I'm going camping...please help!

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by Flores, Jul 10, 2003.

  1. Flores Registered Senior Member

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    I'm going camping this weekend in Western Maryland in the mountains in an area called Deep Creek Lake State Park. This is a car camp, so I'm not bagpacking. I'm going with a girl friend and my daughter, so it's all girls. This is my first time camping since I was a little one in Egypt occasionaly camping with my parents on the mediteranean.

    Anyways, I bought a nice Coleman dome tent, it's huge 15 x 15, and I managed to erect it in my back yard. I bought air matteresses, a camping stove, Lanterns, and other things that I thought I need. We have swim gear, bikes, good food, and games for the night.

    Beside my fear of black bears coming into my tent at night, is there anything that I need to know about camping?
     
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  3. goofyfish Analog By Birth, Digital By Design Valued Senior Member

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    We boat out there all the time.
    Suntan lotion, bug spray, first aid kit.
    Secure your food and trash when not in use.
    Have a GREAT time. Beautiful place.

    :m: Peace.
     
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  5. Flores Registered Senior Member

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    Wow, we might be neighbors Goofy and not know it. Thanks for the info, and I forgot to mention that we have a viscious 8 week old cute beagle to protect us....

    Do you know if the Lake is swimable at this time of the year, or is it too cold? How's the bottom? gravely, sandy, or clayey, I don't like to step on clay bottoms so in that case I 'll bring swim shoes.
     
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  7. goofyfish Analog By Birth, Digital By Design Valued Senior Member

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    This time of year the water is mid to upper 60s - great for fishing, a bit chilly for any prolonged swims. As far as swim shoes, you should take them. There are all kinds of bottoms there, plus you have the occasional asshole that throws a bottle or can in the water. Better safe than sorry.

    Are you staying at the state park?

    :m: Peace.
     
  8. New Life Registered Senior Member

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    are there actually bears there?? if there are do you know what to do with your food?
     
  9. Flores Registered Senior Member

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    Goofyfish

    Yes, we'll be staying at the State Park. The camp ground is called Deep Creek Lake George Bechman Loop.

    Upper Sixties is a bit chilly for swimming, specially that the weather will be ranging from 69 to 72 with scattered showers on Sunday that will hopefully miss us. Still, I can't wait to see this beautifull place and I'll hopefully post some pictures when I get back.
     
  10. Flores Registered Senior Member

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    I heard there are bears but they don't bother the campers, they only want the food, so the key is not to leave food outside after we eat and lock all food in the car at night. Still the ideas of bears roaming around my plastic tent while I sleep at night a bit creepy.....specially if one needs to pee at night and is headed to the camp center that is 300 feet away armed with a flash light in the middle of the night......
     
  11. goofyfish Analog By Birth, Digital By Design Valued Senior Member

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    If you see a bear, don’t run. Trees are a black bear’s jungle gym, so climbing doesn’t help much. Back away slowly. Bears don’t like surprises, so to avoid bear hugs, stay alert, wear bear bells, carry bear (pepper) spray and watch for steaming-fresh bear scat.

    Black bear scat contains berries, they say, but brown bear scat has berries, small bells and smells like pepper.

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    :m: Peace.
     
  12. New Life Registered Senior Member

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    ok, good, just making sure you knew that

    if someone has to pee, i suggest two people go
     
  13. bhudmaash Banned Banned

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    Flores:
    so I guess it's fredom for hubby for a while

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  14. Flores Registered Senior Member

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    yeah....it's scary, although he is such a good boy....no drinking...no buddies......just lots of sports.....which is okay. I'm still working on him though, and I have till tomorrow morning to convince him to join us. It started off with the idea that we shouldn't take my 2 year old son to our first camping trip, since we will already have our hands full with our new experience, and my hubby was happy to stay home with Alex. The more I think about it though and the more we are getting prepared, I feel bad for leaving my son home, and I think he'll have a great time, so who knows, maybe I'll manage to drag everyone out, and you'll see pictures of the entire family.
     
  15. mars2112 trailrunner Registered Senior Member

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    hey I have 2 beagles.. howling at the top of their lungs is their idea of "protection"

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    they're really cute when they're puppies

    have fun camping.. and watch the beagle.. they follow scent and become oblivious to everything else (at least mine do).. we can rarely let them off their leashes when we're hiking or camping
     
  16. sargentlard Save the whales motherfucker Valued Senior Member

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    Bring a lot of alcohol in case of boredom and the awkward silence around the camp fire.
     
  17. Revolution Registered Senior Member

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    Dont forget to bring the Laptop comp with extra battery packs and satallite modem. ANd DVD player, and dont forget the movie 'The Blair Witch Project'. Thats always a hoot while you are camping in the woods around a fire alone in the dark to watch with females!
     
  18. NightFall Lazy Hedonist Valued Senior Member

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    dont forget your own wood for campfires and a tarp to wrap it in incase it rains. dont want wet wood. and bug spray. lots of bug spray.. some cutter foggers... a couple citronella candles and one of those tent net thingys around the picnic table... and something to cook with. last year we picked up a very cheap simple wire cooker. one rack goes under the food, the other on top, and has a slider for locking so you can turn the food around. works awesome. i think it cost $9.

    oh.. and extra paper towels. they can be used for everything... table cloth, firestarters, paperplate, keeping bugs out of shoes while you sleep, and dont forget to clean up water in the tent after swimming....

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  19. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Ticks! The little creeps love to get under your skin. Better bring a knife.
     
  20. Flores Registered Senior Member

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    Jeez, this is harder than I thought.

    Thanks nightfall for the excellent detail info, thanks goofy, Bhudmash, Newlife, Bowser, revolution, mars2112, sargentlard, all others. You guys seen to be very experienced.

    I have to say I have lots of stuff, but not all the stuff mentioned, I'm leaving at 12:00, so I'll wing it this time with what I have, and I'm sure you guys will either hear the funny stories when I get back and in case you don't hear from me for a while, make a 911 call for search and rescue to deep creek state park.
     
  21. New Life Registered Senior Member

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    have fun! you better post the stories
     
  22. sargentlard Save the whales motherfucker Valued Senior Member

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    and pics...i need proof dammint.
     
  23. aghart Registered Senior Member

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    You could always go camping in England. There are no bears, no mountain lions, no poisionous spiders, only one venomus snake which is so timid you would have to wrestle it to provoke it to bite you. No crocodiles, or similar lake dwelling creatures. There has never been a recorded Shark Attack in British Waters and the British Isles are offically rabies free.

    The downside is of course it rains a lot which is why we all go camping to countries where there ARE bears, poisionus spiders, other creepy crawlies and of course the French.
     

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