truly scenic camp site with a massive 5th wheel. Instead they send you to the RV section... manicured lawns, all the trees cut down to make parking the monsters simpler... you can hear everyone's generators, tv's, microwaves, and game consoles running all day.

My family (me, husband, two kids), did two weeks last year, camping with just the Mazda 3 and a roof bubble... it went smoother and was more fun than when we used to have the 5th wheel.... setting up camp was quicker and easier than parking and leveling a trailer, how crazy is that?

 

[VanIsle]

We have a travel trailer and I wouldn't have it any other way. We like it best when our whole family goes. Both sons have travel trailers and my brother has a motor home. I think I've only used the microwave once in the 3 years we've had it. We have a table top BBQ and a camp stove so our cooking is all done outside. We've been to some well manicured sites but most of them here are not like that. We stay right here on the Island. One place we like to go to is The Living Forest. No manicuring there! A nice part of the trip for us is to walk trails beside the ocean. Almost every camp ground here is oceanside. If you book early enough you can park your trailer where you have a fantastic ocean view. Many places offer pull throughs so parking isn't a problem and leveling takes less than 5 minutes. We put the blocks out, open the back door of the trailer and lay a level there. I watch the level and my husband winds the trailer down onto the blocks until it's level. It's a piece of cake. I go inside after that and get out the mats for in front and the table cloth for the picnic table. The fridge is already cold from traveling so after we've leveled up and set up, we ready to sit down and have a cold drink in less than 15 min. I don't see why anyone believes you are not camping if you are not in a tent. We're still out in the woods just like a tenter is. We're still breathing the same fresh air and we're still away from home and relaxing for a couple of days and we can do most of it within a 20 min. drive. We've been on the ocean, lakes, and not near any water. We still always have a great time. It's best with family and the guitars. If we had to use a tent, I would never be there, nor would my husband. We do not like tents. I won't apologize for stepping into my trailer and sleeping in my queen bed while I camp. If it rains, not much changes for us. If it suddenly turns cold (and that can and does happen), we turn the furnace on!

 

[Chiliagon]

ya I would love to experience camping once in a Motor home. get an idea of how that is compared to what I've done usually which is pitch a tent and go completely natural.

campfires and a stove,

I love camping in the mountains, preferably next to a lake.

but I like campsites that are more open and not like in the middle of the bush with trees surrounding you! I like sunshine and I like open spaces with people on all sides of you. A Packed house you could say.

I love a campsite where there's plots every so often on both sides of you and across from you. and I like a full site.. hear the sounds of life from each, with their fires roaring, noise and conversations!

I could do it all the time.

 

[karrie]

ya I would love to experience camping once in a Motor home. get an idea of how that is compared to what I've done usually which is pitch a tent and go completely natural.

campfires and a stove,

I love camping in the mountains, preferably next to a lake.

but I like campsites that are more open and not like in the middle of the bush with trees surrounding you! I like sunshine and I like open spaces with people on all sides of you. A Packed house you could say.

I love a campsite where there's plots every so often on both sides of you and across from you. and I like a full site.. hear the sounds of life from each, with their fires roaring, noise and conversations!

I could do it all the time.

One of our fave sites was a lake on our way through BC, where the tenters had sites at the beach, with trees seperating you from your main site. To wake up in the morning, open the tent door up, and lie snuggled in our sleeping bags watching the sun come up across the lake.... wow. The other fave was alongside a waterfall, on the side of a mountain in BC. Your site was tiered, with the tent location being a bit of a hike up from your car. The view was incredible, up and over top of everything like that.

 

[Chiliagon]

ooh, tenting next to a waterfall.. that would be fantastic.

 

[karrie]

ooh, tenting next to a waterfall.. that would be fantastic.

it was... there's just no comparing the places we've been able to go with our tent, to what camping with our fifth wheel was like.

 

[Chiliagon]

ya can't take a 5th wheel into the middle of a mountain by foot!

 

[karrie]

ya can't take a 5th wheel into the middle of a mountain by foot!

And I certainly can't get my 9 and 10 year old to park it while I get supper going... lol.... whereas they can set up our tent in about 5 minutes.

 

[Chiliagon]

nope!

would be cool if there was a waterfall near here

 

[karrie]

nope!

would be cool if there was a waterfall near here

yeah, no kidding. Flat land for you! lol.

 

[Chiliagon]

yea I have to travel like 300kms for a waterfall.

 

[talloola]

We have done more camping since we were first married than I can remember, I could write a book.

We have tented, trailered, 5th wheeled, motor homed, and hoteled, but my favourite is a camper, and

we are now looking for another one, we've had 3 previously. We have never stayed in any manicured

rv park with our 5th wheels/trailers, not our style, one can still find the out of the way areas to

stay, with 'whatever' you prefer. I learned to hate tenting, but only as I got older, there was a

time when we had a huge 2 room tent, and took our four daughters plus my nephew, (who lived with us),

camping all the time. We stayed at south beach, (pt. roberts) all summer a couple of times, and my

husband drove back and forth to work when his holidays were over, and we had a blast, practically lived

in the ocean, and those kids discovered many many living creatures, built castles, and learned to swim,

there, and we walked miles as well.

We tented at pender harbour a few times, with all the kids, loved it, and did lots of boating as well,

and fishing.

Oh yeah, and we have vacationed with a canopy, (just the two of us), and had a ball too.

It really doesn't matter what you prefer to pull, or pack, or carry on your truck.

I don't like camping any more, just the two of us, and i'm bored out of my mind parked

at any camp area, but we do what we enjoy, and the camper will allow us to park

overnight whereever we want, and move on whenever we want, we can't just sit around

do nothing, not our style.

 

[karrie]

My folks have taken it to a new level and bought a cabin at the lake near where I grew up. So, my kids get to go for two weeks a year (sometimes more), and fish, tube, berry pick, quad, etc. Huge firepit for family gatherings, treehouse for the kids, trails and beaches and tons of activities, plus, the annual fishing derby for the community. And no packing, unpacking, trying to find a site you like, etc.

 

[JLM]

Sheraton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, and Fairmont are my way to camp.

Plutocrat. :lol:

We have done more camping since we were first married than I can remember, I could write a book.

We have tented, trailered, 5th wheeled, motor homed, and hoteled, but my favourite is a camper, and

we are now looking for another one, we've had 3 previously. We have never stayed in any manicured

rv park with our 5th wheels/trailers, not our style, one can still find the out of the way areas to

stay, with 'whatever' you prefer. I learned to hate tenting, but only as I got older, there was a

time when we had a huge 2 room tent, and took our four daughters plus my nephew, (who lived with us),

camping all the time. We stayed at south beach, (pt. roberts) all summer a couple of times, and my

husband drove back and forth to work when his holidays were over, and we had a blast, practically lived

in the ocean, and those kids discovered many many living creatures, built castles, and learned to swim,

there, and we walked miles as well.

We tented at pender harbour a few times, with all the kids, loved it, and did lots of boating as well,

and fishing.

Oh yeah, and we have vacationed with a canopy, (just the two of us), and had a ball too.

It really doesn't matter what you prefer to pull, or pack, or carry on your truck.

I don't like camping any more, just the two of us, and i'm bored out of my mind parked

at any camp area, but we do what we enjoy, and the camper will allow us to park

overnight whereever we want, and move on whenever we want, we can't just sit around

do nothing, not our style.

Years ago when we had a tent trailer (would never have one of the bloody things again) we spent a lot of time camping at Tribune Bay on Hornby Island (an hour or so from Courtenay B.C.) Lots to do there, you could sit outside the Co op store all day and just enjoy watching the hippies, but mainly there is a beautiful sandy beach and the water is very warm for the ocean. There's trails to hike and if you are an artsy type there are lots of those around. There is a nice pub right at the ferry terminal. I'm sure it's all changed now so I would be afraid to go back.

 

[wulfie68]

I haven't done much camping the past couple years but what I was in didn't make much difference except on the May long weekend: it always snows on the long weekend no matter where we went, so I prefered Mom & Dad's motorhome to tents and truck-campers.

My favorite locales were always around water bodies too, so we could do a little fishing, swimming and boating/waterskiing as the weather permitted.