Your health and camping

[jeff0520]

ok sorry to go off topic but isn't fishing at night illegal in most places

The fishing is often very good at night, especially in bright moonlight when the moon is near full. I have been approached by game wardens here in Alabama, and in Ohio where I grew up. They checked my fishing license, made sure all the fish on my stringer were above minimum length, and that I hadn't exceeded the catch limit, looked around for other illegal activity, wished me good fishing, and went on their way. If night fishing is against the rules, nobody has ever troubled me about it

[Woodbutcher]

Different parts of the country have different kinds of Camp Grounds. Here in Illinois we can not just pull off the road and set up camp. Our camp grounds are the more organized type. Most have flush toilets, electric hook ups and showers. The roads are paved and each site is designated. Some CG have very secluded sites and some are just parking lots. So you have to hunt for the type you like. You guys that live in a more Wilderness area have the wide open spaces. Our geography does not afford us that. But that is what traveling is for. Go to different parts of the country and see how others live. Camping in New York city could be fun. I must say, I have never camped in a urban area. Remember, what don't kill ya will make you stronger.

[Woodbutcher]

Camping with a group is different but can be really fun. Camping in seclusion can be also. But if you want to see the Redwoods, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, or the Desert, you are going to have to camp around people, lots of them. To me, that experience is first and the camp ground is second. I still want a nice place to camp but I will set up in a less then desirable spot to be able to see a natural wonder. Enjoy your trip, and when you get back you can park out in the woods alone and relax.

[Woodbutcher]

My point was you can not see the Grand Canyon etc. without people. So the choice is suck it up and see the sites or sit in the woods alone. They both have advantages but neither one is good all the time.

[S. Heisley]

Slowcowboy wrote:

if your like me and have never paid to camp in your life. I can tell you right now brother your going to fill like your living in newyork city when you camp at one of them places sharon is describing.
in plain english.
paid campgrounds are for a quick stay over night and then load up in the morings and get the hell out of there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is not going to be a fun experance or a normal camping way of life!!!!!!!!!
these paid campgrounds are for travelers biz a safe place to stop when your on the road and need to camp for the night. PERIOD!!!!!!!!!
NOT i repeat not for camping at for more than a day or a quick over night thing.
they are not like us normal guys out west here that grab a quick peaceful spot in the moutains or the woods and camp.
they are very noisy at nights you got people coming and going like what they are is a motel at night.
there will be people pull up next to your campspot at all hours even midnight and set up a tent with car lights blazing in the middle of the nights. or come in drunk from partying on the town.
if you want a roughing it motel pick the paid campgrounds sharon is telling you about.

Oh, come on, fellas! I mentioned two camp episodes that happened to me in roughly 30 years of camping. Not all campgrounds are pay-for but the unpaid for can be just as bad as the paid for. You have to do some arm-chair research and, if you can, go check out the campground in person. However, if you're on the road in areas where you can't do that, you have to either rely on what you can be pretty sure will be safe, clean, and available; or, check the reviews and try to plan ahead. Below are some websites to help you do that:

Campgrounds and some campground reviews:

http://www.ultimatecampgrounds.com/

http://camp-california.com/

http://www.gocampingamerica.com/index.aspx

This one (below) gives information on both Canada and USA; so, you can check some spots that you know of to see how accurate the reviews are. If there is a camera icon next to the campground name, there are pictures of the campground:

http://www.campscout.com/

Walmart-related and other such camping:

http://www.freecampgrounds.com/othercamps.html

Of possible interest for Land Yachts:

http://www.premierrvresorts.com/PRVR/(S ... bxx3bg5f34))/Pages/p0130LocationDetails.aspx

Free campgrounds list (a very nice website):

http://www.eugenecarsey.com/camp/default.htm

Boondock sites from Engineer Guy:

Dispersed Camping on BLM Land represents easy pickins when it comes to places to Boondock.

http://www.thewanderinghobo.com/Travell ... index.html

http://cheaprvliving.com/Boondocking.html

[S. Heisley]

For me, going to a KOA or other such reserved campground when I am on the road in unfamiliar places is a good thing. Yes, it's a different experience; but, I know that I am assured of a place to stay, maybe with showers; and, it is more than reasonably safe. Also, when one is on the road, it is hard to estimate how long the drive will be between campgrounds. You may know how many miles you'll be covering; but, what if you get lost or stop somewhere or have to wait in the long lines of summer construction (That one happened to me frequently in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.). If it is already dark (Make that pitch black.) when you near your intended camp spot, do you really want to take a chance of going down a dirt road, trying to find that free campground?

Before I took last summer's trip to the Midwest states, I had never stayed at a KOA or many campgrounds like that and I, too was nervous about it. However, although different from my normal camping, except for the two on-the-road, not researched change-of-plans campgrounds (one, KOA and one, Cabellas), I found it to be mostly pleasant in its own way. Would I do it again if I were on the road? Youbetcha!

[Lonnie Mac]

For me, going to a KOA or other such reserved campground when I am on the road in unfamiliar places is a good thing. Yes, it's a different experience; but, I know that I am assured of a place to stay, maybe with showers; and, it is more than reasonably safe. Also, when one is on the road, it is hard to estimate how long the drive will be between campgrounds. You may know how many miles you'll be covering; but, what if you get lost or stop somewhere or have to wait in the long lines of summer construction (That one happened to me frequently in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.). If it is already dark (Make that pitch black.) when you near your intended camp spot, do you really want to take a chance of going down a dirt road, trying to find that free campground?

Before I took last summer's trip to the Midwest states, I had never stayed at a KOA or many campgrounds like that and I, too was nervous about it. However, although different from my normal camping, except for the two on-the-road, not researched change-of-plans campgrounds (one, KOA and one, Cabellas), I found it to be mostly pleasant in its own way. Would I do it again if I were on the road? Youbetcha!

Tell ya, from an ole Cajun, spending many many nights out in the swamps on a patch of dirt I could find, to the mountains of New Mexico to Cali deep in the woods all alone camping, that was bliss to me. But now, a great KOA is just plain fun. Our very first TD experience was at a KOA. I didn't want to freak Moonbeam out, kinda tried to break her in to the TD idea by picking a KOA we have here in the TX woods. Dang, that was flat out good for me too. Ran out of ice, just went to the front office. Place was kept VERY well, strict on noise abatement, I would, and will do it again in a heart beat.

[droid_ca]

I have some pretty good camping all around me there are many locals that go out for 2 weeks at a time and still do their daily jobs as it only adds at the most 20 minutes to your commute we even had a police officer camp with his family, now that was a site to see in the campground, but the place I want to go is up in the mountain hece one of the reasons for getting a small trailer to be pulled with my tracker

This particular place is up in the Alpine of the mountains there is a natural stream for water and mile and miles of places to hike around but the air is a little thin so you have to be use to it, this particular spot you wouldn't want to be driving to and from but it would be a nice place to camp while your getting away from it all

[S. Heisley]

I have some pretty good camping all around me there are many locals that go out for 2 weeks at a time and still do their daily jobs as it only adds at the most 20 minutes to your commute we even had a police officer camp with his family, now that was a site to see in the campground, but the place I want to go is up in the mountain hece one of the reasons for getting a small trailer to be pulled with my tracker

This particular place is up in the Alpine of the mountains there is a natural stream for water and mile and miles of places to hike around but the air is a little thin so you have to be use to it, this particular spot you wouldn't want to be driving to and from but it would be a nice place to camp while your getting away from it all

That looks a bit like the Walk the Winds, WY campgrounds.