1. U.S. Elementary Education : What Parents Need to Know
    Dismiss Notice

Camped In The Us?

Discussion in 'General Discussions - USA & Canada' started by MansiN, Apr 17, 2018.

  1. MansiN

    MansiN Senior IL'ite

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    15
    Trophy Points:
    23
    Gender:
    Female
    hi,
    i'm about to take my first camping trip in the US. I've trekked before. i started camping and hiking since the age to 12. I've done western ghats in india and the himalayas as well many a times. But that was in india. and it was the wilderness, but not too many rules.

    not sure what it's like in the US.
    next month i will be camping in acadia national park for 4 days and carrying come cooking equipment.
    do u have any ideas for easy indian cooking for camping? what is the dishwashing situation like? and any other tips around the campsite, would be helpful. any unique experiences would be nice to hear...
     
    Amica likes this.
  2. madras2018

    madras2018 Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    660
    Likes Received:
    1,699
    Trophy Points:
    263
    Gender:
    Female
    Watch out for occasional rustling noises and those "earthy" camping toilets.
     
    Amica and MansiN like this.
  3. aspha

    aspha Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    283
    Likes Received:
    342
    Trophy Points:
    130
    Gender:
    Female
    Maggi,pasta, Eggs, Heat and eat subzis, sandwiches, khichadi mix (rice+moong dal+turmeric+hing+goda masala) Instant Upma mix. Keep food locked in car. Acadia is famous for black bears so keep food safe from them.
    Veggies like these:
    MTR Alu Muttar
     
    MansiN and Amica like this.
  4. MansiN

    MansiN Senior IL'ite

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    15
    Trophy Points:
    23
    Gender:
    Female
    thanks Aspha. those are nice ideas
     
  5. MansiN

    MansiN Senior IL'ite

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    15
    Trophy Points:
    23
    Gender:
    Female
    yep toilets can be a bit of an apprehension.. :p
     
  6. Sandycandy

    Sandycandy IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    1,807
    Likes Received:
    5,249
    Trophy Points:
    383
    Gender:
    Female
    We normally stick to simple food like bread , jam , precooked burger patties etc , carry lots of prewashed fruits, cucumbers , carrots , nuts , Disposable plates and utensils . I have had some Indian friends bring stuff like parathas , batata wada ( yes in the middle of a forest :sweatsmile:) . Not a big fan of the toilets but it’s doable. I assume you will carry a camping mattress / mat to be used inside the tent.
    Have fun!
     
  7. Amica

    Amica IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    3,037
    Likes Received:
    8,379
    Trophy Points:
    460
    Gender:
    Female
    @MansiN, thanks for starting this thread. I'm addicted to indoor plumbing, air-conditioning and wifi. But camping sounds interesting and I want to try it.
     
    Sandycandy and Sunburst like this.
  8. Amica

    Amica IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    3,037
    Likes Received:
    8,379
    Trophy Points:
    460
    Gender:
    Female
    :fearscream: This may not be for me. :blush:
     
    Sandycandy likes this.
  9. SunPa

    SunPa Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    1,041
    Likes Received:
    2,413
    Trophy Points:
    283
    Gender:
    Female
    And that is why there is glamping
    Go for it @Amica !!
     
    Sandycandy and Amica like this.
  10. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,481
    Likes Received:
    30,224
    Trophy Points:
    540
    Gender:
    Female
    There are rules but most are the common sense kind -- quiet hours after 10 pm and so on. The less obvious rules the ranger will explain to you on check-in. Such as food storage and not damaging nature etc. Looks like Acadia does not allow firewood from outside, you have to buy it from the camp store.

    Are campers vegetarian or non-vegetarian? Any young kids? Plan to take lots of things that can be eaten without cooking or just heating.

    What is the general plan for the day time of camping? Any serious hiking/trekking planned? Some Indian families cook, eat, play some games, and rinse repeat. : ) For such groups, cooking is great. If hiking is planned, you might be too tired to cook much after a hike. I take marinated non-veg and cooked parathas, yougurt, mango/lime pickles, bread, eggs, salt+turmeric+some powders pre-mixed. I don't cook. I sit on the camping chair with feet on another camping chair, reading a book or looking up at the blue or dark sky or tree tops to see where is the woodpecker that I can hear pecking away so steadily . Food and drink is served to me at my chair. : )

    Our cooking needs many masalas, and many vessels get used. Best would be MTR instant upma kind of thing. Boil water and add upma mix.
    Acadia has running water and potable water according to the website. So, there might be a tap shared by 1-3 camp sites. Very rustic. The water does not flow into a drain. Just some small rocks to catch the water. So, elaborate dish washing might not be possible, plus left over food would look yuck in the rocks. I take a small dishwashing liquid bottle and a scrubber to wash only my tea/coffee/milk vessel. Paper plates, bowls for other needs. There will be a sink in the restroom but you won't feel like washing dishes there plus it looks bad as that sink is not meant for dish washing.

    Get quarters. Looks like there are coin operated showers. Take battery-operated lanterns. And camping headlamps (very useful when walking to restroom in the dark. Once you reach, you don't need a spot to rest lamp on. I also take toilet seat covers and toilet paper for just in case. Disposable wipes (baby wipes from Costco) and hand sanitizer are also useful. Paper towel.

    Don't forget a hammer to use when putting the tent stakes in the ground. Can opener/knife. Plastic table cloth big enough to cover the wooden table provided in camp site. Mosquito spray too!

    For rustic camping, very little stuff is needed. If you are taking things for comfort.. then stuff adds up. Easiest way to take them is in laundry hampers or big wide boxes without lid.

    When inside the tent, and a light is on, whatever one does in the tent is cast as a silhouette visible from outside. : ) So, if changing clothes or something, use the light to get the clothes, memorize where they are and then switch off the light. : )

    One time we forgot to bring shoes inside the tent. All were warmly settled in individual blankets. I said, let's leave them out. DH said, 'shoes are places small animals like to crawl into and use for shelter as they are warm and dry during the night.' I was out of my blanket and retrieving all shoes in record time. : ) : ) After shaking them very very hard.

    Each campsite has one parking spot. Better to park the vehicle that has most of camping stuff in that spot. And better to have multiple keys to it. Once we went with friends. Men stayed up later in the night. I woke up early at 7 am and look in all places of our tent for car keys. Nope. No can find. Those days I had to have chai or coffee first thing in the morning. Long story short -- chai stuff was in the the car and car keys were in a still sleeping gentleman's pocket and said gentleman was not my husband so I had to wait. : ) He woke up happily after 1-2 hrs, comes out of their tent, stretches and yawns and says good morning. If looks could kill, he'd have fallen dead. : ) I was hopping mad.

    Camping is a lot of fun if one is too picky about bathrooms, shower, food.

    A few more things - it gets very silent at night. Very very silent. As one lies inside the tent, you can hear small animals scurrying really close to the tent. You need a certain faith that it won't come inside, and that there are many people camping just like you. It gets very cold at night. Take good socks. Extra pairs too. And I like to wear thin thermals under sweat pants.

    If not used to sleeping bags, try one out at home first. I never zipped it around myself at home. Used it flat like a blanket. In the tent, zipped it around me, and the first time I turned over inside it, it turned over with me. : ) : )

    One last thing -- tent sizes are deceptive. If it says sleeps 6 comfortably, assume 4. Or 3. And also - don't leave unused firewood outside when you go hiking. Can get stolen while other stuff you leave out is safe enough. If not familiar with starting a fire, watch a few videos to know which lighter fuel to buy, starter brick etc.

    Air bed is a worthwhile investment if you will be going camping more times. We used only sleeping bags and comforter/blanket for a while, but now our old bones thank us in the morning for hauling the airbed, pump and D batteries for pump.

    Acadia National Park seems beautiful from the pictures. Have fun.
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2018
    MansiN, Amica, Sandycandy and 2 others like this.

Share This Page