c/camping-and-outdoors

This past weekend at Lake Tahoe finally clicked for me

I have been camping for about 5 years now, but last Saturday was the first time I set up my tent in under 10 minutes without any help. It was at the Fallen Leaf Lake campground near South Lake Tahoe. The weather was perfect, no wind at all, and I even got my campfire going with just one match. Has anyone else had a day where everything just goes right like that?

Spent 45 minutes trying to start a campfire in the rain before I figured out the trick

Last weekend I was out near Lake Lure and it started drizzling right as I pulled in. I spent way too long messing with wet logs and soggy kindling, maybe 45 minutes of frustration. Finally I ripped apart a pine cone I found under a dry rock and used the inner part as a fire starter - it lit up in seconds. Has anyone else got a weird trick for wet weather fire starting that actually works?

I finally tried that old timer's trick about sleeping with your head lower than your feet on a slope

Guy at a campground in the Smokies told me to do this to stop sliding down my tent at night, and I thought he was joking. After three nights of waking up in a ball at the bottom of my bag, I gave it a shot and it actually worked. Anybody else had weird camp setup advice that turned out to be right?

Finally ditched my air mattress for a hammock setup on a 4 day trip last weekend

I have been using a double high air mattress for years, even on car camping trips. Last weekend up at Lake Almanor I switched to a hammock with a bug net and underquilt. I slept way better not waking up every 3 hours to add air. Plus the whole rig packs down to about the size of a football. Has anyone else made the switch and found it worth the initial cost for the tarp and quilts?

Got stuck in a freak hailstorm up at Lost Lake last July and realized my tent was leaking through the seams the whole time

Had to sit in the car for two hours while everything inside my tent got soaked, and now I seam-seal every new tent before I even take it out which I never bothered with before, anyone else learned that lesson the hard way at a specific campsite?

My buddy convinced me to try a hammock instead of a tent and I was wrong about them

I always thought hammocks were just for lounging around camp, not for actual sleeping. My friend Dave has been bugging me for like 2 years to try his setup on our annual trip to the Smokies. Last month I finally gave in after he showed me how he stays dry with a proper tarp and bug net. He slept like a rock while I was tossing on the ground in my tent. I still like my tent for colder weather, but for summer trips under 70 degrees I'm totally sold on the hammock now. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted it once the temp dropped?

Brought a $12 tarp from Walmart to Yosemite, woke up in a puddle at 3 AM

The week where raccoons stole my entire campsite... twice

Last summer up near Lake Placid, I set up a nice little spot by the creek. First night, I wake up to crashing sounds. A raccoon made off with my entire bag of trail mix and a loaf of bread. I thought whatever, rookie mistake. So next day I lock everything in my car. Second night, same raccoon or its cousin somehow got into my cooler that I thought was latched tight. Dumped my eggs all over my tent floor. I had to eat granola bars for three days straight. Has anyone else dealt with a raccoon that just won't give up?

Conversation with a park ranger made me rethink my fire-starting kit

I was camping up near Lassen last month and a ranger named Dave saw me unpacking my usual lighters and fire starters. He said something like 'you've got 6 ways to make a spark but nothing to catch it with if it's wet.' That actually hit hard because I realized I spent $40 on fancy gadgets but never tested them in the rain. Now I carry a cheap candle stub and a few cotton balls with vaseline as a backup. Has anyone else found their go-to gear isn't the flashiest stuff?

The worst camping trip I ever had was last June in the Shenandoah Valley

I planned a 4 day solo trip to Shenandoah and it rained for 3 straight days. Not just a drizzle either, like dumping buckets from midnight till noon. My tent started leaking around 2 AM on day two and I spent the rest of the night with a towel shoved against the corner. The highlight was day three when I tried to cook dinner on my little camp stove and a gust of wind blew the whole thing over into a mud puddle. I ended up eating cold granola bars and instant coffee for 36 hours. Has anyone else had a trip go sideways because of weather you just couldn't predict?

Tried sleeping on a foam pad instead of an air mattress for a 3-night trip in the Smokies...

Woke up every morning feeling like I'd actually rested instead of rolling off a deflating raft. Anyone else ditch the inflatable gear for something simpler?

A stranger at a campsite told me to hang my food bag differently

Back in May at a spot near Mt. Hood, a guy saw me tying my bear bag to a tree branch and said I was doing it wrong. He showed me the PCT method with a stick and a rock, and I haven't had a single critter problem since. Anybody else get advice from a random camper that actually worked?

Tried to air-dry my tent in the backyard and a squirrel claimed it as home

Last month I set up my tent in the backyard after a wet trip to Lake George, just to let it fully dry before packing it away. I went inside for maybe 20 minutes to grab a drink, and when I came back, a gray squirrel had squeezed through the unzipped door flap. It was sitting right in the middle of the floor, chewing on a acorn like it owned the place. I tried shooing it out by waving my arms, but it just stared at me and then went back to its snack. Eventually I had to shake the whole tent pole structure to get it to scramble out the side. Now every time I unroll that tent, I half expect to find a stash of nuts in the corner. Anyone else have animals claim their gear like it's prime real estate?

Finally chose a hammock over a tent for my Smoky Mountains trip this weekend

I spent like 3 weeks going back and forth between my old tent and buying a hammock setup. Ended up going with a hammock because I wanted something lighter for hiking up to the campsite near Elkmont. First night was rough, I won't lie, took me an hour to get the straps right and not feel like a taco. But the second night I figured out the angle and slept better than I have in months. Has anyone else made the switch and just felt dumb for not doing it sooner?

Question about that fire ring rule at Yellowstone last summer

I camped at Grant Village for a week in July and noticed every site had signs saying you can only use the provided fire rings but half the rings were rusted out or tilted sideways. My neighbor's ring collapsed during dinner and almost set his tent on fire. Does anyone else think the park needs to step up maintenance on these things instead of just posting warnings?

Took my dad's advice about hiking boots and it paid off big time

For years I hiked in worn out sneakers because I figured boots were just heavy and overpriced. My old man kept telling me to get proper ones after I twisted my ankle on the Appalachian Trail near Harper's Ferry last spring. Finally dropped $160 on a pair of Merrell Moabs in June and the difference is night and day. Did a 12 mile loop through Harriman State Park two weeks ago with a 30 pound pack and my feet felt solid the whole way. No blisters, no slipping on wet rocks, nothing. Has anyone else had a piece of gear they ignored for way too long and regretted it?

The old maps I found showed the river had moved 2 miles since the 1950s.

I was digging through some archived USGS topo maps at the library last week while planning a canoe trip, and I couldn't believe how much the Mississippi River channel had shifted just in my dad's lifetime. Has anyone else seen old maps of places they know and been blown away by the changes?

That week in the Boundary Waters changed my mind about having a backup plan

For years I was the guy who planned every detail of a camping trip down to the hour. Two years ago I went with my brother to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota for a five day trip. On day two our food bag got pulled into the water by a raccoon and ruined everything except some granola bars. We had to eat fish we caught and wild rice that another group gave us, and I learned I had been way too rigid. Now I bring an extra bag of rice and a backup fishing kit just in case. It freed me up to enjoy the trip more without worrying about every little thing going wrong. Has anyone else had a trip where the unexpected ended up making it better?

My tent poles were a puzzle I could not solve for 45 minutes

I was setting up camp at Lake Tahoe last month and thought I could just eyeball the pole assembly like always. Turns out my new tent had color coded sleeves that I completely ignored, so I spent 45 minutes forcing poles into the wrong spots. By the time I realized the grey pole belonged in the grey sleeve, my husband had already made coffee and was watching me from a lawn chair. Has anyone else had a tent setup that took way longer than it should have just because you skipped reading the directions?

Finally figured out why my tent kept leaking after 4 trips

I kept blaming my rainfly for getting wet inside until I noticed I was pitching it too tight against the tent body. Last weekend at Indian Creek, I gave it some slack and kept the vestibule open a crack for airflow. No condensation at all the whole night, even with heavy dew. Does anyone else fight with tent setup tricks this much, or is it just me?

Cheaped out on a $50 sleeping pad vs. the $180 one I really wanted

Picked the budget inflatable pad for my trip to Shenandoah last fall and woke up with my hip digging into the ground by 3 AM - has anyone actually found a cheap sleeping pad that holds up past the first season?

My tent pole snapped during a storm last weekend and I had to rethink everything about my shelter setup.

I was camping up near Mount Rainier and a gust of wind came through around 2 AM. The main pole on my dome tent just cracked in half, no warning. I ended up crawling into my truck bed with a tarp and sleeping bag for the rest of the night. Now I'm looking at buying a used canvas tent or maybe a hammock system, has anyone else had a pole fail on them in bad weather?

Tried using a cheap tarp as a footprint under my tent last trip

Woke up in a puddle after a 2 inch rain because the water just pooled between the tarp and the tent floor instead of draining away, has anyone else had this issue with non-breathable ground covers?

Unpopular take: that 'leave no trace' obsession is over-the-top

Last trip at Yosemite I spent 2 hours trying to bury my campfire ashes exactly 6 inches deep, but the ground was so rocky I just gave up and scattered them wide - nobody noticed. Why do we act like a few visible ashes ruins the whole wilderness experience?

Hit 200 nights camping last year and people acted like that's normal

I mean everyone talks about getting outside more but when I actually hit 200 nights in a tent in 2023 suddenly friends were calling it extreme or excessive. Anyone else feel like the community loves the idea of camping more than actually doing it?