Camping Catastrophe

[Zombie309]

We loaded up my truck and headed to Elephant Butte Lake yesterday to spend the night camping out. We got there and it was a beautiful day, I got the tent set up fairly quickly, got the other canopy set-up to give us some extra shade and was about to start setting up the mattresses when everything went downhill. The cap that covered the deflation hole on the larger air mattress had fallen off at some point so I needed to go to Wal-Mart to buy a new one. As I was packing up my stuff to head over there a horrific sand-storm hit. I'm talking 40-50mph winds and blowing sand that is just ripping your skin apart.

The shaded thing that I set up had aluminum legs and two of those broke in the wind, the tent would have been pulled out of the ground and blown into the lake if I hadn't left some heavier items in it, and everything we brought got covered in sand. We packed everything up as quickly as possible and put it in the truck where we decided to wait for a bit to see if the storm would blow itself out. After a half-hour of the winds staying the same we called it quits and drove the 1.5 hours back home.

To make things worse I spent about $100.00 at Wal-Mart before we got to the lake on things that I didn't have (lanterns, citronella, etc.) since we've never been camping in a tent before. End of story, I'm heading to Camping World today to look at some trailers.

[Dawgboy]

Don't give up so easy! Trailers are nice and all, but cost a lot of money and you have to store them when not using them...

[majorhavoc]

Are you kidding? Don't give up now; you've got the obligatory camping disaster behind you! Obviously you want to always keep an eye on the weather forecast, but chances are excellent now that your next trip will have beautiful weather.

Assuming your tent wasn't damaged (or is at least repairable), you have to give it another shot. Is there anything you learned about where you could have set up your campsite so it won't be a vulnerable next time?

No one ended up in the hospital. This first trip was practically a success!

[Fletch]

Yep, you've got some solid positive karma going your way now, don't give up on the tent - trailers are far to heavy to carry!

[Neddog]

To make things worse I spent about $100.00 at Wal-Mart before we got to the lake on things that I didn't have (lanterns, citronella, etc.) since we've never been camping in a tent before.

Lanterns and citronella in a tent? Are you sure that the ones you got are tent safe?

Anyways, I agree with the others that there was nothing disastrous about this trip and there is no reason not to try it again.

[Zombie309]

I dunno, I found a really nice used pop-up that I could walk in and pay for right now. Not sure if I'm gonna pull the trigger or not.

[Zombie309]

To make things worse I spent about $100.00 at Wal-Mart before we got to the lake on things that I didn't have (lanterns, citronella, etc.) since we've never been camping in a tent before.

Lanterns and citronella in a tent? Are you sure that the ones you got are tent safe?

LED Lanterns and citronella candles for outside the tent.

[Neddog]

I dunno, I found a really nice used pop-up that I could walk in and pay for right now. Not sure if I'm gonna pull the trigger or not.

Pop-ups are awesome! Is this one of the big round disc types? As a camping noob who isn't hiking far from his vehicle, this is an ideal companion.

I used to have a really cool pseudo pop-up that was hiking packable. It didn't just pop open on its own but it packed up with hinged joints so that the entire tent packed together in one piece rather than taking the poles apart out of the sleeves and such. So all you had to do was snap the joints together and your tent was set up! I loved that thing...

[Neddog]

LED Lanterns and citronella candles for outside the tent.

Gotcha.

[Zombie309]

I dunno, I found a really nice used pop-up that I could walk in and pay for right now. Not sure if I'm gonna pull the trigger or not.

Pop-ups are awesome! Is this one of the big round disc types? As a camping noob who isn't hiking far from his vehicle, this is an ideal companion.

I'm not sure what you mean by round disc, it looks like almost every pop-up I've ever seen before lol.

[Dawgboy]

I used to have a tent trailer, and I was in a huge thunderstorm in southern Wisconson in it, with 11 teens, my 4 year old son and my wife... The winds were so string that the trailer actually moved a couple feet from where we had parked it... That was pretty scary... My Kodiak tent would not have moved at all.

My point is weather can get you in a trailer too. That being said, if you want one,get one. There are a lot of nice things about them, and if it's what it takes to get the SO out in nature, it will be better than spending the weekend at home. They are good for a bugout too, as you can store all your gear and some dry goods/canned food in it, so its a quick hookup and GO.

[majorhavoc]

I dunno, I found a really nice used pop-up that I could walk in and pay for right now. Not sure if I'm gonna pull the trigger or not.

Pop-ups are awesome! Is this one of the big round disc types? As a camping noob who isn't hiking far from his vehicle, this is an ideal companion.

I'm not sure what you mean by round disc, it looks like almost every pop-up I've ever seen before lol.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but you're talking about a pop-up camper, the kind that you tow behind a vehicle with a hardshell body out of which you erect a (usually) fabric tent.



I believe he's talking about a pop up tent, which has a coiled spring steel frame that stores as a flat disk and "pops" the tent erect once the tension is released.

[Zombie309]

I used to have a tent trailer, and I was in a huge thunderstorm in southern Wisconson in it, with 11 teens, my 4 year old son and my wife... The winds were so string that the trailer actually moved a couple feet from where we had parked it... That was pretty scary... My Kodiak tent would not have moved at all.

My point is weather can get you in a trailer too. That being said, if you want one,get one. There are a lot of nice things about them, and if it's what it takes to get the SO out in nature, it will be better than spending the weekend at home. They are good for a bugout too, as you can store all your gear and some dry goods/canned food in it, so its a quick hookup and GO.

This is exactly how I feel, also I went to the dealership and hated the pop-ups. For a few grand more I can get a nice 23-26 foot hardside travel trailer with some pretty nice features. I'm gonna shop around for awhile (Camping World will exchange new or used inventory with any other CW in the country) and I want the exact one for me.

[Phoenix David]

pops" the tent erect

hehe he said "erect"

OT I was thinking something like this would be nice and easy

Truck tent

[majorhavoc]

pops" the tent erect

hehe he said "erect"

That made me laugh far longer than it should have.

[ais4122]

Pop ups are the way to go. Don't take up too much space in the driveway and sure beats a tent anyday. Funny how no matter where you go camping, there is always a Walmart 20mins away for those emergency resupply missions.

[maldon007]

I don't get it, a pop-up is just a tent, pretty much, right? I mean it keeps you off the ground, but even my biggest tent (300sf) fits in a closet... Taking up a whole parking space, and spening thousands, needing a trailer hitch, using more fuel to get where your going... All for a tent on wheels?

Seems like sand would still have gotten all over everything, maybe inside the pop-up (which is harder to clean out than a tent). If you can, set up near trees that will block the wind, big bushy ones really help. Lots of tie-downs, more than came with it, extra long stakes, bring a leaf blower to fill the beds & blow off the sand after the storms. My .02 anyway.

[Dawgboy]

When the OP used POPUP, he was describing a tent trailer, which is a folding RV with a hard floor, a hard roof, and canvas walls. Some even have built in showers. They do have clear advantages to a nylon tent... And some disadvantages.

I think they are great, and am also considering finding a nice used one again. They are great for family camping for many reasons, and cost of ownership over a motorhome is a big one, as is the weight factor. I used to tow mine with an xterra, and there was no difference in mileage with or without the tow. Towing an 18' travel trailer though, made a 5mpg difference, mainly due to the added windage of dragging an 8 foot tall box around.

IN the mean time, for family camping, I have the best tent ever, a Kodiak Canvas wall tent that goes up in 10 minutes with a beer in my hand, and has repeatedly withstood 60mph winds.

This is my current "Refugee camp" setup...

[Jeriah]

If I might observe here, there is a sort of continuum, which some treat as a hierarchy, of what one might mean by "camping." It sort of goes like this:

1. Cabin Camping. Staying in a cabin or similar permanent structure, in a remote location. You basically have most or all of the comforts of home, coupled with a great view and wilderness activities. I don't personally call this camping, I call it "going to stay at the cabin," but with enough friends, beer, and hopefully a boat and a fire pit, it can be a terrific good time. (This is equivalent to going to Yosemite and staying at the Ahwahnee, the Lodge, Housekeeping Camp, or Curry Village.) Advantages: Fun and easy. Disadvantages: Expensive, and doesn't give you a "real wilderness experience."

2. RV Camping. Rent or buy an RV, drive it to where you want to be, park it, and you're set. It's really expensive, and you're limited to sites that accomodate RV's, but you do actually get into a campground rather than staying inside a building. Advantages: Fun, easy, and you can get into some great campgrounds. Disadvantages: Super expensive, and you're still not really "getting away from it all." The temptation to sit inside and watch TV cuts down on your sitting-by-a-fire/stargazing/etc. experience. Your generator annoys everyone around you.

3. Travel trailer camping. As above, but cheaper; RV limitations may not apply.

4. Car camping. This is what I think of when I say camping. You put your shit in a car, you drive to a campsite, park the car, and unload your stuff. You sleep in a tent, have a fire, cook on a camp stove. It's dirt cheap, and you don't bring a bunch of technology and shit with you. It's really not that hard once you get the basics down, like how to cook non-perishable foods (or manage a cooler) and such.

5. Walk-In/Primitive Camping. Pretty much as above, but some sites have the parking area farther from the camping area, so you have to walk your stuff in a couple hundred yards. Much, much more private, quieter, can be cheaper, no yahoos, no generators, few kids. Not good if you're disabled. Discourages bringing a ton of shit, which in my book is a plus.

6. Backpacking. This is amazing fun, but a bit beyond basic "camping." You pack a backpack, pick a route, hike in, camp as long as you want, and then hike out. I've done a couple of overnights recently, and a multi-day one as a kid, and am planning a five-day trip next summer. It's cheap if you aren't a gearwhore, you don't usually need reservations or anything, and you're usually alone, but it's a hell of a workout and not for the timid.

7. Ultralight backpacking and/or Primitive Living. You're either living out of a 20lb pack (tops), or living like a caveman. This is for crazy people. I admire the hell out of them for out. Advantages: Do this and you can star in Dos Equis commercials. Disadvantages: You'll probably die.

Bearing this continuum in mind can help you make choices about what kind of outdoor experience you want to have. Personally I mostly do #4 and #5, with an occasional #6 when I can. Haven't done #7 yet but would like to someday (probably ultralight as opposed to primitive). But I've got nothing against a #1, #2, or #3 when and if I can afford it.

[Boris]

I think the bad camping trips are just as important as the good ones. You just figured out what didn't work. I love tent camping, and went through similar growing pains. I realized the tent I got at Walmart on clearance was a problem, as well as my own lack of skills. If you're going to shell out a couple thousand for a trailer, why not spend a few hundred for a really nice tent, learn how to put up guy lines, and enjoy tent camping. My tents barely move, even in 40 mph winds (which is the most I've gotten).

I only buy certain camping items from Walmart, as on the whole I've found them to be not very well made. I can usually find good quality gear for not much more if you wait for sales, or end of season clearance.

FYI my last camping trip was to Rocky Mountain National Park at the end of May and first day there it rained all day. I've gotten pretty good at reading the weather up there and figured in 15-30 mins I would get a break, and I did. Put up my tent and got all of my gear in, and it proceeded to rain cats and dogs all night. Got soaked going to the bathroom, but tent was bone dry inside and guy lines staked so no wind problems. Next day it was cold and snowed from 7:30 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. It was a great trip, and thanks to the years I kept at it, I was able to stay dry, warm, and comfortable as I have found good gear that works for me, and used skills I've practiced over and over.

I know survival shows are sexy, but I've seen/met so many people who are just trying to do basic camping and fail at it because they haven't had anyone guide them. I wish there was a show about basic camping and outdoors enjoyment for people to get an idea of how to do the simple things so they don't come away angry.

[williaty]

From personal experience with a similar situation: Your tent didn't turn over in the wind. Had it turned over, it would have been easy to put back on its feet or pack up and leave. Your tent also doesn't have vertical struts that can twist out of square and prevent the roof from being lowered.

A camper just takes moderately annoying weather and makes it less annoying. The huge downside is that when you have BAD weather and something goes wrong with your camper, it goes a hell of a lot more wrong!

[Zombie309]

Thank you all for the feedback. I think regardless I am going with the camper though. It will be great practice since my retirement plan has always been to buy a bigger RV and go see a Giants game in every stadium in the country.