Camping for Dummies: I need your best camping advice!
(Sing to the tune of “Green Acres” — the Eva Gabor part.)
New York is where I’d rather stay.
I dread allergic smelling hay.
I just adore a penthouse view.
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue!
Anyone who has ever read this blog knows that I am not the outdoorsy type. I am 37-years-old and have never, ever, not once been camping. And neither has my husband!
This weekend our family will be CAMPING for the first time thanks to the Cub Scouts. (Walshie did join Cub Scouts. See earlier entry on that decision.)
I am very excited about sharing the experience with Walsh, but I am also pretty certain we’re going to do things wrong, bring the wrong stuff and just generally be way out of our comfort zone. (And as you know from the football game discussion if it rains, I am out of there!)
We are lucky the Cub Scouts are making it an easy first trip. We will only be at Stone Mountain and our tent (borrowed from my friend Sheridan –thank you) will be located near the bathroom. (Hooray for indoor plumbing!) We will be sleeping in tents, but they will provide dinner. (Hooray for provided dinner.)
We will be hiking but I’m a good walker and in decent shape so I’m not too worried about that. I am extremely worried about getting the tent up and staying warm and dry during the night. (I am mildly worried about rapists and wild animals but those fears are probably unfounded.)
We had planned to take Rose and leave the baby with my mom and dad. But since Rose was out sick with bronchitis three days this week I am thinking she shouldn’t be exposed to cold , damp air and campfire smoke. (Michael thinks I’m crazy but I know cold air and smoke can set off lung issues and the poor child coughed constantly for five days!)
Michael is fairly certain I will bolt as soon as it gets dark and temperature drops at all. Despite his doubts, I am committed to stay as long as it doesn’t rain on me!
Here are my questions:
How long could it possibly take us to put up our tent? Is an hour and a half enough time? Two hours?
Is Walsh’s Pottery Barn Batman sleeping bag not going to be warm enough?
What if we snuggle him between us?
Do we need to bring a gallon jug of water?
Do we need to bring a cooler?
Where do we keep our snacks (they said not in the tent and in what?)
Give me some basic dos and don’t for the night! Nothing is too elementary!
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95 comments Add your comment
Becky
October 23rd, 2009
2:18 pm
Theresa, just enjoy the night..Nothing drastic is going to happen..If the time comes that our 2 little ones want to go camping, I will be right there ready..
Hunter of MILF
October 23rd, 2009
2:19 pm
@Becky
See email address above….hint, hint….
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 23rd, 2009
3:06 pm
I will remember the flashlight changing thing and the clothes inside the bag — although I may just sleep in what I wear — is that nuts?? too dirty??
I’m thinking Michael and i need a night alone at stone mountain for a little sleeping bag hanky panky — that sounds like fun
By the way — Michael just sent me a sex topic for Monday!!! woo-hoo!! so everybody tune in for Monday’s sex topic!
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 23rd, 2009
3:08 pm
I’m sure MILF Hunter will be there for Monday!!
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 23rd, 2009
3:08 pm
I like that’s he’s got an email now.
Hunter of MILF
October 23rd, 2009
3:26 pm
@Theresa
Well considering I was banned last year for simply just existing it’s good to be back.
Hunter of MILF
October 23rd, 2009
3:26 pm
Even if I can no longer go by MILF Hunter…..
Hunter of MILF
October 23rd, 2009
3:45 pm
So you gonna send me an email ladies? ;)
An article from a first time camper « The official Grillopia.com Blog
October 23rd, 2009
3:46 pm
[...] PDRTJS_settings_157597_post_163 = { "id" : "157597", "unique_id" : "wp-post-163", "title" : "An+article+from+a+first+time+camper", "item_id" : "_post_163", "permalink" : "http%3A%2F%2Fgrillopia.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F23%2Ffirst-time-camper%2F" } I just read an article in the AJC an Atlanta based news paper. In it Theresa Walsh Giarrusso was writing about going on her first camping trip, and wanted the readers to give her some suggestions and asked 7 good questions. Below I have the questions and my answers. If you want to read the whole article and read other responses to her post it can be found here. [...]
April
October 23rd, 2009
4:23 pm
Theresa, I feel your pain. Camping is not something that I am interested in. It will probably turn out much better than you think it will. You have gotten some great advice, but I have nothing to add.
@MJG – Will you people please lay off!! The comments that you think are very witty and hilarious are actually boring and annoying to the rest of us. I am here to read helpful comments related to the topic – not feel like I am still at school with a room full of ten year olds.
Kat
October 23rd, 2009
4:46 pm
If you’re worried about being cold while you sleep, remember that what’s under you is literally more important than what’s on top of you. You can have all the blankets you own piled on top of you, but if there is only a thin layer (sleeping bag & tent floor) between you and the ground, you will be cold. The cold seems to just ooze out of the ground. An air matress will help, but even a couple of layers of blankets under you will provide enough of a barrier to help.
Kat
October 23rd, 2009
4:50 pm
PS, NONONO! do NOT sleep in the clothes you were wearing. There is no delicate way to say why not without setting off the trolls, so do yourself a favor and trust me on this, OK?
catlady
October 23rd, 2009
4:58 pm
I tried the camping thing for years, but never enjoyed it. My problems were due to severe allergies and a poorly healed broken tailbone, I think. Once I admitted that I hate being so uncomfortable, my life became much easier. My kids are all grown and love to camp, but they got that from their dad. My son and DIL took their 5 week old baby camping for the first time in the wilds of NC this summer. My younger daughter got engaged on a camping trip, and my older daughter and SIL have taken my granddaughter camping (she is 2 now).
I would NOT recommend taking other sibs along, as someone else just said. Let this be about Walsh’s needs/interests. He has had to share you for his whole life. And Rose doesn’t need the stress on her body, it sounds like. After you get some experience, enlarge the camping experience and include Rose, but make it a family (as opposed to scout) trip.
BTW, is “camping” at SMP considered to really be camping? But go, stay through the rainy night, DON”T COMPLAIN, and bring home some memories that will warm you in 15 years or so!
Lori
October 23rd, 2009
5:02 pm
Lots of good advice, definitely be overly prepared for the cold. Also, the key to staying dry when it rains…don’t let anything touch the tent walls. If your sleeping bad or pillow is up against the wall, it will draw the rain in, otherwise it will just roll off. Have a temperature appropriate sleeping bag, and bring twice as many flashlights, lanterns, and batteries than you think you’ll need. Make sure you know how to pitch your tent BEFORE you get there, and bring a hammer. Start early, don’t wait until evening. In most campgrounds, it is totally unacceptable to be running around making noises after dark while trying to pitch your tent. If you bring the jiffy pop, don’t forget the fire glove!!! Put your food in a cooler, no bears to worry about, so you’ll probably be ok, but you can leave it in your car if you want to. Racoons can open anything, so don’t leave the cooler outside. Don’t expect the bathrooms to have toilet paper, and don’t forget your towels.
motherjanegoose
October 23rd, 2009
5:41 pm
@ April…..just checking, are you saying that I am boring and annoying or just those who are attacking me? Not sure how to read this as I often enjoy your posts but may now be on your black list.
I thought I was sharing a tip about Big Lots and that it would be helpful to save some money BEFORE you camp for the first time and then go full on a fledge buy out and purchase what you need if you LOVE it, as some do!
Vork
October 23rd, 2009
8:23 pm
LOL I told MJG that I was not the only one that felt like I do about her and her pompous windbag posts.
Remember….constructive criticism….
deidre_NC
October 23rd, 2009
10:05 pm
JJ that my friend and mines dream…to buy a rv..and see the world … lol..maybe just our world…i have camped so much its like a way of life. i have luxury camped (camper) tent camped…and camped with nothing but the stars for a ceiling. we have loaded everything we (my kids and i) could on one horse riden other horses–blazing trails thru these mountains…i have actually lived in a tent for months at a time. i love it-there is nothing like it….theresa…my experience with scout camping is that you wont have to do much…or have much. they really should have told you everything you need to bring and know about the campgroud. i have camped at stone mountain lots…one of my friends and i were just talking about this tonight…she and i and another girlfriend used to take all our kids camping at stone mountain. we had a blast.take a battery lantern…and flashlights for the night time potty trips…like someone above said try to take off shoes at the doorway of the tent…but if someone forgets its really ok…as far as going with the troop…one year my youngest sons troop had a father son camp trip…my sons dad had passed away…my friends sons dad was out of town working..so we got permission to go instead…well heavy rains just happened to flood the campground and when we got there they were cancelling the trip…my friend and i were like…oh no we arent leaving after what we went thru to get there (another story lol) so the leader told us we could stay..left us keys to the kitchen and cabins..we (just the 4 of us) had a blast…but rmh or whoever it was…scouting isnt just for the kids or the dads anymore…there are lots of kids who dont have dads 9and moms too) so the remaining parent just has to step up and be both. no matter what.
and theresa….pleae relax and have fun. this could shape your kids opinion of camping forever…and camping is awesome. people dont get the whole value of the outdoors anymore…and who knows…you may even like it!!! just let go and enjoy yourself!!! i hope michael enjoys himself too. i have to say i cant believe there are people who have never gone camping lol…
oh yeah…take a fishing pole!!
FCM
October 23rd, 2009
10:31 pm
MJG we do enjoy when you contribute something interesting. When you go on about the travels, where you are off too, how you get paid to talk, well you lose street cred.
After 3-4 years of regularly reading/responding on the blog and only very few others can say that too that I know of, I can tell you that the blog governs itself.
April
October 24th, 2009
12:43 am
NO, MJG – Sorry for the confusion – I wish people would leave you alone. I have no idea why some people have nothing better to do with their day than hang out on a blog and trash one poster whom they have decided to dislike. Posts are easy enough to skip if you have a philosophical difference with someone. I usually agree with your opinions, but I would feel the same even if I did not. Let everyone voice his or her opinion without all the middle school snarkiness.
FCM
October 24th, 2009
6:12 am
Theresa you have to come back and tell us how it went.
DB
October 24th, 2009
7:54 am
@April — I agree. Didn’t anyone ever hear the saying from their mom: “If you can’t say something nice(ly), don’t say it at all?”
If you don’t want to read MJG’s posts — DON’T. How hard is it, folks, honestly? For example, I now find that skip over most of Vork’s posts, because s/he seems to be a bit self-impressed and doesn’t often contribute original thoughts, more just complaining about Theresa or other posters. But I sure don’t constantly attack them, trying to get them to conform to my idea of an ideal blogger. I just skip on by. Life’s too short to be mean-spirited. This is one of the disadvantages of the internet — saying something anonymously that you would never have the nerve to say to someone to their face.
@Theresa: I, too, want to hear about the camping trip!
DigitalHermit
October 24th, 2009
8:32 am
Too late for my comments since you’re likely already on your trip, but I wanted to add a few items:
1) The first few times camping can be miserable, but it quickly gets better. The reason is that we’ re used to A/C, heating, television, etc.. Once you camp a few times, even if it’s at a camping facility with amenities, you quickly realize that you don’t really need all the “stuff” that’s around you. You learn that happiness doesn’t come from things. That’s probably the greatest lesson that camping has taught me.
2) I’ve stayed in dozens of hotel rooms but they all sort of blur together. This is by design I think. Hotels want their rooms to be similar everywhere so that it feels comfortable. But this makes a vacation less memorable. On the other hand, I remember distinctly almost every place that I have camped.
catlady
October 24th, 2009
1:40 pm
Can we tell miserable camping stories?
The LAST time I went camping was with my exhusband and 3 children at St. George Island, FL. It was 900 degrees at 10 pm with 150% humidity. All around us were motorcampers with AC and TVs blaring (we were in a small tent). The mosquitoes were hand-sized and were muscling up to rip the tent apart and kill us. You could have used their “stingers” to cook hotdogs. The hum of their wings did not quite drown out the running engines of the motorhomes, but the fumes only encouraged them. There was a bull alligator declaring his love about 100 feet away, occasionally catching and crunching up one of the mosquitoes. As soon as it got dark a lot of animals–I think possoms but maybe something else, started crashing around in the sawgrass and scurrying around the tent. Again, not quite loud enough to drown out the motorhomes, whose owners had apparently decided to watch TV at 2000 db all night long.
At 11 pm I announced to all that I was going BACK to Tallahassee right then, they could come or not as they wished, and I would KILL anyone who got in my way!
john
October 24th, 2009
2:59 pm
For me the least enjoyable part of camping is sleeping on the ground. If you have an air mattress that will fit in your tent use it. You will thank me later.
Stone Mountain park has bathrooms and showers so you should be set on that part.
As far a setting up you tent, if your tent was made within the last couple of years it should take minutes to set up and will be almost foolproof. Gone are the days where you had to put the tent poles together and hope all the pieces were there or in the right place.
I would also advise you to bring some of your own firewood. Most campgrounds are pretty well picked over when it comes to larger pieces of firewood.
GasX
October 24th, 2009
5:17 pm
Vork maybe you should try bending over and releasing some of that gas. You seem a bit pent.
Beans
October 24th, 2009
5:19 pm
DB maybe you should try eating some Mexican food for once and then you could release as well!
Holiday Inn
October 24th, 2009
5:22 pm
Yuki doesn’t even need to respond. She’s a spoiled princess that had parents pay her way through life – even college. Of course she aint gonna sleep outdoors! She’d rather sleep in that Lexus SUV she drives and then go home to beef and noodles that’s already on the the table because her mama lives with her and has cooked.
uberVU - social comments
October 24th, 2009
11:03 pm
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by AJCMOMania: Camping for Dummies: I need your advice! #moms #parents http://bit.ly/1s6Fgx…
DB
October 25th, 2009
10:09 am
@Beans: Hit Moe’s on Thursday night, and Willy’s for lunch on Saturday with the son home for the weekend from college, so I think I’m good. Thanks for your concern.
Theresa Giarrusso
October 25th, 2009
1:42 pm
Since I promised a sex topic on Monday, I will tell you how the camping trip went on Tuesday. We are back and in one piece!
DB
October 25th, 2009
3:15 pm
@catlady: Haha, that was great! I know St. George, and your description is about as apt as any I’ve heard, especially the man-eating mosquitos!
catlady
October 25th, 2009
4:51 pm
DB, the mosquitoes were so loud, I thought we were on a glide path for the Pensacola Naval Air Station! But they were focused on getting inside the tent!
I had thought we were SO LUCKY to get a reservation at the last moment! What I did not know! You know the camping area is within the state park and I was scared they wouldn’t let us out in the middle of the night. I was determined to bust through any barrier they had put up.
Windbag Hater
October 25th, 2009
6:23 pm
Motherjanegoose….please, please go away. yakity, yakity, yak!!!
JATL
October 25th, 2009
6:46 pm
Theresa, I just returned from 4 days and 3 nights of camping at a music festival with my 3 year old and 1 year old. I’m a veteran camper, but I’ve only camped once before in April with the 3 year old. Since this was the first time with two small children, it was a learning experience, but I can’t wait to do it again. I always dreamed of having kids and taking them camping a lot because they enjoy it so. I know you’re already back, but here are my basic tips for anyone car camping (backpacking is a whole different animal).
PLENTY of different size ziploc-style bags and plastic grocery sacks for nasty stuff, trash, wet stuff, dirty shoes, etc.
Band Aids, Neosporin (they make a great to go one now) and A&D ointment for any chafing or rash issues.
Layers of clothing for any kind of weather and good rain gear/ponchos/GORE TEX hiking boots/shoes -others may say waterproof, but Gore Tex is the real deal.
A tarp or ground cloth that fits under your tent well and you can bunch around the sides to prevent rain from running under the tent between that and the tarp/cloth.
An easy-inflate air mattress w/sheets and your pillows and blankets (MUCH more comfy than sleeping bags)- although the warmest blanket I’ve had is an unzipped Coleman sleeping bag from Target. I never get cold with that over me.
Head lamps for nightime potty issues -outside or in porta potties and flashlights -also a couple of good camp lanterns and a good old Coleman camp stove and accessories.
BUG SPRAY, sunscreen and chapstick.
An attitude that you and the kids will wash; dirt most likely never killed anyone; and you can always pack up and leave if you’re terribly miserable!
@catlady -whenever I’ve gone to St. George, I’ve always looked at the campground and thought it would be a miserable mosquito-infested nightmare!
Regina
October 25th, 2009
9:04 pm
Go with modern camping…rent an RV…
TN Mom
October 25th, 2009
11:12 pm
JATL…you sound like a total wimp. Camping is not rocket science. I am the original hot shower and mattress girl. But I recently went on a camping trip and jeez! I had fun! You got to get over the painted finger nails and blow dried hair to have fun. When you wake up, expect bed head and live with it. Honestly. Half the fun is roughin’ it and nobody cares if you look or smell like Godzilla.
FCM
October 26th, 2009
7:03 am
TN Mom I think you totally misread JATL. She said “An attitude that you and the kids will wash; dirt most likely never killed anyone; and you can always pack up and leave if you’re terribly miserable!”. Doesn’t sound to me like she is having issues with bedhead and Godzilla.
Sugar
October 26th, 2009
8:10 am
How about an interesting topic this week?
Do you speed through school zones when the yellow lights are blinking? I pass Norcross High School every day, and the drivers totally ignore the flashing “school zone” lights and speeds. In the mornings, it’s dark, kids are crossing the street, and people are doing 45-50 MPH……WTH???? It’s a freaking school zone…….I wish a cop would sit there and issue tickets!!!!
Sarah
October 26th, 2009
8:46 am
Careful, Sugar. You could be verbally attacked because you dared to want to change subjects. I was and I rarely post now.
Becky
October 26th, 2009
9:43 am
Sarah, no one gets attacked for wanting to suggest a topic..We do tend to not want to change in the middle of something..As others has been guided to, email Theresa if you want to offer a topic for dicussion..
JATL
October 26th, 2009
10:56 am
Thanks FCM -yes, TN MOM -maybe the beginning of my post that I’m a veteran camper should have clued you in. I have camped a lot for years including an 11 day stint in the desert one year. I have always had a fabulous time camping. I’m still not sure why you responded the way you did, but I listed the tips I did because the initial question was asking for camping tips, and I thought maybe some people would actually want them if they’ve never been camping.
Sarah
October 26th, 2009
12:13 pm
Sorry, Becky, you do not know of what you speak.
YUKI
October 26th, 2009
2:36 pm
Holiday Inn? huh? not even close. two words…SHOVE IT!
Holiday Inn
October 26th, 2009
7:20 pm
oh i’m sorry. I forgot…the marriott for the korean princess!
Kitty
October 26th, 2009
10:12 pm
I know this is too late, but keep these thoughts for your next trip.
Invest in the air mattress, and leave the sibs at home. Sleep in what you wore – everyone else will be doing the same thing, and even if they’re not, trust me – nobody will care. Comfort is your number one priority.
Despite what someone above said, this will NOT be the last time you have to do this! I went camping with my son well into Boy Scout years -he didn’t need me as he got older, of course, but the leaders appreciate having as many adults along as possible.
Be prepared NOT to get any sleep the first time. But the tradeoff is the blissful silence – except for the crickets, or whatever those insects are.