Campsite tales

[Spotthegerbil]

I've got to share this, and invite tales of the worst things you've experienced while camping.

I was on a campsite North Wales with Mrs Gerbil. We had got the tent up, unpacked and were working on our first cup of tea. Meanwhile a car pulled up, and a young couple got out of the car, accompanied by their dog. They went into the back of their significantly overloaded car and pulled out a massive tent. Judging from the amount of fabric, we were talking about 8-10 man sized - a serious amount of tent for two people and a Jack Russel. The tent was spread out on the grass, and they stood and stared at it for a while. Occasionally a omponent would be picked up, inspected and put down again. It became obvious to Mrs G and myself that they didn't have a clue how to put up the tent. At that point we decided that they had went from the category of "entertaining spectacle" to "lost cause" and we offered to help. They were glad to accept.

Emma and Pete (names changed to protect the guilty) had never camped before and thought this would be a good way of having a holiday. Pete had bought the tent from a bloke in his work and had never seen the thing erected. We asked if he knew what type of tent it was, and a puzzled look came over his face :confused:. OK this is going to be a bit of work.

The first thing we did was unfold all the poles. All of them were the same size, and judging by the general shape of the fabric, we were looking at a tunnel tent. Not the easiest for two, or even four people to erect. After a bit of tugging we managed to get this huge tent up, and then they started loading it with their luggage. There were at least two kingsize duvets, I think there was a suitcase or three, multiple shoes, none of them sensible for the middle of Snowdonia, and it just kept coming.

Over a pint later we heard the full story of their adventure. They had driven from Exeter that morning and had a rough idea that the campsite was in Wales. Not having the sense to buy a road atlas, they drove into the middle of Cardiff and asked directions, probably adding 4 hours to their journey and about £15 in bridge tolls. Some kind soul took sympathy and sent them towards the north of the country. They didn't manage to find the campsite, and had to phone to get the owner to guide them the last mile or so. They managed to take 12 hours to drive a distance that could easily be done in 5.

I really hope they didn't go walking in the hills. For all I know, they are still up there...

[Spotthegerbil]

I was going camping with the Air Cadets, and we were going to be 3 miles from the nearest electric supply. You can imagine how surprised we were when one of the cadets pulled out her hair dryer and asked where she plugged it in...

You can imagine how surprised she was when we gave her a shovel to help dig the toilet...

[SoloTotoCoyote]

:crackup

[ST Dan]

it's not where you're going, but how you get there...right???;):D

[finalchecker]

While returning from a trip to Colorado, my family stopped in Elko Nev. to camp at the KOA on hwy 80. We got to our tent site and found that the water spigot was leaking, and running right through the middle of the site.
We moved our gear to another site and here's where it all went south.

I had some surplus tent stakes , the heavy steel ones about a foot long, and proceeded to set up the tent. About half way around I struck water. :eek:Sure enough I had punctured the the water supply for about half the camp!

The campground was full of motor homes and they were not happy with me. After the camp shut off the water to my area, the mobile campers had to fetch water from way across the parking lot:(

[SoloTotoCoyote]

While returning from a trip to Colorado, my family stopped in Elko Nev. to camp at the KOA on hwy 80. We got to our tent site and found that the water spigot was leaking, and running right through the middle of the site.
We moved our gear to another site and here's where it all went south.

I had some surplus tent stakes , the heavy steel ones about a foot long, and proceeded to set up the tent. About half way around I struck water. :eek:Sure enough I had punctured the the water supply for about half the camp!

The campground was full of motor homes and they were not happy with me. After the camp shut off the water to my area, the mobile campers had to fetch water from way across the parking lot:(


:crackup

[Gonzo]

Took my only trip to Yellowstone NP. The procedure there was that every few days, the rangers would drop off a load of tree trunk sections about 18 inches in dia and about 18 inches long. From there one cuts one's own.

After spending a whole afternoon making little ones out of big ones and stacking them between two convenient saplings, we sat down to dinner.

Suddenly I noticed a bunch of teenagers helping themselves to my labor. I confronted them and learned they were all with A CHURCH GROUP and had arrived too late to get the big stuff, so they decided to raid my stock.

I told them to take what they had and don't come back. I often wonder what they learned in their church? Theft is OK?

[George]

Last August after WeSTOC I headed east into the mountains. Somewhere in the Nez Perce Park in Idah, I camped at an unattended park campground (pick a site, stick yur money in the slot, go to sleep. There was no one around, the sky was clear, it was quiet and isolated.

Next morning, listening to the radio as I packed up the tent 'n stuff, heard there had been _2_ bear attacks in 2 different campgrounds in the area! I hadn't given it a thought.

But...

I don't carry food into camp when I'm camping remote. Anything that needs eaten gets consumed before hand.

Just one more thing to keep in mind.

[BigTom]

I ain't afraid of no stinking bears!

Well, yeah, I am. South of the Mason Dixon line, I'm not. I will take some food into Apache Sitgraves next month, I'm sure. I will hang it. And try to put Bob's tent between me and the food:)

My worst was when I was a kid. We met up with a gob of family in northwestern Oregon and started down the coast to start a family camping trip. In the rain. We finally found the campground (this had to be 1963 or so) and the ranger told us where to go, roughly. We set up 6 4 man tents and a rough campsite in the dark...and torential rain. Had to dig drains for all the tents (all canvas, BTW) so that 20 plus people could bed down.

Morning came, and we found that we had missed a turn someplace. We were camped withing 20 feet of a 60' cliff to the ocean. We never had a clue until the rain quit. Jeeze. Learned a lesson. If you can't see it, go to a motel.

[Spotthegerbil]

I'm just back from a trip to the Orkney islands. A couplewho looked to be in their late fifties were set up when we got there. It was just the two of them, so why they needed a tent that would comfortably sleep 12 I'll never know.

Outside their tent they had an accessory that I've never seen connected to a tent before. One genuine, Sky satelite dish, complete with colapsible stand.

What they hadn't thought about was that the Orkneys, while pretty, are very windy. I don't think there was a day that this sat dish remained upright.

[Klackey]

This is my Dads story told to me so many times I feel like I was there. When he was just a little one the family went on a camping trip to Moro Bay Sate park in Ca. Well they got in late after dark and found the sign to the park. They made camp in a nice open space with no one around……………… This was their first trip to that park. Some time in the night they had water in the tent and filling fast. No rain outside. In the morning (All eight of them slept in the car) by the light of day the realized they had missed the arrow pointing to the park and had set up camp across the road in the tidal marsh! So when the tide came in they got flooded. The car was also in standing water and had to be towed out of the mud. This was fifty + years ago and I still get it hear it every time we camp in that area.

[Gti20vturbo]

I ain't afraid of no stinking bears!

There we were on the north end of the Alaska Peninsula on the first day of a 10 day river float / caribou hunting trip. Actually the day was coming to an end and it was time to find a spot to make camp for the night. After locating what seemed like an ideal spot for a camp site we made camp, ate dinner, had a beer or two, wiped down our weapons (it had been raining sideways all day) and dozed off to sleep.

Around 2 or 3 am I awake to the most putrid smell I have ever smelled and the sound of some serious deep breathing. I was quick to recall the smell since just days before there was a bear carcass hanging from a winch in our hanger back at the airport awaiting shipment to Anchorage that would make you puke if you came within 10 feet of it. . I nudged my hunting buddy and as he woke up I put my index finger to my lips making the “shuuu quiet” motion and pointed to the noise and smell. My buddy was terrified and it was all I could do was not laugh at the look on his face. I just smiled and he whispered “was so f-en funny?” I said nothing I guess.

Obviously the bear heard us and started to chatter his/her teeth at us (tent is closed, we cant see out and it cant see in) then I’m guessing it started to pound on the ground with it front paws because the ground started to shake in rhythm to the bears grunts. The sound was coming from the only opening in the Cabelas guide model tent which was at out feet. We both reached for our weapons, me a 12 gauge Mossberg pump camp gun in one had and my Ruger No1 Tropical 375 H&H in the other, wielding them like pistols which I am sure was due to the adrenalin flow. My buddy grabbed his LAR 45 Win Mag and with all guns pointed at the tent door we listen to the bear which I knew at any time was going to charge. As the bear made a large circle at what I guess to be about 15 feet from the door its teeth chattering and grunting seem to become more intense, safeties off, weapons ready and I started yelling as loud as I could yell. My buddy chimed in doing the same. Then all hell broke loose! Here she comes, charging our tent like a freight train, grunting and stomping. The ground shook like I have never experienced in my life. I am sure this is a technique used by the bear to disorient its prey. Just as the bear came within a few feet of the tent is made a 90 degree right turn and the sound faded off into the alders. For some reason I kept yelling as did my buddy LOL. As the sound and smell of the bear faded off into the distance I decided to go out and take a peek.

What I saw heading off in the distance over the tundra covered hills was a huge female with two cubs that were probably 2 years old because they were almost her size. My buddy and I checked the size of the paw prints and this is no ****, you could stand with both feet inside her rear paw print!! I’m telling you she was the size of the old air cooled VW bug! Down towards the river from the tent we found 10 or 15 ripped up salmon carcasses which is obviously where the bears dined. We must have been camping in their favorite spot which really pissed off moma bear, you dads know how momas can be.

Anyway after tossing all the dead salmon back into the river and peeing all over the bear tracks (hoping this would detour them from coming up to campagain) and checking my pants we climbed back into our tents and tried to relax and doze back off. It didn’t work, I laid there awake until morning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Peninsula

[SoloTotoCoyote]

There we were on the north end of the Alaska Peninsula on the first day of a 10 day river float / caribou hunting trip. Actually the day was coming to an end and it was time to find a spot to make camp for the night. After locating what seemed like an ideal spot for a camp site we made camp, ate dinner, had a beer or two, wiped down our weapons (it had been raining sideways all day) and dozed off to sleep.

Around 2 or 3 am I awake to the most putrid smell I have ever smelled and the sound of some serious deep breathing. I was quick to recall the smell since just days before there was a bear carcass hanging from a winch in our hanger back at the airport awaiting shipment to Anchorage that would make you puke if you came within 10 feet of it. . I nudged my hunting buddy and as he woke up I put my index finger to my lips making the “shuuu quiet” motion and pointed to the noise and smell. My buddy was terrified and it was all I could do was not laugh at the look on his face. I just smiled and he whispered “was so f-en funny?” I said nothing I guess.

Obviously the bear heard us and started to chatter his/her teeth at us (tent is closed, we cant see out and it cant see in) then I’m guessing it started to pound on the ground with it front paws because the ground started to shake in rhythm to the bears grunts. The sound was coming from the only opening in the Cabelas guide model tent which was at out feet. We both reached for our weapons, me a 12 gauge Mossberg pump camp gun in one had and my Ruger No1 Tropical 375 H&H in the other, wielding them like pistols which I am sure was due to the adrenalin flow. My buddy grabbed his LAR 45 Win Mag and with all guns pointed at the tent door we listen to the bear which I knew at any time was going to charge. As the bear made a large circle at what I guess to be about 15 feet from the door its teeth chattering and grunting seem to become more intense, safeties off, weapons ready and I started yelling as loud as I could yell. My buddy chimed in doing the same. Then all hell broke loose! Here she comes, charging our tent like a freight train, grunting and stomping. The ground shook like I have never experienced in my life. I am sure this is a technique used by the bear to disorient its prey. Just as the bear came within a few feet of the tent is made a 90 degree right turn and the sound faded off into the alders. For some reason I kept yelling as did my buddy LOL. As the sound and smell of the bear faded off into the distance I decided to go out and take a peek.

What I saw heading off in the distance over the tundra covered hills was a huge female with two cubs that were probably 2 years old because they were almost her size. My buddy and I checked the size of the paw prints and this is no ****, you could stand with both feet inside her rear paw print!! I’m telling you she was the size of the old air cooled VW bug! Down towards the river from the tent we found 10 or 15 ripped up salmon carcasses which is obviously where the bears dined. We must have been camping in their favorite spot which really pissed off moma bear, you dads know how momas can be.

Anyway after tossing all the dead salmon back into the river and peeing all over the bear tracks (hoping this would detour them from coming up to campagain) and checking my pants we climbed back into our tents and tried to relax and doze back off. It didn’t work, I laid there awake until morning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Peninsula

:crackup ..................wow, and not one of you fired out of fear and panic. Bravo...now THAT"S self control.

[MidLife]

Next morning, listening to the radio as I packed up the tent 'n stuff, heard there had been _2_ bear attacks in 2 different campgrounds in the area! I hadn't given it a thought.

But...

I don't carry food into camp when I'm camping remote. Anything that needs eaten gets consumed before hand.

Just one more thing to keep in mind.

About carrying food in bear country.....

Last year in a small CO campground, the camp warden warned the campers about a bear paying nightly visits to the camp and advised to keep food, water and toiletry in the cars, not in the tents.

He looked at my set up with the ST, and offered to keep all my food and toiletry items in his trailer. But he also insisted on doing the same for the panniers and top box, because they had contained food and toiletry. He also insisted about not wearing or keeping in the tent the clothes worn while cooking.

This guy got me paranoid about bears now! What to do in the next camp without such a "helpful" warden and no way to hide panniers and clothes etc?

[mpgar]

About carrying food in bear country.....

Last year in a small CO campground, the camp warden warned the campers about a bear paying nightly visits to the camp and advised to keep food, water and toiletry in the cars, not in the tents.

He looked at my set up with the ST, and offered to keep all my food and toiletry items in his trailer. But he also insisted on doing the same for the panniers and top box, because they had contained food and toiletry. He also insisted about not wearing or keeping in the tent the clothes worn while cooking.

This guy got me paranoid about bears now! What to do in the next camp without such a "helpful" warden and no way to hide panniers and clothes etc?

Camp naked and hang everything else up high.

I can't imagine the ranger telling folks to put food in their cars. Bears think of cars as a kind of lunch bucket and pop them open about as easily.

M

[iride]

Last Two times I camped out in New Mexico Natl Forrest land, I have had to break camp under fire, The 1st time was last year in the Lincoln Nat'l Forest, up near sitting bull falls, We were camped off in the woods about 20 yards from the road,All kinds of caliber bullets whizzed over our heads and around us and toward the road,I ducked down and circled around to the big RV, I had my P3 Beeman 177 Cal in its holster, I came out of the small shrubs about 45 yards from the RV and the punks standing at a small table
I told a BIG lie at this point, I told them I just got back from Iraq and i will be damed if some punk *** was going to shoot me here in the USA, Next shot that is fired you punk a**s and I am going to kill everybody with my 45
They left pretty soon after wards not a shot was fired.....
The 2nd time i was coming back from Taos about a week ago
We stopped to camp in the cibola Nat'l forest on red Cloud road. Again we camped about 20 yards from the road in small shrubs. This was a campsite with restrooms and camp fire rock pits. In the morning we awoke with bullets whizzing over our heads. Lots of shots going in different directions but some with distinct wiz of going around & over our heads. We broke camp Rapidly and we left hoping to find a Ranger or State Trooper to tell and of course we never saw one. Not real sure how the traffic on the road kept from getting hit by the fire.
Next time I go up in New Mexico I' am going to make sure I am armed because in Texas when someone shoots at you, it's called self defense.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e292/melaniesartor/Taosvacation082.jpg

[SoloTotoCoyote]

..................What to do in the next camp without such a "helpful" warden and no way to hide panniers and clothes etc?

Bring winch and pulley system...............suspend ST from tree. :D

[Spotthegerbil]

The last few posts have done nothing to inspire me to take a camping holiday in the US. Will I get eaten by Gentle Ben if I book into the Hilton?!?!?

[Mcreviver]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The last few posts have done nothing to inspire me to take a camping holiday in the US. Will I get eaten by Gentle Ben if I book into the Hilton?!?!?


Yeah, Gentle Ben Dover.

[STreaker]

In '80 I camped with 5 others in a canoe party on the banks of the Missouri river. A river barge operator yelled out to us a storm warning, but the air was so still, I didn't believe him. Sure enough about 11pm a tornado struck nearby. You know its a tornado when a all you hear is the roar of the freight train. I had three choices: get blown away by the tornado in my tent, jump in the Missouri river and drown, or drink the gallon of Scotch I brought for the trip. I figured better to be anesthetized; so I transferred the weight of the Scotch to my stomach hoping the extra ballast would keep me on the ground. I woke up 7 hours later; my Eureka Timberline was the only tent in 6 still standing, and I felt quite relaxed!