Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with camping

What New Zealand Campervan experiences have you had?

birdwatcher — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:19:42 -0800

New Zealand Campervan advice -- anyone done NZ by campervan? We're heading to New Zealand in the middle of February for a month and want to rent (hire) a campervan to get around. We want to start our trip on the South Island so we're planning to pick up the van in Christchurch. We'd appreciate advice on which company to go with, which options you took with your van, what your experience was like in the various camping parks, and whether you took the van over on the ferry to the North Island. We will be leaving from Auckland at the end of the trip but only want to spend about a week to 10 days on the North Island. We're a little undecided about whether to take the campervan over on the ferry or do the North Island by car.

I should add that we are experienced RV-ers here in the US having travelled and camped for 5 years and over 60,000 miles in various motorhomes. The camper and camping won't be new; only the country. Also, we know we'll be driving on the opposite side of the road. That too is not a new or daunting experience.

Thanks very much for your advice and experiences.

Do I have the Betamax of camping stoves?

zombiedance — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:18:59 -0800

Are the blue Camping Gaz cartridges still commonly available in the US? I have a backpacking stove that takes the Camping Gaz CV270 cartridges. These are the blue cartridges that look like standard propane/butane cartridges (MSR, Primus, etc.) but have a click rather than screw-on attachment to the stove. Nowhere in the San Francisco bay area seems to sell them anymore, and I can't find anywhere that sells them mailorder (though being that they're full of compressed gas, this isn't surprising.) Are these obsolete now? When I do a Google search, it seems like the only places that still sell Gaz stoves are in the UK.

What to do in Ithaca

cheerwine — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:19:32 -0800

We're going camping in Ithaca, NY this weekend. What should we make sure to do while we're there? My girlfriend and I are going car camping in Ithaca, NY this weekend. She's never been camping, so we're trying to balance the hiking/cooking on a fire aspects of it with an equal amount of hanging out in the city/winery tours. We're not too familiar with the area. I've e-mailed a bunch of wineries blindly to get details on touring them, am looking into local farms and found a few places that look like fun downtown, but we're open to suggestions. Any specific wineries that you would recommend? Hiking trails? Cool thrift stores? Other fun things to do?

We are both vegetarians in our early 20s. We like thrift stores, book stores, quirky sort-of tourist things, etc. I'm more outdoorsy than her, but we can both hold our own on a hike. We wouldn't mind driving a little while for something particularly awesome, but I'd prefer stay as close to Ithaca as I can.

For a screenplay: what are some wilderness traps one could improvise to incapacitate another person?

thejrae — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:09:04 -0800

For a screenplay: what are some wilderness traps one could improvise to incapacitate another person? The protagonists are extreme survival camping types, a hetero couple. They are out in the middle of nowhere winter camping when a crazy dude starts shooting at them with a rifle. They manage to escape on his Argo (ATV type thingy) to get a headstart, but have little supplies. They have a gun but I'm not sure if I want them to use it- they'd prefer to solve things non-violenty. ;)

Anyway, they need to set a trap up for the hunter. They have something he wants so they can lure him.

I've seen some snare traps and deadfall traps online, but those seem more for small animals. This is for a human. There's the pit with spikes in the bottom, but I'm not sure if they'd have enough time to dig a pit, and don't know if they have a shovel or not (of course I could write it in... but it seems kinda boring, I dunno.)

Maybe it's not a trap but more "knowledge of the land" they could use to their advantage... a triggered avalanche perhaps?

The other thing is I don't want to kill the hunter- just pin him down or knock him out.

Also, me and 2 other people are shooting this in Colorado this winter, so we have to be able to pull off these special effects ourselves! That's a big catch! :P We could use stock footage perhaps for an avalanche.

Fall camping in vancouver

hungrysquirrels — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:21:37 -0800

Vancouver/Surrey: camping/fishing late October Long shot, but, relatively new in town, so I don't know the parks. Google is just giving me RV sites. Anyway, my friend and I would like to take a camping trip for a few days in mid-late October, somewhere we could also do some fishing, preferably on a lake. Any suggestions? Most provincial campsites must be closed by now.

Kayaking the Mediterranean?

twirlypen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:54:22 -0800

Kayaking the Mediterranean- is it possible? I'm especially curious about visa issues when entering new countries along the coast, and the legality (or not) of camping on beaches along the way. I'm idly thinking that with a kayak and a tent, a lovely little extended trip could be had around the Mediterranean Sea. What I'm not so sure about are how people go through customs and get visas and that when they're not entering at an airport or border, and how possible it would be to camp on beaches for much of the way.

Any experience on any of the relevant places would be great. Thanks!

Cumberland Island for 14

Classic Diner — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:31:01 -0800

Any tips/suggestions for Cumberland Island trip this weekend. I'm going to Cumberland Island GA this weekend with 13 other people. We are all good friends, and have scheduled cooks/meals and other camping responsibilities. The "ask metafilter" seems full of people recommending CI, now what tips, suggestions, and do not miss do you have for this camping weekend.

Looking for quiet car-camping spot within two hours drive of NYC

funkiwan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:10:01 -0800

Do you have a recommendation for a quiet car-camping spot within two hours drive of NYC for this weekend? I'm looking to go car camping (i.e., no hiking in) with my girlfriend this weekend. We'll be traveling from NYC and will have a car. We'd like to keep our travel time to around two hours but will go beyond that for something spectacular. Features we're looking for:

- Private and quiet. This is our number one reason for wanting to go camping.
- Fire pit
- Foresty

Thanks!

Salt peanuts and animal crackers?

Emilyisnow — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:52:42 -0800

What food should I take to a music festival? I'm going to a weekend-long music festival and would rather not spend a fortune on food when I get there. I don't think there will be any cooking or heating facilities (i.e., I can't take a camping stove due to a total fire ban), and it's a 9 hour train ride to get there so fresh food in a cooler will not get me very far.

Complications: one of us is a vegetarian, the other has gluten and lactose intolerances. We don't have to eat the same thing, obviously, but being able to share food would be helpful.

So far I've come up with fresh fruit, avocadoes, tuna, crackers/biscuits, granoli/muesli bars, dried fruit. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Camping in the Midwest

ahdeeda — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:25:57 -0800

Where should my boyfriend camp on his way to Washington, DC from St. Paul, MN? My boyfriend is driving from St. Paul, MN to Washington DC for a 3-week construction job. He is planning on leaving Wednesday and arriving in DC no later than Friday. He'd like to spend one night camping in the mountains, and has some time to explore wherever he ends up. He's driving his Ford pickup truck with all of his tools and equipment in the back, so he doesn't want to sleep too far from the truck. He's taking I-94/90 west to I-76/70 west, but is willing to go a couple hours out of his way to check out something cool. Where along this route would be an interesting place to stop and camp?

We are demographic freaks and need a larger vehicle

mecran01 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:55:17 -0800

I have four kids and we our outgrowing our 1999 Mercury Villager minivan. Suggestions for something reliable and around 10-$15k (used)? Is there a database that lets me search vehicles by their interior footage? It seems like we could save a lot of money if we bought a van instead of an SUV. How difficult is it to raise a van for light dirt road travel without making it dangerous on the freeway?

I'm open to van or SUV. We want something reliable, used, and in the $10-$15k range. Thanks for your help and suggestions. It seems like there is a gap between minivans and 15-passenger vans. We would use it as an all-purpose vehice for any activity that all of us might attend together. We live in Utah, and there are lots of canyons, dirt roads and other outdoor fun we could take advantage of with the right vehicle.

Bonus points if it gets more than 20mpg.

Planning a 100 Mile Hike

MorningPerson — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:07:14 -0800

We want to do a 100 mile backpack trip over a week next spring. What do we need to know? A group of 4-5 friends wants to hike the 105 miles of the Appalachian Trail that run through Shenandoah National Park. We're tentatively planning the trip for late May or early June. All of us live within 20 minutes of the park, so it's terrain we already know pretty well.

All of us have plenty of hiking experience, but only some of us have extensive backcountry camping experience. We'll be doing some shorter 2-3 trips over the fall/winter/spring to "practice" and test out the gear/distances.

But aside from that, what should we do to plan? Are there books you'd recommend? Tips? Trail Wisdom? I'd love to hear anything and everything you think we should know to make this trip amazing.

Cooking while not-so-roughing it

azpenguin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:04:57 -0800

Staying at a campground next weekend. It's near a city, so not really away from everything, and we're staying in a camping cabin, so not roughing it too hard. But we are planning to cook a few times while there. I need some hassle-free and not-too-bad-for-you recipes! We've got a nice little aluminum camp cooking set from the 50's that's been handed down over the years - fairly large pot, two smaller saucepan pots, two skillets, four coffee cups, 5 plates, and a water kettle. We also have utensils and the necessary spatulas, and we'll be carrying some basic spices along - salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. We've also got a two-burner camp stove. But we're watching what we eat a lot closer these days, which precludes the old ground beef - potatoes - cheese gut bomb dishes we used to make. We will be taking some super lean ground beef and frozen chicken breast along. We can get whatever else we need at Trader Joe's or other grocery stores in town. We're not going to pre-make anything, however - that requires too much planning. (For once, I will not be making green chile or red chile dishes - we'll be in Santa Fe and we know where to get those!) Ideas?

Cheap driving trip from LA?

ValkoSipuliSuola — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:03:00 -0800

Where can I go in SoCal for a 3 day weekend? My husband has next Monday off and we would like to take a driving trip somewhere. We live in LA and would like to see some nature - at least what hasn't caught fire yet. A 3-4 hour drive would be ideal, maybe longer.

We don't have any camping equipment, but could conceivably purchase some. The biggest problem is we have a Miata, which has a very small trunk. I'm not sure we could fit a tent and cooler in there even if we wanted to. On the plus side, the car is a hoot and a half to drive, hence the desire to drive somewhere. We also need to do it on the cheap. Any suggestions?

We've looked at Big Sur and Yosemite, but everything's booked.

Tips for a train trip across the West.

the jam — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:00:53 -0800

In September, I've got 10 days to see everything I can see from Minneapolis to Portland, OR along the route of Amtrak's Empire Builder. Know anything about these places? I'm looking for some Metafilter reconnaissance about my route. My vague plans so far:

Camping at the Minnesota State Fair

Camping in Glacier National Park, being eaten by bears

Another yet-to-be-determined stopover in Idaho or Washington

Powell's Books, Stumptown Coffee in Portland

That's all I have so far. While I'm a fan of winging it, I'd still appreciate any suggestions of things to see, hikes to take, sites to camp, friendly coffee shops and bars in the cities, or anything you can throw at me, really -- this is my first time visiting this part of the country.

forking over a good drive

yonation — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:04:28 -0800

i'm driving from nyc up to forked lake in the adirondacks tomorrow morning, following a pretty direct path from the city. can someone recommend some nice stops along the way and/or a nice drive that digresses from google's? i'm going with somebody who's never seen the region, but the thing is, its about a 6 hour drive according to google, and we dont want to spend all day in the car, so i would love something along the way OR a nice suggestion for how to drive back to the city where i can show this person a thing or two about the upstate region.

How do we share camping meal assigments

ms_rasclark — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:31:17 -0800

Our group of 5 families, a total of 24 people, is going camping over Labor Day weekend. We are trying to figure out the best way to organize/share meal planning. We get there Friday afternoon and leave after breakfast on Monday. Any suggestions?

Suggestions for hiking routes in the south of England

mairuzu — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:34:57 -0800

I want to go away for a good day's walking and 1 or 2 night's camping in the south of England next Monday / Tuesday and would like suggestions for any good routes people know. Ideally the route should be circular and have a camp-site and pub at the start / finish and should be within 2 hours drive of London. However any other suggestions also gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance

Miles

Want to lie in a tent at night and hear nothing but the waves.

lottie — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:35:43 -0800

Where are the best places in New South Wales to camp in close proximity to a beach? But wait, here's the catch... I would prefer recommendations which aren't for established camping grounds full of tents, caravans, dogs, cars, shower blocks, jet skiis and other people.

I'm looking for a National Park-type setting where a hike is rewarded with a gorgeous, private location. It would be great to be able to use fire to cook etc.

Tell me your favourite spot, and I promise to take care of it and to leave exactly how we found it.

Sadly, Sleeping Bear is too far north.

chesty_a_arthur — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:53:18 -0800

Looking for recommendations for lodging on the SW Michigan lake coast (Saugatuck, South Haven) on a budget for a couple of days. We're in Cleveland, meeting friends from Chicago. We're a small family on a tight budget; they're students on a tight budget. Rustic camping would be ideal, although an inexpensive hotel/motel would also be fine. Any recommendations? I've looked at michigan.org, saugatuck.com and so forth, but I'm having a hard time finding a non-RV campground, and would love Actual Lodging recommendations (cheap and safe is perfect.)

We're talking about the weekend of the 22nd.

Camping in Green Bay, WI area

zzazazz — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:19:42 -0800

Going to be in Wisconsin this weekend around the Green Bay area. Can anyone suggest a good campground around there? We are going to be tent camping but would like a campground that has a shower since we are road tripping.

suggestions for celebrating my 40th birthday?

roxie110 — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:36:08 -0800

suggestions for celebrating my 40th birthday in san francisco? i'm turning (*gasp*) 40 in a couple months and would love to plan something incredibly fun and distinctive to celebrate. each year i have a party at a bar, but would love to do something a bit beyond that this time. i've lived in san francisco for ages and know there are many cool places to go and things to do, but so far i haven't come up with anything that seems right. ideally the event would be accessible to a wide range of friends, and not outrageously expensive.

would welcome any and all suggestions--really!

Camping in California but not at a camp site

Charlie Lesoine — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:40:51 -0800

Looking for beautiful places to go camping within 400 miles of Los Angeles for a couple days in August. I don't want to go to a "camp site" though. Stunning views of Rivers, Lakes, mountains or the ocean are a plus. Just going with a couple people, we just want to find a place that's special and quiet.

Good water filters for backpacking trips?

fdhidalgo — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:50:05 -0800

What are your recommendations for a good water filter for backpacking trips? I go on several 3-4 day backpacking trips per year in the Sierra Nevada's and I need a new water filter. Do you have any recommendations? Any advice on what I should look for? Ideally, I'd like a filter that is small and uncomplicated. Not incredibly expensive would be nice too.

My Old (canvas) Kentucky Home

asuprenant — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:04:39 -0800

We're taking a camping trip around Eastern Kentucky during the first week of August. What should we do along the way? Any must-see campsites, parks, restaurants, venues, giant bourbon vats, or other fun things to see and do?

Because of time restrictions, we're going to save Mammoth Cave and other parts of Western Kentucky for another trip.

Itinerary
Day 1: Chicago to Cincinnati

Day 2: Midday stop in Lexington, drive to Daniel Boone National Forest

Day 3-5: Camp, day trip (Cumberland Gap, Red River Gorge?)

Day 6: Visit Whitesburg/Hazard, drive and overnight in Louisville

Day 7: Louisville to Henderson, camp, Bluegrass in the Park festival

Day 8: Henderson to Chicago

In addition to interesting sites, we're not quite sure where the best place to camp around Daniel Boone might be. We're looking at Carr Creek or Kingdom Come State Park, looking for places that are beautiful, not touristy, and near water - any suggestions?

Thanks!