Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

[JoeN]

For me it was in 1951 and I was 4 years old. We camped at Camp Albert Pike in SW Arkansas and that summer I learned to swim in the cold water of the Little Missouri River. I remember hiking with my siblings to the "bear" cave and I remember filling water jugs from the spring up on the side of the mountain. Also I remember a huge canvas tent, or at least it seemed huge to me, and I remember the smell of that canvas. To this day if I am around an old canvas tarp it reminds me of that tent.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

Yeah, I was in Cub Scouts. We camped under a lean-to made of Visqueen.

[in-tents]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

I was about 13 and we were in Colorado, around Buena Vista. We spent some of the days in Buena Vista and they had a mining competition. Drilling into rocks, chopping logs, donkey races, etc.....We were supposed to bathe in the creek but after jumping in the first time, we didn't take a bath that week. The water was so cold we had tied a rope to the milk jugs and kept it in the creek. Didn't use the ice chest. WE built a "bridge" across the creek. Was really a ladder but it got us across. We had a great time. That was the only time I camped until 6 years ago at age 39 when I took my family. Great question. I hadn't thought about that trip in years. Good memories.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

My first camping experience was courtesy of Camp Quidnunc, a GS camp in Rockland County, NY. Spent 2 glorious weeks there not combing my hair, wearing sun lotion or bathing unless it was in the lake. Learned how to swim, tons of songs that I still recall to my DGD's current discomfort and affirmation that my mother was right: setting a table properly was important. Made some lifelong acquaintances + friends some of whom I recently found via the 'net.

Somewhere in her photo album my mother has a pic of me returning from camp in all my Cyclops (was stung by a wasp whilst exploring a cave and one eyelid ballooned up making it impossible to see out of the eye), bandaged hand (burnt by a flaming marshmallow) unkempt hair glory. When I find it I plan to destroy it much as I did all my cotillion photos. Some moments in life do not need a visual record.....

[Happy Joe]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

I remember car camping and fishing in Minnesota, when I was about 8.
Before that we annually vacationed at a resort cabin in Minnesota, not really camping but lots of memories... Looked up the area on Google satellite view and everything is now gone.

[MacGyver]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

My first camping trip was at what I consider a very late age - 16. My parents were never the outdoors type so it took getting my driver's license to go out to do what I wanted. At the time, that was mostly a lot of underage drinking away from possible "issues". So... my best friend and I bought a $25 tent, a couple of sleeping bags, loaded up a cooler full of food and beer and headed an hour north of here to Codorus State Park in Hanover, PA. The most memorable parts of the trip (aside from the aforementioned drinking) were how the Alan Parsons Project's album "I Robot" echoed through the woods and a visit we had by a critter walking through the site. We were settling down for the last night when we heard the crunching of leaves. Neither of us wanted to look out to see what it was so we started yelling to try to scare it off. It worked. For about 30 seconds. After a couple of rounds of that, we got up the nerve to finally peek out and decided that the skunk on the picnic table needed some peace and quiet.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

I Robot was a great album. I still listen to Alan Parsons.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

My first camping trip was at what I consider a very late age - 16. My parents were never the outdoors type so it took getting my driver's license to go out to do what I wanted. At the time, that was mostly a lot of underage drinking away from possible "issues". So... my best friend and I bought a $25 tent, a couple of sleeping bags, loaded up a cooler full of food and beer and headed an hour north of here to Codorus State Park in Hanover, PA. The most memorable parts of the trip (aside from the aforementioned drinking) were how the Alan Parsons Project's album "I Robot" echoed through the woods and a visit we had by a critter walking through the site. We were settling down for the last night when we heard the crunching of leaves. Neither of us wanted to look out to see what it was so we started yelling to try to scare it off. It worked. For about 30 seconds. After a couple of rounds of that, we got up the nerve to finally peek out and decided that the skunk on the picnic table needed some peace and quiet.

You were a bit advanced for me. In that time frame I was listening to BS+T, who prolly also wouldn't have moved the skunk:he:.

ETA- why you looking so evil in yer new avatar pic?

[toedtoes]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

The first I actually remember was the trip my dad and his buddy tried to teach my mom to ride a dirt bike... we kids were up on the hill watching them in the valley. My mom got on the bike, my dad showed her the grips/gears, she pulled out, the bike fell about 20ft away, my mom got up and walked away without a word. My dad never tried to get her on the bike again.

We used to camp at this great hard to get to campground in the national forest. There was a small lake that you could hike around in a few hours. The lake was filled with bullfrogs and we'd spend the night listening to their deep croaks all night.

My most remembered camping trips were at 4-H camp. Lots of memories - including liver & chicken hot dogs gone wrong; adult nighttime partying when they thought we were sleeping; campfires, homemade donuts and hot cocoa before bed; and of course our amazing bathing beauty contest and summer Olympics competition.

[terasec]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

i dont remember my first trip
but do remember vividly early trips,
Grew up in NYC, dad had work truck in the 70's old beat up truck full of tools, no door panels, no back seats, we sat on crates, coat hangar for an antenae, basically junk by todays standards
but on weekends would empty it out of all the tools, lay carpet down,
and head out the city about 1 hr, and camp out of the truck,
while the kids ran around, mom prepared food, dad would just lay in the truck and sleep,
good memories and +40 years later still reminds me of how dont need much to get out and enjoy

[MacGyver]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

You were a bit advanced for me. In that time frame I was listening to BS+T, who prolly also wouldn't have moved the skunk:he:.

ETA- why you looking so evil in yer new avatar pic?

Even back then I was listening to just about everything from A to Z. Rock, jazz, pop, classical, R&B... didn't care as long as it wasn't opera. The first B,S & T album has been on my stranded on a desert island with 10 albums list forever.

Evil? I get that a lot. I've been told it has something to do with the steel blue/gray eyes.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

Even back then I was listening to just about everything from A to Z. Rock, jazz, pop, classical, R&B... didn't care as long as it wasn't opera. The first B,S & T album has been on my stranded on a desert island with 10 albums list forever.

Evil? I get that a lot. I've been told it has something to do with the steel blue/gray eyes.

Al Kooper daze ruled!I'm pretty egalitarian in my music taste as well. Still peeved that country is no longer called country and western which surely have similar roots yet went in different directions far enough to deserve an ampersand IMO.

Can't see the color of your eyes.....guess it just seems you lost your smile in that shot.

[toedtoes]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

I used to love country music. It stopped being country when Barf Brooks started swinging from ropes on stage. Country, western, Bakersfield, outlaw, swing - they were a great mix of music played under the same umbrella. Now, all you get are 2 songs: making out with the barefoot ditz in the dirt, sand, grass; or getting drunk.

I've since turned to Canadian roots music. It covers all styles - you just never know what they will play next. And the artists are a community - finding one opens up an entire world.

[Denni2]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

When I was 10 my father bought a pick up truck and put a topper on it. He made a bed across the front, and mom made curtains from kitchen towels. They bought sleeping bags, plastic dishes, and a Colman stove. My parents slept in the bed and I slept on the floor with my feet under the bed between the kitchen box and the cooler. We had a favorite fishing place owned by a retired couple who rented row boats and the couple let you camp on the channel. I treasure those trips with my folks, later they bought a travel trailer. It was nice but I preferred camping simple in the back of the truck. To this day I would love to find a place like that again. That place was bought and turned into one of those campgrounds with concrete patios for the travel trailers.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Do You Remember Your First Camping Trip?

Was talking about this thread with my mother and she began reminiscing.
Apparently my first camping trip was as a infant on some land my paternal grandfather bought near Saratoga Springs, NY.
We slept in a lean to based on her description and in pre-Pampers days my diapers were washed by hand daily utilizing a manual water pump.

Papa wanted to start a summer camp for the people of his parish (he was an Episcopalian priest) and his land purchase was the beginning of his dream.
Several summers were spent tilling the land for crops to be brought back to the city and making things ready for cabins so some could live there seasonally.

Whilst the project was in swing he had a heart attack and was considered for a heart transplant by Dr. Christian Bernard. Nana and Papa declined the offer (and he lived for another 25 years) made dietary and work changes in his life and deeded the land to his church.

10 years later a member of the church came back to Papa and claimed he'd swindled them cause he dinna pay the real estate taxes in perpetuity. Nana said ""No good deed goes unforgotten" in true sarcastic living with too many West Indians style. She had the "misfortune" of being the only born in the USA senior member of the family at the time.
Papa probably replied:" Ohhhhhhh you you you" whilst rubbing his forehead.
The End.:he: