Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with camp

A Campy Christmas

bigmusic — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:23:20 -0800

I'd like to decorate my apartment in the most campy way possible. What must I have?

Are there any Muay Thai themed xmas presents?

Silentgoldfish — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:49:29 -0800

My brother is going to Thailand for a 3 month Muay Thai training camp and I want to get him a themed or appropriate Christmas present. Any thoughts? He's already doing the martial art here, but is fairly overweight so is using the training camp as a sort of extreme weightloss thing as well since he'll be removed from all temptation.

I've asked some Thai people I know for suggestions but all they could come up with was that everything so much cheaper in Thailand there's not much I could get him that he wouldn't find much cheaper when he gets there.

So, Muay Thai themed presents, or something that would come in handy in a training camp! All I can think of are Tony Jaa dvd's but he's already got those!

New recipes for better camp food?

rmless — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:34:46 -0800

What are some good, healthy bulk recipes (200 people) that I can serve at my camp? Our camp food is pretty unhealthy and unappealing right now (chicken fingers, frozen pizza, boiled or canned veggies), and I've been given the task of making it more healthy and diverse.

I'm talking to co-ops in the area to get some local and some organic fresh veg to replace the frozen, but I would also like to get some recipes, links, and resources about what to actually serve.

The camp is for 9-13 yr old inner city girls who don't have very experienced palates and don't really love branching out into new territory, so spicy things, curries, etc won't fit the bill.

Another restriction is that the meals can't take all day to cook since we serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner all out of the same kitchen and we need the space for each meal.

The meals each need to have a protein, 2 veg, and a carb/starch in order for us to get the gvnt food subsidy.
We have to serve each kid, so no "make-your-own" style as with a salad bar or taco bar.

So can anyone help me out with recipes for 200?
-meat, vegetarian both ok
-any meal, but I think dinner needs the most help
-doesn't take all day to prepare
-includes protein, 2 veg, carb/starch
-each portion must be handed out instead of self-serve

Car camping with a six-month-old?

gottabefunky — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:39:42 -0800

Any tips on car camping with a 6-month-old? We're thinking of heading out this weekend from Portland, OR for baby's first camping trip.

Looking for any wisdom on making the whole experience run smoothly, especially since she's not the greatest sleeper. (For example, how do you put her down to sleep at 6 pm when it's light out until 9?)

Trashy Book Club looking for suggestions

Astro Zombie — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:36:52 -0800

Some friends and I are starting a super trashy book club, and are looking for suggestions for the trashiest books you can come up with. Already in mind: Valley of the Dolls; Flowers in the Attic; Go Ask Alice; Mommy Dearest; Chocolates for Breakfast.

Looking for: Anything sordid and campy and ridiculous and obnoxious. Best still: If a cocktail would go with it. Even better: If there is some costume that might be worn to the book club discussion. Better than the best: If a movie was made of the book.

I was born in Dusseldorf and that is why they call me Rolf

grobstein — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:02:57 -0800

What Nazi concentration camp should I visit near Dusseldorf? (For a friend.) A friend will be in Dusseldorf, Germany, for a short period and would like to visit a Nazi concentration camp. From what I can tell, the only nearby choices are the minor camps of Hinzert and Breitenau. Has anyone been to either or both of these camps, or traveled from Dusseldorf to another camp that was interesting? Quick answers appreciated. Thanks!

cheesedick for a year.

yonation — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:59:33 -0800

how do i explain the concept of "cheesy" to non-native English speakers? i'm curious in how you've explained what cheesy (or alternately, "lame" or even if we want to be academic, "campy") is to people who speak language as a second language, and while their comprehension is good, their grasp of these esoteric things is not. interestingly, much of this may be cultural because what is cheesy to us is obviously not cheesy to others... yet, how do we get the concept across? that something is supposed to be nice, but actually is not? that it is supposed to be honest, but comes of as.. superficial?

Cheap custom t-shirt website

brenton — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:00:57 -0800

Where can I order 25 color shirts with a single-color custom design (that I can upload) on the front? I'm looking for as cheap as possible. I need to do the shirts for a camp that is starting on Sunday. The shirts need to arrive by next Thursday, and I can't spend more than $200 total. I have my own design ready to upload, but I haven't been able to find cheap non-bulk places.

Help me help my campers have the greatest week ever!

definitely not a hipster. — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:00:16 -0800

Help me be the greatest camp counselor in the history of summer camps! Hello Hivemind. I'm lucky enough to be spending the summer working as a camp counselor at an outdoor activity camp for kids. I'll be working with a group of twelve 5-9 year olds every week. I need any advice that I can get, especially any ideas on games to play with the kids (any that help them learn everyone else's names would be perfect), songs to sing, etc. Their activities are pretty scheduled, so I don't have to worry about planning their week, just how to make it the greatest week ever! Any advice/suggestions/ideas are greatly appreciated!

Need a northern Jersey soccer camp

kemah201 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:27:15 -0800

Looking for a summer soccer day camp for an 11 year old that's more than a week...in northern New Jersey.

How to not get kicked off the beach for camping?

pontouf — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:02:40 -0800

Where can I find public access beach camping in Washington State? I want to go on a weekend trip from Seattle to do some beach camping without driving terribly far, so within the state (or up in B.C. I suppose). I can't seem to find any resources that state where the beaches are public vs. private though. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Where to hike in March near Fresno for Snow and Fish

farmersckn — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:05:18 -0800

Where should we (Me +1) backpack next weekend (Mar 28/29) near Fresno, CA that has SNOW, WATER and FISH? My and my buddy want to stay at least one night - I suppose we could camp the night on Friday at the trail head if we need the extra time.
He wants to fish.
I want to build a snow shelter.
We want to be home Sunday night so we can work Monday.

We are both in excellent shape. He has backpacked several times and this will be my first experience.

He has gear enough for the both of us including snow shoes.

We have talked a bit about hiking somewhere in the Dinky lakes wilderness (island lake?) but I thought I would tap the hivemind to see if we are biting off too much or if there might be a better place to go for what we are looking for.

Thanks in advance!

Where do I sleep at night?

Alec Loudenback — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:20:29 -0800

Road Trip Filter: New to extended road tripping. Would like to make a loop from Denver to Seattle, down to Cali and back through the desert and up through Utah before heading home. Where do I sleep on a limited budget? After graduating from High School this May, a friend and I are planning to make an approximately 1 month trip as described above, leaving mid-late June and returning mid-late July.

We are on a limited budget and want to save our money mostly for food and gas. Really scrape by like they do in the movies.

I have a Honda Element, which I believe would work wonderfully for night-time accommodations - the seats fold down to make two beds to sleep in and has a moon roof right where our heads would be at night.

What I am not sure about: Where to park at night?

I don't want to be right on the side of the road nor do I want to be somewhere where we might be in danger (some crazy farmer with a shotgun's field) or somewhere where we'll be woken up by the sheriff tapping on the window with a ticket. Of course we could pay for a campsite, but that costs money and isn't quite as "out there" as we'd like.

We're also planning on having a tent and sleeping outside somewhere some nights, but we don't want the same problems as described above.

Note: For now, I am not really looking for specific places to visit, just some general directions/tips for basically random overnight spots.

Please, MeFi, help me live my graduation dream!

Am I safe to solo camp without a tent?

crazy finger — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:02:26 -0800

Solo tent-less camping - safety tips? I'll be doing field surveys in the southwest US: deserts, forests, mountains, usually near water sources. I intend to try going tent-less to save time, weight, etc... but since I'll be all alone and in the middle of nowhere, I'm a little concerned about the possibility of animals wandering into camp.

The reason this comes up, two stories:

1. A friend woke up with a rattlesnake in her bag once (tentless).

2. Another friend, camping in the same region, has often found Mountain Lion tracks near camp in the morning.

So that's all I've got. Two anecdotes that don't sound too frightening, but my bigger concern would be something along the lines of a Mountain Lion coming and snuffing me out in my sleep. Bears aren't a huge concern and I'm not really worried about them anyway, but I suppose if they were hungry and I was asleep... Thoughts?

Have your kids learn how to kill people!

Phire — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:23:32 -0800

A few years ago, Amnesty International (I think) ran an awareness campaign about child soldiers by putting up posters about a summer camp where they could send their kids to be tortured, molested, beaten, and taught how to use rifles. Where is it? I remember seeing this on MeFi, and it may or may not have been Amnesty International. Either way, the website itself was a flash based site and you could look at details for the shooting range and the obstacle course and the cabins and whatnot. Apparently there were posters for this in downtown Toronto and there were a lot of outraged parents who didn't quite get that it was meant to be an awareness campaign.

I can't for the life of me remember what the camp was called, but I remember it being a really well done site. Does anyone else recall this?

Looking for a spring break soccer camp in Vancouver

russilwvong — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:16:05 -0800

Looking for a soccer camp for 5-year-olds in Vancouver over spring break (March 30 - April 3). We already know about Brad Higgs, just hoping for a more convenient location.

"One time at camp..." What?

PatoPata — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:41:49 -0800

"One time at camp..." What joke am I missing? I'm going to teach at an adult music camp. When people hear this, they say, "One time at camp..." and start chortling. What are they referring to? Is this a line from a movie or what?

I was a 100% urban kid who never went to camp, I didn't know any kids who did, and I haven't watched TV in decades. So pretend you're explaining this to an alien.

How to pick between top or bottom bunk?

Etta Hollis — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:05:17 -0800

Is top or bottom bunk better? I'm starting an environmental conservation program in Massachusetts. For the next 10 months I'll be sharing a bunkhouse with 16 other program members.

Bunks are either metal or wood frame (not sure) and the kind with rubber mattresses like at camp.

I'm arriving a bit earlier than everyone, so assuming I have first dibs on any bed, which would be better? Top? Bottom? Top next to a wall? Bottom next to a wall?

Ideas for decorating, privacy, minimizing the effects of bunk-mate's movements, or making a fort are VERY welcome!

Where to camp near St. Louis?

invitapriore — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:09:48 -0800

Where can I go camping near St. Louis? There are only a few things I would prefer for any site:

1) I would be biking to the location, so it would have to be within 25 to 30 miles of my home in University City.

2) It would hopefully be free.

Thanks!

Where to find nurses and lifeguards to work at a short camp?

rmless — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:40:25 -0800

Where should I look to find lifeguards and nurses to staff the short non-profit camp in Maine that I help run? Each year we seem to run into some problems with finding lifeguards and nurses and I am wondering if there is a group of people I should tap or website that I should be posting on that I've missed.

The camp runs the last two weeks of August (19- Sept 1), which rules out a bunch of college and high school students who have to go back to school at that time.

We run on a pretty small budget so while we do offer stipends for working there, we can't cover more than $100 of transportation costs per person so we can't ship people in from Europe or something like that.

We've so far tried: posting on Idealist, Craigslist, and contacting other camps in Maine directly to see if their counselors want to stay after normal camp session to work at ours.

Any other ideas?

Tonight's dinner was veal. I repeat, veal. The winner of tonight's mystery meat contest is Jeffrey Corbin who guessed "some kind of beef."

spec80 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:45:31 -0800

How do you explain umami to kids? My friend is working for a summer day camp and the ages of her campers are 11-14. She would like to do an activity about the 5 tastes. She has no problem coming up with explanations and examples for bitter, sweet, salty and sour but she is having a tough time trying to figure out a way to explain umami. How do you explain it in a way that kids will understand? And for a possible future activity, what dishes can they try to make (they can have 2-4 hours for it)?

Help us find a great spot to pitch our tent!

Diskeater — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:14:49 -0800

Trying to find a good camping spot in Vermont... My friend and I are looking to do some camping for a few days next week and are in the process of researching possible locations. We enjoy the wilderness / hiking but aren’t experts by any means and we haven't been camping in many years. We have the following criteria:

- We live near Burlington, VT and are willing to drive pretty much anywhere in the state (or New Hampshire / upstate New York if there is a really great spot) but I would ideally like to keep the driving time between 1-3 hours.

- We would prefer to be nicely isolated from everyone else that might be camping in the area but nixed the idea of finding a random place in the woods to camp because we would probably get lost forever. Is there any way of attaining a “happy medium” and going to a site that offers some degree of privacy from other campers or are we going to be surrounded by people no matter where we go?

- Great hiking trails, scenic views, a lake (especially a lake), etc are huge bonuses. Our goal is to go on a lot of cool hikes during the day and chill out by the campsite at night.

- We are aiming to arrive at the campsite by next Thursday afternoon and leave by next Saturday sometime during the day but these times are flexible.

So….any recommendations for a good place to camp? Thanks!

Arts and Crafts with a Science Twist?

liesbyomission — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:28:40 -0800

I need help coming up with ideas for ~30 min science-related arts and crafts activities for kids aged 3-17 in a pretty limited environment. I am working at a summer camp for the children of migrant workers, and I was hired to do fun, science-y activities with them. Great! I know lots of science projects that we can do! I've run many, many workshops like that.

Unfortunately, the environment itself is far from ideal, and I have little to work with, making most of what I've done before infeasible. I have limited access to running water (need to fill up a pitcher in the bathroom and bring it outside to the picnic tables where we are). I have an extremely large amount of construction paper and plenty of other typical craft supplies.

So, if any of you have any resources or suggestions for arts and crafts with a science twist, I'd really appreciate your suggestions. Thanks!

Gimme twenty, maggot! When you're ready.

Camofrog — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:13:00 -0800

From time to time I've wished I could go through some sort of boot camp for a solid week or so--either to get me out of a rut or to lose a bad habit--without joining the Marines. This means a full-time, fairly hard-core regimen where you really get worked in all kinds of ways, nicely, but firmly and insistently. Like spring training. Ideally, you would even eat and sleep there. Would anybody else pay for this kind of experience? It doesn't seem to exist. Do you think there is a market to support such a thing or is it just me?

Activities for bipolar children in Seattle?

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:51:10 -0800

Summer programs for bipolar children in Seattle? Do you know of any summer programs specifically for bipolar children in the Seattle area? Most of the camps I can find are for kids on the spectrum or with physical disabilities, and aren't set up in the best way for a hyperactive, bipolar, kindergarten-age child.

(Anon to respect my child's privacy, that's all.)