To camp or not

Drew Cutter wrote:
 > What do most of you do when you go to places like green river , gauley -
 > rent a cabin , pitch a tent ? Especially if you got 5-8 hour drive. I
 > can't see getting up early on Saturdays to drive .

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/closed.jpg" target="_blank">http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/closed.jpg</a>
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/open.jpg" target="_blank">http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/open.jpg</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

Do you stay in the same place every time ? or where ever you get tired.
Looks like i might have to look for vehicle is sleep in.
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

"Drew Cutter" <andrewc.RemoveThis@wcoil.com> wrote in message
news:cce26p$iit$0@65.17.190.246...
 > Do you stay in the same place every time ? or where ever you get tired.
 > Looks like i might have to look for vehicle is sleep in.
 >

My neighbor has a derelict minivan that's been sitting on the city easement
for the last year ... Oh wait, his brother is already living there... :^(


suds<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

I've driven a Dodge Colt and a Ford Festiva to Florida and to Nova Scoita
a few times with and without a dog and slept in the car while on the road
(camping when I (we) got there). Just recline the seat back and stick your
feet in the passenger's side footwell and pull a blanket over.

--
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William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
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 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

 > Drew Cutter wrote:
 >
  >> What do most of you do when you go to places like green river , gauley - rent a cabin , pitch a tent ? Especially if you got 5-8 hour drive. I can't see getting up early on Saturdays to drive .
 >
 >
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/closed.jpg</font" target="_blank">http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/closed.jpg</font</a>>
 > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/open.jpg" target="_blank">http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/open.jpg</a>

This is what i'll probably go with.
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.flippac.com/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.flippac.com/index.htm</a> or <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.hannibalusa.com/tents.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hannibalusa.com/tents.htm</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

Drew Cutter wrote:

 > Do you stay in the same place every time ? or where ever you get tired.
 > Looks like i might have to look for vehicle is sleep in.

I *can* stay anywhere I want, but almost always, I get a campsite for legal
reasons, yano?

A vehicle you can sleep in rocks! Once last year when I was 'living in my
van down by the river" it was raining and after we ate dinner at a local
restaurant, I drove back to my campsite and didn't even crack a door open!
I just climbed in the back, rearranged my junk, laid my sleeping pad out
and put my sleeping bag over it and viola! A nice warm *dry* place to
sleep!

A minivan is just right for one person, maybe two. I used to have Suburbans
and those things are the best for sleepin' in, but use a LOTTA gas!

John Kuthe...<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

"Drew Cutter" <andrewc.DeleteThis@wcoil.com> wrote in message
news:cceggh$hbe$0@65.17.190.246...
   > > Drew Cutter wrote:
   > >
    > >> What do most of you do when you go to places like green river ,
gauley - rent a cabin , pitch a tent ? Especially if you got 5-8 hour drive.
I can't see getting up early on Saturdays to drive .
   > >
   > >
<font color=green>   > > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/closed.jpg</font" target="_blank">http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/closed.jpg</font</a>>
<font color=green>   > > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/open.jpg</font" target="_blank">http://raf.atd.ucar.edu/~cjw/truck/open.jpg</font</a>>
  >
  > This is what i'll probably go with.
<font color=purple>  > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.flippac.com/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.flippac.com/index.htm</a> or <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.hannibalusa.com/tents.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.hannibalusa.com/tents.htm</font</a>>
  >
All the above look very ingenious but what advantage do they have over a
normal tent. They appear to require a special roof bed(!) to mount them on.
I can understand the philosophy in South Africa or anywhere where sleeping
off the ground might be safer. How does their price compare with a standard
dome tent?

Cheers,

Roy<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

Here a cheaper way .
http://www.pickupspecialties.com/Adventure_truck_tent/tent.htm

I probably going to build a custom rack. Yes i know it will cost. The
design is already done. I want the ability to put things out of way
securely . This cheap route doesn't allow me to secure my sea kayaks
without going to a custom rack . No matter how i look at i will need a
custom rack. How elaborate will be matter of cost.
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

"araby" <araby DeleteThis @rogers.com> wrote in message
news:inSGc.756240$Ar.262781@twister01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
 >
 > "Drew Cutter" <andrewc DeleteThis @wcoil.com> wrote in message
 > news:cceggh$hbe$0@65.17.190.246...
   > > > Drew Cutter wrote:
  > > This is what i'll probably go with.
  > > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.flippac.com/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.flippac.com/index.htm</a> or
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.hannibalusa.com/tents.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hannibalusa.com/tents.htm</a>
  > >
 > All the above look very ingenious but what advantage do they have over a
 > normal tent. They appear to require a special roof bed(!) to mount them
on.
 > I can understand the philosophy in South Africa or anywhere where sleeping
 > off the ground might be safer. How does their price compare with a
standard
 > dome tent?


Well, off the top (pun intended), some advantages of rooftop tents are:

--smaller campsite footprint
--takes up no space in the trunk
--really fast to set up
--is immune to wet ground, rocky ground, sloped ground, lots of shrubbery,
etc.
--can be used in a parking lot, at put-in, etc.
--is unusual enough that illegal camping might not get challenged
--you wont trip over tent lines when you stumble out at 3 am for a piss

Some disadvantages:

--you have to take your boat off the roof to pitch your tent
--it requires some extra roof hardware
--it might be more expensive than a regular tent
--you'll fall and break your neck when you stumble out at 3 am for a piss.

riverman
--<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

 > "araby" <araby RemoveThis @rogers.com> wrote in message
 > news:inSGc.756240$Ar.262781@twister01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
 >
   >>>
   >>> "Drew Cutter" <andrewc RemoveThis @wcoil.com> wrote in message
   >>> news:cceggh$hbe$0@65.17.190.246...
   >>> > > Drew Cutter wrote:
   >>> > This is what i'll probably go with.
   >>> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.flippac.com/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.flippac.com/index.htm</a> or
 >
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.hannibalusa.com/tents.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.hannibalusa.com/tents.htm</font</a>>
 >
   >>> >
   >>> All the above look very ingenious but what advantage do they have over a
   >>> normal tent. They appear to require a special roof bed(!) to mount them
 >
 > on.
 >
   >>> I can understand the philosophy in South Africa or anywhere where sleeping
   >>> off the ground might be safer. How does their price compare with a
 >
 > standard
 >
   >>> dome tent?
 >
 >
 >
 > Well, off the top (pun intended), some advantages of rooftop tents are:
 >
 > --smaller campsite footprint
 > --takes up no space in the trunk
 > --really fast to set up
 > --is immune to wet ground, rocky ground, sloped ground, lots of shrubbery,
 > etc.
 > --can be used in a parking lot, at put-in, etc.
 > --is unusual enough that illegal camping might not get challenged
 > --you wont trip over tent lines when you stumble out at 3 am for a piss
 >
 > Some disadvantages:
 >
 > --you have to take your boat off the roof to pitch your tent
 > --it requires some extra roof hardware
 > --it might be more expensive than a regular tent
 > --you'll fall and break your neck when you stumble out at 3 am for a piss.
 >
 > riverman
 > --
 >
 >

Riverman ,

I don't want to have to take my boats off the rack . Big Reason why
i want a custom rack . ( small foot print , fast to set up , don't have
to worry about ground slope or wetness). Plus i do some winter camping.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

"Drew Cutter" <andrewc DeleteThis @wcoil.com> wrote in message
news:cchvrf$v5k$0@65.17.190.246...
 > Riverman ,
 >
 > I don't want to have to take my boats off the rack . Big Reason why
 > i want a custom rack . ( small foot print , fast to set up , don't have
 > to worry about ground slope or wetness). Plus i do some winter camping.
 >

Maybe consider a rack that covers the tent box, but can hinge up and lay
over on the side of your car when you raise the tent? Or else a 'popup tent'
that keeps the boats on the roof?

--riverman<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

That the design I'm going with. Plus the ability to raise or lower the
rack. I would like to load a motorcycle in the bed. In order to load the
motorcycle into the bed the rack must be higher than the roof of the cab.

 > Maybe consider a rack that covers the tent box, but can hinge up and lay
 > over on the side of your car when you raise the tent? Or else a 'popup tent'
 > that keeps the boats on the roof?
 >
 > --riverman<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not 

Drew Cutter <andrewc.TakeThisOut@wcoil.com> asked:

 > What do most of you do when you go to places like green river , gauley -
 > rent a cabin , pitch a tent ? Especially if you got 5-8 hour drive. I
 > can't see getting up early on Saturdays to drive .

Sleep in the vehicle. There are plenty of good spots around the
Gauley, including the parking lot at the base of the dam, and
throughout West Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

I have a full-sized van; a long-bodied Ford Econoline-250 with one
bench seat (which I mounted 12 inches behind the usual position, for
passenger legroom). Thus it seats five, with seatbelts, for day
trips, or twelve plus a bunnie (because it can only carry 11 kayaks in
addition to my canoe) on shuttle. For road trips I like to limit it
to three because it can sleep three comfortably, and because the two
front seats are very comfortable, while the third person can stretch
out, snooze, or whatever, on the bench seat while we're rollin'.

But I've put in over 100,000 miles (of 192,000 total since Nov., 1997)
with no passengers at all. I carry DeLorme maps of every state I
travel through, because DeLorme indicates National Forest and BLM
lands. Anywhere in the Appalachians or the Rockies I have found that
I can pull up a Forest Service road (or BLM road, in the West) 'til I
find a wide spot in the road to park and crash. Every third morning I
pull into a commercial campground and give the $3 for a shower and a
shave.

Don't make the mistake of building a mattress into the back; it really
limits yer flexibility and carrying capacity, since you then have to
keep the back dry, keep wet and muddy boaters off the mattress, etc.;
I just unroll a Thermarest on the floor. Besides, if I had a mattress
built in I couldn't roll my Honda Spirit-750 up a folding aluminum
ramp into the back (I've bolted rings into the inside of the body to
anchor camstraps), and STILL sleep in my usual spot. Makes it a
little tough to get into some of my storage compartments, though.


-Richard, His Kanubic Travesty
--

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Nothing really matters except Boats, Sex, and Rock'n'Roll
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 >> Stay informed about: To camp or not