Camping - Yay or Nay

[DimesDan]

I was a Girl Scout for 11 years, so I've been camping a time or two zillion. I love it. I haven't been camping in a really long time, though. I don't want to go by myself because that's no fun, but my friends/family aren't into camping.

Another one here! I'm an Eagle Scout, and I was the den leader for my oldest son's Cub Scout den, and now I'm an Assistant Scoutmaster for his troop, so yeah, I've been on a campout or two.

I was a Girl Scout too, and so did a lot of camping as a child...but never with my family. Only with the Scouts.

Went camping when I was in the Scouts quite often, or with my family or friends, but I haven't been "real" camping in years now (ie. not in an RV or cabin or something).

Oh brilliant, I know Scouting varies between nations, but it's always fun to read about those involved with in the movement, some of my more memorable camps while being an adult have been sat around a camp fire, some beer in hand and discussing activities done as a Scout with international members visiting England.

Now I'm doubly jealous because I didn't go camping AND I wasn't in Girl Scouts.

Don't be too jealous, I was a Girl Scout and we rarely went camping. There was a Girl Scout Camp nearby that hosted troops once a year, but our group only managed to scrape together the money to get there one year. It was a very fun trip, but it wasn't even really camping, we just hung out in cabins for the weekend.

Although the Guides where I'm Scout Leader is still going, over the last few years, more Guides have "defected" from the Guide group over to my Scout Troop because they don't like the activities and lack of nights away at Guides.

Went to camp once when I was in middle school. It was terrible...I ended up going 3 days with little to no sleep, getting bitten by a tick, crying from homesickness, and just overall hating it. Never again.

Nice to know after one bad camp you decided to write the entire experience off. My first camp wasn't a barrel of laughs when I was eight, but since then, I've had far more good camps than bad camps and some of my best adventures have been while away and under canvas.

Anyway, I posted a couple of Scout/Camp related pictures in the picture post yesterday, but here are a couple of me from some recent camps I've done and amazingly been in charge of.

 

[scotpens]

It's been a long, long time, but yes, I have been camping. I used to do it every year when I was in Scouts.

Same here. Went on overnight campouts several times as a Boy Scout. Never really got into it, though. One night there was heavy rain, the tents flooded, and we had to return early. Another time some asshole kids were teasing a hive of bees — and, as luck would have it, I was the one who got stung.

At heart I’m a city boy. If there isn’t a hard, artificial surface under my feet, I feel like something’s wrong.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJLFcRdjW4o[/yt]

 

[Jono]

Plenty of times back in school. Last time would be 2000 and it was on Fraser Island.

 

[SmoothieX]

So if you went camping, and woke up with Vaseline all over your ass and your pants around your ankles, would you tell anyone?

 

[Canadave]

Although the Guides where I'm Scout Leader is still going, over the last few years, more Guides have "defected" from the Guide group over to my Scout Troop because they don't like the activities and lack of nights away at Guides.

The same happened with my Scout troop. In fact, I think there was a point when I was in Venturers where we had more girls than guys in the company.

 

[Kelthaz]

I've been camping a few times, but I just find it boring. Nature and I have an understanding.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

scotpens, that is about the funniest (and most spot on) video I have ever seen.

Excellent!

 

[Holdfast]

I've been camping. Not through choice, and it's not what you'd call my favourite experience in the world...

Frankly I can't see the attraction of being stuck in a cold & wet tent in the middle of nowhere, especially if you've had to walk a long way to get there, carrying a heavy rucksack and said tent on your back. I'm a human being, not a snail.

I had to do it a few times as a kid when I was in the cadet force; in fact, I remember I got into a spot of bother once on some long trek for paying other kids to carry my rucksack for me. The staff in charge tried to make me carry the other kids bags by way of punishment for attempting to game the system.

However, even at that tender age, I had learned the power of capitalism, and merely increased my offer once the staff were out of eyesight and got the others to carry my stuff again. It was bad enough I was having to walk miles in the countryside against my will; I wasn't going to be carrying things as well.

Having said that, camping in countryside of southern England of course means that one is never far from a road. So another time, after I realised all the en route checkpoints were near roads, I got a taxi from one to another, dropping me off about half a mile out of sight of each checkpoint. In between, I'd go to a local pub or cafe in order to let sufficient time to pass. By this stage, I'd corrupted enough friends that a handful of us split the taxi costs between us, so it was all quite reasonable & civilised.

Nature can be pretty, but I definitely prefer it as an scenic interlude, and not wallowing in it at the expense of my creature comforts.

 

[Admiral Shran]

I remember I got into a spot of bother once on some long trek for paying other kids to carry my rucksack for me.

Damn, I wish I had thought of that back when I was a Scout.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Nice to know after one bad camp you decided to write the entire experience off. My first camp wasn't a barrel of laughs when I was eight, but since then, I've had far more good camps than bad camps and some of my best adventures have been while away and under canvas.

You weren't there. Nice way to try and make others' decisions for them. I didn't tell anyone else not to go camping, so it shouldn't have any impact on what you do.

 

[DimesDan]

Nice to know after one bad camp you decided to write the entire experience off. My first camp wasn't a barrel of laughs when I was eight, but since then, I've had far more good camps than bad camps and some of my best adventures have been while away and under canvas.

You weren't there. Nice way to try and make others' decisions for them. I didn't tell anyone else not to go camping, so it shouldn't have any impact on what you do.

And I was informing you that one, my first camp wasn't that fun, but even at the young age of eight (which I believe is younger than middle school) and two, I was open minded enough at that at age to realise, that, you know what, it won't always be like this and guess what, my second camp wasn't and since then, I've had my fair share of crap camps, but on the whole, they've been fun.

Oh and nice use of the eye rolling icon.

 

[Holdfast]

I remember I got into a spot of bother once on some long trek for paying other kids to carry my rucksack for me.

Damn, I wish I had thought of that back when I was a Scout.

Always be prepared; carry lots of cash.

 

[scotpens]

I've been camping a few times, but I just find it boring. Nature and I have an understanding.

I agree completely. Remember that John Denver song? “Friends around the campfire, and everybody’s high . . .”

Why is everybody high? Because it’s fucking boring up there in the mountains! Nothing to do but stare at the trees, stare at the ground, stare at each other, and pass the joint.

Always be prepared; carry lots of cash.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSwjuz_-yao[/yt]

 

[RJDiogenes]

I remember I got into a spot of bother once on some long trek for paying other kids to carry my rucksack for me.

So another time, after I realised all the en route checkpoints were near roads, I got a taxi from one to another, dropping me off about half a mile out of sight of each checkpoint. In between, I'd go to a local pub or cafe in order to let sufficient time to pass. By this stage, I'd corrupted enough friends that a handful of us split the taxi costs between us, so it was all quite reasonable & civilised.

You haven't, by any chance, met Rosie Ruiz, have you?

 

[Aurian]

I have camped when I was younger. Not an experience I would look forward to. Minimum is a cabin with a bathroom.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

I love camping, but I mean actual "sleep in a tent without electricity or plumbing," not "drive an RV to a campground and watch TV in it."

^^^ This.

I grew up in Oregon and camping from the time I was pretty young. We tent camped mostly (thought not exclusively) in camp grounds which, back then, were NOT as "civilized" as they are now: that is, no electricity or running water, though sometimes there was a communal pump well somewhere in the campground; or we'd get our water out of the creek or river. As I grew up and my parents got older and the country became more "civilized", many of the camp grounds expanded and new ones popped up, usually with water hook-ups at the camp sites and, later, electricity as well. And, my folks decided they were tired of sleeping on the ground, so began purchasing a series of RVs that began with a pop-up "tent trailer" (which was probably my favorite, other than actual tent on the ground camping) to their current lavish 34" motorhome (with TV, satellite, microwave, etc. - no my thing but, then again, they're in their 70s.)

As a teenager I began backpacking into the extensive Pacific Northwest wilderness areas, and this was probably my favorite way to camp. Nothing like falling asleep on the side of a mountain looking up at the star-filled sky. *sigh*

Unfortunately, as I got older and moved east and married someone who despises any lack of modern conveniences, I have camped less and less, usually only when I got home to visit family in Oregon. But, I still love it.

Anywhere, and anytime. Let's roll.

 

[Canadave]

Anywhere, and anytime. Let's roll.

BBS camping trip? Let's meet in the geographic centre of North America and go from there.

 

[PianoWizzy]

No, and I never want to. Mostly due to my extreme phobia of insects, arachnids, fungi, moss, and molds.

Yes, I'm a wimp.

 

[Holdfast]

I remember I got into a spot of bother once on some long trek for paying other kids to carry my rucksack for me.

So another time, after I realised all the en route checkpoints were near roads, I got a taxi from one to another, dropping me off about half a mile out of sight of each checkpoint. In between, I'd go to a local pub or cafe in order to let sufficient time to pass. By this stage, I'd corrupted enough friends that a handful of us split the taxi costs between us, so it was all quite reasonable & civilised.

You haven't, by any chance, met Rosie Ruiz, have you?

There's a girl with smarts.

I like this bit of her bio, too: "In 1982, Ruiz was arrested for embezzling $60,000 from a real estate company where she worked. She then moved back to south Florida, only to be arrested for her involvement in a cocaine deal. To this day, she still maintains that she ran the whole race".

Never give up, never surrender!

 

[RJDiogenes]