r/camping

I love the outdoors and camping but cant sleep through the night for the life of me. I constantly toss and turn and wake up in pain. Ive tried a cot and blow up sleeping pad to no avail. Im not a big dude (5’8”) but like to sprawl out a bit when I sleep so the narrow sleeping pads and cots are hard because you almost need to stay stationary and sleep like a mummy. Any one have any suggestions?

We are on our first camping trip, it's just for the weekend. The logistics of the bathhouse has been the most mysterious part for me. We have 2 children 4y and 1y and I didn't know until we got here that there were just showers, no baths. My kids are terrified of showers, I guess the water coming down from so high is overwhelming. Thankfully I brought bath wipes and it's just two nights, but they are used to nightly baths at home. I want to know how other people with little kids handle this part of camping. Thanks!

EDIT: wow this blew up very quickly. I wasn't looking to give my kids a bubble bath at the campground, I really just need a faucet low enough to not overwhelm them the way a high shower head does. I stand my kids up in the tub for their baths so we're halfway there. My plan going forward is to bring an extra storage tub to fill in the bathhouse and bathe them that way until they're okay with the shower head. And I'll always bring bath wipes as backup. They've worked out really well this weekend.

Tonight is my first night camping in FOREVER. I’m at Garner state park in texas and I got back to my tent and the rain fly and exterior was/is COVERED with about a dozen German cockroaches. I was able to get in without letting any inside but fuuuck if I gotta get up to go pee I’m gonna freak.
I don’t have any food in the tent so I have no idea why there all in my tent (maybe the trash can that’s a few sites over?). And, yes, I know it’s outside and that’s where roaches live, but now I’m scared I’m gonna bring a bunch of hitchhikers back into my apartment with me.
I don’t have a garage or anything to keep it in, so its only possible places of eventual return are in the apartment or my car.
How do i make sure the little bastards don’t follow me home?

(Edit: r/pestcontrol made it very clear they almost for sure are Asian or Bilunate roaches which are supposed to be outside and likely won’t follow me home. I’m still gonna be cautious but that’s a huge relief)

I've seen a bit if commentary about HipCamp here, so signed up for an account, and started exploring the app. Tankersley and I are planning our third camping adventure next weekend, and I've seen a few sites that look interesting near me, but for some reason I'm nervous about pulling the trigger on a HipCamp site.

Loved my first camping trip a while back, now planning my first solo trip.

Any safety do’s and don’ts for an 18F going alone for the first time? Looking for practical tips more than “just don’t go”, gear, campsite choice, what to tell people, etc. Thanks!

headed out for a few nights next weekend and trying to figure out if it's actually worth grabbing a wheeled cooler since my shoulders are totally over hauling heavy gear from the car. does anyone have a solid wheeled cooler that handles dirt paths and rough ground without getting stuck or tipping over halfway to the site?

thanks for any advice

Hey everyone,

My friend and I are planning our very first camping trip in about two weeks (mid-October) and want to try dispersed camping. We want to skip commercial KOAs or packed, paved campgrounds and find a great spot out on a Forest Service or BLM dirt road where we can actually get a bit of space.

Since we are complete beginners, safety and vehicle access are our big worries. Here’s what we’re working with:

The Truck: 2WD truck. It has high clearance but no 4WD. We need a well-traveled, solid dirt or gravel road where we won't get stuck in deep sand, mud, or crazy rocks.

No Bears: We are highly anxious about bears. We want to stay completely out of heavy bear country for this first run so we can actually sleep peacefully
without constantly worrying about wildlife.

Weather & Location: Going in mid-October. We are looking for somewhere within a few hours of Phoenix. We know the high country gets cold fast, so we're trying to figure out the right elevation for this time of year.

Can anyone recommend a specific Forest Road or BLM area that is safe, highly accessible for a 2WD truck, mostly bear-free, and great for a pair of first-timers?

We're doing three or four nights at a tent site in Shenandoah with no hookups. We'll have a small fridge, phones, lights, and camera batteries to keep charged. The car will be right there, so weight isn't a concern.

I've been eyeing the 2kWh Delta 3 Max, either on its own or with the 400W panel bundle. The bundle has a better discount than the unit alone, which is tempting. Our campsite is unshaded, but with the shorter fall days, I'm wondering whether we'd get enough charge to make setting up and moving the panel around worthwhile.

Any thoughts on it, or has anyone brought a similar setup? Thanks in advance.

Hey all looking for gift ideas for someone who camps with 2 large breed dogs. Less than $150. Thanks! Camping is primarily in Idaho.

I'm going camping for a week, and have been told there are raccoons. I have 1 truck for storing food items, and am planning on leaving my toiletry items in there too (unscented lotion, aloe gel, body wash, lavender chai body spray, coconut scented hair gel), but i was wondering about deodorant. I cant go that long without it, and i was wondering if raccoons would be attracted to the scent of lavender deodorant and cucumber deodorant. Also, would it be better to leave out the hair gel or the body spray? And what about cleaning wipes specifically lemon scented? Atlantic bugspray or lavender bugspray? Vitamin c chewable tablets? There won't be showers at the campground either so im using unscented all purpose wipes.

Title. Just looking for the best solution for our 2 pups. We've been increasing the amount of time spent at the beach/in the wild and our cars are paying the price. (Even with all-weather mats) What have you found that works best? What doesn't? TIA!