New member here with questions

[MikeB]

Re: New member here with questions

I would suggest that you consider not using your truck as your sleeping quarters. If you leave in the truck to do some exploring, grab a bite or get a shower (please), you will lose your camping spot. I'd use a tent. There is alot of competition for space in those areas that you are talking about visiting.

[Flibitygiget]

Re: New member here with questions

Silverz51,

No one wants to spend an extended time in their tent especially if it is hot and/or humid, kinda takes the fun out of camping and enjoying the outdoors. Take a look at the thread on Wet Weather camping or go to the Flibitygiget.com website and look at the pictures showing what you can do with the Flibitygiget and one or more tarps. Plenty of sheltered open space and a lot more comfortable than hanging out in a tent when the weather won't cooperate.

BTW, I agree whole heartedly with MikeB about keeping a tent on the site or at least tarp covers and a few chairs to hold your place.

[donjdlx]

Re: New member here with questions

As in the other thread "Truck Tents" I mentioned I carry an EZ-UP and this year a regular ground tent to use on the site when I leave with the truck and truck tent and return to the same site. The pics, Silver, look real good here and in the RV forum. It appears your tent can work real well for you solo, but it might be a little tight otherwise. Looks good on your good - looking truck! The awning is nice, my Adventure 1 has none and that's another reason for the 10x10 ez-up.

[silverz51]

Re: New member here with questions

Silverz51,

No one wants to spend an extended time in their tent especially if it is hot and/or humid, kinda takes the fun out of camping and enjoying the outdoors. Take a look at the thread on Wet Weather camping or go to the Flibitygiget.com website and look at the pictures showing what you can do with the Flibitygiget and one or more tarps. Plenty of sheltered open space and a lot more comfortable than hanging out in a tent when the weather won't cooperate.

BTW, I agree whole heartedly with MikeB about keeping a tent on the site or at least tarp covers and a few chairs to hold your place.

I might be all confused about this. I actually thought to keep the truck stationary while camping and walk (or ride my Mt bike) to take care of short trips. Obviously, I'm not an experienced camper and my ideas and *reality* might not coincide like I think. I guess if the truck is there, that should hold my spot, right?

BTW, I definitely plan on taking a tarp to cover the whole thing pretty much as your pictures show. I was thinking that if it rains, it would be much nicer for instance, to take down or set up the tent without water pouring into the bed of the truck and making a mess. I will probably get one of those thingamabobs to handle the lines. My biggest question is where to get long, telescoping poles to hold up the tarp.

[silverz51]

Re: New member here with questions

Oh yeah, I would love to hear suggestions about where to go where the crowds would be less... Obviously, places like the Grand Canyon are extremely popular, but I guess some people know when and where to go in order to avoid the big crowds. I would gladly sacrifice amenities and things like stores, showers and flush toilets for quiet, uncrowded campsites. And even though my truck is not a 4WD, it does have good ground clearance and I'm not opposed to driving on unimproved dirt roads.

[surmisez]

Re: New member here with questions

I might be all confused about this. I actually thought to keep the truck stationary while camping and walk (or ride my Mt bike) to take care of short trips. Obviously, I'm not an experienced camper and my ideas and *reality* might not coincide like I think. I guess if the truck is there, that should hold my spot, right?

BTW, I definitely plan on taking a tarp to cover the whole thing pretty much as your pictures show. I was thinking that if it rains, it would be much nicer for instance, to take down or set up the tent without water pouring into the bed of the truck and making a mess. I will probably get one of those thingamabobs to handle the lines. My biggest question is where to get long, telescoping poles to hold up the tarp.

Depending on weather conditions and how far you are from conveniences, I think it might be a bit premature to expect you can bicycle to everything.

I think what they're trying to tell you is to plan for the unexpected, which to me would mean, bringing along a stand alone tent just in case you need to use your truck as transportation -- unless that tent you have can be set up as a stand alone tent.

You're going to be on the road for a long time camping, so I would suggest the three P's: prior proper planning. This should also take into consideration Mr. Murphy, who likes to visit us all when we least expect it.

Your trip will be all the more enjoyable if you are prepared for most contingencies.

[Flibitygiget]

Re: New member here with questions

BTW, I definitely plan on taking a tarp to cover the whole thing pretty much as your pictures show. I was thinking that if it rains, it would be much nicer for instance, to take down or set up the tent without water pouring into the bed of the truck and making a mess. I will probably get one of those thingamabobs to handle the lines. My biggest question is where to get long, telescoping poles to hold up the tarp.

Standard extendable painters poles are available at Lowes, Home depot, ACE etc. They will do fine and they are not too expensive.

[silverz51]

Re: New member here with questions

Depending on weather conditions and how far you are from conveniences, I think it might be a bit premature to expect you can bicycle to everything.

I think what they're trying to tell you is to plan for the unexpected, which to me would mean, bringing along a stand alone tent just in case you need to use your truck as transportation -- unless that tent you have can be set up as a stand alone tent.

You're going to be on the road for a long time camping, so I would suggest the three P's: prior proper planning. This should also take into consideration Mr. Murphy, who likes to visit us all when we least expect it.

Your trip will be all the more enjoyable if you are prepared for most contingencies.

I'm very familiar with Mr Murphy, he has the nasty habit of appearing at most inconvenient moments LOL! I was hoping to learn from my questions and all the helpful answers I've gotten so far. The reason I ask some of these questions is to clarify things in my mind and educate myself.

Obviously I'm a neophyte camper and I have a lot to learn, My confusion arises from what I read and discuss with people. In one hand I am aware of a lot of people who carry everything the need on their back and walk many miles and camp in pretty desolate places. On the other hand there are campers who use huge RVs with incredible luxury and more comforts than some people have at home. I imagine there is a wide variety of folks in between these two points. I am trying to find out where in the gamut I fit in....

I don't want to make the mistake of thinking I am too smart and self sufficient only to find out at the worst moment that I really need more things than I thought. This is part of my 3 Ps, prior proper planning. The few times that I've camped out in the past consisted of setting up a tent to spend the night after spending the day hiking and taking photographs. The next day we hiked some more and then took down the tent, packed everything and went to our next destination. I don't think we ever took the car and drove anywhere while the tent was up...

Obviously, I don't know the places I want to go to. I had this crazy idea that the Grand Canyon was this humongous feature in an area covering many thousands of acres which could be more or less accessed in many places. I am beginning to think that I was wrong and the areas where one can go and camp are few and far between with a lot of people wanting to be there.... I hope I can learn more about this so I don't go off half cocked, so to speak. I'd hate to drive 2000 miles just to find I cannot get close to the Grand Canyon.....

[silverz51]

Re: New member here with questions

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sorry for duplicate posts. I'm having some problems posting to the forum...

[MikeB]

Re: New member here with questions

There are lots of places to camp in the southwest. The Grand Canyon is a little limited because it is a National Park and the Federal Govt exercises more control but you will find many wonderous places to camp. Don't overlook Arches, Canyonlands, Zions, Mesa Verde, Moab ..... you get the idea. There are some better camp spots on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, it's a higher elevation, tree covered and cooler. That is where I would camp if I were camping on the rim.

[silverz51]

Re: New member here with questions

There are lots of places to camp in the southwest. The Grand Canyon is a little limited because it is a National Park and the Federal Govt exercises more control but you will find many wonderous places to camp. Don't overlook Arches, Canyonlands, Zions, Mesa Verde, Moab ..... you get the idea. There are some better camp spots on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, it's a higher elevation, tree covered and cooler. That is where I would camp if I were camping on the rim.

Thanks! this is the kind of info I was hoping to get. I have this idea of camping in idyllic settings where there are beautiful views, and one can commune with nature without too much distraction. It might be just me, but the campgrounds I have seen around here in GA, SC and NC are not that inspiring to me. They seem to be too crowded and noisy. It feels almost like being at Six Flags or Cedar point or some other amusement park...

I have nothing against children or teenagers and if people want to party and cook hot dogs and burgers, etc. That is fine with me. However, I don't like to be around for all that... I would like suggestions of places that are quiet and uncrowded but accessible by 2WD truck. I don't really care if they have much in the way of facilities. I plan to take my own food & water and shelter. A toilet of some kind and a water spigot would be a plus, but not totally necessary.