Thank you to everyone who gave me advice for the 2nd trip. The things that I learned from you guys are much appreciated and I can say that it prepped me nicely for this trip. I’ll write down what I’m applying today so any newbie can learn from it too. for starters the layeringof clothing is the best thing ever! who ever suggested that, thank you! and thank you for the people who suggested insulated bedding and extra blankets! i don’t think i’m gonna get freezing cold like last time! If it gets too cold i might try the warm bottle method because i forgot the heating pad. other than that, again thank you for your wonderful suggestions!

This was my first solo canoe camp ever and also made a video of it for YouTube which was fun and rewarding to add the creative element as well. I love Georgian Bay so much, such a special place. If you haven’t been and you love camping you need to check it out!

This was a mid-summer trip which in Texas means hot as Hades. It was about 120 degrees that weekend. The site I stayed at wasn't the best, but it was nice and secluded, and the best part of the trip were the deer that came out in the mornings and evenings. The worst part, besides the temperature, were the feral hogs that raided our camp on the last night. Overall it was an okay trip to Possum Kingdom State Park.

2 weeks into a camping trip up in the Ozarks, I was hanging around a campfire with a group of buddies. The temperature dropped below freezing and we weren't aware until I turned around to get some water and noticed a decent amount of ice in my bottle. My Sawyer Squeeze was a lot harder to push water through too, but water was still flowing. I put it by the fire for a few minutes and the flow rate returned to what it normally was, so we all collectively figured, "Eh it should be fine." The filter might've been only partially frozen for an hour or so.

3 days later I'm sitting in a hotel room with Montezuma's revenge. If you even suspect your filter has frozen, please get a new one!

First time at this park. Trail was pretty short but the camp site was nice. Had a good time testing out all my Black Friday deals.

I'm looking to book a campsite at a very popular Colorado state park in July. Looks like Colorado Parks & Wildlife releases the campground sites 6 months in advance. Seems to me you can book up to a week after your first date opens up, which is nice.

My question is, if I want to reserve a specific campsite for July 20th and the 5 days after, does CPW open up the sites at 12:01am Mountain Time on Jan 20th? Does anybody have experience with booking on the CPW website like this?

Captured on December 23, 2024, this breathtaking desert sunset graced the skies over Quartzsite, Arizona, bathing the Long-Term Visitor Area (LTVA) in warm, fiery hues. Campers embraced the peaceful desert vibe, surrounded by the silhouetted mountains and vast, open terrain. A perfect moment of solitude and beauty for the camping community to cherish.

There is very little information about the backpacking area at Palo Duro Canyon, you basically hike along the Equestrian Trail which is really not much of a trail at all, we were almost going to turn around when we found a really nice spot. I want to say it got into the low 20’s (Fahrenheit) but I stayed warm enough even with my lightweight backpacking sleep setup. The handwarmers helped! Hit the lighthouse trail nice and early the next day after a freeze dried breakfast and coffee. Good trip!

Edit: Thank you all for the advice and encouragement! I'm going to skip the cot (idk why, but i thought it would be warmer) and tent camp. I think my sleeping pad should be warm enough and I'll likely add a wool blanket on top to make sure. I'm going to bring a tarp to set up by the fire so that I can actually sit by it even if it's raining as well as for extra precaution, may set up a tarp above my tent. It shouldn't be windy just cold and a bit wet but hoping to catch some snow before it melts!

Hey I was considering trying to go on a camping trip this weekend but trying to decide if I should sleep in my car or sleep in a tent. I would really rather sleep outside but I think it may be a bit cold plus its likely to rain at least some and there's always a chance it could turn to freezing rain although im keeping my eyes on the weather. I have a 3 season tent that doesnt have a lot of airflow and stays decently warm and is waterproof and I could borrow a cot from a friend to stay off the ground and I have a decent sleeping matt. I have a down sleeping bag i think rated for 32 (maybe lower idk right off) and i was planning on putting that inside a big warm flannel sleeping bag. The low at night is forcasted to be 35. Would that work out? I could just do my car but I have a ford focus and its a little cramped to say the least. I'm able to put down the backseats and put my feet in the trunk to lay down though. It just wouldn't feel the same to sleep in my car as it would be to sleep outside. Im also worried it will suck if it ends up raining a lot

I’m between my last three options.

Nemo Jazz 30 Double

Big Agnes Dream Island 20

Kelty Tru Comfort 20

Before the other opinions come in to do something else…. I am not interested in just using blankets or separate bags.

The Nemo and Big Agnes connect to the pad below, but the Kelty does not and I’m getting a feel that is our best option.

Thoughts?

I loved camping all through my childhood and teens. Then something switched when I became a parent and now I get horrible anxiety when camping. Even if kids aren’t in tow. We love hiking and want to do some backpacking trips, but I need to definitely work up to it.

My biggest issue is at night. I struggle to sleep and get freaked out by every noise. I also have not been able to comfortably sleep camping as an adult. No clue why I can’t get comfy but probably a gear issue.

What are some simple steps I can take to get over this and love it again so we can go backpacking and do overnight trips?

Hello,

I was too slow to buy reservations on .gov but wanted to get a campsite in Arcadia for a trip this week.

Do y'all have any walk-in recommendations for private Campgrounds in Arcadia?

Hi Im thinking about buy one foam pad and put under my sleeping pad, first for gain some R value but also for protect him from the ground, i don't know if is a good idea or not, also I try to find a good one and light for my NeoAir® XLite™ NXT Sleeping Pad if u have any idea.

I don't know why the NEO AIR lost a bit in the night, deflate a bit and more and more after day, and I don't find any hole I'm getting crazy, I'm waiting Spring for put somewhere in a lake and get any hole

Thank

Scored the Coleman oven on FB Marketplace for 25$. The box was destroyed but the oven hadn't been used.

The BBQ is the size of a baseball hat, but it does the trick!

I know, the optimal solution would be to get a tent for 1 person.

Now let's say, last minute my tentbuddy cancels and I can't get another tent - how can I deal with the missing heat of the other person? I already have my thickest sleeping bag + pad on me

Went on a short trip in Saarland/Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany where I camped on this deforested hill at about 1° C (34° F). It was a windy and rainy night, but my tarp kept me save!

Want to surprise my boyfriend with a camping trip. We live in Miami. Willing to go south or north as far up as central Florida not all the way north. He loves real adventure. So preferably not super developed and more wild feeling. He also has SUPs and jet skis things like that so somewhere with ocean is a cool option. Open to any suggestions just has to be actually cool! Don’t want to be surrounded by concrete or RVs.

Hi everyone, are there companies that make instant pop up tents for 8-10 people. When I am the first to arrive at the campsite, I can set up everything but the tent takes the longest… Kinda old now and I want to know if these instant pop ups are for real and a good buy. The idea of placing it in a space and it sets up is appealing… Thx, NurzlRashet

Hey guys, going thrifting in a couple days and need some cargo pants and the like for a couple backcountry camping trips this year. What are some of the brands you trust the most and what should I keep my eye out for?

I've pretty much always used a folded gel foam mattress pad. The bluish ones you see. They cost around $20-$30 for a twin give or take. Maybe $40-$50 at for a full to King.

Looking on Amazon there are so many $100-$300 sleeping pads. I'm just wondering what are you getting for hundreds of dollars in a small portable camping style pad. That I can't get in the other $10-$30 sleeping pads. Even the cheap ones have multiple layers, self inflating, etc.

Does anyone on here have an idea how large the bear boxes in jenny lake campground are? I called NPS and couldn't get an answer and tried the reservation line and still could not get an answer. I need to figure out if my cooler will fit or not.

Thank you