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When I go camping, it's to go looking for reptiles/amphibians. I pack my camera, my big net, a couple containers, some minnow traps, a cooler, my suitcase, some paper plates, paper towels, etc., matches, a little collapsible grill if I'm going to take the time to eat hot food, some water (both bottled for drinking and in a water cooler thingy for washing/brushing teeth, etc.), and my tent. I also bring a sleeping bag, pillow, and a blanket, which can be good for if the ground is uncomfortable or if it's extra cold. A second sleeping bag can be nice, too, depending on space. I also bring my backpack with a good flashlight or two, a roll of toilet paper in a plastic bag, a compass and GPS, spare batteries for the camera or flashlights, and a little net and a container for holding aquatic things for pictures. I also like to have my kindle with a spare external battery, and a few field guides loaded on, along with any books/audio books I'll read or listen to during the drive or at night when I'm not out herping. I mostly eat cereal, sandwiches, and snacks, but I've cooked pork or hamburgers on the grill, and I like making pudgie pies/hobopies/whatever you call them, but most of the time I'm too exhausted when I get back to my camp, or else don't feel like stopping long enough to make a fire. I also tend to forget to eat because I don't want to stop to even pour a bowl of cereal unless I have to, and usually lose a few pounds from this and all the exercise, despite eating way more junk food than normal. Making sandwiches before going is generally a good idea, because then I can put them in my backpack and can eat when I'm walking. I generally make my base camp by finding an old logging road or somewhere I can pull over safely where there isn't much/any traffic in a National Forest or somewhere with free legal primitive camping. I like somewhere near water so I can go out at night with my flashlight straight out from camp, but not somewhere where there's enough water that I have to worry too much about larger alligators while I'm doing that. During the day, I drive around to find neat sites, either playing by ear or from research I did at home, and then I'll wander all over to see what cool things I can find. At night, I like to road cruise to look for snakes, so I make note of good habitat during the day or else where I've seen DORs (dead on road animals). Depending on my plans and how long I have, sometimes I'll pick a new site every day or every few days, and just pack up and set up camp somewhere else. I did this on a nine day trip to California - flew into San Francisco with as much gear as I couple fit into my bags, rented a car, and then drove up to Oregon and then back down on the other side of the Sierras - I saw hundreds of salamanders, an otter, some elk, a bear that ran straight at me (it was running from the highway and didn't see me until it was about twenty feet out and I yelled), and all sorts of other things. I also love doing Florida - tons of neat areas there! but I'll settle for coastal SC since it's closer when I can get out. It's a blast, really. I see things most people never do and a variety of habitats and areas along the way. It's a bit exhausting, since I'm never really sitting still - I'm always hiking or driving or whatever, aside from nighttime, but if I could afford the gas and petsitter, I'd do it as often as I could. If you're just sitting at a campsite, especially if it's a pay site with water and toilets and all sorts of other people, you're not really doing anything. And if you have a camper and electricity and so on, then why the hell leave home in the first place?
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Aug 31, 2014 02:03
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 15:04 |
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I get confused about whether you can camp free in state vs. national and parks vs. forests, but some of those combinations are definitely free (and legal). When I flew out to San Francisco and drove up to Oregon, I was camping out every night in the National Forests (I think those are the free ones? I always have to look it up because I can't keep them straight). The whole trip cost around $1,000 for nine days - rental car, plane tickets, food, gas, some supplies I bought beforehand (a second bag for my camping gear, etc.) I'd pass signs for campgrounds for $25-50 a night and it just blew my mind, because all my lodging except for the last day (I needed a shower so whoever sat next to me on the plane wouldn't have a horrible flight) was free. That hotel, a really lovely, run down piece of crap in a neighborhood that made me uncomfortable still cost $80, so I don't get why people don't just camp on vacations. You see so much more, too, and fewer people - it would honestly be a better deal even if you had to pay the $25 a night to use the forest and the parking lot campgrounds were free. Even if you're doing things in the cities, a lot of times you can find somewhere free or cheap to camp and get the best of both worlds, assuming you're not specifically going to exclusively look for wildlife.
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Dec 27, 2014 06:38
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