Kinda Curious...

[missyify]

I was wondering how camping has trickled over into everyday life for everyone else?

For me, I'm obsessed with yurts and living off grid. I finally convinced my husband about the yurt thing but his compromise was that it wouldn't be completely off grid. I'm also into foraging. I don't do much of it aside from taking plantain leaves, but it still fascinates me.

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[campforums]

What are you going to do related to Yurts? Are you going to build one yourself? Do you have a nice spot picked out?

 

[missyify]

What are you going to do related to Yurts? Are you going to build one yourself? Do you have a nice spot picked out?

At this point, we are planning to buy a kit from either Blue Ridge Mountain Yurts or Pacific Yurts (probably Blue Ridge since they're in-state). We're on the lookout for a spot, around 10 acres that's close to where my husband works. He has to drive about an hour one way to work. Luckily the area in which he works is rural, but still not easy to find something that'll suit our needs.

Buying a yurt-style stick built house would be easier to get bank financing, so it's still a possibility.

We'll probably start off with a 30' yurt and wall off a bathroom and family closet area with a loft above it.

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[Northern Dancer]

...well...my reputation stands.

 

[missyify]

...well...my reputation stands.

Yes, and I haven't even been here that long [emoji5]

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[Northern Dancer]

...come to think of it...that sounded a bit arrogant on my part. Let me put it in another way. I'm a well known camping nut...sort of speak. Like you - I just love the stuff and love the people. There is always something new or another place to explore. It's a good life.

 

[missyify]

...come to think of it...that sounded a bit arrogant on my part. Let me put it in another way. I'm a well known camping nut...sort of speak. Like you - I just love the stuff and love the people. There is always something new or another place to explore. It's a good life.

Not at all, but I appreciate the clarification anyway Indeed it is a very good life. Although I have memories of camping as a child, I wish I would have kept up with it. No sense in worrying about that, though. I'm definitely having a lot of fun experiencing it all with my children, even though I have to make my own marshmallows at home, now lol. It's a lot of work, but I hope it leaves them with good memories as they grow.

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[Northern Dancer]

I can appreciate that it is a lot of hard work. I've learned over the years to turn some of that work in to fun. Though I have to admit that including children in the picture certainly can change the focus.

 

[missyify]

I can appreciate that it is a lot of hard work. I've learned over the years to turn some of that work in to fun. Though I have to admit that including children in the picture certainly can change the focus.

Yeah it can definitely turn into anything but fun when worrying about a bunch of kid stuff... After day one of our first real camping trip as a family, I put the brakes on, reminding my husband and myself that it was supposed to be fun.

My husband had bought the small propane tank thinking that was what the grill gifted to us used... When it uses a regular sized propane tank. We had no backup so I had to make a fire for every warm meal... I was stressed at first, but then I realized I liked it.

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[Northern Dancer]

missyify---> I can relate to that. I purchased a new stove without trying it at home (like you are supposed to do) and discovered when I got to my interior camp site that a part of the stove was missing. Then it rained.

 

[missyify]

missyify---> I can relate to that. I purchased a new stove without trying it at home (like you are supposed to do) and discovered when I got to my interior camp site that a part of the stove was missing. Then it rained.

Oh no

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[Northern Dancer]

Oh no

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Yes...I have to confess that I'm not the perfect camper. Like the time I put beans on the fire without opening the can. For a fraction of a second it rained beans on me and my colleagues. Then there was the time...well...you know what I mean.

But I have learned - I never head out without checking new equipment AND the old equipment too to make sure that everything is operational.

 

[missyify]

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Yes...I have to confess that I'm not the perfect camper. Like the time I put beans on the fire without opening the can. For a fraction of a second it rained beans on me and my colleagues. Then there was the time...well...you know what I mean.

But I have learned - I never head out without checking new equipment AND the old equipment too to make sure that everything is operational.

Yes that was one mistake we made this last trip. No one checked the tent, which had holes. I did check everything else we pack, cleaned up, reorganized, took out unnecessary items, etc. The sleeping pad was also covered in mold when my husband rolled it out, but that wasn't a huge setback since we've only had it for two trips.

We also forgot a few smaller things like oil to season the pot and pan. I tend to take over; when my husband does stuff, he's a little more fly by the seat of his pants... We've mostly learned how to "dance" with our differences to make them work together, but I tend to hang back during visitation because I'm a huge introvert with really bad anxiety and I get overwhelmed quickly. So that was probably the main issue was me checking out mentally lol.

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[Northern Dancer]

...when I think of where I am and where I was when, there really is a big difference. Experience sure helps a lot and I now find that I enjoy myself immensely. On occasion I snicker at the antics of greenhorns but realize - I was one too. True - I now have more money to purchase excellent equipment and knowledge that sustains my adventurous spirit.

 

[2sweed]

@missyify, I would suggest taking a couple extra tarps. One for under the tent to help keep floor dry and one to drape over or hang above your tent to provide extra rain protection, for next time. Even if you bring everything but the kitchen sink something might go wrong. I remember camping with my family when I was growing up. We had a system that always worked well,.... well until once in NY State, our tent was covered with noisy Cicada bugs all day driving dad crazy. They left the next day and were replaced by by a bunch of crawling tent caterpillars, all over the outside of the tent. Then if things could not get worse it rained. It poured and our tent was wet and plastered with bugs. We tried sweeping them off with a broom that smashed them into the fabric.

Well my dad was mad he decided to leave early. So we took down the tent wet brought it home set it up in the backyard, hosed it down and waited for it to get dry. Which only goes to show how you all got off so lucky. Better luck next time.

 

[Northern Dancer]

...now that's a real true to life story good authors could manipulate and turn into a howling camp adventure.

 

[missyify]

@missyify, I would suggest taking a couple extra tarps. One for under the tent to help keep floor dry and one to drape over or hang above your tent to provide extra rain protection, for next time. Even if you bring everything but the kitchen sink something might go wrong. I remember camping with my family when I was growing up. We had a system that always worked well,.... well until once in NY State, our tent was covered with noisy Cicada bugs all day driving dad crazy. They left the next day and were replaced by by a bunch of crawling tent caterpillars, all over the outside of the tent. Then if things could not get worse it rained. It poured and our tent was wet and plastered with bugs. We tried sweeping them off with a broom that smashed them into the fabric.

Well my dad was mad he decided to leave early. So we took down the tent wet brought it home set it up in the backyard, hosed it down and waited for it to get dry. Which only goes to show how you all got off so lucky. Better luck next time.

I have a few floating around here somewhere... Yes, the only cicada we encountered decided to fly directly into the camp fire. My step daughter tried to save it. The rain itself wasn't that bad. I threw a towel over the child who was taking the most drips and we ended up reusing clothes since our suitcase took the brunt of the leakage.

Definitely not as bad as the ten plagues of Egypt you all had lol. In fact, the leaks weren't a huge deal either. That dang humidity, though. That's what made me an unhappy camper at the end there. I suppose with the heat and moisture in the tent, I could've looked at the silver lining that people pay for that treatment at a sauna lol.

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