Camping: It's moments like these...

by Jim  Bessey

Two boys just hangin' out at our campsite (Holiday Hill Camping Resort)

Sometimes I wonder why we go camping at all. It's no cheaper, anymore, than staying at a local motel. At $4 per gallon and 10 MPG when I'm towing, we can't really afford the long excursions we'd once planned. So we end up camping less than an hour from home. We eat cheap food and drink bland coffee. Feels like we spend almost half of our vacation time hooking up, driving, then setting up camp.

So why bother going camping?

For moments like these. This was fall of '09. My wife was working. Me an' the boys headed out for an impromptu trip to one of our all-time favorite campgrounds, Holiday Hill near Springwater NY. We didn't have reservations and our preferred sites were already taken. After having a look at what was available, we decided to take a shady, stony campsite back in the woods.

The weather was mild for August--hot in the sunshine but chilly overnight. The campground was fairly quiet, until the DJ showed up on Saturday afternoon. For some reason, none of us felt like swimming. We spent most of our time there just hangin' out together. We played Frisbee® games, listened to music, and read our books.

Meals were camp-simple: hot dogs, burgers, PB&J, or cereal. We left the TV at home. I'm not even sure if we bothered to bring the laptop. Though we probably hiked a bit, we didn't join any volleyball games or spend any time fishing in the ponds. We just hung out.

It was wonderful, and seeing that picture cycle-up on my laptop screen-saver brought it all back in an instant. My kids are nearly grown. One just finished his freshman year at St. John Fisher College. The younger one is becoming an excellent driver. They both have sports and friends and MP3 players and Facebook pages. But when we go camping, all of that goes by the wayside. It's just us, tossing a Frisbee and talking about stuff.

We sat by the campfire that Saturday night, slightly annoyed by the music from the nearby pavilion. We listened to the breeze in the trees, heard the crickets and bullfrogs around us, and fetched jackets as the temps fell after sunset. I finished the book I'd brought with me and grabbed another from the "take one" bookshelf at the camp store. I laughed when I realized it was one I'd read before.

And I remember looking around me with a smile, as time stood still there for awhile. We would be packing up Sunday morning to head home; but for those few hours the rest of the world didn't matter much. For a whole evening, our world was just the three of us comfortable in our camp chairs and happy just to be together. Those are the moments...
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Why do you go camping? Do you really save any money? Or is it all about something deeper? If you have any special moments from your camping trips, you can share them here. I'll be outside getting our camper ready for the new season, almost here now.

Snowstorm in eastern NY, the real April Fool's joke, means you need to know all about Winter Camping!

Editor's note - Raymond, a staunch Canadian outdoorsman, writes from experience. Winter Camping conditions, even in southern Canada, can last well into May. As Friday's Eastern Seaboard snowstorm so clearly showed, it's important to know the ins and outs of cold weather camping in our capricious springtime. Read on...

by Raymond Alexander Kukkee, guest writer

Winter Camping, Part I: Essentials and Equipment

our Shasta camper trailer, deep in the snow

Just mention Camping, and visions of warm sunshine, idyllic summer days and quality family time instantly appear in the minds of most camping enthusiasts. Warm-weather campers may consider winter camping impossible, too dangerous or a specialized, extreme sport best left to experts resting half-way up  Mount Everest in a blizzard .

It is, however, reasonable and quite possible to camp in winter simply for the love of camping.  Fresh air is offered by Mother Nature year round.   Camping in the snow can be done quite comfortably, even when temperatures dip far below zero, if one is suitably equipped and necessary precautions are taken.  Camping on wheels or not, consider  these tips for comfort,  fun,  and safety. Let’s go winter camping ! 

Equipment and other considerations:

•    If you normally go summer camping on wheels, ensure your camper is equipped  appropriately with a heater or  propane furnace. Carry an adequate supply of propane and test the furnace before heading out. Test to ensure pilot lights,  regulators and ventilation systems are all in excellent operating condition.

•    Avoid the temptation of using that convenient camper plumbing system if sub-zero conditions are expected.  Such systems are at risk in winter.  Potable water and  gray-water tanks can freeze quickly in severe cold,  seriously damaging uninsulated  pipes and even the tanks themselves. Below freezing, even the simplest drain  hoses and valves can become problematic as ice gradually  builds up in them. Use a dry chemical toilet for those calls to nature instead .

•    For  tenting, double-walled or insulated tents are available. Snow is cold but it is also an insulator. Clear away snow and install a ground sheet or plastic canvas on the tent location, and bank up snow around the base of the tent.  If snow conditions are suitable,  you may  even try building an emergency quinzy (quinzhee)  or an igloo for fun. Northern peoples have lived in such structures for centuries.

•    Use cold-weather Arctic-rated sleeping bags with thick foam ground pads (rated R-4-6) which will be warmer than sleeping on an air mattress.

•    Use thermal underwear or “sweats” with hood  to sleep in. Keep this clothing dry!

•    Wear appropriate winter clothing and bring changes of clothing. 

•    Freeze-dried foods can be prepared quickly with a minimum of fuss on small burners, and  insulated containers keep water-bottles and grocery supplies from freezing in all but the most extreme conditions.  The use of paper plates eliminates the necessity of washing dishes.

•    Include extra candles, flashlights and spare batteries, matches and fire starters. A single candle burning provides an amazing amount of emergency heat in a tent.
 
•    To enjoy  campfires, it may be necessary to bring dry wood with you. Depending on temperature and snow conditions, dry usable fire wood may not be easily collected in the wild.  Don’t forget the axe and small bow saw.

•    Maintain your cell phone for emergencies.  In extreme cold, keep the phone  warm in an inside pocket.

•    Remember to pack a first aid kit,  cameras, snowshoes, skis, and other equipment desired,  including ice fishing gear and permits if planning some  “hard-water fishing” in your area. 

•    Ensure your vehicle is in top condition. Bring along a fully-charged spare battery for your vehicle, gas line antifreeze, some basic tools and jumper cables just in case.
 
Winter camping can be challenging, but there are  benefits--including cold fresh air, no biting  insects, and fewer noisy boom-boxes. There is the element of personal satisfaction at having done something few people will ever experience.   You may even find there are  special “off-season” rates available at savvy all-season campgrounds that offer plug-ins and other conveniences. Wouldn’t that be cool?

Posted by permission from Raymond Alexander Kukkee. Read Raymonds's profile at Helium.com  
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Raymond is a good friend, fellow freelance writer, and hosts Incoming Bytes with his own brand of biting insight. When the two of us correspond, we generally sign off with our familiar "we like camping better." This Winter Camping article is exclusive to JCO (thanks, Raymond!); Part II will be posted later this week.

If you've done some serious sub-zero camping, we'd love to hear about your experience. Just leave a comment right here. ~Jim

Finally--we take the Class A RV plunge!

by Jim Bessey, editor  

 After 5 years of towing our lovingly restored 19-foot 1980 Shasta trailer, we have at last made the big move to Class A!

here's how our new Class A motorhome looked at the Dome

Back in January, my wife Lin and I spent a bitter winter day at the big Dome Arena RV SuperShow, wandering the displays, oohing and ahing, and taking pictures. At the time, in fact, I promised to return with pictures. I'll stop back with more of those in a later post.

What we didn't tell you then, and can reveal now, is that we were deep in negotiations with a local RV sales center to purchase a new Class A Motorhome. This was no small move, and didn't happen that day. There were details to hash out and arrangements to be made. One of those involves selling our dear friend, the Shasta camper--a tearful event, to be sure.

The deal is done now, friends. I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are. Actually, I don't have time to tell you much more about this tonight. We're closing the deal and taking possesion Saturday morning. Once our name's on the registration, I'll come back with more details and some pictures taken outdoors.

See you then! 
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Did you make a big camping gear move over the loooong winter? Do you think we're crazy--would you much rather go camping in a tent, instead?

Rochester's Dome Arena RV SuperShow brings a hint of Spring to the Camping World - Free Admission!

by Jim Bessey, editor

PRESS RELEASE: 15th Annual Dome RV SuperShow runs Saturday, Jan 21 to Sun, Jan 30 -- two full weekends of camping fun!

15th Annual Dome RV Show

Some say that Spring is just around the corner, and the show to prove it is just down the road in Henrietta, NY. The Outdoor Store by Camping World hosts the big event, held in the renovated Dome Arena. Admission and parking are both free. There are plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, and accommodations nearby for those who want to make it an all-day event.

About 200 new and used RVs will be on display, and available with deep pre-season discounts. Several area dealers will be represented. Low-rate financing is featured, and dealers claim they'll take "almost anything" in trade -- motorcycles, boats, cars, even used RVs! When we visited on Saturday, we saw quite a few deals in progress; always a good sign.

You'll see the complete range of campers, from Class-A motorhomes and fifth-wheels in the big dome to the newest innovations in pop-up and trailer technology in Minett Hall. Starcraft is promoting a couple-sized travel trailer for under $10K, or less than $90 a month (long-term financing). You can also register to win this model. The Thor brand shows a 23' 2011 Class-C Four Winds camper for about $50K, an often-difficult price-point to find in new RVs of that type. Outside in the cold, rows and rows of used rigs of all types await you.

Come for a leisurely stroll, or an intensive buying excursion. Bring your camera and/or your checkbook. The RV industry is cautiously recovering from the disastrous Great Recession (it ain't over yet), and there will be big bargains. Haggling welcomed, even encouraged. Refreshments available on-site.

For directions and lists of nearby accommodations, see the Dome's website.  Hours are Mon-Sat 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday 10 to 5 pm. On-site parking is much improved from previous years, and there's a nifty new Wegman's supermarket right next door, too.

  THE DOME CENTER 
  2695 E. Henrietta Road
  Henrietta, NY  14467
      888-873-4418

Hope to see you there!
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We stopped over midday Saturday, and took some pictures to share later. The Dome's just down the road from home, and is also the site for WBEE's twice-yearly Guitars and Stars Shows, which we love. We aren't in the market this year, but we sure do love to look at all the shiny new RVs. Nice that admission is free, too. It's cold and snowy here in Rochester, but nice and toasty inside the Dome. Great show!

Better Camping requests for 2011: 10 improvements campers need for the New Year

by Jim Bessey, editor

Good thing this air mattress is...   from keith011764

Raymond Alexander Kukkee and I agree -- "we like camping better." But camping isn't perfect; some things could be better. The New Year is here, it's 2011; time to consider improvements we'd like to see for a better camping experience.

Big Stuff:

1. Low-price Late Check-out fees ~ Why should your final day at a campground be spent frantically packing? For weekend campers, this means Sunday morning is not for relaxing, but for breaking camp. If there isn't anyone coming in to take your site that day, why not a simple $5 late check-out fee? Hell, even $10 would be fine. Just let us relax a little before we head home.
2. Kinder, gentler pool-use policies ~ Yeah, yeah; we know it's all about the Insurance Companies. We get it. But "Two adults must be present, not IN the pool, for any swimming"? When my son and I camped during the week last year, this meant that we had to FIND HELP in order for either one of us to take a dip. There has to be a better way.
3. Much better use of photography for campgrounds ~ Let's face it: most campground websites' photo galleries just plain stink. Why don't you guys take some new pictures? Why aren't there decent aerial views of most campgrounds? What happened to the promise of hi-tech "virtual tours" for travel destinations? Maybe some of the big-budget RV parks are doing it, but I haven't seen any progress here in upstate NY yet. We want to know what we're getting into before we get there, okay?
4. Better miniature golf course maintenance ~ Our gang always plays mini-golf when we go camping. It's one of our things. Even at the nicest campgrounds, those little golf courses are generally crummy. Why? They made the space, put some money into it in the beginning, and then walked away? I know they aren't huge money-makers for campgrounds, but it matters to us. If the windmill is supposed to turn, it should, dammit! And how about some fresh "turf" every few years? Is that too much to ask?
5. More patio pull-thru sites for big rigs ~ What a great idea: Add a simple concrete or paver pad next to the pull-thru driveway for Class-A motorhomes. Maybe a nice picnic grill, too. I've seen this here and there. Most places insist on "no carpets" and fight with campers about infractions all the time. This nice, thoughtful improvement makes the campground look good and solves the dead-grass issue perfectly.

Little stuff:

1. Reasonable prices for firewood on-site ~ We're a captive audience, and most parks have those annoying signs urging us not to bring in "contaminated" firewood from outside the area. They don't want us to burn construction debris, either (not that I pay any attention -- I save all sorts of lovely hardwood and softwood cut-offs all year long for burning). So, if they want us to buy their firewood, keep the price down. They'll sell more firewood, and their customers will appreciate the courtesy.
2. Dependable Wi-Fi ~ How many times have you lost the signal when you access the Web while camping? If a campground is going to offer internet service, then make it good. Buy a decent router and install a strong repeater system. Campers will talk about the great signal strength among their friends. It's just plain good for business.
3. Good, hot, drinkable coffee at camp stores ~ Why is campground coffee so bad? Is there a secret rule somewhere? Clean the pot. Buy some decent coffee. Use a coffee service, even. We campers love our coffee, and we don't suffer bad coffee quietly. Pretty please?
4. Simple, easy, quiet air mattress inflation ~ There must be a way. I'm serious. Are you listening out there, Inventive Geniuses? Those annoying, whiny, slooow DC-powered mattress pumps are so old-tech. There must be something out there similar to the way a life-raft inflates, something affordable that would fill up a queen-size bed in 20 seconds. I'd buy it!
5. Improved tent-flap zippers ~ Needs no explanation. We've all been there.

So that's my list, large and small. Some pet peeves, and some wishful thinking. I'm not asking for cleaner restrooms, or actual hot water in the showers, or big discounts for repeat customers. Just some give and take to make our collective camping experience better for 2011. I don't think I'm being unreasonable, do you?
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What are your ideas for Better Camping? What drives you crazy when you're camping? What nifty invention would make your next camp outing cooler? If you're a campground owner, I'd especially love to hear from you. Happy New Year!